Who do you talk to?

Just talked to my good friend Tyler V. We both served together at FBC WBURG and now God has us serving in different places, I am at Grace and he is at Life Church. I like talking to him because I feel like we are a lot alike and we can encourage and challenge each other with our various learnings and ministry experiences. Ministry can sometimes cause us to feel very lonely and maybe even ineffective. If we aren't careful, we could easily withdraw from people and feel overwhelmed. I know several Pastors who are no longer doing ministry because of this. It breaks my heart to see this happen. So I have to ask myself, what am I doing to keep this from happening to me.

I do several things from my own personal time with God, hanging out with my family, fellowship with other people; students, volunteers, and other youth workers. But I have found that being able to talk with a trusted friend is very valuable. Not only is it a time that I can encourage and be encouraged it's a time where I can listen and think outside the box in a safe environment. Some of the best ministry learnings and ideas have come from these types of conversations. I am thankful that these people are in my life, because they make me better, and encourage me to be all that God wants me to be.

Who do you have to talk with that can encourage you, challenge you, and listens to what's going on in your family, ministry, and personal time with God. I hope you have someone!

"As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend."
Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)