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By Pastor Chuck Swindoll

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Cultivate Common Sense

“If I could wish anything for all of you who enter the ranks of ministry, it’s that you would cultivate a model of good common sense. That you would keep your feet on the ground and keep thinking straight and remind yourself of simple facts. If you play with fire, chances are very good you will get burned. If you fail to prepare, it will be obvious to people who are a part of your ministry, and you will become an unreliable spokesperson for God. If you allow yourself to get grossly overweight, you will run the risk of a heart attack. If you don’t get sufficient sleep, your mind will start to play tricks on you, and before long, you won’t make sense.”

Don’t Lose Your Balance

“The Lord has a wonderful way of using people who stay sane and keep good common sense working in their brains. I know some of you are extremely serious about your ministry, and I admire that, but I want to guard you against getting so serious that you lose your balance. That you become, I don’t know whether it’s fanatical or just simply out of balance.”

Pray for Balance and Wisdom

“Pray for two things in your ministry. Pray for balance and pray for wisdom. Neither one comes naturally. Balance and wisdom come from God. Sometimes it simply takes living a few more years. Other times, younger individuals can reveal a great deal of balance and wisdom by the grace of God.”

Don’t Rush Toward Decisions or Judgments

“You’re going to be tempted through your ministry to have a knee-jerk reaction at things that need attention. There’s no question they need attention. The question is, do they need immediate attention? And will your first thought and rush to judgment be the right one? Probably not. I’ve never felt sorry for times I’ve waited before making a decision. If it’s at all possible refuse to panic, wait, think it through.”

Listen to Wise Counselors

“Train yourself to listen to clear-thinking individuals. It’s always wise to run your situation by someone who is not involved in it, who has nothing to prove or lose as they talk with you about, or as they listen to you regarding this thing that’s bothering you or that calls for a decision.”

Heed Your Spouse’s Advice

“You who have married well, and that certainly is most if not all of you, have living under your roof your best counselor. Your tendency, because you’re the one getting this degree, is to discount his or her advice more and more. You will live to regret doing that. Pay attention to what your partner says. Listen to those quiet, hopefully quiet, words of counsel. You’ll be a better person for it. You’ll be balanced.’”

Additional Resources

First, sign up for our Chuck’s Insights on Ministry email where we bring you his best thoughts on preaching, leadership, and ministry each week. By signing up, you’ll instantly receive a one-page checklist with 20 preaching insights from Chuck. See this page’s sidebar.

Second, check out our new Preach The Word articles and video series on YouTube where we’re teaching Chuck’s best insights on this important calling.

Third, listen to Chuck’s messages to those in ministry through our Seminary Chapels page. For decades, he offered students at Dallas Theological Seminary his best thoughts on church leadership and ministry. Now, we have put them at your fingertips. Also, you can find them through this YouTube playlist we created for you.

Fourth, if you don’t own a copy of Chuck’s book on preaching, Saying It Well, we highly recommend you add it to your library. It’s his preaching memoir that is also like a practical preaching manual. You won’t be able to put it down.

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