This week we will continue looking at outcomes for faith-based organizations. Last week, we started with a discussion of The Kingdom Path. If you missed it, you can find it here. We contrasted the Kingdom Path to the Common Path that so many people find themselves on today. One of the main issues encountered on the common path is that of control.
Unfortunately, even if we think that we are not controlling, there is a good chance we are.
Let me give you some examples.
Have you ever recruited someone to be on the board because you know they are wealthy and you are concerned about the organization’s finances?
Have you ever “tweaked” a program just a bit so that it would fit within the funder’s guidelines?
In and of themselves, these two examples may not seem wrong. However, if we are truly honest with ourselves, then we may realize that they are our effort to control things instead of relying on God.
We need to remember that God always has a plan and that plan is bigger than we are able to see with our finite minds. But, Satan always wants us to focus on the “right now,” what’s right in front of us as he whispers lies to us that we need to take matters into our own hands.
The authors of The Choice give us three areas where many of us have a tendency to try to take control. Take a minute to evaluate yourself in these areas.
First, we tend to take control in the little things. The things that we think are unimportant, that don’t matter. But, that is exactly the lie Satan wants us to believe. If he can get us to rely on ourselves for the little things, it becomes much easier to convince us that we can trust in ourselves for the big things as well.
Second, there is a tendency to grab control when the opportunity presents itself. This happens because we want to trust in our efforts. We need to be so careful about the messages our society sends us, those messages of “we can do anything,” “if it is to be, it is up to me.” While subtle, these messages actually teach us that we are in control.
Finally, taking control urges us to focus our attention on the immediate, here and now. In doing so, we lose sight of what God desires for our lives. Remember, God sees the full picture and if the ministry or nonprofit is his work, then he has a vision for its unfolding.
It is only through surrendering ourselves and that of the organization to God that we can truly be successful. Remember, just because we have a God-sized goal that can only be accomplished if God shows up does not mean that our goal aligns with his will.
Remember, as you go throughout the day, as you serve in your organization, as you struggle with issues that never seem to go away, Jesus said, “You can do nothing without me.” (John 15:5)
Are you struggling in one or more of these areas? Don’t beat yourself up, we all have tendencies to fall into one or more of them. Seek God’s direction today, surrendering everything to him.
Feel free to contact us if we can help. We will be praying for you!
Click here to download a printable reminder to fully surrender control to God.
