Finding a Chair
this week i went to a 1, 400 person marriage retreat sponsored by my family of churches, Sovereign Grace Ministries. needless to say it was fantastic and will leave a lasting mark on my life and on others.
but i had an amusing moment while swept along in the hunt for a seat. actually i knew where my seat was; i'd staked that ground out already and was simply returning to occupy my spot. but as i made my way forward with eye fixed on the prize, i was stalled by a woman several years my senior who stopped and looked and stopped and looked and stopped and looked again. she had no seat marked out and no idea where to find one.
my emotions began to flare. instinct: "come on now, hurry up and let me by." it took three seconds for me to recognize the arrogance, selfishness, impatience, and sinful anger of my thoughts and i quickly repented. then the new blogging instinct took over. "there's blogging material here," i thought. and there is.
as a leader my mind went in two directions; you can pick which one fits your need the most. i thought of the fact that by having my eye on a goal (my chair) i was able to know where i was going and would have been able to get to my goal quickly (if in fact this dear sister hadn't been in my way!). yes here was a lesson: know where you're going and where God wants you to go and you'll be able to move forward more quickly and with fewer fits and starts. there's wisdom there, no doubt. and if you're the sort who can't seem to make up your mind, then consider it your freetruth for the day!
on the other hand, here's lesson two; if you're a leader who's got your eye on a goal, be careful not to plow people over in the process of getting there. impatience, anger, frustration and self-righteous arrogance over slow moving and unsure folks that stand between where you are and where you want to go may get bull-dozed if you're not careful. i had a goal the other day, but i didn't have a patient, understanding, and kind heart to go with it. and i ran the risk of flattening the poor person in front of me.
goals and initiative are part of character and leadership. but so are patience and grace for the slowmoving. why not join me in being careful not to plow over those whose pace is a little slower than our own. maybe that way everyone can get to where God wants them to be in one piece.
have a good one.
tim
but i had an amusing moment while swept along in the hunt for a seat. actually i knew where my seat was; i'd staked that ground out already and was simply returning to occupy my spot. but as i made my way forward with eye fixed on the prize, i was stalled by a woman several years my senior who stopped and looked and stopped and looked and stopped and looked again. she had no seat marked out and no idea where to find one.
my emotions began to flare. instinct: "come on now, hurry up and let me by." it took three seconds for me to recognize the arrogance, selfishness, impatience, and sinful anger of my thoughts and i quickly repented. then the new blogging instinct took over. "there's blogging material here," i thought. and there is.
as a leader my mind went in two directions; you can pick which one fits your need the most. i thought of the fact that by having my eye on a goal (my chair) i was able to know where i was going and would have been able to get to my goal quickly (if in fact this dear sister hadn't been in my way!). yes here was a lesson: know where you're going and where God wants you to go and you'll be able to move forward more quickly and with fewer fits and starts. there's wisdom there, no doubt. and if you're the sort who can't seem to make up your mind, then consider it your freetruth for the day!
on the other hand, here's lesson two; if you're a leader who's got your eye on a goal, be careful not to plow people over in the process of getting there. impatience, anger, frustration and self-righteous arrogance over slow moving and unsure folks that stand between where you are and where you want to go may get bull-dozed if you're not careful. i had a goal the other day, but i didn't have a patient, understanding, and kind heart to go with it. and i ran the risk of flattening the poor person in front of me.
goals and initiative are part of character and leadership. but so are patience and grace for the slowmoving. why not join me in being careful not to plow over those whose pace is a little slower than our own. maybe that way everyone can get to where God wants them to be in one piece.
have a good one.
tim
Labels: Leadership
posted by Tim Shorey at
5:55 PM
2 Comments:
thanks for this really helpful reminder. i often find it difficult to navigate the map between running people over and letting them run over me. one displays arrogance and self-righteousness, as you mention; the other, fear of man.
the pendulum sways back and forth between the two. by God's grace, i hope that each swing is a little less severe.
at the moment, my temptation is similar to the one you mention here. so, this reminder to take shorter strides is really helpful.
thanks
to do both together, that is the spiritual trick it would appear. to be aware is to be on the right track. God will give grace to carry it out.
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