DOWNHILL COASTING?

I find myself in the slower season of my ministry year. For me, January to August is a season where I live in utter busyness – fighting tiredness, experiencing adrenaline rushes, and disciplining my life to accomplish more that I think I can. When September hits, I shift into an administrative mode which feels like I am suddenly moving from 5th gear to 1st gear. The temptation for me is to convince myself that I deserve a “coasting season” – one where I recoup and pay less attention to the demanding disciplines needed during the season of chaos. When the storm is done, many people shift gears radically and shift into what I call the “downhill coast”. For those unfamiliar with the term “downhill coast”, it is what many novice cyclists do when they hit a decline – stop pedaling and allow the hill to bring the necessary speed to their ride so they can breathe!

For those who have ever coasted downhill on their bicycle, it is clear that perhaps this is not the best practice. The reason is simple…often the decline is followed by an incline. AND when one has coasted down the decline, the incline is difficult to get up. The better practice for cyclists is to keep pedaling down hill in order to create a proper momentum for the incline. Downhill pedaling is not as rigorous as normal, but is still needed if one is to make it up the next hills. Which brings me to my point – in seasons that follow the “storms” of leadership / ministry, the necessity to recoup can be equated with the excuse to “stop pedaling” – stop the disciplines that have been there through the busy times. When leaders give into this practice, they will find themselves unprepared for the next uphill season. Each leader must have a set of “pedal” disciplines in their life that continues regardless of the uphill or downhill typography of life.

As leaders recoup from tough seasons, it is not past disciplines that need to cease. Instead, we need to add new ones – reflection, reading, planning, etc. The truth is, these should be part of all seasons but may get extra “pedal power” during the downhill seasons. As we keep consistent with all our disciplines (pedal power) in all seasons, the uphill parts of the journey will not leave us huffing and puffing!

BECOMING A LEADER

I have been reading through the book of Joshua lately – a book that is filled with leadership lessons. Despite the number of times you read something, each time provides new insights. And sure enough, this read has provided many of those insights. The book starts with a “hand-off” of leadership from Moses to Joshua. Moses has departed and Joshua is the known successor. The book of Joshua begins with a conversation between God and the new leader, followed by a conversation between Joshua and the people. At the end of the first chapter, following Joshua’s first ‘sermon’, it appears the people are prepared to fully follow him.

And that should be enough… Once the God chosen successor is in place, people should follow. They should understand who the leader is and simply follow. The selection process for this leader has been long – around 40 years. There’s no question about who is the replacement for Moses upon his “retirement” – Joshua is the known candidate. AND, he’s already been leading people for some time! The board members are behind him. But more importantly, God is behind him. So…he should be the leader.

But, just when you think you think it all makes sense, God says the most unusual thing. “Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites” (Joshua 3:7 – NLT). “I will BEGIN…”? What is that about? God is going to BEGIN to make Joshua a leader? I thought he was the leader! I thought people were suppose to listen since he was the chosen one! I thought that the people had already committed to following. What is this all about…?

The truth is, position does not make someone a leader. A title is nothing more than…well, a title. LEADERSHIP IS A PROCESS…NOT A STATE. For Joshua, the beginning of his leadership took place at the moment he served his people in a way that brought significant change to their lives. Our leadership doesn’t start until we actually serve people. It grows the more times we make a positive impact on those around us. Each “piece of land we take” with people further enhances our leadership. If we are to gain a following, we have to be willing to take people places that better them. We have to be willing to bring them into the land of THEIR inheritance, not ours. We have to serve their needs. We have to have a win or two under our belts.

I realize that despite my leadership title, I am constantly “becoming” a leader. While past victories and acts of service will sure help in the leadership journey, people expect new victories and new acts of service every day. People never simply just sit and say, “He is our leader”. Instead, they are constantly looking for leadership actions. And in those moments…we BECOME.

