One thing I didn’t realize when planting PCC (and being a real missionary in every sense of the word) was the number of times I would be faced with important decisions that required more wisdom, strength, and courage than I naturally possess. I’ve had to make decisions on meeting locations, staff, message series, vision, strategy, finances, personnel, and church discipline just to name a few. I’ve had to meet with bank officers, school board officials from two separate districts, county commissioners, businessmen, attorneys, and community leaders. I led PCC through a capital campaign to raise the funds for our building and watched a hurricane destroy the building two weeks after the super structure was erected. Then there was the matter of holding the church family together while we recovered from that setback. Every day it seemed like I was being faced with making a decision that could SINK the WHOLE DEAL.
To complicate matters, this pressure NEVER stops. We are ten years into this work and still we are faced with overwhelming decisions on a weekly basis. Even to this day, we are faced with decisions that could sink the whole deal.
This is the kind of life that gives you sweaty palms.
It’s different than punching a time clock, putting in your forty hours, and drawing a guaranteed weekly paycheck. It’s the kind of life where one misstep can be catastrophic. It keeps you awake at night. You live it, breath it, drink it, and think it 24/7. You have to make decisions, see them through, and live with the consequences. This is not for the squeamish or faint-of-heart.
The only way to succeed boils down to my confidence in God. Joshua (in the OT) is a leadership model for this. Joshua is the one who had the faith to trust God when others didn’t (Deut. 1 & Joshua 3). Joshua is a leader who stared fear in the eyes.
Nothing can take the place of spending time alone with God.
Unsure man becomes sure of himself when he is sure of God.
To complicate matters, this pressure NEVER stops. We are ten years into this work and still we are faced with overwhelming decisions on a weekly basis. Even to this day, we are faced with decisions that could sink the whole deal.
This is the kind of life that gives you sweaty palms.
It’s different than punching a time clock, putting in your forty hours, and drawing a guaranteed weekly paycheck. It’s the kind of life where one misstep can be catastrophic. It keeps you awake at night. You live it, breath it, drink it, and think it 24/7. You have to make decisions, see them through, and live with the consequences. This is not for the squeamish or faint-of-heart.
The only way to succeed boils down to my confidence in God. Joshua (in the OT) is a leadership model for this. Joshua is the one who had the faith to trust God when others didn’t (Deut. 1 & Joshua 3). Joshua is a leader who stared fear in the eyes.
Nothing can take the place of spending time alone with God.
Unsure man becomes sure of himself when he is sure of God.