“I have been broken so badly (in leadership) it is a wonder the pieces ever got put back together again. You have a choice you must make every day. Most people will choose to deny the pain or blame others, or you can accept it and in the middle of that pain, you can listen to God. He will say things to you He could not say under any other circumstances.” -- Gordon MacDonald at Germany WCA Conference.
Citado por Peter Scazzero no FB.
Mostrando postagens com marcador ministério pastoral. Mostrar todas as postagens
Mostrando postagens com marcador ministério pastoral. Mostrar todas as postagens
sábado, 28 de janeiro de 2012
segunda-feira, 2 de janeiro de 2012
To my fellows pastors: 10 key points you should remember this coming year (Rick Warren)
As pastors we live with the constant tension between the ideal (our dream for our church) and the real (how things actually are). Here are 10 key points I want you to remember this coming year
1. Ministry is a marathon, not a 50-yard dash. It’s not how you start that matters. It’s how you finish the race. Sustainability counts more than speed. Don’t give up! Paul tells us to run the race for a “heavenly reward that never disappears” (1 Cor. 9:25). Live with your eyes on eternity.
2. Every church is large in God’s eyes. In God’s eyes, there is no such thing as a small or insignificant church. Jesus died for your church. That’s how much your ministry matters to God. It is the Body and Bride of Christ. The church is the only thing on earth that will last forever.
3. There is no correlation between the size and strength of a church. A church can big and flabby just as a church can be small and wimpy. Neither big nor small is better. Healthy is better. Strong is better. Focus on developing people and God will build his church.
4. Never compare your ministry to anyone else’s. God says it is foolish to compare (2 Corinthians 10:12). Why? First, you can always find someone doing a better job than you and you’ll get discouraged. Second, you can always find someone you’re doing a better job than, and you’ll become prideful. Either one can sabotage your ministry. When you get to heaven, God won’t say, “Why weren’t you more like (some other pastor)? He made you to be you and if he didn’t want you to be you, he wouldn’t have created you!
5. Live for an audience of One. The moment you start worrying about what other people think, your ministry is handicapped. If criticism is true, listen and learn from it. If it is false, ignore it and forget it. Remember that God is the ultimate judge of your life and ministry. Maintain a tough skin and tender heart.
6. Never criticize nor envy another ministry. I’ve seen more pastors defeated by these two traps than anything else. A critical or an envious spirit quenches God’s anointing. God loves to bless people you disagree with! “Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand” (Romans 14:4). God is watching your reaction to the failures and successes of your brothers. We are to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15).
7. Be humble or you’ll stumble. He who gets too big for his britches will inevitably be exposed in the end! Whenever I am prideful I become the enemy of God because “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble people are teachable and don’t rush to judge others Humility is being honest about your weaknesses. Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less! It’s not about you!
8. Learn from everyone. The danger of looking at lists such as, “The 100 fastest growing churches”, or “The 50 largest churches” is that you’ll compare and compete. Bad idea! Instead, learn from the models represented by the churches on those lists. The Bible tells us that skill, not merely dedication, is what brings success (Ecclesiastes 10:10). Work smarter, not harder. Every time I hear about anyone making an impact, I say, “Amen! Now teach me how to do it too!” All leaders are learners. The moment you stop learning, you stop leading. You can learn from anyone if you ask the right questions.
9. Remember all growth is seasonal. Every living thing goes through seasons of growth (spring and summer) and dormancy (fall and winter). Churches go through these seasons. Healthy growth takes TIME. When God wants to make a mushroom, he takes 6 hours. When he wants to make an oak tree, he takes 60 years. Do you want to be a mushroom or an oak tree?
Churches that explode overnight are not necessarily growing; they may simply be swelling by attracting believers who transfer from other churches. That is not legitimate growth. Conversion growth is real growth, so focus on how many new believers you are winning and baptizing, not your attendance.
Nothing bears fruit year round. Your church may be in a Fall-like season right now (no leaves, no fruit) or winter (everything seems dead.) Keep on believing, learning, loving, and putting down roots. Spring and summer are coming! Hang on! The tide goes out, but it always comes back in.
10. Never confuse prominence with significance. My nose is prominent but I could lose it and still live a happy life. On the other hand, my lungs and liver will never been seen but they are far more significant. I’d die without them. You may be serving a small town or in circumstances with limited growth potential. So what? God put you there, and you’d better stay where God put you until God chooses to move you! God has every hair on your head numbered; your ministry matters to the Kingdom!
