Don’t Get Comfortable
Learning In Leadership Columnby Shawn Naylor
Over the years, I have run into people who are not doing what I saw them last doing. Before I proceed, let me be clear: I am not opposed to change. Change is necessary, it is one of the key ingredients in innovation. What I’m hoping to dig at now is our commitment to a cause despite our circumstances. Back to the original thought; I am perplexed by those would-be leaders who leave their convictions behind for the sake of comfort. All great leaders, no matter the type, have always found or discovered a solution to the next phase in there leadership, even when things get hard.
Yet, many leaders abandon their posts because they are not living by conviction, but by the comfort of their circumstances. Some leaders leave because they don’t have a lot of followers (that is article for a later date), or maybe they don’t have a great youth band, or the latest stage and sound equipment or technological ministry innovation. Whatever the superficial lack may be, they decide to leave their post.
In theory, I myself have even done this. The person that comes to mind is David, the King of Israel. He was man who was called and anointed to be the earthly leader of Israel. David was a great leader; He was a king of action, a king who went off to war without hesitation.
Yet, at some point, David let his circumstances override his commitment to his cause, and one spring he stayed home for the sake of comfort. “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.” (2 Samuel 11:1 ESV)
Things don’t get better for David. Because he stayed home, David, a man after God’s own heart, breaks 9 of the 10 commandments. When we leave our commitment before God releases us, our actions have an incredible effect on the environment that we are in. When it’s “spring time” it’s time to go battle—not to remain comfortable or quitting when it gets tough.
As I write this, I feel a deep conviction to raise up the next generation of leaders, not only in word but in action. If we never meet in person, the fact that you are reading this article is an example of commitment over circumstances. Let me briefly explain: while attending a Canadian Youth Worker’s Conference, I brought my school bag along, which contained many of my day-to-day items. One of those items happened to be my laptop. My laptop is the thing that I do almost ALL of my writing on. Now, in the commitment to my conviction (What I believe that I’m meant to do) I agreed to write on a regular basis in order to provide some insight to leaders.
I needed my laptop, but by the time that I will need to hand this in, I will not have my laptop back. So, I could take the easy way out and retreat to the comforts of quitting, yielding to my unfortunate circumstances. Or, I could rise up to the conviction of the cause and find a solution. In this case, that solution is a 3.5 inch screen and built-in keyboard: my smartphone. “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.” (John 3:27) I was not given a laptop but was given a smartphone. What have you been given in your cause?
Blessings,
Shawn Naylor
