Ministry to Parents Podcast

#079: Learning to Rest with Marianne Howard

Chris Sasser, Kerry Ray, and Amy Diller

Are you, as a ministry leader or parent (or both), looking for relief from the daily demands of leading? Are you worn down, near empty, or feel like you are being held captive to a schedule that offers no mercy? The daily weight of leading in ministry or at home is heavy and draining. And as our guest this month so wisely puts it, “Adapting to an empty tank is not only dangerous, but arrogant. It’s not just that you lead on an empty tank; you willfully acknowledge you are empty and depleted, and you push through and lead anyway.”

 

On this episode of the M2P podcast, the team is live at the D6 Conference in Orlando, where we welcome our friend, author, speaker, and disciple-maker Marianne Howard to pull up a chair and have a refreshing conversation about rest. The concept and the importance of rest are often looked down upon in our culture, which celebrates busyness as success in leadership. But, as Marianne reminds us, “To lead from a place of rest, we must live from the daily practice of intimacy. God’s primary call on our life is not ministry; it’s intimacy. Intimacy is remaining in that close, dependent relationship with Jesus Christ. Abiding is the most important aspect of a leader’s life because authentic leadership is an overflow of satisfaction in God.” Through our conversation with Marianne, we discuss her new book Rest: Overcoming Spiritual Fatigue and how we can all learn to step into experiencing the rest that God offers and that we so desperately need. Don’t miss this conversation as we spend some time talking about the concepts in the book and encouraging you to make spending intentional, restful time with the Lord a normal part of your rhythm of life.