Pursuing PEGI

This morning I spoke about four principles of Christian service which the Bible is pretty clear about (1 Peter 4:7-11), but too often I (we?) fall short in. I borrowed someone else's acrostic to hook these in people's minds:

P-roactivity: a commitment to foresee problems and possibilities, and to take intitiative as good stewards of God's gifts to address them with energy.
E-xcellence: a commitment to serve in all we do with the highest quality and skill which our available resources of time, energy, and money will allow.
G-ratitude: a commitment to serve with a spirit of thankfulness: to God for His abounding grace in our lives; to others for how they serve the church; to others for the privilege we have in serving them.
I-ntegrity: a commitment to keep the serving promises we make, to fulfill all our responsibilities with persevering grace, to be dependable in all ways.

If you'd like a more complete look at the PEGI way of life, click to listen and learn.

Now I should warn you that pursuing PEGI will require a lot of discernment and wisdom. Since PEGI isn't for slackers, and cannot be applied evenly to every single role and responsibility we have, we need to pick our involvements and set our priorities carefully.

Here are a few rules of thumb:
1. Don't overcommit. While many Christians need to be involved in more ministry, some need to be involved in less. People spread too thin cannot practice PEGI well. Learn to say "no". (Caveat: Don't be too quick to say "no" just because a commitment involves challenge and sacrifice. If your commitments to Christ in His church are not involving great sacrifice, you're shortchanging His call on your life. My point is: just be ready to say "no" if your present level of sacrifice will preclude you from applying PEGI in any kind of meaningful way, to an additional responsibility.)

2. Ask your spouse, parents, care group leader, pastor, trusted mature Christian advisor for input on whether you should take on another ministry. TFC pastors have often challenged people to do less, so that they might avoid family or personal burn-out, and so that they might do what they do, better.

3. Once you've settled on your role (having received input from spiritual leaders)sit down with the PEGI principles in hand and go to work on applying them. Check out the evaluation and application questions we've provided and start pursuing PEGI today. Remember the very essence of PEGI-guided ministry begins with being proactive. That means you have to initiate, and take action. Do something today that applies PEGI today to the responsibilities you have today.

And remember as you do, that you can only pursue PEGI by the strength which God supplies. That way, when you capture her you'll make sure to give Him all the glory (1 Peter 4:7-11)!

Any comments or questions?