Finding the Mo

How do we get momentum?  This is the hardest part.  It’s like trying to push a 2 ton boulder over the edge of a hill.  Getting it started seems almost impossible.  But that’s all it takes and soon you can’t stop it.  In my journey as a pastor I have found that momentum in spiritual leadership comes from a few things:

1)  Complete humility.  Often times we can be the biggest barrier to finding momentum.  We must discover and remove any hidden motives.  We must ask God to reveal anything keeping us from leading ourselves and others to where God wants to take us.  This is often a very hard thing to do, especially for church leaders.

2)  Desperate Prayer.  Nothing short of earnest prayer will allow you to hear from God when it comes to finding spiritual direction for your life.  You have to be desperate.  You have to want to hear from God so badly that you won’t leave him alone until you do.  One key to this kind of prayer is fasting.  I have spent quite a bit of time fasting and praying for God to show me his will.  (On a good note, you can lose weight this way too).

3)  Change.  No one likes to beat their head against a rock.  That’s what it is like when you can’t move the boulder.  Something needs to change and you have to be willing to make tough changes – changes in your own life first and then changes in what you lead.  Some will go along with you, others will not.  You have to be willing to accept the fact that not everyone will like the changes and even be willing to lose them.  Leadership is a very lonely place.

4)  Risk.  I don’t know who coined this term, but it is true: “The greater the risk, the greater the reward.”  Unless you are willing to risk it all for God you won’t see the kind of results you desire.  You have to be willing to step out in faith and attempt something only God can get credit for.

5)  Holy Spirit.  In truth, you can’t push a 2 ton boulder from a stand still position.  But God can.  True momentum comes when you align yourself with God’s perfect will and God’s Spirit does amazing things.  Because you have done all the other things, God can truly work through you in a way you might never have thought possible.  And when it happens just remember that God should be the only one getting credit for it too!

Right now, we are experiencing God’s momentum in our church.  We have people giving their lives to Christ almost every week.  But I can tell you that I have walked through each and every one of these steps.  It’s not an easy road, but it is well worth it.