We’re all in this together. We’re on the same team, and one day we’ll all celebrate together at the feet of Jesus! Be faithful! Keep your eyes on Jesus! God created you. Jesus died for you. The Holy Spirit lives in you. You’ve been called, gifted, and anointed for your ministry. Never give up!
1. Ministry is a marathon, not a 50-yard dash. It’s not how you start that matters. It’s how you finish the race. Sustainability counts more than speed. Don’t give up! Paul tells us to run the race for a “heavenly reward that never disappears” (1 Cor. 9:25). Live with your eyes on eternity.
2. Every church is large in God’s eyes. In God’s eyes, there is no such thing as a small or insignificant church. Jesus died for your church. That’s how much your ministry matters to God. It is the Body and Bride of Christ. The church is the only thing on earth that will last forever.
3. There is no correlation between the size and strength of a church. A church can big and flabby just as a church can be small and wimpy. Neither big nor small is better. Healthy is better. Strong is better. Focus on developing people and God will build his church.
4. Never compare your ministry to anyone else’s. God says it is foolish to compare (2 Corinthians 10:12). Why? First, you can always find someone doing a better job than you and you’ll get discouraged. Second, you can always find someone you’re doing a better job than, and you’ll become prideful. Either one can sabotage your ministry. When you get to heaven, God won’t say, “Why weren’t you more like (some other pastor)? He made you to be you and if he didn’t want you to be you, he wouldn’t have created you!
5. Live for an audience of One. The moment you start worrying about what other people think, your ministry is handicapped. If criticism is true, listen and learn from it. If it is false, ignore it and forget it. Remember that God is the ultimate judge of your life and ministry. Maintain a tough skin and tender heart.
6. Never criticize nor envy another ministry. I’ve seen more pastors defeated by these two traps than anything else. A critical or an envious spirit quenches God’s anointing. God loves to bless people you disagree with! “Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand” (Romans 14:4). God is watching your reaction to the failures and successes of your brothers. We are to “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15).
7. Be humble or you’ll stumble. He who gets too big for his britches will inevitably be exposed in the end! Whenever I am prideful I become the enemy of God because “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble people are teachable and don’t rush to judge others Humility is being honest about your weaknesses. Humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less! It’s not about you!
8. Learn from everyone. The danger of looking at lists such as, “The 100 fastest growing churches”, or “The 50 largest churches” is that you’ll compare and compete. Bad idea! Instead, learn from the models represented by the churches on those lists. The Bible tells us that skill, not merely dedication, is what brings success (Ecclesiastes 10:10). Work smarter, not harder. Every time I hear about anyone making an impact, I say, “Amen! Now teach me how to do it too!” All leaders are learners. The moment you stop learning, you stop leading. You can learn from anyone if you ask the right questions.
9. Remember all growth is seasonal. Every living thing goes through seasons of growth (spring and summer) and dormancy (fall and winter). Churches go through these seasons. Healthy growth takes TIME. When God wants to make a mushroom, he takes 6 hours. When he wants to make an oak tree, he takes 60 years. Do you want to be a mushroom or an oak tree?
Churches that explode overnight are not necessarily growing; they may simply be swelling by attracting believers who transfer from other churches. That is not legitimate growth. Conversion growth is real growth, so focus on how many new believers you are winning and baptizing, not your attendance.
Nothing bears fruit year round. Your church may be in a Fall-like season right now (no leaves, no fruit) or winter (everything seems dead.) Keep on believing, learning, loving, and putting down roots. Spring and summer are coming! Hang on! The tide goes out, but it always comes back in.
10. Never confuse prominence with significance. My nose is prominent but I could lose it and still live a happy life. On the other hand, my lungs and liver will never been seen but they are far more significant. I’d die without them. You may be serving a small town or in circumstances with limited growth potential. So what? God put you there, and you’d better stay where God put you until God chooses to move you! God has every hair on your head numbered; your ministry matters to the Kingdom!
