MINISTRY SUCCESS…YOUR FRIEND OR YOUR ENEMY?

A challenging post by Dave Kraft

What is biblical success? How is it to be measured?

A few years ago I read a book, The Paradox of Success, which dealt with the dark side of success. I’ve come to the conclusion that there is a vast difference between success and significance. Worldly success is not the same as biblical significance. A person could be incredibly successful and have very little kingdom significance.  On the other hand, a person could be very significant in God’s eyes, but not very successful in the world’s eyes.  Jesus is the quintessential example of this.

I know it borders on oversimplification, but success is much about getting and significance is much about giving. Paul quotes Jesus in saying that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35), but I wonder how many Christians and Christian leaders really believe that. So much of our western culture is hell-bent on getting and we are being swept along in its wake.

Having stuff, nice stuff, and lots of it…being high on the org chart, very high…having a big salary, very big…and reaching your ministry goals, exceeding others expectations of you is still how many Christians understand success. We greatly admire and respect those who have, in our opinion, arrived. Do you think this is what describes true biblical success…kingdom significance? 

Maybe, just maybe, we need to revisit our working definition of success to see how much of what we believe is truly biblical and not merely cultural, with a few verses added for “seasoning” here and there.

There is a dark side–a downside–to a misguided view of success: Greed, manipulation, pride, ego, using people for our own ends, being served rather than serving, an insatiable appetite for more and more.  John D. Rockefeller was asked how much money does it take to make a man happy, and he responded, “Just a little bit more.” How much success does it take to make a leader happy?  Just a little bit more. “Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied.” Proverbs 27:20 (NLT)

When it comes to success in leadership and in God’s church, we need to be careful of selfish ambition (James 3:14) as opposed to godly ambition, which Paul encourages (1 Timothy 3:1) by commending a man aspiring to the office of overseer. It boils down to what’s in my heart and what’s motivating me.

Recently I read Mark 10:42, 43 in The Message where Jesus says to his disciples:

“You’ve observed how godless rulers throw their weight around,” he said, “and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads. It’s not going to be that way with you.” (Underlining is mine.)

As I thought and prayed about this, I journaled about how quickly not only power but success, fruit, admiration, respect, adulation can go to my head as a leader. It can all be categorized under the heading of pride, which is the biggest pitfall and land mine that I, and all other leaders, face. Recent leadership history is littered with the results of unbridled lust for success and acclaim. “It’s not going to be that way with you!”

There is something in my broken, fallen and sinful nature that wants (desperately wants) to be successful, well thought of, respected, fruitful; but, at the same time, there is something inside of me that is desperately afraid of the dark side of success…fearful of what success will do to me…go to my head, lead me to use people, abuse people, manipulate people, step on people, compare with people so I can be yet more successful in my own eyes.  I lead scared!

This topic, this problem, this Paradox of Success has been the theme of many movies and books and is as old as time itself. How to be truly significant for the kingdom and make a lasting contribution for the glory of God, but not fall into letting what God gives me by way of kingdom significance go to my head. “It’s not going to be that way with you.” To which I say,  Amen Jesus! Please don’t let anything you allow me to have or to achieve, go to my head and become all about me instead of all about you…all about my “kingdom” and not all about your kingdom.

LEADERSHIP DERAILERS: FATIGUE AS A BADGE OF HONOUR

WOW....Another challaging post by Dan Rockwell

Leadership is already challenging. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be.

Ego confuses fatigue with importance.

Leadership derailers: fatigue as a badge of honor.

The challenges of leaders require the intentional practice of self-care.

Superman and Wonder Woman only exist in the comics. Burning the candle at both ends makes you less than you could be.

Fools limit their potential with constant fatigue.

You might be surprised to learn that the very top leaders:*

1. Get adequate sleep.
2. Eat healthy.

(*Rasmus Hougaard’s)

Sleep tips:

Tired people can’t bring their best. Mental and physical wellbeing are built on adequate sleep.

Tired people have lousy relationships.

High performance is built on rest.

Try the spoon drop test to see if you’re sleep deprived. (BBC video 1:29)

6 sleep tips:

1. Create a sleep schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same time.
2. Pay attention to food and drink. Don’t go to bed hungry or stuffed. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine.
3. Create a restful environment. Limit screen time before bed. Make the room dark.
4. Limit naps.
5. Engage in physical activity.
6. Manage worries and stress.

(Above list adapted from Mayo Clinic.)

Eat healthy tips:

My best eating tip: Eat all the healthy food you want and limit your intake of unhealthy food.

1. Snack healthy.
2. Go for walks.
3. Avoid temptation. Don’t keep ice cream in the freezer.

Self-care is smart, not selfish.

Take care of yourself if you want to maximize usefulness and expand influence.

Self-neglect isn’t a badge of honor.

What’s difficult about self-care?

What’s one thing you could do to improve your self-care practice?

3 more derailers:

#1. Inability to gain advantage from criticism. Defensiveness derails growth and development.

#2. Being thin-skinned and easily offended. When you can’t resolve offenses, YOU become toxic.

#3. Unresolved anger. There’s no middle ground with anger. It makes you better or drags you to oblivion.

Bonus material:

How to Give to Others Without Burning Out (Berkeley)

Self-Care 101 (Psychology Today)

5 Ways to Practice Self-Care, Even as a CEO (Inc)

God says there’s a purpose in your trials!

A great reminder by Pastor Rick Warren

God says when you run into troubles, it’s an opportunity to experience joy. That doesn’t make much sense, unless you understand the supernatural power of God.

He uses the problems in your life to help you mature spiritually as you become more like Christ. That means none of your problems are arbitrary or outside the power and grace of God. He can take any difficulty you face and turn it toward his purpose.

God uses your troubles to strengthen your faith. It’s similar to the way you strengthen your muscles. If you were lifting weights, each time you added more weight, the stronger your muscles would become.

In the same way, God uses problems to help you grow spiritually, building your character through a series of tests that strengthen your patience, your persistence, and many other traits he wants to develop in you.

Ultimately, he’s transforming you into a living image of Jesus. As you trust God in the midst of your troubles, you will grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

So how do you pass these tests? The good news is you get to use the textbook to check out the answers. They’re all right there in the Bible.

Here’s a good verse to remember: “When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy” (James 1:2 NLT).

Why is it an opportunity for “great joy”? Because this year, as you face trials, you can trust God is at work, using them for your good. And as you lean into him, you’ll experience more of his supernatural strength and joy lifting you up, even in a difficult situation.