Every week in the Leadership Track, we have a leader in YWAM come and share with us about leadership and being good leaders. They have all been great speakers and have offered some helpful tips. This week, we had Brett Curtis share with us. Brett and his wife oversee the YWAM Ships portion of our mission. He is from New Zealand and is very direct, to the point, no messing around. I loved it! I love it when things are clear, here's what you need to do, done.
At one point, Brett was sharing about recruiting staff and the type of staff person you want to go for to have on your team, but also the kind of person we should be. He gave an example of a person being assigned the task to go pick up a speaker from the airport. The person goes, waits for the guest, brings them back, drops them off, job done. The person did exactly what they were asked to do.
Then he shared an example of a different person being asked to go pick up the speaker from the airport. This person does a little prep work...they get a picture of the person so they know exactly who they are waiting for, they call the speaker's wife ahead of time and find out what sort of things the speaker likes to eat & drink, they actively search for the speaker at the airport, get them in the car, ask if they want to stop for food, seek to really take care of the speaker.
Both people got the job done, but one went above and beyond the bare minimum. So what kind of person would you choose to work for you? The one who gets the job done, just barely scraping by to meet the requirements, or do you go for the one who goes above and beyond what is asked of them to really make sure things are done right? I think everyone would say they would choose the person who goes above and beyond to be on staff with them. So are we being that kind of person? Whether we are in a leadership position or not, are we seeking to do our best in whatever it is that we do? We are told to do all for the glory of Christ, and to work as though working for him, not for man. (Col. 3:23) What does that look like? Just doing what you're told, or doing it well and to the best of your ability? Do you show up early and leave late to finish the day's work, or do you get there and leave exactly at the times your supposed to because that's when you're supposed to be there. Do you help out with things that maybe aren't in your job description, or do you pass it off because it's not really your job?
I bring this up because I've been thinking about all this, and have even been convicted of it recently. I have really been struggling with the fact that I'm most likely taking a team out on outreach in a few months. I like the idea of outreach, just not me on outreach. I always seem to end up in places that are fairly hard, I get some sort of parasite, and am sick the entire time. Not fun. Plus, I like my comforts. I like having running water, consistent electricity, food & water that is not questionable, and being clean. Outreach forces me to give up my rights to those things, and it's uncomfortable. I don't like it. However, I know that I really have no rights and have to be willing to give up anything to follow my Lord.
At the end of my last outreach, I had decided I was done and would never staff in YWAM again because I was done doing outreaches. My leader asked if I would come back to staff and possibly not go on outreach, but stay here and be a contact/point person. Hmm, that would be cool. I would do that. Then over the summer, God began working on my heart. I was again made aware that I need to be willing to give up anything and everything for the sake of following Christ, including my rights to being comfortable. I listened to a podcast where the teacher was talking about how they often go to places they do not have a heart for, would never choose to go to, or even want to go to, but in light of global revival, it really doesn't matter. Wow. Conviction. If my being willing to go, to say yes, helps to start a global revival, it really doesn't matter if I'm uncomfortable for 3 months, in fact, it's totally worth it! Now I'm not saying that my going determines whether or not a global revival starts, however, my being willing to step out, to share Christ with one more person, can all add to a revival starting. Am I willing to give up 3 months of comfortable living for the sake of one person coming to know Christ? Absolutely! Whether there is a revival or not, one more person has been saved from hell and has a new life with Christ. So why is it still such a struggle for me?
Now let me tie this all in to what I was talking about at the beginning of this post. As a staff group, we recently prayed about what countries God wanted our school to go to. In all honesty, I have not been excited and was secretly hoping that God would tell me and my leader that I didn't need to go. However, I have been sensing that I was to go on outreach, and it's been very clear that my leader wants me to take a team as well. My leader is a very good friend of mine. We have been friends for the last 5 years and were friends before she was ever my leader. So being friends, and housemates, we talk candidly about life and the things we're thinking, struggling with, etc. We were talking about outreach, I shared some of my thoughts and things I was sensing the Lord was saying to me, and I shared I don't want to go, but I'll do it. I'll be obedient.
