Earlier this year, I made an intentional decision to get back into the gym. It had been a while, to say the least, since I had regularly been in the gym and working out. Now, working out and trying to stay fit have always been an important part of my life. But through a few seasons of busyness and transition I had somehow stopped doing it all together. I feel better than I have in the past year or so, plus  I don’t have to feel so bad about eating tasty food! The best part of being back in the gym though, is the spiritual and leadership lessons that I learn there. It seems like I grow every morning as I see transferable ministry and leadership principles during my work out. As a bonus, the gym is quickly becoming my favorite place to go to come up with good sermon illustrations! It’s great.

     Now here’s the thing about working out: some mornings I’ve got it and some mornings I don’t. Have you been there before? One day I’m crushing it and feel like I could lift the gym! It seems like I can conquer every obstacle in my way. How dare you look heavy weights?! I’m about to own you today! But then there are the other days, the days where everything is a grind. Instead of crushing it, I feel like I’m being crushed by it. The weight that I easily threw up just a few days ago is now impossibly heavy. It’s on these days that I feel heavy, frustrated, and want to quit.

     The truth is my time in the gym mirrors my time in youth ministry. Some weeks I feel like I’m crushing it. You know the feeling, right? School lunch visits go great. Students flock to meet me and I feel like a cool kid again while inviting them to church. Project deadlines seem like suggestions for mere mortals that I need not worry about. Volunteers and small group leaders are encouraging and are thankful for my leadership. They love the students and can’t wait to see God move miracles in their lives. My sermon lands perfectly, with students telling me how it affected their lives. Ahh, life in ministry is good!

     Here’s the problem with weeks like that though: they’re not all like that. One week I feel like I crush it, the next week it’s a grind and I begin to feel crushed by it. The school visit is awkward and almost painful. Project deadlines aren’t long enough, and it feels like every volunteer has a complaint. No one says it, but it begins to feel like each one is my fault. The sermon bombs, no one encourages me, and I feel like I’ve broken the entire system. It’s weeks like this where ask the question: Will anybody come back next week? Sometimes I even entertain this one: Am I really cut out for this? Nights like these suck. They’re draining and depleting. I hate them.

     We all have weeks like this. If you haven’t had one recently, then you probably haven’t been in youth ministry long. Either that or you’re some sort of super human cyborg angel hybrid. If that’s you, please stop reading this article and write a better one for us lesser mortals to learn from. The point is it’s normal to have weeks like this. It’s normal to feel like this. You’re not alone! But here’s the deal, please don’t quit. Don’t give up! It won’t be this way forever. You will crush it again if you keep your head up and keep moving toward Jesus!

     I had a crushing night like this just last Wednesday. If you survey the students and adults there, they most likely thought it was a pretty normal night. However, I came home carrying weight that felt like it would crush me . It put me in a funk for most of the next day and stole my joy. And you know what? That’s just dumb! I refuse to let the enemy steal my joy and tell me I’m something less than God says I am because of a bad night! So here is what I felt God speak into me during my funk yesterday: “Lean on me.” “If it’s too heavy, then lean on me and I will help support you.” You see, the weight that you and I carry home that feels to heavy is lightweight to God. I know I run the risk of sounding cliche here, but He can handle it. Proverbs 3:5-6 has been my verse for 2016, and my word of the year has been “LEAN.” For some reason, I tend to carry the weight on my own when it gets heaviest. The truth is that I need God’s help when it’s at it’s lightest. When I don’t know what to do and feel completely defeated,  God will lead me in the right direction if I will trust Him.

     So when you feel like quitting, don’t. When you have a bad night where you feel crushed, remember the times you crushed it and know you will do it again soon. God is not done with you. Instead, I believe He can and will use these heavy times to build your reliance on him. Then He can use you to do even greater things. I also try to remember this: It’s never as bad you feel, and it’s never as good as you feel either. This truth helps me to stay even in spite of my feelings. God has called you to this and will see you through to victory. When you feel crushed, lean in and lean on the one who both called and equipped you. He’s got you, and He’s got this!

     So how do you deal with the tough seasons of ministry? Has this encouraged you? Do you need encouragement? Let us know in the comments below, as we would love to hear from you! Also, don’t forget to subscribe below to get new articles directly to your inbox each week. Press on people, the best is still on the way!