The Cycle of Life

Today is my first day back into the office from two weeks of holidays. And today is the beginning of the cycle. Today I begin in the same way I did last year after Christmas holidays – doing the same things that are always required at this time of the year. My schedule is somewhat circular – repetitive actions from year to year with slight adjustments, unforeseen surprises, and the occasional intentional break of the cycle. There is somewhat of a comfort in cycles – a familiar rhythm that becomes part of our life. Yet, there is also a temptation to simply live life in an predictable manner – forgetting the adventure that life is suppose to be. As I was reflecting on my holidays about this cycle, I was reminded of dreams and goals I have inside my heart and head. There are adventures, ideas, and goals that are not part of my cycle but cause my heart to leap. Some would suggest that I ignore the cycle and follow my dreams.  There are others who would suggest that dreams are mere fantasies that should be left to the irresponsible. I believe that both approaches are potentially damaging. There’s a happy medium to dreams and cycles. I want 2010 to be a year where I am found faithful with the cycle elements and a year where I am including elements that are pursuant of the dreams I have. Cycles without dreams are nothing more than boring monotony. Dreams without cycles are reckless adventures. So, while I return to the cycle, I sit in anticipation about what a balanced year of cycles and dreams can produce!

The Things We Want To Say

Yesterday, I spent the afternoon celebrating the life of a man that best exemplified Christian living -Harold Reid. The funeral had many participants who shared insights about the great life that Harold had lived. Many things inspired me to improve in various areas of life. Yet, there was one comment that struck me as particularly important. It was noticed by one person paying tribute to Harold that in the last months of Harold’s life, he said the things he wanted to say. He explained how Harold had come to a point of openness and generosity of words. There was no way that a person spending time with Harold would walk away without knowing how Harold felt about them.

As leaders, we are driven to reach ideals, fulfill visions, and help people become the best they can be. In these pursuits, we can be tempted to focus on areas of improvement rather than on areas of strength. While we want to speak words of life, at times we feel a responsibility to provide “direction” instead. Furthermore, there are times we feel weak as a leader by expressing our heartfelt thoughts towards someone else. Such an action makes us vulnerable…and even human!

As each person spoke at the funeral, they all spoke of the words of life that Harold spoke over them. To me it seemed that these individuals could hold their heads high because one man spoke meaningful words to them that made them feel like the world. He did not worry about appearing weak or being irresponsible in not bringing needed direction. Instead, he proved his authenticity and became a cheerleader to many.

There are incredible things in our hearts towards those around us. Those thoughts were not meant to be locked up. As we speak “the things we want to say”, we release people into their best and we release life into our souls. Over this Christmas season, when family issues can become chaotic, late nights can produce sharp words, and financial stresses can bring out our worse, let’s take time to say “the things we want to say” to those around us. Let’s be life bringers instead of Scrooges.

Wise Man or Foolish Leader

Christmas is fast approaching. As I reflect upon the first Christmas, I am reminded of the standard characters that complete the Christmas scene – Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men, and of course, Jesus. Each of these characters could speak to leadership in some fashion. However, I want to consider the wise men. The Bible talks about how they followed a star. To me, that seems extremely odd. I don’t often look to the stars – except when I’m camping and become overwhelmed with their beauty. But, for me, a star is a star. For the wise men, stars were navigational tools and often spoke of greater significance. So, one day, these men see a star and start to follow it… Everyone else saw the star but not everyone else paid attention to the significance. As a result despite many seeing the star, only those who paid attention to the meaning of the star and only those who “understood” the star, saw Jesus.

The Bible has an interesting verse in 1 Chronicles 12:32 that says, “The men of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do.” I am fascinated by this verse because it speaks of leaders who saw what everyone else saw, but at a greater level. These men not only saw the times, they saw the meaning of the times and therefore knew what to do. That probably can be said of the wise men – they saw the star, understood it’s significance and then understood what to do.

