Top 5 Work & Life Blog Posts of 2016

In over 30 years of ministry, I’ve noticed that many wise ministry principles can relate to work and life in general, and vice versa. Here are my top five blog posts of 2016 that contain wise principles for work and life. Enjoy!

Riding the Wind of the Spirit
What windsurfing teaches us about listening to God.

3 Simple Questions to Help Address Complex Issues
Very complex issues are best addressed by asking and answering very basic questions.

3 Principles of Productivity
Things to consider when making decisions and taking action.

Delegating Versus Releasing Authority: What’s the Difference?
Why releasing authority is better than delegating tasks.

6 Key Areas in Which to Develop Margin
How to replenish your energy by developing margin in your life.

6 Key Areas In Which To Develop Margin

Ever wonder why some days you seem to handle things better than other days? Why, on a Wednesday, you can deal with a particularly stressful situation, but on a Thursday that exact same situation can push you to your limits? The answer can be summed up in one word. Margin.

Margin can be defined as the space between our load and our limits. It’s the breathing room we all need in our lives. It’s the buffer between where you are on your rope, and the end of your rope. When a person has margin in their life, they can weather the storm. They can get pushed toward the end of their rope, but still have enough left at the end to hang on. But when a person is at the end of their rope, they have no margin. One little thing can push them past the edge. And they fall. Hard.

margin_4The need for creating and maintaining margin is especially true for pastors and Christian leaders. Pastor and author Wayne Cordeiro, in his book Leading On Empty, noted that serotonin (that natural, feel-good hormone) replenishes us during times of rest, and fuels us when we’re working. But if we don’t replenish ourselves, our bodies replace serotonin with adrenaline. But adrenaline was designed for emergency use only. If we run completely on adrenaline day in and day out, we will sooner or later burn out.

The solution is to maintain margin. Since maintaining margin is so critical to leading a healthy life and ministry, here are 6 key areas in which to develop and maintain margin:

Schedule
Allow for extra time in your schedule to deal with unexpected issues that may arise. When something unexpected comes up and you’re called on to deal with it, you can say “Certainly! I’ve got the time.”

Financial
Dave Ramsey and other financial planners encourage people to develop and maintain an “emergency fund” to handle unexpected bills that suddenly come up. Car repairs. Medical bills. Home maintenance. Create a savings buffer. Plan ahead for those financial burdens that come up unexpectedly.
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