{"id":990,"date":"2014-12-01T16:48:51","date_gmt":"2014-12-01T16:48:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/?p=990"},"modified":"2014-12-01T16:48:51","modified_gmt":"2014-12-01T16:48:51","slug":"slow-down-a-leadership-devo-by-tony-feagin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2014\/12\/01\/slow-down-a-leadership-devo-by-tony-feagin\/","title":{"rendered":"SLOW DOWN a leadership devo by Tony Feagin"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/12\/slow-down.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-991\" src=\"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/12\/slow-down.jpg\" alt=\"slow down\" width=\"727\" height=\"392\" srcset=\"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/12\/slow-down.jpg 727w, https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/12\/slow-down-300x161.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 727px) 100vw, 727px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>As leaders, there is a lot that can consume our days, a lot that can consume our lives. Sometimes we forget to slow down and focus on the things that are truly important and necessary.<\/p>\n<p>We can learn a lot from the story of when Jesus went to visit Mary and Martha. This is found in Luke 10:38-42. The story starts with Jesus showing up to their house to find Mary meeting him outside and then sitting at his feet listening to him. While all of this is going on, Martha is being a busy body and preparing and was distracted by serving. Martha got upset about what was going on and asked Jesus if he cared that Martha wasn&#8217;t helping. He informed her that she was anxious and troubled about many things, while Mary had chosen the necessary and right thing to do.<\/p>\n<p>Sometimes we may be like Martha, and sometimes we may be like Mary. Paul reminds us that we should be anxious about nothing, meaning that we should not be anxious or worried. As leaders we tend to get to busy, anxious, and worried, trying to make sure everything is going how it should be and better. Jesus also states in Matt 11:28, that all who are weary and tired should come to him, and he will give them rest.<\/p>\n<p>At times it is good to be like Martha and be busy so that we can work and get things accomplished, but we should not be anxious or troubled. Are we so busy doing things for Jesus that we don&#8217;t spend time with him? Service to Christ can degenerate into mere busy work that is no longer full devotion to God. You shouldn&#8217;t let your service become self-serving; it should be completely selfless. As leaders and followers of Christ, we need to take time in our lives and ministries to slow down so that we can be like Mary; to rest at Jesus&#8217;s feet and listen to him. Jesus didn&#8217;t blame Martha for being concerned about household chores. He was only asking her to set her priorities. We need to be sure that our priorities in our ministry are set how they should be and are with selfless motives, not selfish motives.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"excerpt","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","slim_seo":{"title":"SLOW DOWN a leadership devo by Tony Feagin - IPHC Discipleship Ministries","description":"As leaders, there is a lot that can consume our days, a lot that can consume our lives. Sometimes we forget to slow down and focus on the things that are truly"},"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_slim_seo_primary_term_category":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,171,33,3],"tags":[196,197,200,199,201,126],"class_list":["post-990","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-discipleship-ministries","category-leadership-2","category-small-groups","category-youth-ministries","tag-connect","tag-leaders","tag-martha","tag-mary","tag-tony-feagin","tag-youth-pastors","entry"],"title_es":"","content_es":"","author_name":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4T9u2-fY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7595,"url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2020\/12\/21\/gods-cure-for-loneliness-at-christmas\/","url_meta":{"origin":990,"position":0},"title":"God&#8217;s Cure for Loneliness at Christmas","author":"Kaleigh","date":"December 21, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"It is always hard to release a loved one in death, especially at Christmas. This season is one of joy and celebration; yet, it is incredibly lonely for many, especially for those who have had a loved one die close to or during the holidays. As I have thought long\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Boys Ministries&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Boys Ministries","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/category\/boys-ministries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/gods-cure-01.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/gods-cure-01.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/gods-cure-01.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/gods-cure-01.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/gods-cure-01.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/gods-cure-01.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8597,"url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2021\/12\/13\/ponder-the-treasure\/","url_meta":{"origin":990,"position":1},"title":"Ponder the Treasure","author":"ebell","date":"December 13, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"This season brings so much joy. The halls are decked. Family gathers. Favorite dishes are prepared. Gifts are given and received. But in addition, our pace is often hurried. We feel the pressure to out-give others or give to those we love beyond our means. Our schedules are entirely too\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Discipleship Ministries&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Discipleship Ministries","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/category\/discipleship-ministries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/10\/WM-2021-Q4-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/10\/WM-2021-Q4-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/10\/WM-2021-Q4-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/10\/WM-2021-Q4-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/10\/WM-2021-Q4-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9515,"url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2022\/11\/28\/leadership-lessons-from-joseph-the-carpenter\/","url_meta":{"origin":990,"position":2},"title":"Leadership Lessons from Joseph the Carpenter","author":"ebell","date":"November 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"There are many examples of inspiring influence in the Bible from leaders whom God used powerfully to impact nations and generations. One of those leaders we often overlook because he was a man of few words is Joseph, the carpenter from Nazareth. In his quiet, unassuming manner, Joseph offers us\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Discipleship Ministries&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Discipleship Ministries","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/category\/discipleship-ministries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/MM-2022-Q1-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/MM-2022-Q1-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/MM-2022-Q1-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/MM-2022-Q1-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2022\/11\/MM-2022-Q1-Article-Graphic.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":493,"url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2014\/09\/12\/spiritual-hydrationrevelation216\/","url_meta":{"origin":990,"position":3},"title":"Spiritual Hydration\/Revelation2:16","author":"Kaleigh","date":"September 12, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"When we think about it, thirst has done a pretty good job of enabling us to survive as a species. Though many believe thirst is an indicator of dehydration, this is a belief that has not been substantiated by any research. Thirst actually begins when the concentration of blood, an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Discipleship Ministries&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Discipleship Ministries","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/category\/discipleship-ministries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/09\/hydration-slider.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/09\/hydration-slider.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/09\/hydration-slider.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/09\/hydration-slider.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2689,"url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2016\/12\/20\/night-animals-talk\/","url_meta":{"origin":990,"position":4},"title":"The Night the Animals Talk","author":"Lindsey","date":"December 20, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"A Christmas story to read with the entire family: Click Here for the Audio Version Sometime later tonight, sometime after midnight when the anticipation of Christmas Eve turns into the early moments of fulfilled prophecy at Jesus\u2019 birth, it will happen. \u00a0But it will not happen until all the boys\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Boys Ministries&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Boys Ministries","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/category\/boys-ministries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/12\/Email-Banner.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/12\/Email-Banner.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/12\/Email-Banner.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/12\/Email-Banner.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":930,"url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/2014\/10\/29\/samantha-snipes-named-new-womens-ministries-director\/","url_meta":{"origin":990,"position":5},"title":"Samantha Snipes named new Women&#8217;s Ministries Director","author":"Kaleigh","date":"October 29, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Discipleship Ministries and the National Women\u2019s Ministries Board are pleased to announce that the position of National Women\u2019s Ministries Director has been filled by Samantha Snipes. \u201cWith over 20 years of experience in ministry, marketing and management, Samantha will bring a unique perspective and entrepreneurial spirit to the Discipleship Ministries\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Discipleship Ministries&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Discipleship Ministries","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/category\/discipleship-ministries\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"samantha snipes","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2014\/10\/samantha-snipes.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/990","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=990"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/990\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=990"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=990"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/discipleship\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=990"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}