Shhhh…don’t talk so much!
I think I talk to much.
My wife wouldn’t agree, nor my staff. I am sure they think I am a little neanderthal at times, well if not that then at least I have some sort monosyllabic syndrome.
But I have this unfortunate tendency you see. It is kind of like an auto response thing, when asked a direct question, I give a direct and honest answer, not the greatest tool to church growth in the western world.
I have learned over time that it is not what people want. What people want to hear is you agreeing with them, just echoing back to them the answer they want to hear.
They say they want authentic relationships.
They say that want to grow and change.
They say they want a fresh encounter with God…..but they don’t…
They just want to be told that if they keep doing the same thing over and over again then they will get a different result….to me it is madness.
We have churches full of people, lead by churches full of Pastors just wanting everything to be “OK”.
They don’t want the boat to rock, they don’t want anyone getting upset, they just want to sit on a chair on the deck of the cruise ship and look longingly towards a distance shore.
They don’t seem to care if they never make any progress as long as drinks keep coming and the music plays on….
Maybe it is just me….but I don’t want to wait.
I don’t want to spend my entire life sitting on some corporate religious Good Ship Lollypop. I want to “arrive”. I want to get to where God is. I want to discover and walk in His best for my life. I want to be the the best lover of Christ, the best me, the best man, the best husband, the best father, the best friend, the best leader that I can be. And if that means getting off the ship and rowing by myself out into the vast nothingness in search of a more authentic life, a more authentic encounter…..then so be it.
And what of the cries of “You’ll die” and ” Don’t do it” and “You’re a fool, come back it is safe here!”?
I have found that the further I row the quieter it gets…but then a funny thing happens…lots of little life boats appear on the horizon and like Elisha you realize you where never the only one.
Long ago I worked out that being me was not a popularity contest, there were not crowds lining up to give me support….I had an audience of One.
And every day He looks down on my life and yours to watch and see what we will do with it.
Friend….don’t talk so much, get out while you can and ROW!
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