Pixie Dust

 
Sometimes, people in positions of leadership are expected to magically sprinkle “pixie dust” and make problems simply disappear.  
John Maxwell once wrote, “Everything rises and falls on leadership”—a phrase often touted by leaders when their organization is doing well—but seldom used when it’s struggling. In difficult situations, some wish to make excuses for shortcomings or failures in leadership, blaming the economy, culture, or others. Some, however, feel burdened by guilt and a sense of failure when their organization struggles. The latter is often the case with pastors.  
I am privileged to have pastored three growing churches.  This has been a huge blessing. However, I have also felt the deep despair and heartache of struggle in ministry. Recently, during one of these downtimes, God spoke clearly to me about three areas of difficulty, and His words of encouragement brought me great relief.  
1.  When no one follows, you may still be leading. I’ve heard that a good test of leadership is if you look behind and no one is following, then you must not be leading. But, during a recent time of fasting, God reminded me that if Moses had made the popular decision at Mt. Sinai, he would have led the Israelites back to Egypt. In John 6, Jesus spoke with such confrontation that the disciples doubted many would follow Him.  
It is believed that a good leader will always inspire confidence and have a contagious vision. As pastors, it’s our job to pray and ask God to provide direction that the church can follow. It seems difficult, in today’s culture, for most people to submit to authority—especially young people (read my blog, “People in Protest!). So, though a pastor may be led by God, some refuse to take the next step of the journey with him in confidence.
2.  Churches go through trials.  Just as individuals go through trials and adversities, so do churches. God desires that every church become more holy, more dependent on Him, and always be focused on Christ. Sometimes this takes experiencing adversity. Sometimes, Christians go through trials and fail the test. However, churches can have 80% success and 20% failure but it will somehow look and feel like full failure. During times of testing, lay leaders are called by God to step up and calm the drama. Their reassurance, without offering excuses, can help people know that God is doing a special work.
3.  Have confidence in God. Many people in our church have great confidence in me and that is wonderful. However, sometimes that confidence is misdirected. As a leader, I may be expected to fix every problem and, when I cannot, I feel I have failed in some way. Some situations or problems cannot by fixed—by man.  It is in these times that we feel like we are fresh out of “pixie dust,”— but God is never out of miracles!
What do you think?