WW2P – Wednesday’s Word to Pastors

Stay the Course

I recently read about the Chinese Bamboo Tree.  This is a tree that only the most patient can grow.  The Chinese Bamboo, when planted, does not break the ground for four years.  Then, amazingly, in the fifth year it grows to a height of 90 feet in just five weeks.  This begs the question, what is the tree doing for the first four years?  The answer, laying down roots, deep roots.  The truth of the matter is, that if it weren’t for the roots that were laid down in the first four years, the growth of the fifth year could not happen.  The most important part of what takes place in unseen.

The parallels between the Chinese Bamboo Tree and ministry are numerous.  It is the things that cannot be seen that matter so deeply.  It is the things that are done in secret that make the difference.  When the proper “root system” is laid, growth takes place.  Sadly, all anyone ever sees is the growth.  They fail to recognize that there was a period of years in which the foundation for the growth took place.

As ministers, we need to give our attention to the “root system.”  Focusing on the right things will help us to produce the right fruit.  When things seem slow, or growth seems almost as an impossibility, be patient.  The roots you are laying today will produce the growth you desire tomorrow.

Dare to be Courageous!

If there was a grave yard for great ideas that died, I wonder how many head stones there would be.  How many great ideas have died from neglect?  The problem with great ideas is that they are not perfect ideas.  Sadly, we tend to wait for perfect ideas and the great ones seem to die.  We wait until every question can be answered and every contingency has a plan.  These questions and concerns freeze us and drive us into inaction.

Let me encourage you, move on that idea you have.  Write that book.  Start that blog.  Begin that home business.  Start that ministry.  Contact that person.  Learn that skill.  You will never have all the answers.  You will never have a plan for every problem that could occur.  You will certainly never answer every question that the critics have.  The fact is, there will be a lot of things that you will learn in the process.  However, you will never reach your goal if you do not begin.

So, if you are waiting for someone to say, “go”…then GO!

Define the Win

A couple of years ago, my leadership coach asked me to write a definition of success.  Being a pastor, I set about this task by including attendance goals, growth goals, programming goals and the like.  I was so proud of my definition of success!  He however, took one look at it, handed it back to me and said, “This is no good.”

No good?  Why?  He went on to explain to me that there should not be anything included in my definition of success that I can’t control.  I can’t control how many people come to church.  I can’t control how fast the church grows.  I can’t control how fast our programming develops.  He went on to share with me that our definition of success should be based on what we can control, lest variables beyond our control make us feel like a failure.

So, on my second effort I included things such as daily study, daily prayer, walking in integrity, giving my best to the task at hand, and valuing my family.  He was much more pleased with this definition of success.  Over the next few months we honed it down to a workable, definable set of tasks and goals.

My encouragement to you is simply this:  Do not define your success by the things you have zero control over.  Define your success by those things you do control.  If our goal is to do the right things in the right ways, then likely the rest will come.  However, even if it doesn’t, often for reasons beyond our control, we are still a success.