Enter in the voice of conviction. My friend reminded me of the teaching we had from Brett regarding the kind of person we would choose to be on staff with us. Sure I say I'll go, I'll be obedient, but I'm just meeting the bare minimum requirements. Can God still use me? Yes, but would he rather use the person who is willing to go above and beyond the bare minimum? The person who is actually excited to be serving? Probably. Wow. Conviction again. It's not just about the act of obedience, but about the attitude we have while doing it. I was saying I was willing to go, but my attitude has been horrible about it. It's been a mixture of selfishness, fear & apathy. How crappy is that? If I was God, I wouldn't choose me, I would choose someone who was actually excited to be serving and who was willing to go above and beyond.
I have always been the type of person who hates leaving a job undone, or having it done poorly. I have often prided myself in being responsible and someone people can depend on to get the job done. (yes I know pride is a sin.) So if I am that way in physical/tangible tasks or jobs, shouldn't I be the same in the things that God assigns to me? It's not enough to just do the job, it needs to be done well. That means that you're in it whole-heartedly, with a good attitude, going above and beyond the bare minimum. Including outreach.
So needless to say, I've had to repent for my attitude about being willing to go on outreach, and ask God to give me a heart for it. I'm deciding to walk in the opposite spirit of what I naturally feel, and choose to be excited to go. Is there a battle in my thoughts? Absolutely. But I am choosing to have a good attitude, to try to be excited, and to be willing to go above and beyond the bare minimum. In the great commission, Jesus called all of us to go make disciples of all nations. Keith Green said unless you've heard God clearly tell you to stay, then you are to go. I haven't been told to stay. Therefore, I have to choose to get over myself, to lay down my rights to comfort, and to have a good attitude in all of it. Do I get it right every moment of the day? No, but I'm working on it. The enemy tries to change my mind all the time, but I have to remember, "in light of global revival, it really doesn't matter." And I say, yes, God, here I am, willingly, excitedly, and available to you. Please be at work in my heart & give me grace!
At one point, Brett was sharing about recruiting staff and the type of staff person you want to go for to have on your team, but also the kind of person we should be. He gave an example of a person being assigned the task to go pick up a speaker from the airport. The person goes, waits for the guest, brings them back, drops them off, job done. The person did exactly what they were asked to do.
Then he shared an example of a different person being asked to go pick up the speaker from the airport. This person does a little prep work...they get a picture of the person so they know exactly who they are waiting for, they call the speaker's wife ahead of time and find out what sort of things the speaker likes to eat & drink, they actively search for the speaker at the airport, get them in the car, ask if they want to stop for food, seek to really take care of the speaker.
Both people got the job done, but one went above and beyond the bare minimum. So what kind of person would you choose to work for you? The one who gets the job done, just barely scraping by to meet the requirements, or do you go for the one who goes above and beyond what is asked of them to really make sure things are done right? I think everyone would say they would choose the person who goes above and beyond to be on staff with them. So are we being that kind of person? Whether we are in a leadership position or not, are we seeking to do our best in whatever it is that we do? We are told to do all for the glory of Christ, and to work as though working for him, not for man. (Col. 3:23) What does that look like? Just doing what you're told, or doing it well and to the best of your ability? Do you show up early and leave late to finish the day's work, or do you get there and leave exactly at the times your supposed to because that's when you're supposed to be there. Do you help out with things that maybe aren't in your job description, or do you pass it off because it's not really your job?
I bring this up because I've been thinking about all this, and have even been convicted of it recently. I have really been struggling with the fact that I'm most likely taking a team out on outreach in a few months. I like the idea of outreach, just not me on outreach. I always seem to end up in places that are fairly hard, I get some sort of parasite, and am sick the entire time. Not fun. Plus, I like my comforts. I like having running water, consistent electricity, food & water that is not questionable, and being clean. Outreach forces me to give up my rights to those things, and it's uncomfortable. I don't like it. However, I know that I really have no rights and have to be willing to give up anything to follow my Lord.
