Years ago, I got to hear Bill Hybels tell of his recovery from a period of overwork.
Willow was on a rocket ride of growth. Bill’s ministry and impact was growing exponentially. On the outside, all was well. But inside….not so much.Through counseling and spiritual reflection, he came to realize that he was working too hard and praying too little.
I will never forget his brief but profound diagnosis:
“I came to realize that the speed at which I was doing the work of God was killing the work of God in me.”
Bullseye.
“The depth of your impact in the world is determined by the depth of God’s impact in your soul.”
Think of your life as a dashboard of a car. There are two dials. One measures the speed at which you are working in the world. The other is the speed/depth at which God is doing a work in you.
Which gauge has a higher reading? Which one is near redline? If you can commit to letting God work deeply in you, you will be able to go faster and deeper in the world. But the opposite….not so much.
It’s good to be busy, but never forget: the depth of your impact in the world is determined by the depth of God’s impact in your soul.
How’s your dashboard?
[...] #2 Personal Drivenness + God’s Vision = Too much work: Yes, vision too can become an idol. Every great gift from God runs the risk of eclipsing God as a practical source of life and motivation. When a God-given vision becomes too important and displaces God himself, the soul-battery will begin to wear down with no connections to the ultimate power source. Here’s a good related post by my friend William Vanderbloemen on the subject, How’s Your Dashboard? [...]