As a missionary, your purpose is invite others--everyone--to come to Christ. Post-mission, the goal is the same. Except, instead of doing it full time you're doing it on more of a part-time basis. My question is: Is it possible to overdo it?
Here's some context: Our ward struggles a lot. We're really under-performing statistically (home teaching, visiting teaching, current temple recommend holders, sacrament meeting attendance, etc.). We have a small handful of ward members who do the majority of the work. We had a special meeting just a week and a half ago, where we were encouraged by our stake presidency to reach out to the less active members; they want us to bring in more people and strengthen our numbers. But what if doing so places heavy burdens on the time and resources of the few fully active members?
One sister that I serve with is of the opinion that going after the less active members "stirs up more problems," and that we should instead be focusing on strengthening the active members who are only lukewarm. (Where we live, a lot of the less active members need to be nurtured both temporally and spiritually. I don't know if it's just because we live in an urban area, but almost all of the less actives that we have reached out to in the past have not been self-reliant, spiritually or temporally. Lack of spiritual self-reliance isn't surprising for someone who is coming back into activity, but the lack of temporal self-reliance puts an extra strain on me specifically--because I'm the one responsible for coordinating welfare assistance.) The "stirs up more problems" comment makes me cringe because of the attitude that it seems to reflect, but does she have a point?
I am reminded of the parable of the vineyard in Jacob 5:
48 And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: Is it not the loftiness of thy vineyard—have not the branches thereof overcome the roots which are good? And because the branches have overcome the roots thereof, behold they grew faster than the strength of the roots, taking strength unto themselves. Behold, I say, is not this the cause that the trees of thy vineyard have become corrupted?Specifically, I am referring to the phrase "they grew faster than the strength of the roots, taking strength unto themselves." As a missionary, I remember using this passage to try to explain to myself why we weren't having success in an area despite our best efforts. I figured that the ward just wasn't ready to receive more members, so we began to focus more on strengthening the members so that they could be stronger to receive in the future. (Am I way off here with this comparison?)
Elder Ballard gave a really great talk about being wise in our Church service, found here: https://www.lds.org/general-
I think that ideally the solution would be to strengthen active members by involving them in giving service to returning members. But what if they don't want to help, or they think that they can't help because they're too busy? Then all the work lands on the same few people every time. (Along that vein, I wonder: Is burnout possible in Church service? I'm reminded of the verse in Isaiah 40:31, which would indicate no.)
Anyway, I don't want to justify shirking in our gospel duties, but I've been thinking a lot about this and wondering where the balance lies. The answer is probably dependent upon the circumstance and must be determined by personal revelation. But I thought I'd throw it out there to get your thoughts.
President Eyring's counsel to individuals who feel discouraged or overwhelmed in their service:
ReplyDelete“Your calling will surely bring opposition. You are in the Master’s service. You are His representative. Eternal lives depend on you. He faced opposition, and He said that facing opposition would be the lot of those He called. The forces arrayed against you will try not only to frustrate your work but to bring you down. The Apostle Paul described it this way: 'For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.'
"There will be times when you will feel overwhelmed. One of the ways you will be attacked is with the feeling that you are inadequate. Well, you are inadequate to answer a call to represent God with only your own powers. But you have access to more than your natural capacities, and you do not work alone. . . .
"You will feel at some time, perhaps at many times, that you cannot do all you feel you must. The heavy weight of your responsibilities will seem too great. You will worry that you can’t spend more time with your family. You will wonder how you can find the time and the energy to meet your responsibilities beyond your family and your calling. You may feel discouragement and even guilt after you have done all you could to meet all your obligations. I have had such days and such nights. Let me tell you what I have learned.
"It is this: If I only think of my own performance, my sadness deepens. But when I remember that the Lord promised that His power would go with me, I begin to look for evidence of what He has done in the lives of the people I am to serve. I pray to see with spiritual eyes the effects of His power.
"Then, invariably, the faces of people flood back into my memory. I remember the shine in the eyes of my child whose heart was softened, the tears of happiness on the face of a girl on the back row of a Sunday School class I was teaching, or a problem that was resolved before I had time to get to it. I know then that I have done enough for the promise made by Joseph Smith to be fulfilled once again: 'Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.'
"You can have the utmost assurance that your power will be multiplied many times by the Lord. All He asks is that you give your best effort and your whole heart. Do it cheerfully and with the prayer of faith. The Father and His Beloved Son will send the Holy Ghost as your companion to guide you. Your efforts will be magnified in the lives of the people you serve. And when you look back on what may now seem trying times of service and sacrifice, the sacrifice will have become a blessing, and you will know that you have seen the arm of God lifting those you served for Him, and lifting you.”
