How Do We Measure Success?

We, as people, can create all sorts of things that position us for success. For example, we easily succeed at man-made jobs, sports, and hobbies. Every day, we present before our children "role models" through television and the internet - people who have "made it" according to the world's standards. We emphasize school and academics in hopes that they will one day land a "good" job, meaning they will earn a higher than average salary.

While these things are good, we must be mindful of our priorities. Success in the world is not equal to success in the Kingdom of God. Yeshua Messiah did not die for our comfort or popularity, but for our access to eternal life and our empowerment in Kingdom work. In fact, we are NOTHING without Christ, but are made perfect (successful) through Him.

Despite our worldly accomplishments, how successful are we with the things for which God created us (i.e. worship, love, obedience, forgiveness... even marriage)? Are we successful in those areas of purpose? Do we seek out examples, or role models, with these great traits? Perhaps we need to adjust our priorities.

It's easy for men to create an area in which we can succeed, but the true heroes are those who fulfill their God-given purpose and assignment. Our true purpose is in service, not celebrity. It's measured by Kingdom impact; not worldly riches.

Selah.

Kingdom Management and Scope Creep

God always speaks to me through corporate settings. Like many Americans, and yes – even some pastors, I spend at least 8 to 9 hours per day in a corporate setting. In my case, I work in a Project Management organization within the field of Clinical Research.

As a project management professional, scope is a consistent topic. Every project has a scope, which is a scale of the subject matter being addressed by the project. It defines the work guidelines to ensure the project team understands the tasks within its realm of responsibility, and those that are not. Ultimately, the job of the project manager is to deliver the specified product or service on time, with quality and within budget, avoiding scope creep along the way. Scope creep “refers to uncontrolled changes or continuous growth in a project's scope. This can occur when the scope of a project is not properly defined, documented, or controlled. It is generally considered harmful.” (Google definition)

I find that in the Body of Christ, ministers and leaders must understand the scope of our responsibility as Kingdom managers. Ultimately, the scope is to reconcile people back to God, through Jesus Christ. That’s it! Oftentimes, though, scope creep causes us to miss the assignment. We become all things to all people, which causes so many distractions. We accept tasks and responsibilities that are not ours to own. We concentrate more on socialization than salvation, more on emotions than deliverance, which is detrimental to ministry. As a result, many are stressed over things that quite frankly have nothing to do with the original scope.

In project management, the project manager is responsible for setting the standards. The scope is defined through a set of tools, which include time lines, communication and escalation plans, a definition of roles and responsibilities, meeting schedules and a host of other things to clarify expectations. Perhaps this is a missing link in Kingdom management for many of us. We fail to set the expectation up front. We “lure” people into the church or into the realm of our ministries through worldly activities and shallow relationships rather than setting the expectation for godly connections. Anything outside of that is out of scope. Relationships based on anything other than the truth of Christ are out of scope. Up front, ministers of God must make it clear that we are servants of people, but not their employees. Popularity and comfort are not factors. Ministry is a serious thing. The final delivery is Christ’s Church, without spot or wrinkle. Nothing else matters. Ministry does not exist to create fan clubs. It’s not about who or what we like.

We have to be so careful when dealing with people. We all have our shortcomings. We all have or preferences. Ultimately, it’s not our job as ministers to worry about that. I think about how much time I’ve lost dealing with personality rather than character or catering to people’s expectations rather than God’s. It’s all waste. It accounts for nothing.

Let’s get back to the work at hand. Souls. Truth. Love… JESUS! He is the final answer!

Do It for the LORD

"And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men..." Colossians 3:23

Motive is EVERYTHING!

So often, we put forth our best efforts only to be disappointed when people are not pleased. We are frustrated when misunderstood, angered when not appreciated, and hurt when taken for granted. Each of these emotional responses speak to our need for Kingdom focus.

As people of God, our desire to please people is indicative that we've the incorrect motive. Our goal must be to please God. Attempts to make people happy will always fail. People are not perfect, so even when our works are exemplary, their reactions are not sure nor consistent. God is not like man. He rewards every good work and affirms those who seek Him. He honors those who work for His glory.

Everything you do, consider only the audience of The ONE!

Get Lean

In the business world, Lean Six Sigma describes eight categories of waste. The goal of process improvement is to eliminate waste, thereby improving quality and profitability.

In the Kingdom of God, we too need to eliminate waste to improve impact and fruit that remains. If you can just see these areas spiritually... Wow! 

We serve a God who judges idol words and disobedience. Why? Because He's a God of PURPOSE. Everything He creates is GOOD, meaning that is has POTENTIAL that is manifested in FULFILLED PURPOSE. We, as the Church, must work to fulfill purpose in everything. That includes our time, our money, our words, our gifts, our efforts... everything! If it's not of purpose, it is WASTE. Waste does not produce fruit, and we have already been warned that anything, or anyone, not producing fruit will be cast away (Matthew 7:19).

Remove the waste, and let's get back to Kingdom business. We are created to be like Christ and to worship God. Everything else is... WASTE!

No Know-it-All's Allowed!

No ONE person knows everything. We need one another, not just those called as leaders in the church. We know in part. We prophesy in part.

Be careful of those who believe they should be the sole voice in your life. This is not biblical.

While discernment is certainly key, and we must be careful in seeking godly instruction, we shouldn't value it less when God speaks through someone without title or position. God has blessed us to be the Body of Christ, with every joint supplying, or every part (person) contributing. Let's appreciate one another, cherish one another and allow sharpening from one another.

If we truly understood the value of our brothers and sisters, we would never idolize leaders while crucifying fellow joint heirs.

God is so awesome! He wants to bless us through one another - not just a select few. Selah.

Stop Throwing People Away

We have to be careful about "throwing people away" and "cutting folks off." It hurts my heart to see so many relationships full of love and joy 98% of the time, then completely thrown away over one misunderstanding. While it is true that some relationships are seasonal, that's no reason to end a "good thing" on a bad note. Since when did forgiveness and reconciliation become optional, especially for believers?

I hear so many preach "not everyone can go with you where you're going." Nevertheless, don't forget it was some of those same ones who gave you the momentum, the vision, the money, the resources, the time, the counsel and the encouragement to get there! Joshua and Caleb still needed Moses, and if they'd dismissed him over silliness, they too would have missed the Promised Land. In fact, they wouldn't even have known the right direction.

Selah.