By Dan Mirgon
The NBC Series “CSI” was a television favorite of a majority
of Americans.
One of the first investigative tools for fictional and real
CSI teams is that of “dusting for prints.”
The ability to capture the fingerprints of the person or persons
involved in the crime quickly narrows the search to those on the list.
But what if we weren’t looking for guilt or innocence? What if we were looking for evidence of
another kind?
I’m talking about evidence that God is actually involved in
a tangible way with what is happening in your ministry. How do we pull our subjective “feelings” or
“spiritual discernment” into the tangible world for others to see?
I’m pretty sure the skeptics out there would love it if they
could make a personal appointment with God and eliminate some of their
questions. Wouldn’t you?
Now, we both know God isn’t on the other end of a telephone
or Skype connection. He’s left us all we
need to know about life in the Bible, and we’ll just have to wait for the Q/A
session when we get to Heaven.
But I contend that we can gather the evidence of His
presence in some very interesting ways.
First, we should be capturing and documenting the times when
no other explanation fits the awesome result that you experienced. You know, when someone drops by the ministry
with exactly what you were praying for – before you have made the need known?
Second, allow those times to begin building confidence in
you and your staff that God is taking care of you. In your prayer time together, in your staff
meetings and at your Board meetings, lay out what happened and watch as others
draw the conclusion that your ministry just got visited by God. It’s almost as though you can smell His
cologne after He’s left the room.
Finally, don’t get over confident and preachy with this new
evidence, but don’t hide it either. With
a quiet smile and humility, let the person or reader know that “all else being
equal, this had to be God’s provision or protection or direction. Nothing else explains it adequately.”
But looking for and capturing His fingerprints goes even
further when we think about all the ways that God is already providing for your
needs.
The opportunities to even answer His call came from Him, as
did the events that got you into the chair you sit in. No matter how small, I think it is critical
that we practice looking at the ministry as His business with His fingerprints
on it.
For me, that means that I have a higher call to Excellence
and stewardship over what He has called me to do and to manage.
The next time something happens that can only be explained
by God’s provision or intervention, what will you do with that nugget of Proof?
I really hesitate to suggest that you run through the halls
yelling “Look what God did!” They’ll
think you’ve slipped a gear.
On the other hand, I think the Humble Leader needs to be
prepared to point out, in the appropriate moment, that all explanations aside,
God must have just done something.
Start by looking back over the last year or two of
ministry. How many times can you
identify where this “Only God” explanation fits the scenario?
Write them down and keep them to yourself. Gather as many as you can and read them once
a week.
The vision casting that you will be called on to do will
require a personal conviction that God really is participating, and in ways
that you and your team may not perceive right now.
Then, when a sticky issue comes up, and it will, pull out
your list and quietly and humbly begin listing those moments when God stepped
in and helped.
If you are comfortable with it, share this idea with a
couple of other key Ministry leaders and ask them to do the same.
I’ll bet that when you compare notes, you’ll hear moments or
events that you missed.
What would it be like – in the future – if your Ministry was
aware and trained to capture those “God Moments?”
I’m pretty sure the contentment factor within the Ministry
would increase and the fear factor would decrease.
Wouldn’t that be cool to be part of?
(Taken from our book; Small Ministry Excellence: Serving as God’s
Franchise)