As humans, we will always see what everyone else sees. The picture is only painted in one way. However, as leaders, we must see what everyone else sees, with understanding. We must look at the issues of society and come to a place where we understand and know what to do. In fact, that is the main role of the leader – to know what to do with what everyone else sees. That task is daunting! Yet, as spiritual leaders, there comes a “supernatural” element that requires us to get our understanding from the Holy Spirit. Unless we do this, we are simply foolish leaders. I am challenged by the responsibility I have to see what everyone else sees…and yet to submit myself to the Spirit’s guidance to know what to do. For as a leader, I must not only see what is before me, but I also must see what is far off, down the road, lying in a manger…that which will impact the nations of the future.

Many fail to see the wonders of life because they fail to take time to understand. I admit life is so crazy that leadership often is about just getting things done. However, if we fail to see and understand, we are doomed to find ourselves exactly where we started. This means maintenance, stagnation, and ultimately death. So while it requires time and effort, leaders must ask the right questions about what the “signs” mean – where society, ministry, and life is going. The wise leader will never stay still but will always be on a journey, following what he/she understands as the path to something significant.

Thirsty People Keep Pursuing

I just finished preaching a retreat. On Saturday night, I preached on John 7:37-39, where Jesus says to the crowd at the Feast of Tabernacles, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (TNIV). Obviously, my message was on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. As I was praying before the session, I was reflecting on the times when students have not been filled with the Holy Spirit. I must admit, that frustrates and confuses me. In fact, I know many leaders who avoid this topic because they’ve had too many frustrating experiences praying for people to be baptized in the Holy Spirit, with no “results”.

As I was thinking through this dilemma, I was reminded of the history of Pentecostalism in North America. In the early 1900s, a teacher by the name of Charles Parham taught his students about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The teaching produced a thirst within the students that sent them on a pursuit. Parham continuously urged his students and others to keep pursuing this promised experience. At 11:00pm on January 1, 1901, a young lady named Agnes Ozman (see insert picture) was finally filled with the Spirit, speaking in tongues for 3 days following. From there, a “pursuit” began all over North America for this same experience. Not everyone received the baptism of the Holy Spirit right away.  Yet, preachers/leaders urged people who were thirsty for this experience to keep seeking.

That brings me to this week’s thought. Why is it that Pentecostal leaders only mention the baptism of the Holy Spirit in a designated message? Why is there not a continuous “call”, urging thirsty people to keep pursuing the baptism of the Holy Spirit? Why does pursuit of this experience only last for a day? When someone is thirsty, they will keep pursuing until that thirst is quenched. And yet, so many leaders move thirsty people on to the “next” topic or series without urging a ongoing pursuit that results in the thirst being met. I am reminded that Jesus instructed His disciples, who incidentally had the greatest teaching a human could get, that they were not to go any further in their walk until they received the Holy Spirit. For Jesus, the baptism of the Holy Spirit was more than just a curriculum topic. For Christ, this baptism was the answer to the problem of thirst – and the answer for powerful evangelism. And, the disciples pursued in that upper room, not receiving immediately, but not moving on until they were filled.

If I could say one thing to Pentecostal leaders, it would be this – “Constantly tell your people to keep pursuing this promised experience that quenches our thirst!” Every time you are with people who are not baptized in the Holy Spirit, encourage them to keep pursuing. I don’t think we can do this enough. The Pentecostal experience is not just another topic to be checked off on our list for the year. It is not something reserved for a Saturday night retreat service or for “Pentecost Sunday”. The more we talk about it, the greater the thirst will be. The greater the thirst will be, the greater the pursuit. And…the greater the pursuit, the more will be filled!

The Pressure of Procrastionation

It’s week 5 of my Biblical Exegesis and Faith Integration course. I have 23 days left until this course is done – placing me at around the 25% completion place for my Masters. That should seem encouraging. But today, I’m less than encouraged. This course requires that I write a 12-16 page paper on a Biblical passage that’s worth 50% of my course – complete hermeneutic process required. I researched all my periodical articles early in the course. But, I have been waiting to really start my paper because of my schedule. I have one more speaking engagement this weekend – which is consuming my mind and heart. Once that’s done, I will go full throttle on this paper… I’ve got a plan. I’m good at writing papers. I should have perfect marks before I even begin this paper. The sun should be shining…. But it’s not.

