Happy New Year’s Eve! We apologize for our absence last week, but I was at death’s door- okay, that might be a little dramatic, but I did have a pretty serious bout with the flu. So it’s good to be back!
Today’s Monday Minute is all about working with what you got, as they say, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. For the past sixteen years, I’ve worked around students, leaders and fellow youth pastors. I’ve heard countless people complain about what they don’t have, people who are jealous, people who can’t seem to bring the best out of those around them. But leaders who last do the following:
1. Find Contentment
One of the greatest challenges in life, let alone ministry, is our ability to rest in what God has supplied us with. Let me be clear, this is not a reason to justify complacency, but it may cut down on your complaining! Contentment is simply the satisfaction we find when we’ve done all we can do and left the rest in God’s hands.
2. Find A Way
Call it creativity, ingenuity or determination, it doesn’t really matter. Effective leaders know how to make vision a reality. One way they do this is by receiving the vision and then implementing a plan to make it happen. Over time, I’ve found this is the exception to the rule.
Many great leaders are visionaries. That may be the case for you. But you may struggle when it comes to the practicality of the vision. That’s okay! Because great leaders understand their strengths and weaknesses. In fact, if you’re smart, you’ll put a team of people around you who can do things you can’t. That’s how visions become realities.
When I’m through writing this post, I’ll start setting up for our New Year’s Game Night. I’ve got a couple of people from my team to come help set up because they’re handy, I’m not. I have a couple of people doing some menial tasks, because they are just great servants. Others will come later in the evening when the students start arriving because they excel in fostering healthy relationships. You need all sorts of people around you to make vision a reality.
There is no way that I could set everything up by myself with such a short turnaround time, but that’s why I have a team of people around me. Not only are they a blessing in my personal life, but they are a tremendous blessing to our youth ministry.
If you find yourself frustrated with all the stuff you don’t have, start looking at what you do have. You might be surprised to find that you have everything you need!
To get more tips and games, subscribe to our blog and follow us on Twitter @stumingames.
