{"id":1800,"date":"2023-01-31T15:00:08","date_gmt":"2023-01-31T21:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/?p=1800"},"modified":"2023-01-09T13:17:29","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T19:17:29","slug":"cracks-and-all-we-stand-in-his-strength-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.mlc-wels.edu\/wels-educator\/2023\/01\/31\/cracks-and-all-we-stand-in-his-strength-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Cracks and All, We Stand in His Strength-Part 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written By <\/em>Dan Nommensen<\/em><\/a>, LPC, NCC, BC-TMH, CEAP
\n<\/em>Christian Family Solutions<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Called workers have one of the world\u2019s best occupations! What an amazing opportunity to serve the Lord in a full- or part-time ministry and watch the Holy Spirit kindle or grow the faith of those you serve. You are devoted and faithful pastors, teachers, and staff ministers who also know you are fragile \u201cjars of clay,\u201d as the apostle Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 4:7.<\/p>\n

Fragile Jars of Clay
\n<\/strong>The message of the gospel and the mission to be a light in the darkness is entrusted to all Christians. Whether we are called workers or lay workers, we are all fragile jars of clay<\/em>. We humbly agree that even though God created and fashioned us for his purpose to hold and share a mighty message of salvation, we are fragile indeed! Sometimes we can\u2019t even believe that God chose us to share this message! We\u2019ve got cracks in our jars, and sometimes it seems we are ready to collapse.<\/p>\n

Pastors, do you feel your fragileness more lately? Teachers and staff ministers, are those cracks in your emotional health feeling more difficult to handle?<\/p>\n

Perhaps the events in our culture over the last couple of years have placed even more pressures on our fragile natures. Perhaps you have considered what life might be like apart from the public ministry. Maybe that thought crossed your mind after you got home from a tough meeting with a parent who took the opportunity to list every mistake and fault you have. Maybe that thought crossed your mind after you finished listening to the multiple voicemail messages from members with so many needs that you feel ill-equipped to handle the demands.<\/p>\n

These feelings are the cracks in your jar. Some have described burnout in ministry as the final breaking of the jar\u2014a complete feeling of brokenness.<\/p>\n

Prevent Your Jar from Breaking
\n<\/strong>In the mental health field (and particularly in the mental health ministry<\/em> at Christian Family Solutions), we look at ways to prevent that jar from breaking. Many helpful approaches are encouraged: proper diet, regular exercise, developing emotional skills of resilience, time away, setting boundaries and limits, outside interests\/hobbies, learning how to handle conflict or improve communication, etc. These are all helpful strategies to keep the jar intact. They are valuable tools and support that the Lord provides.<\/p>\n

Remember, though, that the true blessing is what is inside that fragile jar!<\/em> God has placed the knowledge of the gospel within each of us. The power of the gospel does not depend on the strength of that jar of yours. In fact, the One who fashioned that jar did so for a specific purpose\u2014molding it and shaping it according to the purpose he has in store for you.<\/p>\n

Focus on the Treasure Inside Your Jar
\n<\/strong>So when emotional challenges appear as a result of that stress and fragile nature, is it possible that we also lose focus on the treasure inside that jar? Does the list of helpful approaches above seem more like additional things to do? Does personal Bible study become little more than a chore done in an attempt to reduce guilt for not doing more?<\/p>\n

\u201cI know I should take better care of myself.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI know I should spend more time in personal devotion.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI know I should seek some emotional support on this issue.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Do not confuse the guidance, tools, and support the Lord provides with your to-do list. That would mean that your strength and your status as a conqueror are dependent on you. No, the strength for the work ahead is provided by the One who shaped us. The motivation to serve that unsatisfied parent comes from knowing the undeserved love that we have realized through faith in the Christ. What does it mean to be loved unconditionally, or to be accepted through faith by grace? When we remember where the answers come from, we naturally go to his Word, to the cross, to prayer, to our Christian support system for refuge, rather than simply adding those things to our \u201cto-do\u201d list.<\/p>\n

The freedom you have in Christ is the reason you get up and go to school or church every day. The opportunity to share grace with others so they can be released from the endless torment of trying to appease God and others is what allows you to view all the challenges you have in a completely new perspective. You know that every \u201chave to\u201d is gone and now you \u201cget to\u201d share the joy of the gospel.<\/p>\n

You are not alone in this struggle. We are all jars. We all have our cracks and vulnerabilities, thanks to our sinful nature and our innate brokenness before God.<\/p>\n

This is the first of two blog posts. The second blog post focuses on the need for support for your fragile jar of clay. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Dan Nommensen is director of Community and Congregational Services for <\/em>Christian Family Solutions<\/em><\/a>, a counseling and mental health services agency specializing in distinctly Christian care. CFS is a WELS parasynodical organization.<\/em><\/p>\n

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