There are a lot of people out there that talk a good game. Whatever the flavor of the week is – be it multiethnic ministry, diverse genres and worship expressions, program growth and expansion, training and discipleship, etc. – the real question should be: What am I doing to make this happen? I may hurt a few people here, but I’ll say this is not something that can be outsourced or dumped on someone else. If you want something to happen, you actually have to take action.
You can’t say “This is what I want to happen, make it happen” to someone and then interfere, micromanage every decision, and undermine them. There is no responsibility without authority and accountability. If you’re just going to stand back, let them get knee deep in and take the hits, and then openly tear into everything they do, then not only are you lazy as fuck, but you are willfully sabotaging them and undermining their leadership. This doesn’t mean that you abdicate all accountability, but you aren’t helping a single soul by your interference. If you don’t want to support them, don’t put them in that position.
Yeah. There are a lot of lazy bosses who want someone else to do the labor or tackle the problem and yet interfere every step of the way! And often without understanding any of the factors at play, because they aren’t doing the work.
Do you know what happens when you start taking action to make something happen? God paves the path. Resources get tapped. Processes get developed. People get recruited. More things happen and develop. Certain gaps start closing. Do you know what happens when you talk about taking action? Not a damn thing. Do you know what happens when you micromanage someone who is taking the action? You are covering the path God paved with shit and the people that have been recruited are looking down at their shoes and saying “What the fuck?”
If you aren’t willing to do the work, then stay out of the way of the person who is. They need your support, not your mouth.
