De-Adulting: Anxious Fear to Eager Anticipation

In my previous blog, I introduced the idea of “de-adulting” and suggested that leaders should become more child-like. Today I want to look at the first of the specific de-adulting shifts that could help you become a more effective leader. It’s the shift from anxious fear to eager anticipation. Let me start by confessing my own struggles with this shift. Because I facilitate planning meetings for churches and ministries, I regularly walk into rooms that are full of highly capable, highly opinionated leaders. While I have a general agenda for the meeting, I can never be sure of what will happen. It’s possible that strong differences in perspective or unresolved conflict from the past will prevent us from reaching consensus. But we might experience a powerful moment, like the one described in Acts 15, where we reach agreement on what seems right to God and to this team of leaders. This uncertainty often causes my anxiety to rise as I prepare for the meeting. In my better moments, however, I eagerly and confidently anticipate what God will do in and through this gathering. At the heart of this issue, for me and for many of you, is living with uncertainty. Uncertainty can paralyze leaders with fear. They may be tempted to try to eliminate the uncertainty (an impossible task) or they may back away from the decision completely. A better response is to recognize that living with uncertainty is just part of being a leader, especially in today’s rapidly changing world. The best response is to remember that God is with us in today’s uncertainty and tomorrow’s outcome. Jesus reminded his disciples (and us) that “the birds of the air do not sow or reap … and yet their heavenly Father feeds them … Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” (Matthew 6:26-27). When a child goes to a new park to play, she may hesitate briefly. But it doesn’t take long for her to shift to eager excitement and anticipation at the discovery of a new swing or slide. She doesn’t worry that the she may not get to return to her old park or that her play time at the new one may be cut short by naptime. She plays as if this is the only moment that matters and as if it will never end. As adults, we might look at that as being childish and naïve, and I suppose that it is. But I also wonder if we’d all do well to embrace the future with eager anticipation about what God is going to do in our midst. It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>