Have you ever been hungry? Okay, that's probably a dumb question. But think about how hunger affects you. When I'm hungry, I'm irritable, and I have difficulty focusing on anything but my hunger… and what and when I'll eat next.

Now, consider when you've felt full -- I'm talking about being stuffed, when you've eaten significantly more than what comfortably fits in your stomach. Ugh! One Father's Day, my family went to one of our favorite restaurants. We had a coupon for a free appetizer, and we ordered our favorite entrees. In honor of Father's Day, we also received a free giant skillet cookie dessert. Every bite of that meal was delectable. But when we left the restaurant, I was miserable. I have never felt so full, and I still recall that horribly bloated feeling any time I consider ordering dessert!

Let's take those feelings and apply them to small-group ministry. Consider a time you've felt hungry, where your spiritual stomach has just gnawed on itself. You want more - more leaders, more budget, more support. You have difficulty focusing on anything except your hunger. Now, go ahead and think about a time you've felt too full. You had too much to do, and felt as if you couldn't move.

How do you get small-group leaders to a "just right" place in ministry -- a place where you're all sufficiently fed, nourished, and healthy? Consider these options:

Where do you eat? Are you eating spiritual fast food or choosing healthy options? Healthy options might take more time and effort, but God isn't the easy option -- He's the healthy option. "When you supply it, they gather it. You open your hand to feed them, and they are richly satisfied" (Psalm 104:28).

When do you eat? Do you wait until you're spiritually famished and then eat everything in sight? Or do you eat consistently through the day? Listen to God to know when you need spiritual nourishment. God encourages regular, healthy snacking… and yet also prepares a feast for you when you need it. "Give us today the food we need" (Matthew 6:11).

What do you eat? What percentage of your spiritual food comes straight from God's Word, and how much comes from watered-down interpretations? A varied diet can help you discern healthy from unhealthy food, but be sure the mainstay of your diet is the pure nourishment only God's Word can provide. "Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness" (1 Peter 2:2-3).

Do you use what you eat? Are you using your spiritual food to build spiritual muscles, or is it just turning into spiritual flabbiness? Use the fuel God gives you to connect with and serve others. "Then Jesus explained: 'My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work'" (John 4:34).

Be disciplined in your nourishment. If you feast without using your spiritual food as fuel for others, you'll be miserable in your "too full" gluttony. If you eat too little, your reserves will be depleted and you'll have nothing to give others or remain personally healthy. When you're nourished, your ministry is nourished… and those you work with and serve can be nourished, too.

Susan Lawrence is a Women's Ministry Consultant for Group for Women and coordinates Women's Ministries in central Illinois. Her first Bible study, released in April 2010