the SIGNIFICANCE of insignificance

I’m reading a new book - “Principle-Centered Leadership” by Stephen Covey.  I’m already very familiar with the Franklin, Stephen, and John Covey material.  I’m having to read this book for my upcoming covenant group meeting.  This year, all probationary elders in North Georgia are concentrating on a leadership curriculum.  I’m glad that they’ve included Covey material - it is solid stuff with a definite Christian influence that emphasizes process and paradigm rather than sudden, quick fixes.  It’s all about changing essence and character in order  to actually become success rather than just achieving an instance of success.  Success can be defined in a variety of ways.  For instance, success for a corporate executive is profit and growth.  Success for a pastor can be effective evangelism, discipleship, and assimilation of new leaders into Kingdom work.

I’ve always been attracted to material that emphasizes hard work and actually denounces quick fixes and overnight solutions.  Anything that is lasting isn’t built overnight.  Realizing that becoming an effective leader, or a committed Christian, takes time is crucial.  Too often we have the expectation of becoming Peter or Paul overnight.  We believe that at the altar we can simply decide to become the perfect Christian and walk away without any struggle. 

It’s all about the PROCESS of sanctification.  At our rebirth - at the moment of our salvation - we BEGIN a new journey in life.  Much like a new couple begins a new journey at their wedding.  At our justification, we have not yet arrived at perfection.  We have been set free from the power of sin and death and we have been forgiven for past sins.  Nowhere did Christ say that his resurrection would make us exempt from  sinning.  I have yet to meet even the most committed Christian who didn’t still struggle with sin.

In fact, even John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, said that Christians still sin, but that they don’t commit sin.  His words reflect a commitment which we make when we profess faith in Christ that we will be intentional about not committing sin, or willingly sinning.  However, as Christians, we all fight with our own demons.  We all have our struggles with sinful thought and tendency - we aren’t perfect yet.  We could go from here into the question of “once saved, always saved” and I would invite that discussion with anyone.  (with salvation, we don’t lose our ability of free will - we can still choose to reject the cross - not sure why we’d do that - but we can.  Is that a loss of salvation?  Sure sounds like it to me.)

This is where the process of sanctification and Steven Covey - and for that matter, Bill Murray - come in.  Remember the movie “What About Bob?”  Bill Murray plays a crazy guy that torments his psychiatrist on vacation.  His mantra throughout the movie is “Baby Steps”.  Our faith, our leadership ability, our relationships are all built through millions of tiny baby steps.  Covey’s philosophy is to begin on a realistic level.  Achieve personal victory everyday and through that you’ll begin having public victories.  There’s only been one Savior.  Thank God I’m not him!

I’ve lived this process in life for several years now and it’s proven itself time and again.  I still have to relearn it, or as Covey says, “sharpen my saw” occasionally.  To be honest, coming to Mt. Bethel, having a vision for God’s Kingdom expanding in McDonough, and having to concentrate on baby steps has been difficult.  I’ve been here 12 weeks now…is it so unreasonable to expect the church to multiply by 1000, have financial stability, and be ready for Christ to return?  It sounds ridiculous to expect, but it’s definitely a real struggle.  As Christians, and as Christian leaders, it is our life to swim against the currents of the world.  Nothing eternal happens overnight.  God didn’t even create the universe in a day - he took six and made it a process.

It is in our insignificant steps toward perfection and sanctification that God uses us and makes a SIGNIFICANT difference in the world and in the Kingdom.

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Thanks to Stephen for filling in for me this morning.  It was a little unusual to be away on a Sunday morning.  It almost felt like leaving your child with a sitter for the first time.  I’m glad I could leave it in such capable hands.

I really appreciate the support I get from Stephen and others as I learn to take baby steps in faith and in ministry.

I know it’s been a few days since I’ve added a post.  It’s been a long week - mosting consumed with leadership development with other probationary elders at the conference center.

I’ve been participating in leadership development since I was in middle school.  I’ve been almost overexposed to different leadership philosophies, but somehow I seem to get a little more out of each training I participate in.  Our emphasis in our probationary covenant groups this year is on leadership.  I’ve been a little hesitant about the curriculum this year, since most of it is stuff I’ve already heard, but being able to hear from leaders I respect for three days this week was uplifting and left me hopeful for what lies ahead.

I’m a little concerned about what I see in some of the ministers around me though - whether just entering the ministry or having been serving for years.  Maybe it’s because of my over-exposure, but I don’t see how some people manage to miss some of the basics of leadership.  For instance, I don’t understand how some pastors feel that by micro-managing their staff, they’ll get more productivity out of them.  I don’t understand how so many pastors feel like handing down edicts to their congregational leaders will motivate them in Kingdom work.  I don’t understand how true servant leadership is rejected in favor of other styles by people that follow the ultimate servant leader, Jesus Christ.

I’ve been a part of numerous churches now and I’ve seen differing leadership styles.  I’ve also learned that leadership is like a car.  If you don’t look at it from the underside every now and then, you’ll end up with a great looking exterior with poorly working machinery.  Every now and then, leaders have the responsibility to those that they lead to examine their leadership from underneath, to ask the hard questions about their own effectiveness and to be willing to subject themselves to a tune-up.

For all leaders, this is the most difficult thing that we can do.  To be honest with ourselves, to ask for input from those who follow our lead, and to sometimes ask for help leaves us vulnerable.  It can add to the insecurities that all of us have (face it, none of us are free from insecurity, ESPECIALLY as leaders under constant scrutiny), it can make us feel more out of control than we already are, and it can feel like a threat on our authority.  Those leaders who already deal with a powerful insecurity, unfortunately, are those that rarely do this important maintenance.

The key is humility.  Tomorrow, my message is on Jesus’ lesson on table manners.  Never should we elevate ourselves to a place of honor.  Those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who are humble will be exalted.  So it is with everybody, especially those called to be leaders in the Kingdom of God.

 I do want to conclude this post by letting you know just how excited I am that football season is finally upon us.  GO DAWGS!!  My sympathies go out to Andrew Erwin, my friend, and an incredible Michigan fan.  My heart breaks for you!