The Solution To Meeting Fatigue

[Ray12614]

5 hours ago, Neighbor said:

I like meetings of people with common purpose, and being called into service by God under God's directives to me.

I must say I don't recall any groups with common purposes  requiring attendance, not even for myself; and I organized the setting up all the meeting spaces, coordinated the use of the facilities between various ministries at a local body of Christ Jesus  and Chrstian school  K-12 grades for 14 years, until age 75.

There were multiple meetings everyday and most evenings except Mondays. Plus there were the weddings and funerals. Tired, weary ? No! But one day  my body broke and I realized it was time for  a younger person to take over. God had put that person in place already- God is awesome!

I do love getting to go back to that facility on rare occasion and seeing the development and improvement  that has occurred and is continuing there. New generations are raising up their young under God willingly being part of the local body of Yeshua.

I have actually been led of God's will for me to move cross country USA twice in order to serve in similar capacity, or to meet a need for  local body of Christ. It is testimony to me of God's plan for my own life.

Weary of God's plan for me personally? No, but ever so thankful.

For being 138 years old I think that you are doing very well for your age!!!! . . . . . (I checked your profile LOL)

[Neighbor]

16 minutes ago, Ray12614 said:

For being 138 years old I think that you are doing very well for your age!!!! . . . . . (I checked your profile LOL)

Well I only look 80; 138 is the new 80.

Actually I look about 50ish on a good day, the bad ones' I look like I am in  need of a casket. Chuckle snort LOL.

[Ray12614]

4 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Just had the thought: My day off was Sunday. On Sundays people knew not to come to me for needs instead seek out an Elder or Deacon or Deaconess. Sundays I attended a Sunday school Class, and two worship services on my "own time". I did so joy filled and appreciative of the teaching and corporate worship that God had placed and allowed me some participation in.

Retirement has been difficult for me, feels like I am unemployed. Can hardly stand the thought that I am comparatively idle, but the body just doesn't go like it once did. So now I have to work at being accepting of God's plan being His plan, and that I am but  a mere vapor in a moment of eternal time, all  while my taking in the joy of seeing a church body flourish generation after generation.

I just retired a couple years ago, and after 55 years plus of working I had a very hard time adjusting. Then I realized that just because I retired from FT work does not mean that my life does not have meaning and value to people around me. As an elder in my local church I have been allowed to minister as needed, As an member of the Body of Christ I encourage, help, exhort, pray for other Christians, and enjoy my more relaxed time away from 8-5 work. As a husband, I am now getting to know my wife better than ever, and as an father the same with my children and grand children.

Personally, I sense the fellowship of the Holy Spirit becoming deeper and deeper, and I know my self-worth is Hidden in Christ Jesus, and that makes me secure and as I am able I intend to work for His Kingdom as opportunities arise. I want to go out of this life being found faithful, and not with an faint hearted wimper.

As far as the OP post is concerned about burn-out . . . I choose my meeting activities selectively and have learned long before retirement how to say 'no' to busy meetings with little Kingdom results, and 'yes' to the meetings that matter . . . 

Grace and Peace to you and yours . . . Ray . . . 

[Ray12614]

1 minute ago, Neighbor said:

Well I only look 80; 138 is the new 80.

Actually I look about 50ish on a good day, the bad ones' I look like I am in  need of a casket LOL.

LOL . . . maybe you might update your profile from 1885 to 1985 . . . ?  LOL

[Neighbor]

I got to thinking-( a dangerous thing sometimes); what Bible references and instructions are there pertaining to meetings and attendance compulsory or voluntary?

One big one quickly comes to mind that though it might be more than a mite painful  I don't want to miss. I think  the notice of it first came to the local church bodies at Rome and Corinth and was likely shared  at meetings there.

'Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.  Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences."...

That meeting is liable to be bigger than a televised and live streamed traveling tent revival meeting, and might last a few hours too, or be a lengthy royally decreed convention of sorts.

[Know Jah]

Hebrew 10:23-25 encourages Christians to meet together 

[Neighbor]

37 minutes ago, Ray12614 said:

LOL . . . maybe you might update your profile from 1885 to 1985 . . . ?  LOL

Actually I was a well traveled war baby. Rode the troop trains with my young mother from military base to military base. At two I had aviator googles on and was being joyfully tossed about by US Naval aviator  cadets.

I have a few miles on me and more than a few dings and dents, but I think of it as being much like a  old Ford PU truck-gained some character that makes it unique from all other PU trucks.

But must stop this digression, and try to call for exploring a meeting on the meetings to be found as Biblical within the Bible. Fact is this whole board is a meeting, one without a time restriction or limitation, long as one is not profane they can attend and share as well as take in. How very cool is that! 

[Neighbor]

28 minutes ago, Ray12614 said:

Then I realized that just because I retired from FT work does not mean that my life does not have meaning and value to people around me.

Praise God, that it is so. Excellent mentors tend to have some miles on them.

[Neighbor]

 I guess the key word here might be  fatigue. How does one stay enthused and excited to take in information from others, study it as to Biblical applications, and then go about putting those applications into use under the guidance of the word the Bible, and the reveal by the Holy Spirit.

[Neighbor]

7 hours ago, FJK said:

The greatest leaders, the wisest men and the most successful among us are those who have leaned to delegate, the rest of us are the ones they delegate to.

The often quoted line from USA president Ronald Reagan,"“There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit.”

BUT doesn't even that require meetings to determine what the goal that is good is to be? Should it not be confirmed in some formal manner rather than a random going about, each to his own way?

The quality of a meeting is of course determined by the preparation for it by all that are to be present.  That is work for sure often requiring much  time in prayer,  a right mindset seeking guidance for application within the Bible and then reaching out for a confirming consensus.

The work involved in doing all that, only to find the original idea that seemed good was not really all that grand after all or is to be done at some other time not now,  can be mentally fatiguing; but it is also  I think necessary  in that it helps keep all  on track under God's will. Does it not?

Seems to me  the lesser or even bad ideas discussed and then eliminated in meetings help, for it makes for the basis to be refocusing on what may be the better toiling towards producing good fruit of the Spirit within each  of the Saints engaged in joint venture under Yeshua.