Devotional: Are You in a Slump?

“God, I really need a hit this at bat. I’m in such a slump. Help me get a double?”

I remember having these conversations with The Lord during softball season. Maybe it sounds silly, but my belief in God’s sovereignty and His tailored pursuit for my love is enough to convince me that He cares about batting averages. After praying these things, I remember standing on second base, third base, or even back in the dugout after a homer and thanking God for helping me see the ball into the zone.

When you play a game often enough, slumps are inevitable. Over time, exhaustion, apathy, and a gradual decrease in attention to details can bring about disappointment. This can be true in kids ministry. Your kids ministry team might be doing extremely well this season. Maybe your numbers are growing, volunteers are overflowing, and you’re watching kids catch onto the beauty of the Gospel every Sunday. If this is the case with your church right now, praise God! Seasons of abundance are encouraging and strengthening to the rest of us!

For those in a slump, here’s one piece of advice:

Ask God for help.

While this seems obvious enough, sometimes we forget to make requests to The Lord. If God cared about the amount of hits I got in a season of softball, he most certainly cares about the details of your kids ministry. So today, tell God exactly how you feel. Are you tired? Are you out of ideas? Do you need encouragement? Ask.

“Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

Cristy Whitlock serves with the Lifeway Kids Marketing Team. A native Texan, her heart for ministry led her to Nashville in 2013. Her passions include loving on African children, playing sports, and serving in college ministry, which she does at Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN.