LEADERSHIP CAN BE FRUSTRATING!
Perhaps you've heard of the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance). I wonder if a similar list could help define the stages a leader goes through when his or her organization fails to meet certain expectations.
In the past year at Mars Hill, we have been trying to get our minds and hearts around some of the data that points to unmet expectations. What do you do when not as many people are inviting their friends…not as many are growing in Christ…not as many are tithing…not as many are reading their Bible…not as many are attending…and not as many are being baptized?
These questions are very real for us right now, and the next few days I will share some of the stages of unmet expectations I have recently experienced…
- WHEN WE EXPERIENCE UNMET EXPECTATIONS, WE TEND TO JUSTIFY: Well, the attendance is down because of the weather. Everyone is at home entertaining, shopping, golfing, etc. People aren't reading their Bibles because we have so many who are exploring Christ. The economy is terrible so people aren't giving.
MY RESPONSE: Sometimes there are rational reasons for failure, but if you continue to explain it away over time, it begins to look like an excuse rather than a reason. You can justify a week or even an entire season…but it's difficult to justify trends that are happening over time.
One down…four more to go…
Hey Pastor,
I can’t imagine what you must feel being the shepherd of such a huge flock. I admire your resilience and your decision not to compromise. No matter how discouraging or difficult things may become behind the scenes, you never second guess (at least not in front of us) the direction that God is leading you toward. Thanks for being an example of faith in action. It’s encouraging.
Ro
Justifying is an easy way out in any situation. I’ve come to find it to be a method of avoiding the reality and creating a solution. It’s much more simple to justify the cause than contribute to the change.