(Aug. 10, 2010) - When I became IMB President 17 years ago I was overwhelmed by the comprehensive responsibilities. There was no time of transition as I stepped immediately into the demanding role of administration and constant speaking engagements both internally and publicly. I had never owned a computer or had a secretary, so I encountered a steep learning curve and major adjustments.
The reports and briefings from staff were extensive; correspondence was massive from everyone in the Southern Baptist Convention who had suggestions about how we should be doing missions. The meetings were endless, email and phone messages accumulated and obligatory travel began to change my lifestyle. Not having had a routine preaching role previously, I was ill-prepared for the preparation and forethought needed to speak sometimes up to a dozen times a week.
As I became stressed over 15-hour work days and the time-consuming responsibilities, wondering how to cope, where is the margin, how to find time to prepare messages and be nurtured spiritually, I thought of an experience early in my field assignment in Indonesia. The Chinese commercial community was an easy target of evangelism compared to the dominant Muslim population. They would readily respond and receive Christ, but I wasn’t very successful in getting them to close their business to worship and become involved in church on Sunday. I tried to convince them that God would bless and prosper their business in six days if they would honor Him with a Sabbath rather than by working seven days a week, but they seldom took me up on that suggestion.
