Anxiety vs. Love – Part 5

Anxiety vs. Love

Products ———-People

Control ————-Contemplation

Experts ————-Process

Results ————-Relationships

Conformity ————-Creativity

The words on each end of this continuum, conformity – creativity, are always a tough thing for a leader.  Well, perhaps I should say that that living on the love side of this continuum is difficult for managers, real leaders will find a way to lead people into creativity.

When we fall into the trap of simply managing a ministry we tend to lean toward casting a vision of conformity for those that are a part of our group.  We do this out of anxiety of losing control over our situations and in turn losing control over the results that we so desperately need to see.

We need to make a shift, live out of love, and encourage the creativity that God has placed within each individual that we lead.  This is a little scary at times because it can seems that there is no way to keep things “under control.”  If we are really leading we will provide people with a set of boundaries that fit with the vision and mission of our ministry and then release, equip, and empower people to use their God-given creativity to move a step closer to fulfilling that vision and accomplishing that mission.  

Yeah, it is much more effecient and much less messy to work within a culture of conformity, but a culture of conformity is a much less loving place to live because we are stifling the image of God within others.