| Leaders in the church must always seek to become | | | | can be. Imagine your own limitations and envision |
| more for God tomorrow than they were yesterday. | | | | what God can do as you pray and give them over to |
| Our life mission demand as much. The churches we | | | | Him. Thinking is for pastor/leaders who want God to |
| serve will be better and stronger tomorrow for our | | | | do more in and through them than they can do on |
| attention to this issue today. This is not for the | | | | their own. |
| feint-of-heart. Pastors who become satisfied with | | | | Be - This is the real you. It is not the façade we |
| their spiritual station in life will soon find a slowing of | | | | carry. We are what we take in. Garbage in, garbage |
| and halt to their own spiritual growth and that of | | | | out. The Word in, the Word out. Out of the |
| their church. However, the pastor who seeks to | | | | overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. It speaks |
| better themself will be positioned to see growth | | | | what we are. It is critical that a pastor/leader be |
| opportunities presented both personally and within | | | | what God wants them to be. Being is different than |
| the church as a whole. | | | | doing. It is more than that. Although doing is |
| Be sure to note, as you read the four steps, that to | | | | important, to be reflects what we are at the core. |
| pursue these with wrong motives will short-circuit the | | | | Pastors must want to be all they can be for God. In |
| end-result desired. In every situation, do all you can | | | | doing so, their ability to be multiplies in effectiveness |
| to become a better pastor/leader, because you | | | | and jumps exponentially. |
| want to do that for God. Do not do so as a | | | | Act - It is one thing to pray, think and be but in the |
| quasi-formula to grow your church. With that noted, | | | | end we must act. Taking action will make you better. |
| here are some ways a pastor/leader can becoming | | | | Imagine what we have missed throughout history |
| more tomorrow than they were yesterday, a better | | | | with those who prayed and thought but never acted. |
| pastor/leader for the church they serve. | | | | May it never be said of you as a pastor/leader that |
| Pray - For those pastors who are strong in their own | | | | you were afraid to act. You may be afraid but never |
| rights, submission to prayer can be a difficult | | | | let that fear prevent action. A man or woman who |
| endeavor. These folks have a lot of great human | | | | acts puts their faith and trust in God to do in them |
| gifts and talents as given to them by God. However, | | | | what they could not do in and through themselves. |
| I can assure any pastor that to start with prayer and | | | | They are a better pastor/leader as a result of acting. |
| not human gifts and talents will, in both the short- | | | | Take action and let the chips fall. God does the rest. |
| and long-term, move you miles down the line in | | | | To pray, to think, to be and to act - these are four |
| becoming the best pastor/leader possible. To state | | | | steps to becoming a better pastor/leader. When that |
| the obvious, it is within the purview of our Lord to | | | | happens you will find an increased sense of who God |
| make you into that which you cannot imagine. Why | | | | wants you to be. This is important for all believers, |
| would you not want that which is conceivable only in | | | | especially those God has called to positions of |
| the mind of God not to become a reality for you? In | | | | leadership. |
| order for God's plan to become a reality, you must | | | | At the same time, the local church God has called |
| immerse yourself in prayer, seeking after all God has | | | | you to will benefit greatly when the pastor/leader |
| for your life. When you do so you will become a | | | | within you continually develops. How can the church |
| better pastor/leader. | | | | grow when the leader God has placed there is no |
| Think - That which you think, you become. For | | | | longer growing? It cannot! However, as you become |
| example, studies have shown that basketball players | | | | a better pastor/leader, the ways in which the Lord |
| who only imagine themselves shooting and making | | | | will work are limitless. The local church will move |
| free throws do just as well in game situations than | | | | forward. |
| those who physically practice making free throws. | | | | I cannot encourage you more than to pray for God |
| The mind is powerful and God has given you this | | | | to make you into a better pastor/leader. Then think |
| mind to exercise the ability to think. When you think | | | | like you want Him to make you a better pastor |
| you allow God to speak to your heart. When you | | | | leader. Follow that up with being who He wants you |
| think you use God-given abilities to reason and listen | | | | to be and then act on it. When this happens, you will |
| to the voice of the Holy Spirit, you acknowledge a | | | | be on course to be the finest pastor you can be, |
| great human gifting of God. Think about those things | | | | and the stage will be set for your church to be all it |
| which are not and imagine about how with God they | | | | can be. I will celebrate with you to that end. |