Bring Your Energy

One of the number one complaints I hear from church leaders about their preacher is that he just has no energy. Now, before I make you all angry, let me assure you. I get it. There is just so much that sucks the energy out of you: There’s the critic(s) who can be unrelenting. And, while you want to forget the 67 times she told you about a word you mispronounced, wait, here she comes again. It is hard to have high energy when you have that, and we all have THAT. There is the TO DO list. It sucks energy because you know you didn’t get it all done last week. Something suffered and on Sunday it meets you face-to-face. The person’s who sister you didn’t visit but needed to and intended to is right there. And carrying that guilt is hard. Or you did make all the visits and you didn’t get to prepare as well as you wanted and in a few minutes you fear/know it will show. There are the personal issues, not enough money, family dynamic struggles, health, each of these take a swipe off the energy debit card. There are the pressures of local work and focus. What gets priority? Ministry and sermons suffer? Sermons and ministry suffers? Members and evangelism suffers? Any of these and your family suffers? That doesn’t have to exist, but it often does. There’s the weight of personal loss, grief, people leaving, compounded loss of people you have loved through the years. The past can zap our energy for the future. There’s the dueling challenges of what preaching is: It’s proclaiming the Word of the Lord, it’s preaching the Good News, it’s helping mature already maturing Christians, it’s calling sinners to repentance, it’s telling the story of the life of Jesus, it’s instruction to the church, it’s begging those who are falling behind to keep up, it’s inspiring people to serve greater, it’s challenging people in their Monday-Saturday lives. 

And of course there’s the relentless of Sundays! I have for 40+ years had a hard time sleeping on Saturday night and when you don’t sleep on Saturday night, it’s hard to have energy on Sunday. 

So, yes, I understand. 

I know some of you reading this are in a season of deep hurt and pain, and I hurt with you. Please know that none of what follows is designed to minimize, discount, or cover your pain. But even through your pain, will you 

But I will not excuse us on this. Brother, get the energy level up. You started strong but I’ve learned that over time, energy leaks! So, with all the other stuff you have going on, you must also pay attention to this. For this is often the gate that keeps you from being effective or aids in your effectiveness. 

So some positive passion. Let people know you are happy they have come to worship the Lord of Lords. Give them reason to feel that this day is going to be a good one. Smile when people speak to you. Shake a hand, and/or as appropriate give a hug. 

I’ve seen some of us. Rough day/week. Head down, mumbled greeting. That will never engage anyone. They are disengaged before you mention the first Bible reference, We had a guest at a congregation I preached at years ago. I went to visit them the next evening. He said: “Thank you for making us feel welcome and speaking to us.” I was a tad shocked. He said: “We visited 3 churches over the last few weeks and we never met the preacher.” Now, I don’t know that “why’s” of that, and this was a brother, but what if it had not been and that lack of greeting turned them to a place down the road that may not speak the truth. Make the effort to greet everyone you can with energy and delight. Nelson Searcy told me: “Guests are gifts.” I think he’s right about that. 

You will not get to share your study, your insight, the Gospel if you do not engage them first!

You might say, well, it’s just my personality to not be gregarious and it’s your’s to be. NO, I can assure you there are plenty of mornings I wake up and really don’t want to welcome folks. Listen, you can smile, you can speak clearly, you can get you head off the floor and your eyes on them, you can make people feel welcome. And you need to. 

But I don’t want to look stupid. I understand that too. You are not a rodeo huckster. I know this may be hard, but it is not about you. So, let’s represent Christ in a beautiful way. 

But, I’m just beat down. Yes, we are all down sometimes. BUT these are God’s People. These are people who He wants to save. Our mission is in every word and in every way to “Beautify the Gospel.” We represent Christ.

I would also remind us that others reflect what you present. So, if you are down, if you are repressed, if you look like you think it’s you and you alone against the world. If you are dragging, you’ll drag others down with you. They will reflect the energy level of the preacher. 

Finally, remember, you will feel better as you do better: “Fake it till you make it” is probably not always good advice but on this I think it is. If you mope around you’ll feel worse. If you get up and get moving and excited you will actually begin to feel better. 

Bless you brothers for all you do and endure. May I challenge us to keep our energy high for this great and noble work of ministry!