Many people start each new year out making several resolutions. They set everything from Losing Weight to Making More Money as goals but usually within a few weeks they end up giving up on reaching their goals. I want to encourage you to spend the next few days considering what my friend, Doug Walton, would call the "One Thing" that you would want to accomplish. Don't make it a small goal but a BIG one because a small one will be given up on much easier than a BIG one. Besides God made you for BIG accomplishments.
If we look back over the postings on this blog we will find I shared several goals with you:
1. Sunday service every six weeks at a local Nursing Home.
2. Organizing a Louisburg Christian Fest.
3. Organize a local chapter of "Watchdogs".
4. Hold a weekly prayer service for men.
5. Become an Angel Tree Coodrinator for Louisburg.
6. Lead two small groups for men.
7. Help with the Fall Harvest Fest.
Those are all good things to get involved with but is that using the gift that I have been given by the Holy Spirit to it's fullest? Probably not. I believe what I would be better using my gift focusing on finding the folks who have the heart for those ministries and equip, empower and release them to doing those things.
The Holy Spirit places many ideas in my mind and being the person I am I immediately begin to think how I can accomplish them when I should be thinking about who has God gifted for that ministry. In my Vineyard Leadership Institute (VLI) training my first reaction is that of a Shepherd and the second is the reaction of a Rancher. A Shepherd sees a problem and immediately runs to take care of it. A Rancher sees a problem and he immediate considers who has the gift and heart to take care of it and thereby grows a new shepherd. The Shepherd is involved in everything even the things he has deligated to others but the Rancher allows the new shepherd to grow through the experience. Both are needed in the Church but one results in ministry being done by a few and the other results in ministry being done by the Church.
Let me make the difference even more clear by sharing a true story. Soon after having what we called a VLI Intensive Weekend, which was an all day Saturday and half a day Sunday study fest, I had a friend come up to me and suggest something for the men's ministry. He shared with me how he believed we needed to do John Eldredge's "Wild at Heart" series with men at the Vineyard. I asked him what we needed to do that and he told me the "Wild at Heart" dvd and a leader. Normally I would have taken this idea and run with it by getting the necessary supplies, the room and then advertising it to the men. As I left church that day I began to think how we could make this event happen and what it would take for me, yes I said me, to do it. Here is what I realized: 1. I did not have nor could I get the funds to purchase the dvds. 2. Without the dvds I could not do the event. 3. My heart was not fully into the event.
The next day I went to work as usual and when I got home I picked up our mail. There was one letter that was unexpected and a check for $150. As I looked at the check I immediately thought about going to ChristianBook.com and finding out the price of the dvd series. I logged on and found it special priced at $99 and placed the order. Within a few days the package came and as I opened it my friends word came back to mind about the two things that kept us from doing the series. I believe that the unexpected check was a God thing and what I did the next Sunday was also a movement of the Holy Spirit.
Just before services the next week I saw my friend across the room and with package in hand I approached him. I asked him what was keeping us from having the "Wild at Heart" series for the men and when he replied that we did not have the dvds I handed them to him. He looked at them and then said, "We don't have a leader for the group". At that moment the Holy Spirit put these words in my mouth, "The leader is holding the box". That was my first experience being a Rancher and not a Shepherd. When he responded that he could not do it by himself I told him I would find another guy to help him.
What were the result of these two guys working together? When they kicked the series off they had over 50 men show up for the event. In comparison our typical men's event at the Vineyard usually drew 25 men. These two men have grown into leaders, one travels helping to give "Marked Men for Christ" events and the other is now Pastor of a Vineyard in Raytown, MO. These two men have achieved far more than I have but it may not have happened if I would have reacted like a Shepherd and not a Rancher. When I handed the project off to the guys I totally backed out being involved because in the VLI training it stressed how just because you have deligated something does not mean you have released it unless you are willing to let go of the reins.
Now back to the point of this post. In looking back over the past year I realize I have gotten off track some and began to focus again on those things the Holy Spirit is stirring in my mind. All of the things on the list above can be done better than me by someone who has the gift and heart to do them. A friend once told me I had the gift of "Enabling" and what he meant by that is I help people discover and use their gifts in ministry. My number one goal is to begin to focus on being a Rancher in 2010.
A secondary goal is to spend one night each week at a local bar and play a game of pool with some men there. The goal there is to begin developing some relationships with men who do not attend church and in a non-threantening way share the Gospel of Jesus with them.
Take the next few days considering what your talents and gifts are. Then pray for the Holy Spirit to lead you in how to put those talents and gifts into practice in the lives of others. Narrow your focus down to one main goal and one secondary goal. One final thing make sure both of these goals are things you have a heart to do and not based on what someone else thinks you should do.
By doing this I believe you will experience the joy of achieving more in 2010 than you ever dreamed you could. May the Creator God bless you as you plan out bringing Him glory through the talents and gifts He has given to you.
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