Sunday attendance is down. A dream was dashed because of a situation outside your control. A key leader inside the church turned on you, and you face difficulty in rebuilding trust. What do you do in the darkness that now envelops your ministry? What do you say to yourself?
Words unsaid or said too much could cost a leader a season in the ministry pit of despair. Words used correctly under the guidance of the Holy Spirit can enable a leader’s ministry to prosper.
The story of one such leader who overcame the pit to prosper in ministry was Joseph. God had anointed him. From birth, Joseph was called to move from the ordinary into an extraordinary life of service for the kingdom. Over time, Joseph would rise and fall many times before reaching true prosperity in ministry.
Through his words, Joseph was able to hinder or help his cause with others. The story of Joseph teaches leaders to choose their words wisely, or it might cost them all they were meant to live out in their life.
Move Forward From Panic.
Due to years of boasting to his brothers about the unique calling he had in his life as a future leader over them, the brothers banded together to snatch the power before Joseph became too powerful. They revolted against Joseph, tearing off his clothing, exposing the fallacy of his words in the nakedness of his flesh, and tossing him into a pit meant for an animal, not a human, much less their brother.
As his eyes blinked fast for clarity and his arms outstretched to brace for the impact, the bottom of the pit came racing into focus. Joseph’s mind must have whirled with mixed emotions. In that instance, as he collided with the cold, dark ground, his body revibrated the shock. Within seconds, he realized the arrogance of his words had sent him into darkness.
What happened to Joseph is happening to far too many leaders in the established church. Great leaders become impatient leaders who get ahead of where God and the congregation are, and end up in a pit of their own making.
For many, the sting of betrayal from a church board or a trusted member changes the trajectory of their pastoral ministry. As such, the leader self-isolates, placing barriers between their calling and the congregation. The leader begins to reflect and question each conversation and interaction of the past and present, which begins to force out light and plunges their mindset into darkness. It is in the dark that panic comes. Panic turns the soul away from the promise that God had initially called the leader to the church in the first place.
As Joseph strained to hear his brothers and the words they spoke, his pulse quickened, and at that moment, he must have realized that God had not left him but was with him even in the dark times. Before, Joseph was a reckless teenager who challenged authority and hierarchy, but now as the mud inched its way into the creases of his skin, he grew humble.
How humble are you as a church leader? How humble are your words when speaking to those who challenge your authority? In the panic of your ministry setting, you must move forward, find your leadership grounding in your calling, and place the timing of your elevation or leadership breakthrough into God’s hands. His timing is perfect if you are willing to wait on him.
Evaluate the Position.
As Joseph was pulled muddy and cold from the pit and placed into shackles that would encase his bondage, he went from bad to worse. In every leader’s journey, there are valley experiences as well as mountain top experiences. While you can prepare for bad and for good times, only after you have gone through them can you see the actual leadership lessons that God was teaching. As the mud baked into Joseph’s skin in the blazing sun that hung overhead, one can picture him glancing back, locking eyes with his brothers one at a time, and realizing that words matter.
The prison in which Joseph was locked away could have been unforgiving, but instead, his talents and giftings provided him a second chance. He would be quickly seen as an asset and sold into the house of Potiphar, a captain of the guard and one of Pharaoh’s officials.
Leadership can be harsh and, at times, painful, but a true leader rises from the empty words of the past to attain the greatness inside them. Pause for a moment, and reflect on your skillsets, abilities, and calling. What are you doing to evaluate those giftings to move you towards your dreams? Maybe you have struggled being placed in a “pit moment.” Are you ready to move from the pit to the promise? Words without action are just words. Words with action can transform a dream into reality.
The reality for Joseph was he could either give up or rise to the appointed time. If your church and ministry are going to move from decline into growth, then as a leader, you must have a vision for what is unseen. Leadership is about evaluating the situation where you and the church find themselves and begin developing a plan, strategies, and forward movement to change the position. Sadly, too many established churches find themselves in a pit of their own making and panic instead of evaluating the place to begin to move forward.
Do Not Allow Problems to Fester.
Moving from words into action takes the leader from behind to leading forward. Joseph understood this principle, and within a short time, he was elevated into a trusted position inside his new home. Instead of complaining, he settled into the situation in which he found himself and began to choose his words more carefully.
As a leader, you might be gifted more than others around you, but if you lead with arrogance instead of humility, life has a way of knocking you down a peg. You may not be at the church you believe God has for you. Your local assignment may be struggling to regain focus after years of decline. Instead of the negative, focus on the problems you can solve now. Begin by writing down a list of concerns holding your leadership and church back. Rank them in order. What stands out to you? What is your number one priority in each category? Now, you need to plan to move forward, so the problem no longer festers but fosters as you embrace the challenge.
Potiphar did not overlook the anointing that was on Joseph, and the anointing on you, will not be ignored by leaders around you. As Joseph gained more influence inside the house, the evil one wanted to destroy his victory. In the form of Potiphar’s wife, the devil crept in to steal the joy found in his life of slavery. Just because you gain success in one area of your life does not mean all will be well. When things are going well in one place, the devil wants to mess up your life by messing up your plans. God will prosper your ministry if you are willing to trust the process. But, will you keep the main thing, the main thing? Will you stay focused on what God has for you instead of what you see right in front of you?