As much as we hate to admit it, we haven’t won all of our battles over our years in ministry. We’ve come to believe what they say (“You can’t win all your battles”) is true.
Reality mandates that there will be battles throughout the course of your ministry. Many don’t want to believe in this reality. They want serving within the church to be free of conflict. Or, at worst, believe people will argue over silly things like, “What’s the best verse in the book of Ecclesiastes?” or “What is the best day to meet?” Not likely!
Leaders face conflict. The church is filled with people, people are imperfect, and imperfect people hurt other people. It’s a guarantee. You’ll get hurt by others and you’ll most likely hurt others too. Conflict is inevitable.
Great leaders learn how to pick their battles well. This week, we’ll uncover a few secrets for choosing which hill to die on. Not all battles are worth fighting. Many leaders (mostly young) usually blow right past discernment into a firestorm of argument and attack. There’s got to be a better way.
CAN I WIN THIS BATTLE? Asking this question holds back impulsiveness. You’re in ministry because you have a deep passion for teenagers. That’s great, until someone messes with your passion or threatens your ministry. All of a sudden your fire to help that freshman know Jesus turns into a firing squad aimed at a parent who doesn't like that you used the word "sucks" when teaching a Bible lesson.
We get it. But if you can’t win the battle, don’t engage. Take the consequences and move on. You can’t win them all. Lazy and ineffective leaders hide behind this as an excuse and passionate leaders must learn this or they will sacrifice their influence.
Just because you can win the battle doesn’t assume an “automatic go” to engage. Some winnable battles should be skipped. More on that tomorrow. Stay tuned.
- Doug Fields
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