We’re all in this together. We’re on the same team, and one day we’ll all celebrate together at the feet of Jesus! Be faithful! Keep your eyes on Jesus! God created you. Jesus died for you. The Holy Spirit lives in you. You’ve been called, gifted, and anointed for your ministry. Never give up!
quinta-feira, 24 de novembro de 2011
Eu Mudo para Continuar o Mesmo (Marcos Botelho)
A palavra mudança incomoda a muitos, principalmente aos líderes de igreja.
Acredito que isso acontece por um erro de conceito na base do pensamento. Os líderes pensam que a igreja, a teologia e principalmente a vida estão em terra firme. Acreditam que essa terra é seca e quando encontram um oásis fixam sua vida toda em torno daquela fonte, construindo casas e cercas para não serem incomodados.
Mas vendo a dinâmica da vida, da sociedade, dos nossos tempos e o amadurecimento que uma pessoa tem com o evangelho, tenho percebido que a vida não está sobre terra firme e sim em um rio agitado.
Aquele que fica parado é levado pela correnteza do sistema, do comodismo e da religiosidade que nos anestesia da vida.
Aquele que experimentou o evangelho nunca mais pode parar de remar, pois sabe que parar é retroceder.
Como diria o filósofo Leonardo Boff: eu mudo para continuar o mesmo.
Mudar não é necessariamente sair do lugar, mudar, muitas vezes, é continuar na mesma fé e convicções. Na correnteza da vida quem não se mexe cai na grande cachoeira.
Percebo que nas igrejas e ministérios, os líderes recusam mudanças, não necessariamente porque estão receosos do que está mudando, mas simplesmente porque acreditam que mudar deve ser um ato raro e de “times que estão perdendo”.
Pensam que a vida está parada em terra firme, mas não. Igrejas e ministérios que não estão pensando e repensando o seu jeito de agir podem estar condenados a serem levados pela correnteza.
Talvez a primeira grande mudança que você pode tentar fazer com a sua igreja e ministério é ensiná-la que mudar é bom, que mudar sempre é preciso. Precisamos estar sempre reformando.
Mudamos para continuar sempre os mesmos!
Fonte: Revista Ultimato
Acredito que isso acontece por um erro de conceito na base do pensamento. Os líderes pensam que a igreja, a teologia e principalmente a vida estão em terra firme. Acreditam que essa terra é seca e quando encontram um oásis fixam sua vida toda em torno daquela fonte, construindo casas e cercas para não serem incomodados.
Mas vendo a dinâmica da vida, da sociedade, dos nossos tempos e o amadurecimento que uma pessoa tem com o evangelho, tenho percebido que a vida não está sobre terra firme e sim em um rio agitado.
Aquele que fica parado é levado pela correnteza do sistema, do comodismo e da religiosidade que nos anestesia da vida.
Aquele que experimentou o evangelho nunca mais pode parar de remar, pois sabe que parar é retroceder.
Como diria o filósofo Leonardo Boff: eu mudo para continuar o mesmo.
Mudar não é necessariamente sair do lugar, mudar, muitas vezes, é continuar na mesma fé e convicções. Na correnteza da vida quem não se mexe cai na grande cachoeira.
Percebo que nas igrejas e ministérios, os líderes recusam mudanças, não necessariamente porque estão receosos do que está mudando, mas simplesmente porque acreditam que mudar deve ser um ato raro e de “times que estão perdendo”.
Pensam que a vida está parada em terra firme, mas não. Igrejas e ministérios que não estão pensando e repensando o seu jeito de agir podem estar condenados a serem levados pela correnteza.
Talvez a primeira grande mudança que você pode tentar fazer com a sua igreja e ministério é ensiná-la que mudar é bom, que mudar sempre é preciso. Precisamos estar sempre reformando.
Mudamos para continuar sempre os mesmos!
Fonte: Revista Ultimato
terça-feira, 26 de julho de 2011
How I Almost Quit (John Piper)
If you are a disheartened pastor or leader, this is for you.
Are you so discouraged you don’t know what to do next? I want to help you get through this. Maybe this will help.
The following quote is from my journal dated November 6, 1986. I had been at Bethlehem 6 years. If you have ever felt like this, remember this is 24 years ago and I am still here.
The point is: Beware of giving up too soon. Our emotions are not reliable guides.
