Fuller

Author: Tim Yee

A few people shown through a tunnel that separates them from everything else.

Focusing on a Few

When you focus on a few, there are going to be some who are disappointed that they weren’t chosen. But good leadership isn’t driven by pleasing people… If we study Jesus’s leadership, we will see that his investment in a few key people was a core strategy for his short three-year ministry.

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A painting of a worried woman's face that is splitting in half

Disappointing Your Followers

Why does [Jesus] leave when there is so much momentum in Capernaum? At the very start of Jesus’s ministry, he is disappointing followers by not doing what they want and not meeting legitimate needs… Apparently the greatest leader to ever walk planet Earth understood that fulfilling his calling perfectly would leave many people disappointed.

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A black and white photo of two people stretching in opposite directions, one with a neutral expression, the other looking fiercely aside.

Disappointment with Myself

Leaders do not only regularly disappoint those we lead, we can also disappoint ourselves. When we don’t hit benchmarks, when we let down a parishioner, or when we fail to reach a goal, we not only have to contend with the swarm of people disappointed in our leadership but also with our own self-criticism. Often, we are our own worst critics.

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Digital report on data analysis and metrics.

The Disappointing Leader

In my twenty-plus years as a leader in the non-profit sector, I’ve found that much of leadership involves disappointing people. When I got into church leadership, I assumed I would spend the majority of my time inspiring people with my vision, comforting people with my pastoral skills, and instilling God’s Word through my preaching. Little did I know that in every one of those areas (and more) I would disappoint people.

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The tension, frequency, and parallel strings of a harp.

Coherence in Workview and Lifeview

I believe God values coherence (integrity) of his followers as they express God’s goodness in their work and lives. The most logical thing for the Christian is for their leadership to express love for God and love for others, leading to a joyful life that is deeply coherent.

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A cable pulled taut in either direction.

Workview and Lifeview

This past summer, my church blessed me with a sabbatical, which allowed me to rest, study, and prepare to lead my church with renewed energy and purpose… One of the books I committed to reading during my sabbatical was Dave Evans and Bill Burnett’s Designing Your Life, which challenged me to reflect on my workview and lifeview.

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A person seemingly replacing the batteries in their arm as a sign of needing to recharge.

Dashboard: Love, Play, Work, Health

Yesterday we talked about how we spend the majority of our lives working in some way — whether paid or unpaid — and that our work should glorify God. But we all know that our work is not the totality of our lives and it makes sense to evaluate our work within a broader context.

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A person unbuttoning their shirt to show their hidden Superman shirt.

What is Your Work?

Defining your work is very specific to your context. Using my work as an example, that means 75% is church, 20% is home and 5% is other. Your work proportions will look different, but the important thing is to not limit your understanding of work to only that which you get paid for or have a title.

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A person walking on a balancing chair.

A Misunderstanding of the Work/Life Balance

Moses didn’t have a smart watch but he did have a smart mentor. Jethro, his father-in-law, spoke clearly about Moses’s leadership so that he could have a much healthier work/life balance.

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Two people meeting over coffee.

Is Your Current Pace Sustainable?

Moses was overly stretched trying to single-handedly shepherd the tens of thousands of Hebrews who had fled Egypt (some scholars think the number could have been in the millions). Moses realized that the way he was leading wasn’t sustainable and, thankfully, he had a mentor, Jethro, who could speak some sense into him!

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A pendulum balanced on point by gravity.

Gravity Problems

In yesterday’s devotion we were challenged by an assertion in Dave Evans’ and Bill Burnett’s book, Designing Your Life to not waste time on the wrong problems but rather to focus on the right ones. They follow this advice by warning us to especially avoid what they call “gravity problems”.

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A push pin left unpinned and unutilized.

Are You Fixing the Wrong Problem?

Sometimes the problems we focus lots of resources on don’t deserve this time and effort. Wrong problems often disguise themselves as important or urgent when they are rarely both – and often neither. Those we lead deserve our focus to be on the right problems to be addressed instead of the wrong problems that others want us to fix.

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Multiple doors that all seem the same representing tough decision making.

The Oxymoron of Leadership

In yesterday’s devotion we considered the apparent oxymorons of a “crucified Messiah” and a “doubting disciple”. Leaders who find appropriate ways to share their doubts help their followers understand that Jesus won’t reject us for doubt alone. Today, I want to talk about another apparent oxymoron.

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Birds sitting on multiple electrical wires running parallel to each other.

The Oxymorons We Live With

I think the New Testament has a couple of apparent oxymorons. The first is “crucified Messiah”. Keep in mind I’m calling these apparent oxymorons because, though they might seem absurd, in God’s wisdom they are simply true.

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A worker contemplating in the middle of a bustling office.

Be A Leader That Brings Hope

In yesterday’s devotion, I highlighted how Jesus chose to come near to two hurting disciples, leaving them with hearts on fire with hope and life. Imagine the impact we as leaders can have when we walk with others in their pain. Leaders who are sensitive to others can bring hope — and sometimes literally save a life.

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