Control

I snagged this off Marc van der Woude's blog a few months back. I believe this is good insight on the kingdom and control. Often I fear that I am leading in a very control oriented organization that limits the free movement of the spirit. By that I do not mean that there are bad people in the organization, but that the very nature of leading something big and structured can limit us in our ability to hear and quickly respond to the Spirit. The effects of being large are incredible, but the hazards loom large as well. When the Spirit says to a leader . . ."jump, move, change, go" there can be the self imposed trap of organizational realities.

This surfaced a few weeks ago when one gifted leader in our organization wanted to run new evangelistic leadership training program in a new city (with students from other schools). However, another very gifted and talented leader is "in charge" of that city. This is complicated by the fact that these leaders do not know each other and they think a bit differently about how to get the job done. Whatever leader number one does gets handed off (or dropped, or left) for the the leader that remains in the city. So now (because of our system) both these leaders need to burn some energy to work out what needs to take place - if anything at all. No one is "wrong" but the system can easily generate more work in coordination than in actually getting to the work of the mission.

I am not sure what to do about this - because, like most of us, I enjoy an amount of organization and control - and yet at the same time I long for the Spirit to move us in wild, effective and uncontrolled ways.

Here is what Mark said about his journey:

When I was a leader in student ministry, in my early twenties, I exercised control, strongly pushing my well-meant reformation plans, and hurting people in the process. Then God moved me out of this ministry, and led me in a 'desert period' which involved breaking down selfish ambitions and motives, and a first-hand experience with controlling leadership in my work situation. Not very pleasant, but surely worthwhile to experience it from the other end of the spectrum. Then God led me in period of spiritual renewal, inner healing and new freedom. These are some principles that helped me over the years:

1. The realization that, as Winkie Pratney puts it, "God is God and I am not." Christ builds His church, not me. I just submit to Him and do what He tells me to do. So there's really nothing I have to accomplish for Him, He is very well able to handle his own work, and I can live out of grace.

2. The Body of Christ is organic and carries life. The only thing we have to do is acknowledge this and bless/release godly life and connections. It's very similar to gardening work: developing an eye for life and hidden potential, watering and fertilizing the soil, pruning to increase fruit. Never turn the Body into an organization, it's the fastest receipt to kill life.

3. The focus of any ministry should be to release others into their calling and destiny. This is very different from expecting others to serve our agenda or stage performance. People we serve/invest in, should always experience grace and space to make their own decisions, and find their own track with God, also when that contradicts our direct personal interests.

4. Working in teams instead of on our own. Good teamwork by nature is interdependent, and doesn't give much space for control, as we always have to communicate and be accountable.

5. Don't hold tightly to any program or agenda, but allow and expect the Holy Spirit to change and inspire on the way. This is no excuse for bad planning, just a continual realization that God's ways and plans are higher than ours, and that we better make sure we're on His page.