Am I under attack by Satan to abandon my post at Bethlehem? Or is this the stirring of God to cause me to consider another ministry? Or is this God's way of answering so many prayers recently that we must go a different way at BBC than building? I simply loathe the thought of leading the church through a building program. For two years I have met for hundreds of hours on committees. I have never written a poem about it. It is deadening to my soul. I am a thinker. A writer. A preacher. A poet and songwriter. At least these are the avenues of love and service where my heart flourishes. . . .
Can I be the pastor of a church moving through a building program? Yes, by dint of massive will power and some clear indications from God that this is the path of greatest joy in him long term. But now I feel very much without those indications. The last two years (the long range planning committee was started in August 1984) have left me feeling very empty.
The church is looking for a vision for the future—and I do not have it. The one vision that the staff zeroed in on during our retreat Monday and Tuesday of this week (namely, building a sanctuary) is so unattractive to me today that I do not see how I could provide the leadership and inspiration for it.
Does this mean that my time at BBC is over? Does it mean that there is a radical alternative unforeseen? Does it mean that I am simply in the pits today and unable to feel the beauty and power and joy and fruitfulness of an expanded facility and ministry?
O Lord, have mercy on me. I am so discouraged. I am so blank. I feel like there are opponents on every hand, even when I know that most of my people are for me. I am so blind to the future of the church. O Father, am I blind because it is not my future? Perhaps I shall not even live out the year, and you are sparing the church the added burden of a future I had made and could not complete? I do not doubt for a moment your goodness of power or omnipotence in my life or in the life of the church. I confess that the problem is mine. The weakness is in me. The blindness is in my eyes. The sin—O reveal to me my hidden faults!—is mine and mine the blame. Have mercy, Father. Have mercy on me. I must preach on Sunday, and I can scarcely lift my head.
Source: Desiring God
terça-feira, 14 de junho de 2011
Authority Under Control (Steve Berger)
Humility isn’t incompatible with great power or influence; if you’re humble, you don’t have to be a person who just sits in the corner and never accomplishes anything. Abraham, Moses, and Jesus had authority and they were humble. Humility is authority under control. It is velvet-covered steel. Humility is handling the power, influence, and authority in such a way that God is honored and you are not compromised.
Full text here.
quinta-feira, 19 de maio de 2011
What Your Team Needs You As A Leader To Give Them (Bryan Dodd)
“I have complexity. I need simplicity.” I heard a leader say today.
Life can become very complicated. We are constantly bombarded with information. Technology is changing at a pace that very few can keep up with. Relationships are always challenging.
I struggle with balancing work, parenting, being a husband, recreation, responsibilities, church life, aging parents, and personal growth. Currently, I am trying to read four books and not making much progress in any of them. Thank goodness my wife pays all the bills! I mean, it feels like a personal victory when I get the grass cut.
You know what’s funny. I need to stop whining because I have nothing to complain about. My life is no busier, complicated, or demanding than anyone else’s. We all struggle with balancing life’s tensions.
However, there is hope for all of us! In a word – Leadership. One of the great things about quality leadership is it provides solutions. Solutions bring simplicity.
Here are 10 things leaders provide that bring solutions and simplify your life:
1. Leaders bring inspiration instead of more information.
2. Leaders give direction.
3. Leaders lighten the load.
4. Leaders make additional resources available.
5. Leaders coach.
6. Leaders create and funnel opportunities to their team.
7. Leaders allow time for replenishment and refreshment.
8. Leaders build systems.
9. Leaders prioritize relationships.
10. Leaders say “Thank You”.
So keep your Rubik’s Cube. Complexity is overrated. I need solutions and simplicity. Leaders, what are you doing to bring simplicity to your life as well as those you lead?
...
sexta-feira, 10 de dezembro de 2010
Five New Year’s resolutions for any Christian leader (Rick Warren)
One of the most misunderstood Beatitudes of Jesus may be one of the most important for you to master in 2010: “Happy are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).
Let’s be honest. It sounds ludicrous. You’d think to inherit the earth you’d have to climb over everyone else first. But we’ve lost the true meaning of meekness. Meek doesn’t mean weak. Jesus and Moses were described as meek, and they certainly were anything but weak. Meekness really means strength under control. The Greek word referred to a wild horse tamed or medicine that could tame a fever.
Strength under control is an important characteristic of any Christian leader. A leader who can’t control his or her strength can’t lead others to do likewise.
Here are five ways to keep your strength under control in 2010.
When someone serves you, be understanding not demanding.
