We live in the greatest time of global uncertainty since World War 2.
Every time we think we can see the end of the tunnel, it’s just another curve in the road.
In times of such uncertainty, adaptability is better than goal-setting. And even more than that, one truth has stood out strong and tall for me lately.
Better systems won’t get us through this. Only better relationships will.
Better Relationships
No one has done this before.
There’s not a person alive who’s led their family, their congregation or their country through the process of coming out of a worldwide pandemic, or staying in it for who-knows-how-much-longer.
Because this is all new, no one has systems in place that are up to the task.
Certainly we need better systems. They’re essential if we want to be proactive instead of reactive. But they’re less helpful now than they’ve ever been. And goal-setting? Okay… How did all our 2020 Vision statements turn out?
Sure, we should still set goals and use good systems. But most goals are better for motivation than expectation. And those well-designed systems? Often, they’re little more than coping mechanisms. Don’t lean too heavily on them for actual answers to real-life issues.
In times of upheaval we have only one thing we can rely on.
Our relationships.
With Jesus.
And with each other.
And, in this, the church must lead. Better than we’ve been doing.
With all the horror, sadness and loss we’ve seen recently, nothing grieves God’s heart more than seeing his church wallowing in conflict when we desperately need greater unity.
Love God, Love Others
Jesus never told us to build better systems, processes or methods.
Jesus told us to love God and love one another.
And he especially told us to love the poor, the hurting, and the vulnerable.
If we want our families, congregations, communities, countries, and governments to learn the lessons of this time and not just recover, but thrive in the decades to come, we must start where everything better always starts.
With healthier relationships.
Leading Relationships
Now, more than ever, leaders in the church need to lean, not on our education, our experience, or even our ability to adapt to better procedures (what the Bible refers to as our “own understanding”).
We need to strengthen our spiritual and emotional core.
If ever there was a time when we need to draw closer to Jesus, it is now.
Love Jesus, Love His Church
Let us not repeat the tragic mistake of the church in Ephesus that started strong, then lost their first love (Revelation 2:1-7).
Fall in love with Jesus again. Then fall in love with his church again, too.
- Put prayer before process
- Family before work
- Repentance and reconciliation before methodology
- And love above all
When all else fails, the long, slow, but always-reliable process of restoring and nurturing those relationships is what will get us through.
Stronger.
Healthier.
Together.
(Photo by Nik Shuliahin | Unsplash)
