Leading and Learning

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Rookie Mistakes – Stay in the Game

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I have had a few conversations the past few months with those who are walking with others on a journey of discipleship who have called themselves “rookies”. This is their first time taking the lead role in owning the spiritual growth of others in a very intentional way and they are feeling the pressures of it all.

The context of calling themselves a rookie was to admit that something they did wasn’t the best, they had failed to some degree in engaging those they were leading in what they deemed was not the most effective way. It was not that they were trying to do anything wrong intentionally, but that they simply didn’t know any better – they made what they called a “rookie mistake.”

I could sense in them a pain in their heart. They wanted to do better, they felt that they let the other person down, that perhaps they weren’t the right person to be doing this work.

We all go through these moments. At times I reflect on many things I have begun and how poor a job it must have been – the first time I preached, the first small group I led, the first out front leadership task I took on, the first new staff person I was overseeing. I wince at many of the things that I should have done differently, how perhaps someone else should have stepped in at that moment.

And yet, we can only become proficient at something by first being a rookie – everyone starts as a rookie. We can read all we want on a subject, get guidance and mentoring. At that end of it all, there comes a time when we need to choose to take the risk and be a rookie, or choose to not risk anything and stay out of the game.

I have a lot of respect for those who choose to take the risk of guiding someone else on the journey of faith. It is a spiritual journey that entails going to deep parts of a person that at times are dark. It is a spiritual battle that requires much prayer and sacrifice since someone is choosing to grow close to Jesus and the spiritual forces do not want this to happen. It is a spiritual mystery involving moments of amazing life change that you have a hard time explaining and can’t control.

We will all make rookie mistakes, and years into this great work, we will all make sophomore, junior and senior mistakes. We will never stop learning because God will continually call us deeper. If we ever believe that we have the process fully learned, that is the time we should step aside because we are only fooling ourselves.

Being on the journey of guiding others in their relationship with Jesus is an amazing work. There is so much beauty in choosing this path. So whether you are a rookie or a senior, stay in the game, learn as you go. God will go before you and show you his wonderful power at work in the lives of many.

For the kingdom.

The Ripple Effect – Believe in it

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rippleMy Daughter’s Perspective

 

Have you ever thought about how everything you do and everything you say influences someone’s life? Whether big or small, everything you do impacts the flow of this world. The dropping of a pebble in water sends out ripples of change to the surface. One seed can fill a garden (lamb’s ears just take over wherever they please – but they are oh so soft!). A simple smile can cause a 360 shift in someone’s day. Every action. Every word. You are an influencer. And you get to decide the height, length, width, and depth of that influence.

This is something I’ve been reflecting on for the last little while.

When you consider some celebrities, there are some who use their fame to bring awareness to amazing causes, and push people to create a change in the world. There are others who float in a pool of money and bathe in the light of flashing cameras. The former have fully leaned in and embraced their role in influencing, and the latter are just too self-centered to notice anything else going on in the world. (That may be harsh, but from my perspective it’s the truth). This doesn’t just apply to celebrities. Brad Pitt doesn’t live in our neighbourhoods; Sandra Bullock doesn’t work in our workplaces; Ryan Gosling doesn’t attend our schools; and Keira Knightley doesn’t go to our churches. You and I are the ones living in our neighbourhoods, working in our workplaces, attending our schools, and going to our churches. We all have a role to play right where we are.

I have a confession for you. I don’t always think pretty thoughts about people. Let me get vulnerable and give you an example. I’m a leader in the youth ministry in our church, and by no means do I think I’m a perfect leader – I would argue that I have the best small group, but that’s beside the point! One of my biggest pet peeves is when a youth leader doesn’t give their all to their small group, even if it’s just for the two hour commitment in the week (though if you ask me this isn’t really enough). Maybe this causes my muscles to tense because I didn’t have committed leaders when I was in youth and I eventually left when I was in grade ten. If I grew up in a different family or had different friends surrounding me, I fear where I would be now. I hear too many stories of youth leaving the church, and in my mind the solution is so simple – they need to be known, and only other people can make that happen. So if any youth leaders are reading this, please understand that you can make or break a youth’s faith journey.

I’m greatly impacted by personal testimonies, particularly the ones where it took one person to change the course of that person’s life. Those stories are what I hold onto when I start to lose hope for specific people – no one is too far gone for God, and He will often use us to show His love. You may often not know the impact you have had on someone’s life, but you must believe that you can be the stone in someone’s life that can change the trajectory of their life flow. Don’t miss out on that opportunity. After all, this is what God calls us to do, and the example Jesus set for us.

So remember (and this is a reminder for me also) you have influence in everything you do. Live intentionally, and be prepared to step beyond yourself for the greater Kingdom.