Category — Observations

At the end of the year some time ago I gave a message on a few year-end reflections I had cloaked around “My Biggest Mistakes of the Year.” To my surprise more listened to that message than any in the previous year. The following year I did the same with fresh, new mistakes. Again, there was an enthusiastic response. I continue to make this a year-end message, but I am now doing an enhanced version online for some of my sites – thus what you are now reading.

On the surface of things, it may seem a little dark to ponder one’s mistakes, but I don’t see it that way, and neither does God. In the Bible, God consistently choose people who were prone to make mistakes yet went on to be stellar examples of lives strongly lived.

Peter, for one, was a mistake maker who went on to great things. His mistakes didn’t impair him from greatness. He took risks that often led to failure but always left a deposit of faith in him. He was able to walk on water when the others were afraid to step out of the security of the boat. He failed after a step or two, but he received an amazing installation of faith just the same.

What you read here are my confessions from this past year. Each of them is an area where I blew it but then made a mid-course correction along the way.

Click here or on the above image to download the PDF.

Rabbits go fast, turtles move slowly. They’re both good. I’m convinced we are naturally inclined toward one direction or the other. All of us need to find our soul speed then walk with ease there. The Bible positively presents both rabbit and turtle characters in its pages. Martha scurried about serving and was an obvious rabbit. Her sister Mary was a turtle – all she wanted to do was sit at Jesus’ feet. I believe a lot of fast paced, driven Believers will give Martha a hug in heaven for providing them with a biblical model.

I was a natural born rabbit but through life circumstances have been converted to a turtle. I now move slower and more pronounced than earlier in life.

Walk at your own pace no matter how you are wired – at your unique speed of soul. You can walk there for the long haul through life.

As a leader in any venture it is necessary to bring change to your organization. There is predictable, constant push back from most of your relationships as you encourage the “C” word. If you are called to be an actual change agent you have a tough way to go in life. Your life is exciting in one sense – you are destined to usher great things into existence but sometimes at great cost. No matter what people say up front, they absolutely hate change. It disrupts predictability – what we all gravitate to. If your role in life is to birth things you are going to be a controversial character come what may. Smile. Do your best imitation of Forrest Gump. Muscle through it. Heaven is coming, but in this life you will have resistance.

Outreach is at times both work and play. On occasion we need to rally our energies, roll up our sleeves and do whatever it takes to just go for it, but too much of the hyper drive approach can melt us down.

We need to remember that ministry is the most enjoyable, the most energizing activity possible in this life. I like to say, Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is fun. That saying may not be in the Bible but it sure is biblical.

Let’s lighten up. Let’s dedicate ourselves to having fun in what God has called us to.

It’s easy to go through the motions of ministry – to appear to make progress when all we are doing is marching in place. Church history, modern and ancient, is filled with examples of two kinds of groups – those who made progress and those who regressed. What made the difference? Generosity of heart and action. We cross the line into effectiveness when we are generous. Mother Teresa and her Sisters of Charity and other Catholic and some Protestant groups are examples of great progress. When life is over, if we should live many decades, and we evaluate how we’ve done, I wonder if our lives will count for much more than our level of generosity toward others.