their flaws as something endearing when those flaws are accompanied by humility .
Churches have gained a reputation , whether deserved or not , for expecting perfection from their people . It ’ s a reputation for behavior modification , which doesn ’ t give room for mistakes , morally or otherwise . Because of this reputation , it ’ s in the back of most people ’ s minds that perfection is required , especially if excellence is valued highly in their church . When we give off the air of perfection , we unintentionally reinforce this idea in people ’ s minds .
Your Team Is Imperfect The disciples were a lot like a team of misfits . Jesus was perfect , but he chose fishermen , a tax collector , a zealot . . . and we aren ’ t quite sure what the other guys did . Yet they came together , empowered by Jesus and then the Holy Spirit , and began a worldwide movement of evangelism . More important than who they were was who they were with .
The same is true for your team . They won ’ t be perfect . Even Jesus ’ s team was filled with highly flawed individuals . Yet with a leader who values the strengths of the individuals on their team , they can accomplish great things . Unfortunately , as leaders — especially perfectionistic leaders — we have a tendency to focus on the things we don ’ t have instead of the things we do . We focus on our lack .
The weird thing about leadership is that if you focus on what you don ’ t have , you often miss the people you do have . Consider the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14 – 30 . Who was the servant who did the least ? The one who felt like he was given the least . Yet the master considered him responsible for making the most of what he had been entrusted with . The servant focused on what he lacked , and then what he did have was taken from him and given to the ones who had put the talents they were entrusted with to work for the benefit of the master .
Could it be that God has already sent you everything you need to accomplish the purpose he has given you as a leader ?
You say , “ But , Jason and Jonathan , you don ’ t know what I ’ m working with in my ministry . It would be a miracle if the people could accomplish the huge vision I ’ ve been given .”
Well , consider this : the miracles Jesus performed always used what was on hand at the time . When he turned water into wine , he used the jugs that were there and filled them with water . When he healed the blind man , he used spit and dirt to create mud . In the feeding of the four thousand and the five thousand , he used the food that was already there . It wasn ’ t what the people had at the time ; it was who they had . Jesus always used something simple that seemed completely unrelated to the mission at hand . But in the hands of God , even simple things can be used for miracles .
No , your team won ’ t be perfect . But they ’ ll be perfect for the mission God has given you . That ’ s perhaps the only perfection attainable to you .
The key to enlisting your band of misfits for the
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