Its hard to hang in there sometimes. And we both know dozens of people who “tried” and “quit” and lets face it, I could easily become one of those persons. I could so easily fade back into the crowd . . . fade off the CMA radar . . . fade out of the organization, and/or the church, I could even fade out of myself . . . and be nothing anymore.
We don’t hear much about stick-to-itiveness any more. Its sorta gone out of style I think. And I am highly sympathetic to the fact that it has gone out of style, but on the other hand, it sure is difficult to lead without it! In fact it is difficult to do anything significant without it.
Financial downturns, building projects, additional staff, significant growth, people leaving, and needy seasons of life are all give up times according to leadership guru Carson Pue. This is when all but the toughest give up and quit. And let’s face it, you don’t even have to be going through one of the events listed above, you can quietly be falling apart inside, and feeling like its all a waste of time. Many days, OK correction, most days I ask myself it is all worth it. Some days you just don’t want to get up out of bed . . . those are the worst. On the other hand, you can’t build on what you propose to do . . . you actually have to do it. You have to get up one more time than you have been kicked across the room. Is that what makes a good leader?
So what gets you up in the mornings? Me? I am just trying to stick-to-it and finish something that I started . . . but does this job have an ending point? Persevering is a tough gig.
We don’t hear much about stick-to-itiveness any more. Its sorta gone out of style I think. And I am highly sympathetic to the fact that it has gone out of style, but on the other hand, it sure is difficult to lead without it! In fact it is difficult to do anything significant without it.
Financial downturns, building projects, additional staff, significant growth, people leaving, and needy seasons of life are all give up times according to leadership guru Carson Pue. This is when all but the toughest give up and quit. And let’s face it, you don’t even have to be going through one of the events listed above, you can quietly be falling apart inside, and feeling like its all a waste of time. Many days, OK correction, most days I ask myself it is all worth it. Some days you just don’t want to get up out of bed . . . those are the worst. On the other hand, you can’t build on what you propose to do . . . you actually have to do it. You have to get up one more time than you have been kicked across the room. Is that what makes a good leader?
So what gets you up in the mornings? Me? I am just trying to stick-to-it and finish something that I started . . . but does this job have an ending point? Persevering is a tough gig.
2 comments:
I've been reading the David Livingstone biography I bought my son for Christmas. I'm not even in the same galaxy as that man when it comes to perseverance, but I am gaining inspiration from his story.
What keeps me going is if I feel I have helped someone.
Is that true of you, too - if you feel you have helped someone think or brought about some kind of change?
I keep thinking about the spiritual resistance you experienced preaching last Sunday - proof enough that you are very capable of producing change and somebody is much more aware of that capability in you than you are yourself.
There has to be joy in something getting me out of bed - if not in the thing I'm doing, then in God, who He is and what He's doing in and through me. If that's not there...those flannel sheets keep me.
Satisfaction from knowing that what I'm doing has value - that it's vital - also has to be there.
I don't think I've found both of those things together yet.
I wonder sometimes at our perspective of perseverance - we value someone like Amy Carmichael highly because of all she did and how long she stayed. But I would guess she somehow found joy in what she did - that she didn't stay that long hating every day. Obviously she didn't love every day either, in every detail - but something had to satisfy her, whether the lives around her that she made a difference in, or the knowledge that she was doing what God asked her in particular to do, and that He was pleased with her.
I need to ask myself, what is it that really pleases God - and brings me the joy of knowing I am doing that? I know how John Piper would answer that. :-)
Another one of those questions with answers that will look different for each person in it particularities....
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