First, we see people in the church complaining.
Acts 6:1 (NIV): In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
Can you believe that people are bringing complaints to the leaders? I’m sure this has never happened to you (detect the sarcasm?). While we sometimes joke about the insignificant nature of many complaints, these criticisms are valid. People are going without food.
Most of us are quick to resolve such matters, even if it means working longer hours. Faithful leaders often step in at the expense of personal health to ensure everyone is served. Yet, this is not how the apostles handled the situation. They quickly identified the danger of trying to do too much.
Acts 6:2 (NIV): So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.”
They turned to the congregation and insisted that workers step forward to ensure all are served.
Acts 6:3–4 (NIV): Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
Notice the wisdom in this statement: choose…from among you… What a powerful message for pastors striving for work-life balance. We must learn to turn to the congregation and ask for help. We cannot do it all on our own.
This action is not because we are lazy or afraid of hard work. Rather, it is a dedication to the primary work in our calling: prayer and the ministry of the word. These are the tasks that should be central to our work. When we find ourselves slipping outside of this focus, we must be cautious. It is sometimes appropriate for us as pastors to serve meals or take on menial tasks. But we need to be careful not to allow this sort of work to become our primary focus.
The apostles knew that saying yes to waiting on tables meant saying no to prayer and the ministry of the word. As we do the work of ministry, we must hold on to such wisdom. We must be willing to ask others to pitch in and do the work of serving.
One final point: This action produced growth in the church. We read in verse 7,
Acts 6:7 (NIV): So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
As a result of the apostles’ laser focus, the church grew and spread. Would this have happened if the leaders were sidetracked? Maybe, maybe not. Acts 6 reminds us to pay attention to our primary work and to call on others to help carry the work of ministry. May we keep this in mind as we strive for work-life balance.
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