27 Aug Ministry Milestones Part 3
This month I began imparting to you all that I imparted to our guest ministers at our recent Joy MinisterialExchange. . I believe that wisdom will assist you in a dramatic way! Let’s review before we jump in…
- Great leaders don’t do more. Great leaders do more of what matters most.
Please don’t ever confuse activity with productivity, or busy for fruitful! Great leaders don’t just do more. They do more of what matters most!
2. Limitations breed innovations.
Why not turn limitations into innovations? The Bible tells us in Proverbs 16:26 (Amp), “The appetite of the laborer works for him, for the need of his mouth urges him on.” Let your “hunger” drive you to finding innovations!
3. Pastors like crowds, but sometimes they forget to love people.
Pastors love crowds! However I always encourage pastors that crowds consist of people. From time to time, we must never forget about the little woman with the issue of blood (see Mark 5) that comes across our path in the midst of a big crowd!
4. There are two kinds of people in life:
1.) Those who let their environment influence their enthusiasm
2.) Those who let their enthusiasm influence their environment
May I personally challenge you to be the latter? I tell my son on a regular basis, “You can change the world, but the world can’t change you!”
5. It’s not happy people who are thankful…it’s thankful people who are happy!
The Bible tells us, “Labour not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven” (Prov. 23:4-5). “Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied” (Prov. 27:20).
With those powerful proverbs in mind, please let me share with you “Four Thermometers to think Thankfully”:
- Focus on what you do have, not what you don’t
- Focus on how far you’ve come, not how far you need to go
- Focus on the fact that while you haven’t arrived, at least you’ve left!
- You’re not where you want to be, but thank God you are not where you used to be!
This week let’s continue with…
6. Big purpose will always help you overcome the criticism of small people.
It’s always the tallest trees that experience the harshest winds. However when you have big purpose it will always help you overcome the criticism of small people. May I challenge you to read the book of Nehemiah? It will encourage you to be a courageous champion. Nehemiah was simply a cupbearer to the king at the time. God gave him a big purpose of building back the wall for the protection of God’s people.
Nehemiah had three “small people” who were always trying to get him off his big purpose…Sandballot, Tobiah and Gesham. If I could summarize the entire book of Nehemiah I would summarize it this way:
- Nehemiah sat down to cry
- Nehemiah kneeled down to pray
- Nehemiah rose up to obey
- Nehemiah did not allow “small people” to get in his way!
Remember this: Just because it gets your attention doesn’t mean it deserves your attention! Never let praise go to your head, but never let criticism go to your heart!
7. Little compromises that no one sees produce great failure that everyone sees.
The Bible tells us in I Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about seeking whom he may devour.” Now please notice the word “adversary”. This is the Greek word “antidikos”. This is a Greek legal term that denotes a lawyer looking for a loophole or access. Its study implies that the devil pokes and prods until he can find a loophole or access point in your life. If he can, that will be his entry way into your life.
I know of a pastor who was simply celebrating his anniversary in another state and decided to celebrate by partaking of a couple of beers. This little compromise was the access point the enemy needed. These little compromises opened the door to full blown alcoholism where he was getting drunk behind the scenes on a semi-regular basis!
It’s the little compromises that no one sees that produce great failures everyone sees! Next month we will continue our series!