Back from a Break

Many years ago I heard Bill Hybels say, "Doing the work of God was killing the work of God in me." Then at the Leadership Summit in August 2009, I heard him say it again. About the same time my assistant gave me the book Leading on Empty by Wayne Cordeiro. I think God was trying to get my attention.

I went away for a week of study leave and began to realize that I had too much information coming into my life. I was reading about 50 blogs a day. I had about the same number of people I was following on Twitter. I was subscribed to a number of podcast that I listened to each week. I was reading about one book every week or two. I joined Facebook and have over 700 friends. I was posting to my own blog, Twitter, and Facebook. It was all too much while also trying to deepen my relationship with God and lead a growing church. Something had to give.

I walked away from all of the influx of information. I turned off Twitter. I unsubscribed to all of the blogs I was reading. I stopped posting to my blog and to Twitter. I only checked Facebook once a day. I only read the books that I was committed to reading with others. When I made this decision, it gave me more time to spend in prayer and Bible study. That's what I really needed more than anything else.

I have concluded my fast from information, but not completely. I am not going to be a slave to it anymore, at least that is my hope and plan. I want information to serve me and add value to me and to the people around me, not kill the work of God in me.

So I hope to post to my blog again on a consistent basis. I have a plan of what I want all of this ability to communicate to accomplish. I am looking forward to a renewed, healthy interest in all of the social media that is available.