One of the greatest challenges of any missionary is overcoming a results based mentality. I have to raise a certain amount of money, I have to lead this many people to Jesus, I have to write this many newsletters, I have to post this many times on social media. The list can go on and on. Not to long ago I heard a famous pastor pose these questions, “So what does a WIN look like for your church and/or what does WINNING look like for your ministry on a weekly or daily basis?” While I believe those are great questions, I also feel like it has the potential to lead us down an unrealistic path. Let me expound…
I love gathering information. I love getting wise council. I love devoting time to prayer. I love all of these things and all of these things can help lead to creating healthy goals for your life and ministry. Goals or we could say, “Measurable’s to see if we are actually winning or not.” In my own ministry, I’m actually the one in charge of setting annual goals. It’s a fun part of my job that I take very seriously. I’m sure if your reading this, your probably someone who makes goals for your life and tries to reach those goals. There is nothing wrong with that, whatsoever. In fact, I love it! There is just one simple problem…
WINNING can so often and so easily take the focus and be the drive behind all things. In reality, more often than not, we don’t completely control the outcome and as a believer we for sure do not control the fruit or harvest. It’s easy to view the times we don’t win as a loss. When losses pile up (like they easily can) it can take us to places of discouragement, doubt and depression. In the end, losing has the potential to completely trip us up and even open the door to giving up. Yep, we can wonder down that long dark road all because our inner narrative and extreme focus was after that WIN.
Let me help you out… Forget about the win! Embrace and focus on the game. The process!
Please understand… Your WIN in raising funds might be $3k/month. That is fine, but your focus should be on good communication, consistent communication, loving and serving your network and enjoying the process. God is the great provider (at least the last time I checked) and he knows how to meet your needs (Matthew 6). If the outcome is $2k/month, so be it. Give your all, enjoy the process, love the people and put the WIN in God’s hand.
Maybe your WIN is to lead 5 people to Jesus this year and disciple another 5. Awesome! Dive head first into spending quality time with these people, loving these people and giving them your best. If you give them true Jesus love, then let the results rest where they may. In ministry, our WINS are often related to people in one way or another. However, people are not numbers. People are not goals. Focus on giving all that you are to them and trust the Holy Spirit to do his supernatural work (Romans 2:4) and then leave it in his hands (Matthew 13).
Instead of focusing all of our energy on winning, let’s focus all our energy on the process and then celebrate all the WINS when they come about. WINS are good and worth celebrating, but they are of far lesser importance than the process. The day-to-day process is where God chisels us, refines us and give us ample opportunity for joy in the midst of work/trial (James 1). When we let God take care of the WIN, we tend to WIN more anyway. And I’m all about WINNING more!!! 🙂
Marvin Slaton – Modern Day Director
