One of the most powerful books I’ve read for pastors lately is the book “Replenish: Leading from a Healthy Soul” by Lance Witt. I highly recommend it for any leader, but especially for pastors.
In Chapter 38, Witt gives some questions for leaders to self-assess whether we are leading in honesty or leading in fear. It’s a sobering assessment.
A few times, I added the words in parenthesis. The last three are my additions.
Take a few minutes and answer these questions. Honestly:
- How many times have I held back in a meeting because I was afraid of what others would think?
- How often have I found myself saying things I don’t believe just to be polite (or popular)?
- How often have I seen something that isn’t right but didn’t say anything because I didn’t want to cause trouble (or face conflict)?
- How often have I seen someone about to make a bad decision and said nothing?
- How many times have I sat silent while the big elephant in the room is ignored?
- How many times have I participated in gossip about a team member rather than having the hard, honest conversation with him or her?
- How many times have I tolerated inappropriate and hurtful behavior because I wasn’t willing to have the hard conversation?
- How often do I stretch the truth to make me look better than I really am?
- How many times do I pretend to be someone I’m really not just so I can feel more popular?
- How often do I hide my hurt and pain to appear strong?
Wow! Hard questions.
How’d you do?
Ron – Your articles are always challenging and this one especially so. My observation is that many if not most of us pastor types tend to be conflict avoiding, people pleasing folks. I was really touched by the admonition I saw tweeted from the Verge 13 Conference, that: "Authenticity is the new Apologetic and Hypocrisy the new Heresy." It is so easy to follow the later at the expense of the former. Anyway, thanks for your wonderful Kingdom work.
Love that quote. Thanks.
I would love to see a similar list translated to reflect being a team member – particularly in a ministry-oriented environment. As part of a team, but far from being the leader (acutally, low man on the totem pole), I'm never confident of where to draw the line or what my place is in facilitating these topics. Unfortunately, the path of least resistance is the way I usually take.
Good thought. I might work on this.
Twitter: kmac4him
says:
Hmmmm well…. OUCH! How many times… so many times! Too many times! My heart’s desire is to be 100% Kingdom Truth Proof. I have to admit, I have done better in these last few years. We need so much more to be confronted with questions like these, we need to look into our soul with the mirror of God’s Word. I know I do. The Word is powerful in that way and my heart cries out to be a carbon copy of it! I love that book Replenish, I have read it so many times and I love to take a whole Saturday and tweet it because we all so need to hear it and heed the wisdom contained in it. Thanks for this post because there is not one of us that doesn’t need to be holy aligned with God through these questions. Not one… Change us Lord!
Amen! Thank you!