Philippians 2:4-5 (GNB) says, “Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others too, and in what they are doing. Your attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ’s.”
We’re interacting with people who serve us all the time. Waitresses, secretaries, clerks, bank tellers, and fast-food servers, for example. One of the best marks of a Christian leader is that he treats those people with dignity and respect. Are you understanding or demanding? Do you demand to see the manager every time your order is wrong? Or do you respond with grace?
Good leaders aren’t measured by how others serve them, but by how they serve others.
It’s easy to respond to those who serve you with demands and a critical spirit. We’re called to do the opposite. Forgiveness should be quick. Respect should be the rule.
When somebody disappoints you, be gentle and not judgmental.
Paul tells us in Romans 14:1 (GNB), “Welcome those who are weak in faith, but do not argue with them about their personal opinions.” Happiness comes when you can accept people as they are. They shouldn’t have to reach a certain standard to be loved.
Pastor, how do you react when someone messes up in life? Are you the first to level judgment and criticism? Here’s the sad part. Many of us are secretly happy when others blow it because it makes us look like the super spiritual giant. But meekness means you are gentle and not judgmental when people disappoint you.
What angered Jesus more than anything else were self-righteous religious people who were always judging others.
When someone disagrees with you, be tender without surrender.
As a pastor, you’ve probably realized by now that you can't please everybody in life. Just about the time you get Crowd A satisfied, Crowd B gets upset. One minute you’re the hero; the next minute you’re the zero. We must be tender without surrender. One of the most important tests of spiritual maturity is how you handle people who disagree with you, contradict you, and irritate you. You have three alternatives:
You can retreat in fear.
You can attack in anger.
You can respond in love.
Meekness doesn’t mean compromising your convictions. Don’t be passive and always let other people have their way. That’s not meekness; it’s weakness. You also don’t need to react in anger. Don’t explode when someone disagrees with you.
The third option is always the best. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:24-25 (NLT) that meekness is a qualification for spiritual leadership: “The Lord’s servants must not quarrel...They should gently teach those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will believe the truth.” Pastor, how are you doing in this area? Are you quarrelsome? We are to gently instruct our people and hope that God will give them a change of heart.
When someone corrects you, be teachable rather than unreachable.
Meekness is a teachable spirit. Many of us who spend our lives teaching others struggle to be teachable ourselves. That’s sad. Christian leaders who are meek don’t pretend to know it all. They know they don’t have to.
James 1:19 (GNB) says, “Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Pastor, everyonemeans you too.
When someone from your congregation makes a constructive suggestion to you, how do you handle it? Do you get uptight and defensive? Meek people don’t have all the answers. In fact, you should be very wary of people who think they have all the answers.
Meek leaders are also open to new ideas. They’re willing to change when they learn something new.
When somebody hurts you, be an actor not a reactor.
You will be hurt in ministry. It’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when. How you respond to being hurt will make a monumental difference in your ministry. Romans 12:21 (GNB) says, “Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good."We must respond to hurts with love, not retaliation.To retaliate is to react. But to respond with forgiveness, even when the other person hasn’t asked for it, is to take the initiative.
When someone says, “You make me mad!” they are admitting that the other person has the power to control their emotions. That’s a position of weakness – not meekness.
The moment that you start seeking revenge, you give up control of your life. Jesus said the meek person knows how to let it go.
What did Jesus mean when he promised, “Happy are the people who can control their reactions, for they will inherit the earth”? You’ll be in control of your situation because you’re not being controlled by it. If you are a meek person, you are no longer a victim. You control your choices.
Victor Frankl, the famous psychiatrist who went through Auchwitz said, “They took my clothes, my wife, my kids, my wedding ring. I stood naked before the SS and I realized they can take everything in my life but they cannot take my freedom to choose how I will respond to them.”
That’s real freedom. What more could you want in 2010?
Source: http://www.pastors.com/blogs/ministrytoolbox/archive/2009/12/23/five-new-year-s-resolutions-for-any-christian-leader.aspx
Let’s be honest. It sounds ludicrous. You’d think to inherit the earth you’d have to climb over everyone else first. But we’ve lost the true meaning of meekness. Meek doesn’t mean weak. Jesus and Moses were described as meek, and they certainly were anything but weak. Meekness really means strength under control. The Greek word referred to a wild horse tamed or medicine that could tame a fever.
