5-Things more important than your Church

September 1, 2010
Leadership Clip to Evernote
10

I’m sitting in a hotel room in Mississippi (10hr  drive from home), I’m here serving my wife on a work project that had simply overwhelmed her, and she really needed my help. Through tears and shaking hands she asked me, no really begged me to take a couple days off "church stuff" to help her. "How can I do that!??" I have a conference coming up, sermons to write, a retreat to plan, leadership course to write, a Network to grow, leaders to coach &  a trip out West next week!!! Are you serious???

O how quickly we allow the MERELY important to overshadow the MOST important! I know you may say… "the church and ministry is just "merely" important?" Yeah… merely important due to the fact, we are merely here for a short time, and we must have our priorities in order. Listen… if we ever allow "doing ministry" to interfere with real RELATIONSHIP, we are screwed! The devil has baited the trap and we drank the Kool-aid!

Don’t ever think all your busyness is impressing God! What is on God’s heart is PEOPLE, and the same must be true with us. Just (5) things that are more important than all of our busyness at church "stuff"…

1.Your passionate love relationship with your God. (Are you hearing Him?)

2. Your passionate love relationship with your wife. (Does she come first? Ask her!)

3. Your passionate love relationship with your kids. (Do they feel "important?" Ask them!)

4. Your passionate love relationship with your friends. (Do you MAKE time for them)

5. Your passionate love relationship with the lost. (Cultivating friendships w/those outside the church?)

These are some of the things God has been griping me with as I sit at His feet in a Hotel room 10 hours from home!

About artie: I'm the lead Pastor at Cornerstone, a Multi-Ethnic church in the heart of Orangeburg, South Carolina. Also the founder of the Comb Network.com, a movement to plant Multi-Ethnic, culturally relevant churches in smaller cities. I direct a gathering of small city leader called "The Sticks."

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  • http://www.riverforkchurch.com Michael

    This is one of the best blogs you have written…that’s sayin’ alot too! It hits home right where it should! Bless you for this insight and reminder!

    • http://artiedavis.com artie

      Thanks gunny!

  • Shantelle Harsey

    How true this is! The enemy would desire to have us be "busy religious people" so focused on a goal that we lose sight of what is really important. We really should guard the marital/family relationship at all cost!!! What does the verse say about "gaining the whole world and losing your own soul" ~ how about gaining the world and losing your family?? Definitely NOT what God intended for His children to do! Sorry, did not mean to preach but several years ago – went there, almost lost it all, found out it simply is not worth it!!

    • http://artiedavis.com artie

      I perceive you are a prophet!

  • http://alexmarestaing.wordpress.com Alex Marestaing

    Our families, our wives, our friends, our kids, that is the church, so if we’re not nurturing and ministering to them, who are we ministering too? Thanks for posting this.

    • http://artiedavis.com artie

      Thanks Alex, you are right we loose our family we loose our ministry!

  • David

    This is just what I needed today! Thanks.

    • Anonymous

      Honored my friend.

  • Matt

    I have heard it said, "If it don’t work at home then don’t export it!" Our ministry begins at home!

    • Anonymous

      True that Matt. Thanks!