I just read a really cool story about a 61-year-old farmer, named Cliff Young, who won the Australian ultramarathon in 1983. (That's 573.7 miles!) Before the race, everyone laughed at him because he wore goulashes-covered boots and overalls. But after the race, he became a hero. Not only did he win a race most people can't even complete, he crushed the opposition, strolling in almost 10 hours ahead of the 2nd place finisher. Of course everyone wanted to know his secret. And the simple answer was this...
No sleep.
As I learn from the church planting world and even the Christian subculture as a whole, we admire people who seem to get tons done. They publish books, they lead large ministries, they are flying around the country speaking at conferences, they are interviewed by magazines and websites, they read tons of books (because I see their endorsements on the back covers of the latest bestsellers), and on and on goes the list of their accomplishments. As I ponder these sorts of individuals, I have wondered "How do they get it all done?"
But I haven't just wondered that about the celebrity pastors. I've wondered it even about staff I have worked with. I have had the privilege to be on staff at two very different churches, both running on several cylinders. I see their busyness and wonder "How do they get it all done?"
The funny thing is, I've had people tell me they look at me and wonder the same thing about myself. And sadly, my "secret" in the past was the same as Cliff's.
Saying "No"
Any time you say "yes" to one thing, you end up saying "no" to hundreds of other things. And too often in my life, one of the things I have said "no" to is sleep. There have been times in my life where I have run and run and run, getting only 3 hours here, 5 hours there, no sleep this night, and then move about in a mental fog for the next day or two. I erroneously think that if I operate at such a level, others will admire me, just like people admired the humble 61-year-old farmer who sacrificed sleep to shame the ultra-atheletes he competed against.
However...
I have heard of pastors who operated at these levels... and blew out their adrenal glands. I've heard of other pastors and leaders who ran at this sort of pace for years, saying "yes" to almost everything... and in the process said "no" to their family or "no" to their relationship with Christ.
Cliff Young may have inspired others by not sleeping. But the race ended. He could not have kept that pace for weeks and months on end. It would have lead to his death. And no one would have been inspired by that.
And neither will anyone be inspired if you lose your reputation, your health, your family, or something else because you said "no" to sleep.
When we sleep, we are showing we trust God to take care of the world. When we sleep, we allow our bodies and minds to regenerate. When we sleep, we improve our chances of thinking more clearly. When we sleep, we are living in the manner in which God intended. (I can't prove this, but I don't think sleep is a product of the fall. I think it was present in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve took their fateful bites. Who knows, perhaps lack of sleep is what lead to Adam's sin!).
Yes, there are times in life when you have to run an "ultramarathon." (I have a feeling I'll be running a few as we do the hard work of planting a church). But you can't run back-to-back-to-back ultramarathons. So don't. Get some sleep.
The press may not be inspired by your sleeping patterns like they were inspired by Cliff Young's endurance. But your family, your friends, your endeavors, and even yourself will thank you for it.
So yes, you can go take a nap now. I give you permission.
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