I'm never doing enough.

A couple Sundays ago, I preached on Psalm 1, had lunch with my family, worked at my desk and then went to the Training Center year 3 graduation, leading ceremonies there.

The next day began with an 5:30am Elder meeting, breakfast with our missionaries to Manila who are home on furlough, an admin mtg to talk through the next few Sundays’ worship services, then home to sort out emails and prep for the final Training Center year 1 class. After dinner with the family, I joined a video conference with India to update the men there on how a man being trained at FBC is doing. That was two hours, ending at 9:30pm.

That was a fairly normal Monday.

I am not complaining. I feel incredibly blessed to be supported for ministry, and I know that many people work long hours at their jobs, then fight for time to serve in ministry and spend with family.

At the end of a day like I just described, I always see what’s left undone. And I think this feeling is common…

I never feel like everything is done.

There are always tasks, projects, studies and conversations that still need to happen. In order to get one area of life caught up, something else usually falls behind. In fact, I have never met a man who felt like he had all aspects of his life balanced and healthy at the same time.

We are not plate spinners, rushing from one barely functional area to another, just trying to keep everything going.

Over the span of months and years, there are seasons when different areas of life need to be prioritized. A daughter needs more time. A shepherding crisis arises. Date nights need to be a priority. The car needs work. There’s always something. And this begs the question…

When are you doing enough?

When are you doing enough as a Christian?
When am I doing enough as a pastor?

Just from the book of Ephesians, we can see that every man is called to love Christ (3:17–19), nurture his wife (5:18–19), invest into his kids (6:4), work hard at his job (6:5–8), and minister his gifts in the church (4:12–16).

These same commands govern me and my ministry. In fact, the commands become even more specific for leaders in the church. An elder must shepherd the church (1 Pet 5:2–3), shepherd his family well (1 Tim 3:4–5), care for his marriage (1 Pet 3:7), and tend to his own soul (1 Tim 4:16).

The job is never over.

I feel this every day. I am never doing enough. Ministry. Family. Marriage. Home. Personal. If I had 28 hours in a day, I don’t think I could do it all. There is always some area experiencing neglect.

The man who hits 6:00 pm and says he accomplished all that must be done is either ignorant of his responsibilities or forgetful. There is never enough time to do all that must be done.

So what is the solution??

Are we on a treadmill that never stops?
Are we set up for failure?
Must we disappoint others?

Let’s admit it—you are set up for failure. Not by God, but through the Fall. Since Adam’s sin, no one has maintained a balanced life or perfect priorities. You will disappoint others, failing to meet their expectations and desires. And despite the wealth of life hacks available to us, the problem is far worse than you may imagine. Like a hamster on a wheel, you can run as hard as you want, but you will not find victory.

God permits you to fail. Often! He wants you to see your inability to live the perfect life. Only one person has ever done that…

Jesus Christ.

So here is the solution. You acknowledge to God that as hard as you try, you still sin and fail. You will NEVER do all that you need to do. You will NEVER accomplish all that others expect of you, much less what God demands from you. Your only hope is Christ, who lived the perfect, balanced, sinless life you never could. And to please Him, you choose to walk in the Spirit, using your time well because the days are evil and the Lord is returning soon!

Go to bed tired!

We should wear ourselves out for Christ. We are to work hard, try to do it all, fail, rebalance our priorities, and walking dependently on Christ each day. We do our best, trusting God to take care of what we miss. After all, the Heavenly Father has promised that “a rest still awaits us” (Heb 4:9–11, Rev 14:13) that will be sweeter than any weekend, better than any long vacation, and richer than any retirement could be.

Our aim right now is to live in such a way that we stand before the Lord and hear, “Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matt 25:21).