I probably did one of the dumbest things in my life this past Friday. I decided to pickle peppers (habaneros) without any gloves. I’ve handled hot peppers before but I neglected to study the instructions, which clearly says, “Don’t pickle hot peppers without gloves.” My fingers went numb for about 12 hours and the only way to soothe them was to hold on to an icepack. Not wearing gloves was a simple mistake that lead to big consequences. I just wasn’t paying enough attention.
I’ve made my fair share of mistakes in ministry. There have been times when the mistakes were due to something deep seated; however, more times than not they are due to something more simple. The culprit seems to always be:
A LACK OF FOCUS
A lack of focus will almost always lead to a mistake, it’s like driving down a road with your eyes closed. When you lose focus in ministry you are taking your eyes off of:
- The Vision – With no vision we have no idea where we are heading. Your ministry just becomes a program.
- The Team – We forget that others make us stronger; therefore, we forget to thank them, lift them up and encourage them along the path we’re leading them down. We lose sight of them, they will lose you.
- God – Whether it’s pride or tricks from the devil, we lose sight of God which causes us to doubt our purpose. Lose your purpose you gain frustration.
When we can maintain focus we bring the right values and responsibilities into our life. Our priorities are set straight and our systems are more organized. But most importantly we remember the destination, the support and the one who leads us.
Which of the three areas do you struggle with the most?
