The Gateway to Authentic Influence
Why does anyone walk away from a great job, at an amazing church, with fabulous friends, having just built their dream home in a warm climate? It could only be Insanity. Most days I think its Insanity until I am reminded that it’s something much deeper – Obedience. An obedience that is rooted in Dependence.
We feel so blessed and grateful to have worked at Willow Creek & North Point – Both amazing influential churches that have developed us and prepared us for this great faith adventure that we are on.
I learned a million things from both churches – but honestly – and this is not a commentary on either church – I didn’t really need to depend on Jesus while there. There were always resources and people and buildings and leaders and steady paychecks and benefits – all great things, but at times, I let them keep me from true dependence.
I allowed those things to keep me from the kind of dependence that forces you to your knees regularly wondering if you are insane. Interestingly enough, I am finding that true dependence is an essential gateway to authentic influence.
TRUE DEPENDENCE IS AN ESSENTIAL GATEWAY TO AUTHENTIC INFLUENCE!
No one can have authentic influence, especially an Authentic Cultural Influence, if they are attempting to lead others in a direction that they themselves have not chosen to go towards.
Much like you, I long to have authentic influence with the gospel of Jesus Christ – so God has lovingly afforded me the gateway of doing that through the starting this church. Brilliant.
So what about you? What Is a Gateway of Dependence that God is using in your life that could lead to real Authentic Influence?
Doing Less To Do More
Last week I (Jeanne) hit one of those common walls that leaders hit. I looked at my to-do list and realized there were far too many boxes to check than I had hours left in my day. I confess that I am an activator and achiever and so often my first response is to come up with as many possible ways to push past the gift of my human limits and throw on my superwoman cape of capacity and power through. But I know that when I do that it leaves me feeling more exhausted, lacking in inspiration, impatient, and ultimately unsatisfied.
Every day I awake to a list of tasks that are calling out to me to accomplish them. I don’t suspect that there is a day in my near future when there will be nothing on the list. Starting a church, leading a ministry, raising a family, and following a dream happens through the constant accomplishing of tasks and goals one day at a time. But it should never be done alone. I know that if I am the only one looking at the list and tackling the list I am breaking one of our Core leadership Values for the staff & volunteers of Soul City Church.
Doing less is Doing more! Always be looking for someone that you can develop into leadership by giving away appropriate authority instead of developing a follower by giving away a task.
Far too many church leaders are burning out and giving up because they only give away tasks – not authority. Maybe you have hit this wall too – maybe you’re at it right now. My hunch is that there are some amazing people right around you that are hungry to lead with you, not just accomplish a task.
So how can you DO MORE by DOING LESS this week?
