Stop Waiting for Permission
May 13, 2023
I've often felt stuck, and I imagine you have too. If so, you can probably visualize the situation. Like a beautiful apple that just sits there on the tree, almost ripe but not quite. Another day goes by, another 2 days. Then a week. It’s ready. A single drop of dew slips down the curve to catch the sun’s delicately-timed dance.
Perfect.
Except that nobody is there to pick the apple. So it just sits there.
Maybe tomorrow. But tomorrow comes and the clock ticks and the opportunities pass. You can almost feel the ache of that apple, can’t you? Apples weren’t made to stay on trees. They were made to be picked and eaten.
In the same way, leaders weren’t made to stay on trees. They were made to be picked, empowered and mobilized.
So why the gap? Why does Jesus say, “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few?”
Is there REALLY a shortage of people who WANT to use their life in the most exhilarating and significant way possible? I think not. But that’s not what Jesus said. He didn’t say the potential laborers are few. No, they’re out there by the millions. But there’s a problem - actually there are four of them, and I want to lay them out so we can all get over ourselves and get on to the exhilarating existence God has dreamed up for each of us.
4 Reasons Leaders Rot on the Branch:
1. They don’t know they’re leaders.
You don't know what you don't know, and most people underestimate their capacity and calling. Jesus walked up to a bunch of teenage fishermen and basically put the future of the Universe in their hands.
Were they ready? No! But they had the potential to get ready, with His help. They just needed the invitation.
2. They don’t know how to get ready.
It seems like a mystery, doesn't it? You look at the life and leadership of someone you admire and you can't figure out how they do it. Even if you understood the steps, you're not sure you could actually do it. In my experience, this is the point at which so many people hesitate and stall out.
That's why Jesus took those twelve young men on a journey.
3. They don’t have access to relationships or opportunities.
It's one thing to see the path forward. It's another thing to engage. The big obstacles here are knowing the right people and getting the right opportunities. This sense of isolation is maddening, and what I've learned the hard way is that you just have to put yourself out there. You have to find a tribe to connect with and take the risk of trying something new.
Are you ready to do that?
4. They had a rough start and decided to quit
Have you ever seen someone with a ton of potential start a new church or get involved in exercising their God-given talents, only to give up because it was hard?
Have you ever done that?
Could it be, the reason you're still reading this is because you feel frustrated with where you are, and you're ready to turn that frustration into action?
If so, I hope you'll go for it.
I hope you'll start that new business, write that new book, or begin that new journey.
In fact, I'd love to help. If you're ready to lock arms with a crew that can challenge, equip and support you, maybe it's time to jump into my brand new Leaders' Learning Community - see all the details below.
Stop waiting for permission and start leading today!
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