At the end of my last outreach, I had decided I was done and would never staff in YWAM again because I was done doing outreaches. My leader asked if I would come back to staff and possibly not go on outreach, but stay here and be a contact/point person. Hmm, that would be cool. I would do that. Then over the summer, God began working on my heart. I was again made aware that I need to be willing to give up anything and everything for the sake of following Christ, including my rights to being comfortable. I listened to a podcast where the teacher was talking about how they often go to places they do not have a heart for, would never choose to go to, or even want to go to, but in light of global revival, it really doesn't matter. Wow. Conviction. If my being willing to go, to say yes, helps to start a global revival, it really doesn't matter if I'm uncomfortable for 3 months, in fact, it's totally worth it! Now I'm not saying that my going determines whether or not a global revival starts, however, my being willing to step out, to share Christ with one more person, can all add to a revival starting. Am I willing to give up 3 months of comfortable living for the sake of one person coming to know Christ? Absolutely! Whether there is a revival or not, one more person has been saved from hell and has a new life with Christ. So why is it still such a struggle for me?
Now let me tie this all in to what I was talking about at the beginning of this post. As a staff group, we recently prayed about what countries God wanted our school to go to. In all honesty, I have not been excited and was secretly hoping that God would tell me and my leader that I didn't need to go. However, I have been sensing that I was to go on outreach, and it's been very clear that my leader wants me to take a team as well. My leader is a very good friend of mine. We have been friends for the last 5 years and were friends before she was ever my leader. So being friends, and housemates, we talk candidly about life and the things we're thinking, struggling with, etc. We were talking about outreach, I shared some of my thoughts and things I was sensing the Lord was saying to me, and I shared I don't want to go, but I'll do it. I'll be obedient.
Enter in the voice of conviction. My friend reminded me of the teaching we had from Brett regarding the kind of person we would choose to be on staff with us. Sure I say I'll go, I'll be obedient, but I'm just meeting the bare minimum requirements. Can God still use me? Yes, but would he rather use the person who is willing to go above and beyond the bare minimum? The person who is actually excited to be serving? Probably. Wow. Conviction again. It's not just about the act of obedience, but about the attitude we have while doing it. I was saying I was willing to go, but my attitude has been horrible about it. It's been a mixture of selfishness, fear & apathy. How crappy is that? If I was God, I wouldn't choose me, I would choose someone who was actually excited to be serving and who was willing to go above and beyond.
I have always been the type of person who hates leaving a job undone, or having it done poorly. I have often prided myself in being responsible and someone people can depend on to get the job done. (yes I know pride is a sin.) So if I am that way in physical/tangible tasks or jobs, shouldn't I be the same in the things that God assigns to me? It's not enough to just do the job, it needs to be done well. That means that you're in it whole-heartedly, with a good attitude, going above and beyond the bare minimum. Including outreach.
So needless to say, I've had to repent for my attitude about being willing to go on outreach, and ask God to give me a heart for it. I'm deciding to walk in the opposite spirit of what I naturally feel, and choose to be excited to go. Is there a battle in my thoughts? Absolutely. But I am choosing to have a good attitude, to try to be excited, and to be willing to go above and beyond the bare minimum. In the great commission, Jesus called all of us to go make disciples of all nations. Keith Green said unless you've heard God clearly tell you to stay, then you are to go. I haven't been told to stay. Therefore, I have to choose to get over myself, to lay down my rights to comfort, and to have a good attitude in all of it. Do I get it right every moment of the day? No, but I'm working on it. The enemy tries to change my mind all the time, but I have to remember, "in light of global revival, it really doesn't matter." And I say, yes, God, here I am, willingly, excitedly, and available to you. Please be at work in my heart & give me grace!
No comments:
Post a Comment