I know.  The entire premise behind this blog is to help Youth Pastors and Youth Workers stay in Youth Ministry.  That is still the case.

I believe with everything in me that there is not just value in staying, but it really is a necessity if you intend to have any significant influence.  The truth is, ministry is hard.  Staying is hard.  Not quitting is almost impossible, and last week I quit…again.

If you will allow me to be honest and transparent for a moment I will explain.

The truth is I have quit the ministry many times over the last fifteen years.  What is scary to me is that I rarely see it coming.  I just seem to reach a point where I’ve had all I can take and it happens…I quit.

Last week it happened, and this time I quit for a whole 12 hours.  Then I woke up, got ready, and came in to work.

The reality is that I can’t quit, but I’ve tried believe me.

When I first felt God calling me to vocational leadership in ministry, my pastor gave me great advice that has saved my ministry on occasions like this many times.  He told me to run.  Not in disobedience, but rather to be certain of the calling.  He encouraged me to make absolutely certain that I could do nothing else in life and be fulfilled.

There are no words to express how grateful I am for his wisdom and patience in that moment.

Here are three things I’ve noticed when I quit:

It is rarely over a one-time event or occurrence.

One would think that the motivation to quit would be more present over a bad experience that occurs suddenly and all at one time.  For me, this has not been the case, ever.  In these moments of difficulty I often go into crisis or fix it mode and begin processing to work to find a solution.

Are these moments painful?  Sometimes.  Are they frustrating?  Most of the time.  Are they difficult?  Always.

But they do not make me want to quit.

It is almost always because of many small things that feel like one BIG thing.

Like millions of tiny paper cuts in between my fingers (okay, maybe a little too dramatic there), the continuous barrage of small, difficult, and often painful things take their toll.  Over time they become almost unbearable.

It most often comes when I am failing to take care of myself.

Usually for me this is lack of adequate sleep and way too much coffee (is there such a thing as too much coffee?).  When I am not getting enough rest I lack the energy and focus to tackle and deal with what I am facing.

It always comes when I take on too much.

I often take on too much.  I tend to have the attitude of, “don’t tell me it can’t be done, just figure out how to do it.”  As a result, I find myself figuring out how to do it a lot.

I also tend to want things done with excellence, and as I have previously shared, I am terrified to fail.  This leads me to go overboard in preparing for things, and too often causes me to take on things others could do.

So, how do you keep from quitting forever?

Okay, so you will quit.  You will probably quit a lot.  Jeremiah quit.  Most of the disciples quit.  The key is making sure you start back again…preferably soon after quitting.

Here are a few things to make sure you don’t quit forever:

Be certain of your call.

Again, this is essential.  If you fail on this point, the others won’t matter.

You must be certain of your call.  In one of the books I read recently the author stated that he had doubted his salvation several times in his life, but he had never doubted his call.  While this may sound strange, I can relate.

Being certain of your call will allow you to echo the words of Jeremiah,

If I say, “I will not mention him,
or speak any more in his name,”
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire
shut up in my bones,
and I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot.

-Jeremiah 20:9

Get plenty of rest and exercise.

Rest is essential for success.  Sleeping well will do more for your ability to focus and process than you can imagine.

Exercise is also important.  Run, bike, go for a hike (just come back), whatever you enjoy.  Just make sure you are active.  Exercise will also help you rest better.

Be careful of how much you take on.

I’ve written previously about the importance of building a strong Youth Ministry team.  While having a great team is important; it won’t mean much if you don’t trust them to actually do anything.

Watch how much you take on.  Temper your responsibility level.  There will be seasons that are busier than others.  Prolonged business however can be dangerous.

What about you?  Ever quit?  What things seem to lead you to that place?  Share below.