Every commander understands that if the command post is compromised, the mission is in trouble. The same is true of the interior life. What happens beneath the surface eventually shapes every decision we make.
Activity can disguise injury
Achievement can make an unhealthy soul look successful. We can preach, lead, serve, create, and solve problems while becoming increasingly disconnected from ourselves, God, and the people closest to us.
The question is not only whether the mission is moving. It is whether the person carrying it is becoming whole.
Pay attention beneath the surface
Formation requires us to notice our reactions, compulsions, fears, family patterns, grief, and physical limits. These are not distractions from spiritual life. They are some of the places where spiritual life becomes real.
Secure the command post
Create rhythms that let your soul catch up with your body. Practice silence. Tell the truth. Rest before collapse forces it. Invite people who can challenge you without controlling you.
Your doing for God can never replace your being with God. Care for the command post. Everything downstream depends on it.