Overcoming The 7 Attitudes That Limit Your Ministry

In my previous post, dear God-lover, I wrote about Seven Attitudes That Limit Your Ministry. These attitudes are:

1. “That will never work here.”
2. “Not invented here” syndrome.
3. The need to prove an idea.
4. Independence
5. Dependence 
6. Trusting in Techniques.
7. Misguided Spirituality.

Here are 7 Ways to Overcome these attitudes:

1. Be teachable in order to overcome the “That will never work here” attitude.

The “Learner’s Posture” overcomes the closed-minded world of the person in bondage to “That will never work here.”

Rather than saying, “That will never work here,” position yourself as a student and ask, “What can I learn from this person that may be applicable in my situation?”

2. Be humble to overcome “Not Invented Here” Syndrome.

I have known at least two Christian leaders who pride themselves on how little they read other Christian authors.

I cannot guess their reasons or motives for taking such a position. It does seem strange to me that one would think no one else has anything worthwhile to say or teach. But that is another issue.

These two leaders share a unique trait: They believe they have insights few others have. When I hear them talk about these “unique insights” I think to myself, “Yeah, that is pretty well understood by a lot of people.”

When the desire for creativity and originality drive you into isolation you are setting yourself up for a dangerous outcome. Be humble enough to admit you don’t have the corner on anything.

3. Be Spirit-led to overcome “the need to prove an idea.”

Whatever God has led you to do, go do it. But don’t feel you need to “prove” that your “organic-simple church, led by a woman meeting on Thursday in a pub” is the cutting edge of what God is doing in the world today. It may be the cutting edge of what God is doing in your life, so let’s just leave it at that. Celebrate it. Enjoy it. Continue to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. And do not get dogmatic about it.

4. Be personally secure to overcome your independence.

You know the guy who will not listen to others because he thinks he knows everything…

You know the guy who has an excuse for every bad decision…

Don’t be that guy.

Proverbs 18:1 tells us, “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”

5. Overcome dependence by growing up.

Growing up is not a matter of aging. I have known a lot of very old children.

Growing up is a matter of personal growth and responsibility.

At some point in life you must accept responsibility for your own growth and actions. You become a contributor and not just a consumer. You pay your own way and you do not expect others to do for you what you can and should do for yourself. This is what we like to call around here, “growing up.”

6. Overcome trusting in techniques by embracing God’s organic process.

People and churches are living organisms. As such, we grow through process.

We are like trees planted near the water. You cannot build a tree. You can only provide the right environment for a tree to grow.

There is no “secret sauce” that cures all our problems.

There are no magic bullets to slay our dragons.

There is not One Big Event to make you mature, complete, and successful.

There is only the daily process of growing in Christ. Embrace it.

7. Overcome misguided spirituality with wisdom.

I once read, “Wisdom is God’s righteousness in street clothes.”

If you read only Paul, you may become convinced that faith is the only thing that matters.

If you only read John’s letters, you could become convinced that love is the only thing that matters.

If you only read James, you might conclude that good works are the only things that matter.

Wisdom teaches us that the only thing that matters is “faith expressing itself through love.” We need faith, we need works, and we need love. Wisdom teaches us which and when and how.

So there you have it, dear God-lover. Now, go live the life God created for you.