My mind is constantly thinking about this paper. The rationale of knowing I will complete it on time and get a good mark seems to be far away from the feelings which overwhelm me. I keep thinking, “How am I going to get this done?” And so I wait a little longer…until I can find a moment to breathe, think, study, and write. Until then, stress fills my life with every breath I take.

The pressure of procrastination is suffocating. Regardless of the reason for putting something off, we are often faced with emotions that cause all acids within our body to hit the shores of our stomachs. Our minds are rattled and focus is nothing more than a distant 5-letter word. The worse part is fear – a feeling that says. “You won’t get it done. You’re going to fail.” And yet, despite the horrendous emotions that result from procrastination, we keep putting things off.

As a leader, there are many times we will have the opportunity to procrastinate. It may be an involved assignment, a difficult conversation, a dreaded chore, or something else that we put on the bottom of our list. Unfortunately, the more we procrastinate, the more we minimize our overall effectiveness. This is true for those areas that are beyond the realms of the put-off task. Furthermore, our procrastination prevents us from truly enjoying the good elements around us. We fail to see the things worth celebrating because we are haunted by the undone.

As a leader, we must remove procrastination from our lives. Difficult decisions require a decision. Dreaded confrontations escalate our emotions unless immediately dealt with. Tasks that we’d rather not do – those are the things worth doing first so we can have plenty of time to enjoy the stuff we most like. So today, take time to enjoy life by doing what you least want to do first.

The “Ghosts” That Haunt Us

I just recently saw Disney’s A Christmas Carol. It is one of my favorite stories, rendered by numerous directors with their own “take”. I am not quite sure what makes this story so popular. Perhaps it’s the idea of reflecting on one’s life. Maybe watching a grumpy old man get haunted is attractive. Some might like the conclusion of the movie – watching a human do a 180 with their life. Whatever it is, this story is both entertaining and inspirational.

In this story, there are 3 ghosts that visit Scrooge – the ghost of Christmas past, the ghost of Christmas present, and the ghost of Christmas future. Each ghost reveals haunting elements of each stage of Scrooge’s life – elements that Scrooge deeply wishes he could change. As I have been reflecting upon this story, I realized that each ghost presents a portion of our life that can be haunting. In fact, sometimes the life “seasons” that these ghosts represent can actually paralyze leaders.

For some, the “ghost of the past” can cause paralysis in leadership. Mistakes of the past are the most common “haunting” – minimizing the confidence of a leader. “How can I lead when I did…” becomes the question that stirs us at night. For others, the “glory days” cause us to compare everything that exists to an idealized past. The healthy balance is to observe history to learn from mistakes and successes.

For some, the “ghost of the present” is most haunting. Many leaders complain about the “lot” they have been given in life. All that surrounds them provides plenty of reason for a lack of growth, development, or inspiration. In the words of U2, these leaders are “Stuck in a moment” and they don’t know how to get out of it. While life can definitely provide some undesirable realities, true leadership looks challenges in the eye and determines a path forward. True leadership avoids “present paralysis” by asking “What factor CAN I change?”

Finally, some are haunted by the “ghost of the future”. Worry permeates the minds of many leaders, elevating fear to a unhealthy place. Stress fills our society as people mentally wrestle with issues that have yet to happen. I have watched many leaders stopped in their tracks simply because they are unable to move past a presumed negative future. All they can see is the glass 1/2 empty…and they have no idea how to fill it. True leadership will always see into the future with optimism, believing that God has provided the right people to address the issues that never catch Him by surprise.

So, the next time one of these “ghosts” begins to haunt you…look them straight in the ah and say “Bah Humbug!”

