Accountability is a must

I have talked previously about the porn addiction that almost ruined my life.  You can read that blog here.  I have prayed for, been prayed over, declared, warred against the lust that I gave into daily.  I have since then made drastic steps in keeping pure.

I want to tell you three steps I take to stay spiritually healthy when it comes staying accountable:

1. I use X3 Watch which has a free program that I use.

2. I make note of what my triggers are and I recognize when they are present.  Triggers are what I call conditions and emotional status that leads to temptation (ie. tired, alone, angry)

3. I become painfully honest and transparent about my past and present with my wife and two other people I trust with my life.

I cannot express enough the freedom I have experienced in accountability.  When we hide our sins/issues in the dark, they fester and take hold of our lives.  Everything will eventually be exposed to the light.  We can either do this willingly (very tough) or by accident (extremely painful).

Youth ministry is hard enough, but doing it while hiding sin can be detrimental to everyone involved.  Get free and get accountable.  You will not regret it.

Waiter Syndrome

In youth ministry, it is really easy to fall into "waiter" syndrome.  You might have another name for it.  But it is when you read God's Word to have something to serve instead of your personal growth and relationship with God.

I know that I feel the pressure to have something for each Sunday.  I was talking to a great friend who is a pastor and he reminded me to make sure I am not becoming a waiter that grabs the Word and delivers it to youth and not nourish myself.  I may not be having that problem now, but it is something to guard myself and keep in check.

Sometimes, the most obvious things are the most overlooked.  If you are going through a dry season, make sure you aren't neglecting your own spiritual health.  If you don't have a friend that you can talk to about this stuff, make it a huge priority to find one or five.  These two things could be the difference of staying strong in youth ministry or burning out.