Has the road to success destroyed your soul?  Last week we talked about redefining success. Specifically, we talked about the fact that we live in a ‘bigger is better’ world.  The truth is that there is a healthier option.

Size doesn’t matter when it comes to leadership.  Just because your organization is small, doesn’t mean that you are a poor leader.  Many people have come to realize that God builds the church and it is their job to build Christians. This distinction is important, because unless more leaders realize the importantance of remaining true to their calling despite numerical growth, they will become discouraged and quit.

How about you?  If you’re like most people, you wanted more when you began your journey.  Perhaps you wanted a bigger house. You thought ‘if only I had a bigger house, I’d be happier’.  Or, if there were 100 members in my organization, my peers would stand up and take notice. There would be numerous calls to speak at conferences.  My family could enjoy a higher standard of living.

It’s o.k to dream of bigger and better.  That’s something God has wired into you. If you didn’t have those kind of desires, you would never grow.  But a problem arises if you have a ‘build it and they will come mentality’. That is not always the case. If the church you pastor is in the middle of the desert, it’s unrealistic to think that if you work harder or dream bigger, attendance will grow by 100% this year.

As an aspiring leader you face the problem that you can see your organization as it could and should be (in the future) and the reality of what it is ( the present state of affairs).  When this happens, the natural course of action you desire is to close the gap.  You want what could and should be, not what is. You are passionate. The problem is, passion, without a clear sense of reality, can kill your soul and suck the life out of the organization that you lead.

Several years ago, I met a pastor who pastors in the south who was ecstatic about his place of ministry despite the numbers.  As we talked, he glowed as he shared how much he enjoys serving his small congregation. At the time, I thought he must be nuts.  I was doing everything in my power to see our church grow and in the process I was miserable, despite growth. You too, can be content if you learn to enjoy the journey rather than focusing on the destination every waking hour.

Don’t be so focused on the future that you neglect the present.

Remember that place in the bible where Jesus was miserable because the church wasn’t growing?  Neither do I. When you read the stories about Jesus you meet a man who was content, sublime, at ease despite his circumstances, and in intimate relationship with his Father.  Jesus loved people despite what they might be able to do for him. In fact, none of the people he developed came from the ‘religious world’ at the time. In the words of Andy Stanley, people who were least like Jesus had the greatest desire to be around him.  There was something different about Jesus, he never let an apparent lack of fruit affect his intimate relationship with his Father.

Here are 5 ways to enjoy your leadership position more.

1. Be content where you are.  One mark of leaders is that they are content.  Not just when they arrive, but during the journey.  As the saying goes, “wherever you are, be all there”.  If you’re not content with the number of people in your organization now, you won’t be content later.  God doesn’t want you to be walking around with a stick tied to your head with a carrot dangling from the end.
2. Love your people.  Leaders love their people, warts and all.  In fact, God expects you to love those you lead.  That is why they are under your leadership.  Care for them.  Bless them, despite their performance or ability to pay you back.  Never underestimate how God wants to use you to make a difference in their life.  Jesus loved Judas until the very end, although Judas betrayed him.  If you think you would be much happier surrounded by ‘yes’ people you are wrong.  If you can love and serve the most difficult ones, that is true leadership.
3. Your family is your #1 priority.  Those closest to you deserve your best.  When it is all said and done, they may be all that you have left.  Unfortunately, we can’t rewind the hands of time.  Make the memories while you still can.  Your family is your greatest asset, so never sacrifice them for your ministry.  Being more concerned about how many more you can reach and neglecting those God has given you is not part of his plan.
4. Stop working so hard.  You didn’t read that last statement wrong.  If you are spending seven days a week, trying to get ahead, you need to stop.  God created all of us to work 6 days and rest on the 7th day.  It’s an amazing principle, but God promises that you can do more by resting one day than working.  So do what you enjoy.  Go visit a friend.  Go fishing.  Shop.  Drink coffee.  Practice your spiritual gift of hanging out.  Ignore the 7 habits of highly effective people for a day.  Be unproductive.  Lounge.  Relax…
5. Celebrate!  You’ve come a long ways.  You are growing and improving.  You know more than you did six months ago.  You have more experience.  So celebrate.  Don’t wait until next year or until you complete your degree.  Rejoice now!

Years ago I went to a ministry conference and a young man struck up a conversation with me in the bathroom.  “How big is your church?”, he asked.  I answered him and he promptly turned around and walked away.  The reason he did is because based on my answer he determined I had absolutely nothing to teach him because my rural church was small in number.  I was in mild shock.

Maybe you feel the same way.  You’re laboring in a forgotten corner and it seems like your career is going nowhere and you’re not making much of a difference.  I want you to know that you are.  The fact that you’re reading this post tells me that God has big plans for you.  Always remember, sometimes God puts a big fish in a small pond.