People > Projects
Never become so busy with projects that you forget the ones you serve. God called us to love people, not build buildings or budgets. Sometimes, we lose our focus. Great leaders feel compelled to lead well. Romans asks us to lead with diligence. But, we must slow down. We can’t ignore or destroy people while trying to build something to help them. Pastors shouldn’t hurt people while doing God’s work.
Christ is the ultimate model. Thousands of people followed Him, yet He still found time to invest in His core group. He completed His mission, and He loved people. He is a great leader. Whole cities followed Him into the deserts, and He still found time for dinner with His friends.
7 questions to ask yourself
1) Do your laptop, cell phone, and other gadgets ever go off? When someone walks in, shut your laptop, put down your gadget, and treat them the way you’d treat Christ if He walked into your room. When you get home, don’t spend all your free time crushing candy, facebooking, or killing pigs with upset birds.
2) Do you leave your door open or does your office have a deadbolt? Sometimes the door needs to be closed so that you can complete projects, but sometimes the door needs to be open so that others can connect with you. Find time for both.
3) Do you answer your phone or run from the ringing? The cellphone was invented by the devil, but God can use it to reach people. The farther you are up the org chart, the more your phone rings. Still, people need your time. Give them some.
4) Do you talk with people or to people? You can spend so much time talking to people about tasks that you forget to talk to them about. Let someone vent. Look them in the eyes. Solve their problem, and they may help solve yours.
5) Is eating with you a meeting with food? Go out to lunch with someone and relax. Every meal shouldn’t have an agenda. Some should be simple times of fellowship. Resting your mind makes you more effective, and investing in relationships makes your team stronger. Have a few NO-AGENDA LUNCHES.
6) Do you ever get out of your office? Jesus went to the mountain and retreated, but then he walked back into the crowd. We’ve got to be people who come out of our offices and into the lives of the people we are leading.
7) Are your deadlines deadly? Deadlines, goals, and plans our great, but Jesus didn’t die for them. He died for you. He loves you, and all things work together for your good. Trust Him even when you fail to reach your goals, forgive those who’ve missed their marks. Set new goals and move on.
Never let completing projects keep you from being compassionate with people. Love others the way Christ loves you.