We Need You to Go First
Because no one else has
If the solution were obvious, we would already be doing it. If the next step were easy, you wouldn’t be wondering if you should take it. This is true in so many domains, but I think we miss how true it is in ministry. As we pioneer work, we’re dancing on the edge. It might not work. In fact, most people don’t think it will work, which is why they are not already doing it. And if it doesn’t work, you’ll be left with the pieces. You can call it quits, or you can stick, persevere, and keep pioneering with what you’ve learned from failing.
Pioneers take some first steps and see what works. They take a few more steps and adjust along the way. They have their Bible in one hand and their soul steeped in constant prayer.
And they keep going first.
It gets tiring at times, but if you don’t go first, no one else will.
When you dance on the edge of infinity, there’s always enough… because you aren’t taking opportunity from anyone else, you’re creating it.1
We could list a hundred Kingdom pioneers from the first century until now. At some point, each of them was thought of as crazy (and probably felt they were crazy themselves.) But… they sustained and kept going through extremely difficult circumstances.
We give Peter a hard time for sinking in the storm, but… he did get out of the boat.
Godin, S. (2023). The Song of Significance: A New Manifesto for Teams. Penguin Publishing Group. Opening Quote
Really needed this today. We've got a handful of these pioneer-type "plates" that we're trying to spin. With non-obvious and non-easy next steps before us, the only confidence we can have to walk forward is that THE Pioneer of our faith went first - first to live fully, to die innocently, to trust wholly, to rise victoriously, to reign rightly. The promise that He will be with us in our firsts as Beloved Children authorized by the Father and empowered by His Spirit to do the "going first" work prepared for this generation (even as we trip, fall, and need Band-Aids) is the primary prerogative to persevere. I see tremendous value in your two copper coins :) (no more pennies :/) JK
"When you dance on the edge of infinity, there’s always enough… because you aren’t taking opportunity from anyone else, you’re creating it."
When Jim McKnight and I started pioneering a few years back he said, "Everyone's going after the believers and being accused of "sheep stealing." Let's go after the lost. Nobody's fighting over them" (or something like that :)