Strength under control is an important characteristic of any Christian leader. A leader who can’t control his or her strength can’t lead others to do likewise.
Here are five ways to keep your strength under control in 2010.
When someone serves you, be understanding not demanding.
Philippians 2:4-5 (GNB) says, “Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others too, and in what they are doing. Your attitude should be the same as Jesus Christ’s.”
We’re interacting with people who serve us all the time. Waitresses, secretaries, clerks, bank tellers, and fast-food servers, for example. One of the best marks of a Christian leader is that he treats those people with dignity and respect. Are you understanding or demanding? Do you demand to see the manager every time your order is wrong? Or do you respond with grace?
Good leaders aren’t measured by how others serve them, but by how they serve others.
It’s easy to respond to those who serve you with demands and a critical spirit. We’re called to do the opposite. Forgiveness should be quick. Respect should be the rule.
When somebody disappoints you, be gentle and not judgmental.
Paul tells us in Romans 14:1 (GNB), “Welcome those who are weak in faith, but do not argue with them about their personal opinions.” Happiness comes when you can accept people as they are. They shouldn’t have to reach a certain standard to be loved.
Pastor, how do you react when someone messes up in life? Are you the first to level judgment and criticism? Here’s the sad part. Many of us are secretly happy when others blow it because it makes us look like the super spiritual giant. But meekness means you are gentle and not judgmental when people disappoint you.
What angered Jesus more than anything else were self-righteous religious people who were always judging others.
When someone disagrees with you, be tender without surrender.
As a pastor, you’ve probably realized by now that you can't please everybody in life. Just about the time you get Crowd A satisfied, Crowd B gets upset. One minute you’re the hero; the next minute you’re the zero. We must be tender without surrender. One of the most important tests of spiritual maturity is how you handle people who disagree with you, contradict you, and irritate you. You have three alternatives:
You can retreat in fear.
You can attack in anger.
You can respond in love.
Meekness doesn’t mean compromising your convictions. Don’t be passive and always let other people have their way. That’s not meekness; it’s weakness. You also don’t need to react in anger. Don’t explode when someone disagrees with you.
The third option is always the best. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 2:24-25 (NLT) that meekness is a qualification for spiritual leadership: “The Lord’s servants must not quarrel...They should gently teach those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will believe the truth.” Pastor, how are you doing in this area? Are you quarrelsome? We are to gently instruct our people and hope that God will give them a change of heart.
When someone corrects you, be teachable rather than unreachable.
Meekness is a teachable spirit. Many of us who spend our lives teaching others struggle to be teachable ourselves. That’s sad. Christian leaders who are meek don’t pretend to know it all. They know they don’t have to.
James 1:19 (GNB) says, “Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Pastor, everyonemeans you too.
When someone from your congregation makes a constructive suggestion to you, how do you handle it? Do you get uptight and defensive? Meek people don’t have all the answers. In fact, you should be very wary of people who think they have all the answers.
Meek leaders are also open to new ideas. They’re willing to change when they learn something new.
When somebody hurts you, be an actor not a reactor.
You will be hurt in ministry. It’s not a matter of if; it’s a matter of when. How you respond to being hurt will make a monumental difference in your ministry. Romans 12:21 (GNB) says, “Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good."We must respond to hurts with love, not retaliation.To retaliate is to react. But to respond with forgiveness, even when the other person hasn’t asked for it, is to take the initiative.
When someone says, “You make me mad!” they are admitting that the other person has the power to control their emotions. That’s a position of weakness – not meekness.
The moment that you start seeking revenge, you give up control of your life. Jesus said the meek person knows how to let it go.
What did Jesus mean when he promised, “Happy are the people who can control their reactions, for they will inherit the earth”? You’ll be in control of your situation because you’re not being controlled by it. If you are a meek person, you are no longer a victim. You control your choices.
Victor Frankl, the famous psychiatrist who went through Auchwitz said, “They took my clothes, my wife, my kids, my wedding ring. I stood naked before the SS and I realized they can take everything in my life but they cannot take my freedom to choose how I will respond to them.”
That’s real freedom. What more could you want in 2010?
Source: http://www.pastors.com/blogs/ministrytoolbox/archive/2009/12/23/five-new-year-s-resolutions-for-any-christian-leader.aspx
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