I train a lot of leaders around the world and when we open up time for Q&A, I almost always get asked about what was the pivotal point in our Ministry growing to over 15,000 strong. Truth is, it wasn’t one thing. It was a process of several things, doing a lot of little things a long time, until something big happened. That’s diligence.
So what about the “bad stuff” along the way? You guessed it; part of the process. In Matthew 13, we read the parable about how the Kingdom of Heaven is like the man who sowed seed in his field, but when everyone was sleeping, the enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat. When rain produced the crops, both the wheat and the weeds appeared so the servant asked, “Did you not sow seed? Where did the weeds come from?”
He replied, “An enemy did this.” The servant then asked if he would like him to go pull them up. But Jesus told him not to, and essentially told him…and tells us…to let the good stuff and the bad stuff happen… let them grow together.
In leadership as is in life, you can’t grow if you avoid the bad stuff. Whether from an enemy or from a change in life, bad stuff is inevitably going to happen (In this world, you will have tribulation). It’s part of the process. But growth from the bad stuff comes from the process, not the destinations.
If you think you’ll live and won’t be happy until you get to your destination, you’ll miss the ride. You’ll miss the day-to-day moments of God on your journey because you’re missing the day-to-day moments of life and missing the pockets of joy. Some people get so caught up in reaching the finishing line that they forget to look at the excitement and opportunity that each step brings along the way.
Destinations last for a few moments, but PROCESS lasts a lifetime.
