I read a book that helped me greatly in my ministry. Many times I felt as though I was leading on empty but the grace of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit in my life got me through some difficult times. One book that addressed my ‘empty tank’ syndrome was ‘LEADING ON EMPTY: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion’ by Wayne Cordeiro.
This book is rooted in the author’s own experience as a church leader.
Wayne writes in his introduction, “How do you lead when you don’t feel like leading? How do you sail through dead water when the wind has died down..?”
If like me, you have struggled on empty then this book will resonate with you. Wayne’s experience hit a deep note with me when he wrote this.
“It arrived without warning like an uninvited guest. Decisions that once were simple now refused solution and I found myself dodging anything that asked for my emotional input. My once stalwart faith was left fragile. I avoided whatever required my actions.”
He goes on to describe the event that tipped him over.
“It was a balmy California evening. I had gone for a jog before I was to speak at a leadership conference. I can’t recall how I got there, but I found myself sitting on a curb, weeping uncontrollably… something had broken inside. I remember lifting my trembling hands and asking myself ‘What in the world is happening to me?’ I had been leading on empty.
My love for God had not abandoned me. My marriage was stable, and the ministry seemed healthy. But I still had no idea how to confront the silent predator that was stalking me - sometimes far behind and at other times so close that I could feel its breath on my neck”
When I read this book, it blessed me to know that what I was going through was not something strange, odd, or weird.
So, you are not alone. There is HOPE and that HOPE has a name - JESUS.