Tag: faith

Fixed Pie vs. Abundance

I work with a great team in an awesome organization. And one of the things you learn leading a team is that people are different. Okay, duh, you knew that already. But trying to lead a team forward on an initiative, especially a new or challenging one, will reveal lots of “differences” in people.  Here’s one example:

Don’t read any judgment into these writings ESPECIALLY if you work with me!

Fixed Pie Thinkers

You know the people I’m talking about. They are always thinking about how allocating resources to this new thing will affect their piece of the pie. Because the pie only has eight slices, so if her slice gets bigger, or if someone new comes in, I’m going to lose some. In ministry, we refer to these people as good “stewards”, because they are really good at managing on a budget and saying no to new things that come along because they don’t fit. When it comes to volunteers’ schedules or a leader’s attention span, there is a limit to how much you can navigate in a church. I contend this is also something you should consider when planning announcements. The more you talk about in a service or meeting, the less people will hear or remember.

Abundance

On the other side, we have people who see “no limits”. There’s always more room at the table, money in the budget, and hours in the day. After all, who needs sleep? In ministry, we sometimes say these people walk in a greater measure of “faith” than the rest of us. While one area that is often considered a fixed pie is the resource pool of your church, I contend that God really does have more than enough finances and volunteers to do everything He is calling you to do. It may require greater vision and prayer or asking in ways that you aren’t used to asking, but there is more out there.

The truth?

They’re both right. The glass is both half full AND half empty.  So sit down right in the middle of that paradox and figure out how to navigate forward. You have to esteem both perspectives or you will only bring part of your team along. Both sides of the team will need to be on board to get the victory God has for you. Congratulations, leader; hard as it is, that’s why you are in your role.

Have you ever encountered this?

Thankful for Challenges

Happy Thanksgiving!

On this beautiful day, I have to admit I have a lot to be thankful for. My health, my family, my friends, a great job, and God’s ongoing provision in my life.

In the spirit of this blog, though, I thought it might be good to reflect on how thankful I am for the challenges God has used in my life.

I can’t begin to count the number of times I have faced challenges at work or in ministry, problems that had no easily identifiable solution. And many of those times, when things seemed hard, I remember thinking, “Is this going to work out?” It’s easier to trust God and believe when everything is going well.

On a more significant note, those of you who are close know that I was diagnosed with and went through extended treatment for cancer in 2000 and 2001. As a young man, facing a diagnosis like that was life changing. I matured a lot through it and am glad to say I’m now at 11 plus years in remission. But that season was a defining time for me as I walked through the first real hard time in my life and had to lean on God for the strength to keep going. When times get hard, it takes a different level of faith and trust in God.

Hebrews tells us that “faith is being sure of what we hope for, certain of what we do not see.” It’s only when we don’t see the answer, the result, the other side, that faith has to kick in.  Every one of those challenges, including cancer, God used to grow my capacity to believe Him for a solution or a victory. He reminded me that David had to fight the lion and the bear before he could build the faith to fight Goliath. And fighting Goliath was just one of the big things God had planned for David.

I’m thankful for the victories, but today I also want to say I’m thankful for the challenges. I’m thankful that every little challenge I walk through, even if it seems big in the moment, is increasing my faith for bigger things to come.

Do you have any challenges that you should thank Him for, past or current?

See the waves, but step out anyway

I used to think faith was being confident and secure regardless of the circumstances. Perhaps that you almost didn’t see the circumstances.

But I’ve never had that gift. I see the circumstances. And I see them all. I see the ones many around me don’t see and thanks to letting them rule me for about 25 years, I tend to be VERY cautious. And I thought God wanted to fix my confidence and insecurity BEFORE He could use me.

Lately, though, I’m starting to realize that it’s not about my insecurity being gone; it’s about Him using me through my insecurity. I’m insecure when I pick up a microphone, but when I do it because He told me to and I open my mouth, He gives me the words.  I’m insecure when I reach out to serve or befriend a stranger, but He brings security when I step out, not before.

I used to think it was about not seeing the water. Now I see the waves, but I have to step out anyway.