How do you see into the future when things are constantly changing? Good question. I’m glad you asked. One Covid virus is followed by another and another, throwing the world into a tailspin. The political landscape doesn’t help either, with the proverbial wars and rumors of wars. And the communication world is hardly stable. Each new online platform requires us to learn something new, and to see how this new platform is being used and by whom. Only then can we start to make good decisions about whether to embrace it or not. And then…tomorrow comes and things change again.

Most of us look at what is trending to get an idea of where we should invest our ministry time and focus. That can help. But I saw a quote from business and leadership guru Peter Drucker that opened another thought.

“Don’t only watch the trends; watch the bends in the trends.”

In other words, how rapidly are things changing in a particular area or any specific platform. TikTok may be trending, but has that rate of growth and usage slowed or accelerated? That may tell you much more about this new “thing.”

I know. The tyranny of the urgent is raising its ugly head. As a leader, you have to put out fires and redirect people in your organization. And… it’s almost impossible to take time to think ahead to what the future holds. I get it. The famous saying applies here. “Been there. Done that.” Or in this case, been there and didn’t do that!

Preparing, planning, and prognosticating are often left off our agenda of activities. But they are critical. Mark Cole on John Maxwell’s leadership team asks the question, “What happens when you don’t prepare?”

“In my leadership, the results of being unprepared are predictable. Things I hoped wouldn’t happen do happen—and occur with greater frequency than the things I hoped would happen. The reason is simple: being unprepared puts me out of position.”

Cole then goes on to equate our role as leaders to that of team members in sports. He says being out of position often leads to failure and loss for the team. So, taking time to prepare for the future is essential if we are to remain effective in our ministries.

Of course, in ministry we need to balance good business practices with the element of faith and trust. The gospel songwriter Ira Stanfill voiced what most of us encounter:

I don’t know about tomorrow
I just live from day to day.
And he later explains that in light of faith in a sovereign God:
Many things about tomorrow
I don’t seem to understand.
But I know who holds tomorrow,
And I know who holds my hand.

That doesn’t mean we don’t plan. It just means that ultimately, we know that our Lord is sovereign and is in charge. Jesus, in teaching his followers the cost of discipleship, also commended the person who plans ahead and prepares for the outcome of the project.

For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?

Luke 14:28 NLT

Someone had to look ahead and plan to be sure they did not fail.

So, what is leadership? It’s more than just managing a ministry or the staff. Much more. Again, Peter Drucker gives insight:

“Leadership is the lifting of a man’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a man’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a man’s personality beyond its normal limitations.”

That doesn’t happen without taking time to look ahead.

God’s best…