PAST PRESENT OR FUTURE

I was talking with a young ambitious pastor the other day. He was sharing with me how disappointed he was in the progress of the church. The reality was, that God had been doing great things in his church.

As leaders we are called to be visionary. We dream dreams. We set goals. We have a great desire to "become". To become what? A finally tuned organization with all the bases covered,

or a fully staffed team team hitting on all cylinders, or a dynamic ministry that attracts people to the services like a magnet, or maybe a more attractive facility to accommodate the growth.

During my pastorate, it was difficult for me to enjoy what God was doing in the present or rejoice in the victories of the past because my mind would always take me to the future. The tapes kept playing like: "If we just could hire that next staff person". "What do we need to change to be more effective?" "We need to do a better job of assimilating." The list could go on and on.

While thinking ahead is a part of leadership, we dare not get so caught in the future that we miss the blessings of present and the victories of the past. Getting caught up in the future can breed impatience, a critical spirit, and great discouragement.

When was the last time you just sat down and contemplated the Lord's blessings of the past and present? The old hymn we used to sing, "Count Your Many Blessings" name them one by one" might be appropriate.

Keep being farsighted, but don't forget 20/20 hindsight, and the joy of being near sighted as well.