Leadership (Scott Hollinger)

You’ve caught MemCare by Radio and I’m Dave here to share this next quarter hour with you.

I have a dog named Lucy. Lucy is a Belgian Shepherd about nine years old. Belgian sheepdogs are beautiful dogs and have a great way with kids. When our son Timothy was beginning to discover climbing trees, Lucy would go into protective mode and try to keep him from climbing the tree! As a result every one of Timothy’s play shirts had holes on the back where Lucy would grab him to keep him from getting into danger! As a shepherding dog her instinct to protect is very strong! There’s another aspect of Lucy that I find very interesting although it is totally in her nature. You see my dog Lucy also loves to go for very energetic walks. In fact she will walk so fast it’s more of a trot. Belgian sheepdogs are rather speedy runners and tend to have a trot and not a walk. Sometimes I ride my bike so Lucy can lope alongside. But Lucy also likes to wander and sniff everything when we walk. When we are cruising along at 12 or 13 miles per hour Lucy is getting her exercise but she is not getting to stop and smell the roses or anything else that dogs like to sniff out. I think Lucy would love it if I could just run along side for miles and then when she found something interesting to sniff out we would both stop on a dime and she could sniff to her hearts content and then run onto the next interesting sniff-able object with me huffing and puffing beside her. But that is not realistic for me. After six knee surgeries on one knee I am much more comfortable walking or riding a bike. So some days we walk and other days we ride. In this way  Lucy my Belgian Shepherd can experience both things she enjoys about her walk.

I find an interesting parallel with Lucy’s walks and my own ministry. For several years I had been involved in a ministry that demanded high energy and an ability to get things done quickly and on time. I had a difficult time even taking a vacation of more than a few days because either the ministry requirements demanded that I be on the job or I felt I needed to be there and I would be very restless during my 'vacation' times. But my role in ministry has changed and I actually have time to sit at my desk and think about what I would like to do and not be focusing on what I have to do. To be honest it can be rather scary. I’m not facing the tyranny of the urgent. This means I can focus on some new aspects of ministry that I’ve never had time for. In addition I realize I now have even more time to focus on what God has to say to me. I’m not out racing around trying to get projects done. I Corinthians 9 says, in verses 24 through 27,

“You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win! Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever. I don't run without a goal. And I don't box by beating my fists in the air. I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won't lose out after telling the good news to others.”

I like what Paul has to say here. It makes me wonder if Paul was an athlete. He seems to have a good understanding of what it took to prepare for a sport. He also knew his audience. The people he was writing to were not necessarily scholars. They were common folk who had a desire to serve Christ; probably a lot like us.

As an athletic kind of guy, Paul has put this race we are running in terms I can understand. When I used to run the 400 meters I paced myself and would attempt to have enough at the end of the race in case I needed to out-sprint a competitor I had been one step behind during the race. Running an effective race is an art and involves knowing our limits and the abilities of our bodies and the abilities of our fellow competitors. I have to admit I am often tempted to find more things to do that will force me to run, but I know that if I did I would be running aimlessly and that is not what God wants, is it? I don’t know where you are at right now but it could be that you are in the situation I am where all of a sudden you have some time that allows you to focus on ministry more in-depth than before. I would say don’t fight it but rather see it as God’s way of allowing you to have some much needed rest. But he also may be preparing you for the next avenue of ministry. This could even be seen as training. It’s a different kind of training but it’s still training and work to reach more people for Christ. So if you are there or when you get there take the time to slow down and start sniffing around for new ministry opportunities. My guess is you will find them and all too soon it will be time to run again. So make the most of the time and go God’s way.

That wraps up this edition of MemCare for today. I’m Dave and I would like to thank you for spending this time with me again this week. Until our next time together, God bless you in your work for Him.