Taking Care of You

There are times when leaders wonder… How can I be an example of hope and light on days that seem down and dark? How will everything work out? How will I be able to keep up with my emails? How will we meet our budget? How do I respond to critics gracefully? How can I provide meaningful encouragement to colleagues and friends? During challenging situations, I sometimes think of the song, "God will take care of you." The lyrics include, No matter what may be the test, God will take care of you; Lean, weary one, upon His breast, God will take care of you. (verse 4) God will take care of you, Through every day, o'er all the way; He will take care of you, God will take care of you. (chorus)  Listen to Aretha Franklin's rendition of the song from her "Gospel Greats" album by clicking here. Another perspective that keeps me going is Spurgeon's devotional writings. An example is his reflection on "God's Provision" (May 21). It is based on Genesis 4:2, "There is grain for sale in Egypt." The following excerpts are liberally edited. May they also speak to you. Leader, though all things are apparently against you, rest assured that God has made a reservation on your behalf. In the roll of your troubles, there is a saving clause. Somehow He will deliver you, and somewhere He will provide for you. Your rescue may come from a very unexpected source, but help will definitely come, and you will praise the Lord. If men and women do not feed you, ravens will; and if the earth does not yield wheat, heaven will drop manna. Be of good courage, and rest quietly in the Lord. God can make the sun rise in the west if He pleases and can make the source of distress a living steam of delight. God provided for Jacob with grain from Egypt (Genesis 4:2) through the hands of Joseph; he opened or closed the granaries at will. And so the riches of providence are all in the absolute power of our Lord Jesus, who will dispense them generously to His people. Joseph was abundantly ready to help his own family; and Jesus is unceasing in the faithful care for His sisters and brothers. Our responsibility is to go after the help that is provided for us: We must not sit and sulk, but, rather, stir ourselves. Prayer will bring us quickly into the presence of our royal Brother. Once before His throne, we have only to ask and receive. His stores are not exhausted. There is still grain:. His heart is not hard; He will give the grain to us. Prayer: Lord, forgive our unbelief and constrain us to draw largely from Your fullness and receive grace for grace. One supportive help that is provided is Church Leadership Center, which works in partnership with pastors, churches, and other ministry groups to prepare congregational leaders for advanced levels of service. We do this by means of assessment interviews and reports; personalized training plans, classes, and certification so that participants are able to increase their effectiveness in all areas of church life. Click here for more information. To view videos about Commissioned Pastors and those who support them, click here. To read previous blogs, click here