Leadership

Passion wanes in the absence of purpose. This isn't to say that every detail of every day must be done in accordance with some larger purpose.  If you can, that's great.  There are things we must do simply because they must be done. But if we operate for too long outside of our purpose, our passion will suffer. God designed each of us to live for something larger than ourselves.  Your purpose might be educating young children in a classroom.  It might be feeding the hungry or working with battered women.  When you discover what that purpose is, you know it.  You feel it.  And when you are doing tangible things towards the accomplishment of that purpose, it feeds your passion. If you find yourself having a hard time getting motivated, that may be a warning sign to check if you are operating within your purpose.  

"The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord." (Proverbs 21:31) As a young pastor, I believed it was my responsibility to get the horse ready for battle AND to win the victory.  That kind of thinking is the result of several things: Stupidity Immaturity Arrogance This is only one extreme.  The other is to believe we don't have to do anything at all and can sit back and wait for God to act. I've learned through the years that God expects me to act on things that are under my control.  When possible, be prepared, be ready.  It's why we must continue to learn, expanding our mental resources. In the end, however, the outcome rests with God.  He is not bound to my preparation (or lack of).  Success in ministry, success in life, is in God's hands.  That takes away a tremendous…

"To earn trust, leaders must demonstrate to others that they will do the right thing for them even if it puts themselves at risk." -- Robert Hurley, writing at The Wall Street Journal

Back in the early 1990's, the church I was pastoring in San Diego sponsored a conference and brought in a friend of mine from Seattle.  I had first met Milton Jones when one of my older brothers had interned with him at the Northwest Church in Seattle. I don't remember sermon titles or stories, but I do remember one particularly passionate moment.  Milt looked at the crowd and said, "What would you put up with in order to see someone come to Jesus?"  Then he preceded to rattle off several things that our particular fellowship liked to hold dear.  Would we give those up if it meant more people would find their way back to God? It was an unsettling question for some in the crowd.  The unspoken answer was likely "no." As I've reflected on that moment over the years, I would phrase it this way: Are you seeking…

Years ago I read "Renewing Your Spiritual Passion" by Gordon MacDonald.  One of the points he emphasizes is the need for rest and reflection if we are to stay spiritually healthy. God understood this when he created the Sabbath.  Jesus modeled it to his disciples by getting up early to pray. The rest of us struggle to find a balance.  Or, if we do find time to rest we forget to reflect.  We don't ask questions like ... "Why am I here?" "Am I being a good steward of my life?"  "What one thing do I need to do different?" Reflection may not come naturally to us.  We live busy lives and fill our time doing busy things.  Busyness does not lead to godliness, however. I've been reflecting lately, mostly in the early morning hours before everyone else gets up.  I fix coffee, listen to music, and pray.  And listen. …