Thursday, October 07, 2010

A Leaders Constant Companion - Pt. 3

3. Embrace your threshold for the pain of pruning.
  • Elijah was pruned prior to his Mt. Carmel experience. God was preparing him by cutting stuff out of his life that would slow him down on the day of battle.
  • It's painful when God cuts or prunes things from our lives and ministries.
  • Sometimes it's a relationship that isn't healthy. Sometimes it's a time-consuming hobby that's not necessarily bad - it's just not what's best for my life and ministry in this season.
  • When attendance dips and I lose people in the church because they no longer jive with the vision. I need to remember that sometimes I have to go backward in order to move forward. This is the "Gift of Gideon."
  • Don't blame yourself for the declines because if you do you will be tempted to take credit for the increases.
  • Everyone leader needs to "push through the pain."
  • The difference between where you are and where God wants you to be is the pain you are unwilling to endure. Never give up.