“You Can’t Enjoy It That Much…”

Just over a week ago, I played my last regular season soccer game. It was a unique night for one reason – it was extremely cold. In fact, the temperature that night was just above zero Celsius.  Each of my team mates warmed up with all the extra layers required to keep us warm that night. Yet, as we took the field, the extra layers were shed in order that we fell into line with the FIFA rules for apparel. I was involved in the first play of the game – a typical pass to the left wing, wear I play, in an attempt for me to use the only thing I have to offer my team, my speed. With very little pressure, the standard play looked like a house league moment as I went to push the ball up the field in front of me…only to kick it out of bounds! To be fair, this blunder was not due to a lack of skill but rather, to the fact that my “boot” was frozen causing my strike to go awry! After about 10 minutes, I had defrosted and played with as much heart as ever.

As I talked with friends later that week, I shared about my soccer night, trying to convey the reality of the temperature, without verging on “evangelistic” story methods. Over and over again, I heard the same question and statement from my friends – “Why?! You can’t enjoy it that much!” My response was quick and passionate, “I do!” The fact is, I enjoy soccer so much, I’ll bare the elements for a game. I even remember playing at 3:00pm in Thailand a few years ago in scorching heat with shoes that were too small – leaving me with the worse blisters I’ve ever had. The bottom line is, regardless of the pain, I will play soccer simply because I enjoy it that much.

I am amazed at the number of leaders I meet who don’t seem to enjoy ministry that much…well, at least not as much as I enjoy soccer. Each time I meet them, they are complaining about…well everything! Now, I don’t want to downplay church situations, because there are definitely some things worth complaining about, but for many, the trivial ministry are robbing them from the joy of ministry. I have watched way too many people “quit the game” or at least “sub-off” because they can’t take the “elements” of ministry. They forget the call. They forget the moments of celebration. They forget the reason they got onto the field in the first place. Some of these leaders will remain on the field, but you sure wouldn’t want to pass the ball to them – they are so focused on the conditions around them, they are guaranteed NOT to score for the team. The objective is shadowed by the conditions with which they are required to meet the objective in!

I want to challenge all leaders…it’s time to enjoy ministry again. It’s time to place greater focus on the goal than on the conditions around us. It’s time to allow our Coach’s encouragement to raise above our voice of complaint. It’s time to run down the field with frozen boots, numb hands and a smile that reflects the joy of the “game”. Why? Because if we don’t model this…who will step onto the field in the future? And who will push the ball down the field and attempt to win the game for our Coach?

Survival of the Most Thankful

For Canadians, we just finished our Thanksgiving weekend – a 3 day “holiday” set aside to celebrate all that we are grateful for. While it is easy to get lost in simply having time off, I made sure I took a few moments over the weekend to reflect on what I was thankful for. This was not a difficult task as I enjoyed my family, had great meals and beautiful fall days. It was also easier to do since it is almost compulsory to be thankful on this weekend – putting aside all the grumblings that can frequent our conversations.

Yet, there are many times in leadership when I am less than thankful. There are times when objectives are not met, followers…well, stop following, people are angry with my decisions, or the process seems to be taking way too long. I’m sure I could make the “problem list” much longer for those of us who lead. After all, as long as we work with imperfect humans, there will always be problems…and there will always be things to complain about.

Unfortunately, I watch way too many leaders quit when the problems seem to pile up. These leaders hit peak moments of frustration that cause them to see everything through a problematic lens. When all your hard work only seems to produce problems, it is no wonder that one feels like quitting. Yet, the truest test of a great leader is not whether they can survive the good times, but whether they can survive the difficult challenges of leadership. So, how do we survive these seasons to reach the highest echelons of leadership?

In every area of my life there are times of problems. This occurs in my health, marriage, children, job, and even leisure activities. What causes me to keep going in these vital areas is that when problems occur, I choose to celebrate the good elements – in other words, I choose to be thankful for the good in each of these areas despite the problem before me. I choose to be thankful for what is good in every area of my life rather than “celebrating” the negatives. As I do this, I realize that there is way more good than bad. In fact, the negatives are merely momentous or seasonal. I believe that survival in any area of our life is based on being thankful – celebrating the good. As leaders, when the challenges come and we want to give up, we must shift our focus to the blessings of what we do and celebrate the positives. Those who will survive the biggest challenges will be those who are most thankful!