By Dale Sellers
Is it possible that your current experience in ministry could best be described as stalled. Has the stress from thinking you would be there by now caused you to adopt the look of the leader who doesn’t know what to do next? Maybe you’ve tried what the “experts” have offered as guarantees for growth only to discover that you become more stalled with each new attempt to get moving.
In most instances, the pressure we feel is coming from the inside. But we keep pressing on, and the very joy of living gets sucked right out of us. We develop a certain look over the years. I see it in people’s eyes on a daily basis. I notice it on the faces of people from all age groups, backgrounds, cultures, and walks of life. It is so common for me to see it in the eyes of the pastors I work with across the United States. I imagine you have probably seen it too—maybe when you looked in the mirror this morning.
In most instances, the pressure we feel is coming from the inside. But we keep pressing on, and the very joy of living gets sucked right out of us.
Sadly, I had this look for most of my life, but I didn’t reach out for help. I simply suffered in silence while outwardly maintaining a positive approach to life. Eventually, the weight of it brought about so much stress that I ended up having open-heart surgery. Friend, that is no way to live.
What is the look, and how do we get it?
The look comes from having a sense that we have failed and that failure defines us. It comes from the feeling of being unable to fulfill our calling. It’s the undeniable evidence that we thought we’d be there by now. But the real problem is unrealistic expectations and a wrong definition of success.
The look comes from having a sense that we have failed and that failure defines us.
As you reflect for a moment, are you aware that you have the look? If so, I want to help you by unpacking how we get it—and how we get free from it. I want to take you on a confidence-gaining journey, and my hope is that you will develop a healthy self-image filled with great assurance that you will fulfill your purpose.
The objective is not to create the illusion of confidence. Instead, the goal is to equip you with the tools to define real success, discover the secret of setbacks, and ultimately discern how to become a source of blessing to others.
Admitting I thought I’d be there by now dislodged something that had been holding me back for a long time. It became the defining moment when I began experiencing true freedom. Yes, it was terrifying and embarrassing. But it was also liberating.
(Sellers, Dale. Stalled: Hope and Help for Pastors Who Thought They’d Be There by Now (p. 28).
If this describes you then I’d love to connect with you and talk it out. I’ve found that sometimes the most valuable thing I need is to have a conversation with someone who has been there before.
What are you doing that is working well? What is not going so well? Let’s connect and have a conversation about it. At 95Network, we are here to support and serve you in anyway we can. If you feel like you’re in a season where your stalled out and can see the way forward then please reach out to me at [email protected]
- Website: 95Network.org
- 95Network – Soul Care Essentials
- 95Network – Healthy Church Assessment
- Read Stalled: Hope and Help for Pastors Who Thought They’d Be There By Now
Be sure to stop by our 95Network.org/online store to find helpful resources designed to encourage and strengthen your ministry leadership.
