THE LAST 5%: “PRIORITIZING YOUR ENERGY”

They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16:6-10).

You’d think that God would just say, “Go for it” …

“Go tell it on the mountains.” Or maybe: “Just do it!” “Start with the “A’s” in the phone book and work your way through!” After all, doesn’t the Great Commission tell us to “GO?”

Seems like a universal call to me. But here we find a seemingly contradictory voice. It’s like a parent telling you to “Make sure you be nice to every adult that you encounter today… but you can slide on our neighbor, Mr. Sackett. He’s weird.”

A bit confusing… don’t you think?

But maybe what God is saying something we often miss. Maybe He’s reminding me that although the Gospel is universal, our time and energy are limited. Maybe He is reiterating that the Good News is eternal, but the couriers of that message are mortals. Even though the Gospel is to all men, we cannot be.

Try and you’ll burn out like a sparkler on the 4th of July… nice for a moment but now useless forever!

Sometimes I find myself doing lots of things, but am I doing the right things? My day is filled with busyness, but am I about “my Father’s business?”

Here’s a sobering and saddening fact: 85% of what you do, anyone can do. I know it may come as a shock, but don’t drop out with depression yet. It gets worse.

You see, as a leader, you can fill your hours by writing letters, answering email, making phone calls, and emceeing meetings. At luncheons, we do such critical things as telling hungry people which table goes first to the buffet. Such power can get addicting, I’m sure.

Here’s the second part: 10% of what you do can be delegated to those with a modicum of expertise. That is leading a meeting, or giving a lecture, a teaching, or giving counsel and advice. Now I realize that some of these you may need to do, but stick with me.

There is 5% of what you do that only YOU can do. These will require your heart, your vision, your personality. Because of the relationship you have with a child, a spouse, a friend in trouble, there are certain things that only you can accomplish.  That will you make the biggest difference, and ultimately in the end, be held accountable for.

The last 5%.

It’s so important that the Lord assigned the Holy Spirit to help us prioritize our energy. He will forbid certain Christian activities that seem religious and important. He will instruct us to delegate, to give away, to build teams. This isn’t so strange. Earlier in Acts 6:4 reminds us that the Holy Spirit did not allow the disciples to jump into the set up crew needing tables served. You must be about devoting yourselves to “prayer and the ministry of the Word.”

That’s the last 5%.

It’s the time I spend visioning others, meeting with key leaders, setting up ministries that no one else can. It’s dreaming into the future, planning how to get there, and mobilizing others in the same direction. It is spending the knee-time to hear the Lord for a current word, a life giving idea, a new sense of His hand at work. It is a word given to a weary servant that had it come from someone else may not have been as impacting. Who are these that need your touch today?

That’s the last 5%.

That’s what makes movements grow forward. But what about the other 95%? Unimportant? Were those tables that needed serving unnecessary? No! It has to be completed, but not necessarily by the apostles themselves.

The Holy Spirit instructed them to delegate and build teams: “Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task” (Acts 6:3).

Now it sure would be simpler to concentrate on the first 85%. That is the easiest and poses the least risk.  It can consume our whole week, leaving us feeling "good" about how hard we’ve worked.

But these two phrases “…having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia…” and going into Bithynia, "the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them” … still haunt me.  He refused to let them deplete theri energies into areas of least benefit even though it seemed "religious." 

The Spirit of God guides us and helps us to prioritize our energies into obedience. He helps us to organize our hours into forevers, our daily activities into eternal treasures.

The Last 5%... this is what I must primarily be about. That’s how I must prioritize my energies and organize my time. Otherwise I will find myself in Bithynia serving tables and wondering why God has been so distant lately.

Sounds like His voice is a hundred miles away ... in Macedonia.

Comments

[pastor art barrett]

Dear Mentor at a Distance, I want you to know I am still being mentored. Wayne, I attended New Hope's first pastor practicum and four DCATs. I found a spirit in you the Lord could use in me and want you to know He still does. We use the Life Journals at New Life (SF bay area Ca) I learned from your example and it continues to be the single most effective tool for consistently hearing God's voice. Thank you. Today's reading the same passages you note, stood out to me in my DEVO time - Hearing the voice of the Spirit who desires to speak into my ministry pursuits with His priorities. When I found your post this afternoon, again your mentor refections focused mine. The Spirit wants not just to point away from Bithynia, but to the 5% He would have me focus on in Macedonia. Thanks again,and Grace to Carol Anne who first touched my heart, to my friend and your Dean - John, and the many other faces I see in the Spirit when I look to New Hope in my mind.

[Dave Baldwin]

I am beginning ministry in a new church. New to me (The church is 17 years old.). These insights are invaluable as I think through why the Lord brought me here. There are only a few things only I can do. I need to focus on those and very early in my ministry set the tone of delegating and strategically deciding which things I don't do. Reading the book Simply Strategic Stuff, one of the ideas is to develop a "not to do list". Something we should all start keeping.

Thanks for the insights, Wayne!

[Fred La Plante]

Thank you so much putting into words what I've been thinking in my own life recently. The struggle with balance especially in the life of a pastor is one of the most difficult things to do. This idea of the 5% helps put things into perspective again. Oh how easy it is to fall into a superman mentality.

[Veloria]

Thank you for the reminder. WE all at time feel others don't have the passion to get it done. Thank you, Thank you for caring.

[Mike]

I am aiming to start a new church in the next few months. This is useful because I am learning all I can as fast as I can. This is another great lesson learned. Thanks. -Mike

[Jeff]

This my first year in vocational ministry and at 20 years old I still have much to learn. I am thankful to God for providing a perfect opportunity for me at Sunshine Hills Foursquare located in Delta, B.C. The latest subject our local church has been discussing is doing church as a team, which for me is multi-faceted. I have just started to read your book Wayne and it has been encouraging to me because I have been telling all of my volunteers that I want them to do what they are gifted in and do it where they feel called. As I read your book it also made think about my gifts and my passion. I have been brought to this question: I have been called to be a pastor, yet every single spiritual gifts test I take I score low in the pastor gift; what might this mean? I assume that it means that our spiritual gifts change and that since I am called to be a pastor, doesn't mean I currently am because I am not. I am a director. Besides all that, I have been learning a lot about being a leader lately and my senior pastor is always telling me that some things I can't delegate, but I just didn't know what those things were. You cleared this up for me and even broke delegation down for me. Thank you! If there is anything you can do to help me in doing church as a team, send it my way. Especially if it has to do with motivating volunteers and youth. I belive that your book can be effective and all levels of ministry. Also I think that youth to know that they can be part of a team too. Thank you for being a part of what God is doing in my life. -Jeff