I looked to Elder Oaks talk Good, Better, Best (2007). The quote that stood out the most was:
ReplyDelete"In general conference last year, Elder M. Russell Ballard warned against the deterioration of family relationships that can result when we spend excess time on ineffective activities that yield little spiritual sustenance. He cautioned against complicating our Church service “with needless frills and embellishments that occupy too much time, cost too much money, and sap too much energy. … The instruction to magnify our callings is not a command to embellish and complicate them. To innovate does not necessarily mean to expand; very often it means to simplify. … What is most important in our Church responsibilities,” he said, “is not the statistics that are reported or the meetings that are held but whether or not individual people—ministered to one at a time just as the Savior did—have been lifted and encouraged and ultimately changed.” "
I would suggest that people can and do get burned out when they focus on the programs or the applications of the gospel and not the doctrine (I have). I think when we focus on the Savior in our meetings, counsels, prayers and personal lives, that the "good" distractions or seemingly urgent things fall away. I can really see a difference in my own life when my motive was to serve the Lord and show my gratitude for the Atonement, and when I am trying to dutifully fulfill all that is required of me with just my own grit.
One of my favorite scriptures is Doctrine and Covenants 123:13 (12-17)
My favorite part is the imagery of wasting and wearing out our lives. I loved Elder Eyring's talk in October 2011. He said
"Great priesthood trainers have shown me how to build that strength: it is to form a habit of pushing on through the fatigue and fear that might make you think of quitting. The Lord’s great mentors have shown me that spiritual staying power comes from working past the point when others would have taken a rest." That's a great reminder and catalyst for diligence in my own life.
But we really shouldn't run faster than we are able, Mosiah 4 also says this: "And again, I say unto the poor, ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give." I relate that to the time, energy and emotion we want to give, and not just money.
I also appreciate the last verse of D&C 123 where it says "do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed". I know that if we do our best, and not beat ourselves up for not doing more, that we can feel peace, and the Lords grace will be sufficient for anything we couldn't get done.
I don't know if that helps your question at all. A more straight-forward solution might be to rely on the missionaries more and contact a stake or regional welfare representative. My old bishop is now an "Agent Bishop" at the welfare center in Mesa. He told me just yesterday about the big changes the church is making in the welfare system. They may provide helpful information in your endeavors.
Em, I am glad you brought this up! I have been struggling lately trying to prioritize all the good things I have going on in my life: doing my calling, doing visiting teaching, being a temple worker, attending the temple as a patron, attending institute, helping the missionaries, going to ward/stake activities, spending time with family, studying for the GMAT, etc. I feel guilty saying no to the missionaries and I feel guilty because I haven't been to institute all summer. If you have any suggestions for my personal life I would appreciate it.
And after all my talking I would really like to hear from Jess. She and Mark seem to do and balance all things well, especially with their struggling Spanish Branch.
Shan, I'm actually going to give a RS Presidency Lesson about this on Sunday. I'll have to send you my outline once I get it finalized.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that comes to mind in response to your question is this passage from Elder Ballard's "O Be Wise" (an excellent talk!):
Eliminate guilt. I hope it goes without saying that guilt is not a proper motivational technique for leaders and teachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We must always motivate through love and sincere appreciation, not by creating guilt. I like the thought “Catch others doing something right.”
Still there are those who experience some feelings of guilt as a consequence of their service in the Church. These feelings can come when our time and attention are being torn between competing demands and priorities. As mortals, we simply cannot do everything at once. Therefore we must do all things “in wisdom and order” (Mosiah 4:27). Often that will mean temporarily postponing attention to one priority in order to take care of another. Sometimes family demands will require your full attention. Other times professional responsibilities will come first. And there will be times when Church callings will come first. Good balance comes in doing things in a timely way and in not procrastinating our preparation or waiting to fulfill our responsibilities until the last minute.
Beyond that we need to remember that Christ came to remove guilt by forgiving those who repent (see Alma 24:10). He came to bring peace to the troubled soul. “Peace I leave with you,” He said. “My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). Through the miraculous Atonement He urges us to “take my yoke upon you, … and ye shall find rest unto your souls” (Matthew 11:29).
As the power of the Atonement begins to work in our lives, we come to understand that the Savior has already born the burden of our guilt. O that we may be wise enough to understand, to repent as necessary, and to let go of our guilt.