By Dale Sellers
Don’t compare your beginning to someone else’s middle, or your middle to someone else’s end. Don’t compare the start of your second quarter of life to someone else’s third quarter. —Tim Hiller, Strive
“I thought I’d be there by now,” I confessed to my friend Tony Morgan several minutes into our conversation about leadership issues. I had never had the courage to express this thought out loud before. But it was true … wherever there was. I felt as though I hadn’t accomplished enough. But after blurting out my thoughts with such gut-level honesty, my life started to change.
Unintentionally I had subscribed to the false belief that success was directly related to building something huge and meaningful for the masses. Why don’t I have a large church yet? I wondered. There must be something wrong with me as a person and a leader.
Many people from all walks of life begin to sense increasing pressure as we get older. By then it’s clear that life is not going to turn out as we hoped. It happens in our marriages, our parenting, and our vocations. It happens with our homes, our travel (or lack thereof), our bank accounts, and our hobbies. I’m amazed by the number of twenty- and thirty-somethings I meet who already feel disappointment about not having reached the milestones they think they should have reached, even with so much life still ahead of them.
(Sellers, Dale. Stalled: Hope and Help for Pastors Who Thought They’d Be There by Now (pp. 27-28).
I eventually realized the main issue for me was not really knowing where “there” was. Wherever it was, I knew that I hadn’t been able to find it. This can happen to anyone because of unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves. Add to this the pressure of unrealistic expectations that others have of us and you have a recipe for disaster.
I eventually realized the main issue for me was not really knowing where “there” was.
Understanding this is why I want to connect with you. 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.
