The Race is Coming

Spend Time with the Crew Chief

Last week I spent several hours in the garage getting my race car ready for an upcoming event.

Nobody will ever see most of that work.

They won't notice the fluids I checked, the bolts I tightened, the tires I inspected, or the items I crossed off my pre-race checklist.

They'll only see the car on track.

But every racer knows the race is often won or lost long before the green flag drops.

Ministry Has Its Own Pit Area

The same is true in ministry.

People see the lesson being taught, the prayer being offered, the Bible study being led, or the encouraging conversation happening in a hallway, race paddock, or coffee shop.

What they don't see is the preparation.

The time spent in God's Word.

The prayers offered when no one else is around.

The conversations with trusted Christian friends.

The quiet moments where God corrects us, encourages us, and reminds us who we are.

The public moments of ministry are the race.

The private moments with God are the pits.

One of the greatest dangers in ministry is spending so much time preparing spiritual food for others that we stop feeding ourselves.

It's possible to teach a lesson you haven't personally applied.

It's possible to lead a small group without being meaningfully connected to one.

It's possible to spend hours talking about God while spending very little time with Him.

Eventually, that catches up with us.

Who's Feeding You?

Every racer knows that what goes into the car affects what comes out of it.

Bad fuel eventually creates problems on the track.

The same is true spiritually.

Who's feeding you?

What voices are shaping your thinking?

Who are the people speaking into your life?

Proverbs 13:20 says, "Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm."

I've often heard it said that we become like the five people we spend the most time with. Whether that's exactly true or not, the principle certainly is.

The people closest to us influence the direction of our lives and ministries.

That's why daily time in God's Word matters.

It's not just preparation for serving others. It's how God serves us.

That's why small groups, accountability, and Christian friendships matter.

God's Word is the fuel.

Christian community is the pit crew.

Before Race Day

Before Jesus ministered to the crowds, He spent time with His Father.

Before He poured out, He filled up.

As ministry leaders, coaches, volunteers, chaplains, and mentors, we need to do the same.

Every week we'll encounter people who need encouragement, wisdom, prayer, hope, or truth.

When those moments come, we'll draw from whatever we've already stored up in the pits.

So before you head out onto the track this week, spend some time in the pits.

Open your Bible.

Meet with your small group.

Call a trusted believer.

Spend time with the Crew Chief.

The race is coming.

"These were his instructions to them: 'The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.'" — Luke 10:2 (NLT)