Jim Martin's Encouragement Note #97

(unsplash - Jukan Tateisi)

The List of Five

Your Three Important Resources

Some of us finished the previous year tired, depleted, and exhausted. At the same time, many begin this year with great anticipation, joy, and expectation.

For me, the New Year is a time to take inventory of my resources. Specifically, I think about my energy, attention, and time. I give thought as to where these resources are being used and whether or not I need to make adjustments at the beginning of the New Year.

Consider the following:

Energy

You and I have a limited amount of energy. We can give our energy to some things but not all things. We are human beings with a finite amount of energy. Consequently, we need to be intentional and choose wisely as to where we might spend our energy. Without intentionality, the trivial and less important may get some of our best energy.

What in your life is getting much of your energy right now? Is this proportional to its importance?

Attention

What I give my attention to is critical. Yet, my attention is also a finite resource. There are constant demands for our attention. For example, as wonderful as technology can be, it may demand an increasing amount of our attention.

Notice people at the airport or in a restaurant. It is not unusual to see family members siting for long periods of time in silence, each of them staring at their phones. Do I want to give my device all of my attention or do I want to give more attention to the people whom I am with?

You might glance at Rob Walker’s book The Art of Noticing (see also his newsletter) in which he gives tips for growing in our ability to notice or pay attention.

Perhaps one of the most important things we can do in this New Year is to be more intentional about where we place our attention.

What needs more attention in your life? Where should you shift some of your attention? (Less television? Less time on your phone?)

Time

The writer, Richard Whately (1787-1863), once said, "Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it." The most important time each day for me is the early morning hour, when I first wake up. I sit at my desk with the first cup of coffee and read my Bible and pray regarding the activities of the day. One morning I read these words from The Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us.

These moments each morning make a huge difference in my life.

What do you do with particular hours of your day that actually make a big difference in the rest of your day?

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Marriage: When You Notice the Good

When writer and independent bookstore owner Ann Patchett was in her 20s, she often wrote for the magazine Bridal Guide.

I enjoyed this interview with Patchett in the Wall Street Journal:

For one assignment, Patchett called every happily married person she knew to ask for one pro tip on maintaining a successful union. The advice she got from her stepmother has stayed with her ever since. 

“[She] told me that the brain naturally focuses on what is wrong, what it doesn’t like—towels on the floor, or somebody who interrupts, or somebody who’s late,” Patchett, 59, says. “And so then, every time your partner does that, it’s just like hitting a gong.” The good things, by contrast, often go unnoticed or forgotten, her stepmother told her. “She said, ‘It is possible, with practice and discipline, to flip the equation.’” 

(Ann Patchett Shares Her Reading Resolutions for 2024 - WSJ - Nov. 27, 2023)

I love her stepmother’s advice. Her stepmother suggested that it was important to notice, through practice and discipline, your spouse’s good qualities instead of focusing on what you don’t like or what is wrong with your spouse.

One morning, I wrote ten qualities about Charlotte that I appreciated and valued. This simple exercise alone was valuable. Far too often, you and I may become overly focused on what frustrates us about our spouses instead of focusing on what we can be thankful for.

If you are married, what do you appreciate and value about your spouse? It might be helpful to begin the year by thanking God for what is good and right about our spouse and other members of our family.

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Blessed by These Kids

I love this Steve Hartman story about “The Secret Santa Club.” Yes, Christmas 2023 has come and gone. However, I wanted to save this short video below for the first of 2024. I include this because it is a reminder of the joy available to us through generosity.

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As the New Year Begins (Especially for Ministers and Other Church Leaders)

I was curious and so I asked.

I asked my friend, Charles Siburt: "Who are the best ministers in this country?" After all, he seemed to know preachers and churches leaders all over the country.

His answer was clear and a bit abrupt: "Jim, you would not know them!" Then he laughed loudly.

He explained, “I could mention a few ministers who are doing very good work. You probably know some of these people or at least their names. However, often the best ministers in the nation have little name recognition and most do not seek to be well known. They simply want to serve God.”

At the same time, there are many ministers who also feel under appreciated, not valued, and insignificant. Perhaps you identify with one or more of the following:

• You love the people in your congregation. Yet, it feels like they have little respect for your experience or for your knowledge. When the church is wrestling with a knotty problem, your opinion and your thinking often carry very little weight.

• You minister to a congregation for years in relative obscurity.

• You may even serve in a relatively large church with a multi-staff and yet so much of your work is hidden behind the scenes.

• You are no longer a young minister. You had great hopes and dreams for your ministry. Now you wonder if you really did that much good.

• You may feel taken for granted.

Maybe Charles was right. Perhaps some of the finest ministers anywhere are people who are not necessarily known and esteemed. Maybe these ministers are servants — simply servants. While much training, education, and experience can be helpful, these may not necessarily be indicative of the most effective ministers. In fact, some of the most effective ministers may be people who are unknown to most of us - except to the one who matters most!

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Etcetera

1. Just finished Esau McCaulley’s book, How Far To The Promised Land. Wow! I had difficulty putting this book down.

2. I am listening to the audio book of Tracy Kidder’s book Strength in What Remains. You can read a review here. Fascinating book.

3. I recently finished reading Jack Shitama’s book, Everyone Loves a Non-Anxious Presence: Calm Down, Grow Up, and Live Your Best Life. This is a short, but very good explanation of the Family Systems approach to life, family, and ministry. You may find this helpful whether the concepts are familiar or not.

4. See Wes McAdams’ podcast Radically Christian - “The Strength to Be Week With Jim Martin.”

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I serve as Vice President of Harding School of Theology, Memphis, Tennessee.

Every other Monday morning, I publish this “Encouragement Note.” You can subscribe at jimmartin.substack.com. You can also find me on Facebook - @jim.martin or Instagram - @jimmartin.jm. My e-mail address is: jmartin9669@gmail.com. Feel free to write. I would love to hear what is encouraging — Jim Martin