by Dr. Richard Blackaby
Leaders have a love-hate relationship with problems. No one likes them (unless you are a consultant or a dentist). They tend to disrupt our routine and sideline us from the work we’d rather be doing. Nonetheless, were it not for difficulties, the role of leaders might well be redundant.
It is in fact, in times of crises that leaders are most valuable, and in fact, may justify their very existence. The number of people qualified to lead in times of peace and tranquility are legion. I think of Neville Chamberlain, the British aristocrat who sublimely led Britain until the advent of World War Two. Completely outmaneuvered by the unscrupulous German Fuhrer, he had to resign in shame and summon Winston Churchill when true leadership was required.
So leaders must view problems with a different eye than the average person. While others see the problems, true leaders recognize the possibilities. Those who complain and whine about the challenges they face are not leaders!
The fact is, that much of humanity’s progress throughout history has arisen out of an initial difficulty. People have often experienced their greatest personal growth in times of adversity. And, conversely, it has been periods of prosperity and success that has led to some of the most spectacular downfalls in the annals of human endeavor. Could it be that we value success too highly and hardship too lightly?
When studying the birth of the Church, it is clear that it faced numerous challenges right from its outset. Its leader, Jesus, was captured by His enemies, falsely accused in a kangaroo court, and brutally crucified. Jesus’s core leadership team was scattered to the wind in fright. It would seem that the Christian movement had been squelched even before it could gain a toehold in the Roman Empire. Yet of course, what was meant to destroy God’s work on earth became the centerpiece for His most spectacular triumph.
The Book of Acts describes the early advances of the Church. If you read carefully, you will notice something that is perhaps surprising. In Chapter Two, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus’s followers and they began to speak with other tongues (Acts 2:4). The result? Some of the people began to ridicule them and claim they were drunk! (13). Only this time, rather than cowering in fear before their critics, Peter rose up and responded to the cynics with a masterful sermon. The result? Three thousand people were added to the church (2:41). The Church faced ridicule and criticism yet came out stronger than it had ever been.
Acts Chapters 3-4 describes what happened to the church leaders after Peter and John healed a lame man outside the temple. The same Jewish leaders who had murdered Jesus now threatened two of His most prominent disciples. The two former fishermen were thrown in jail and then threatened by the entire Sanhedrin to desist from preaching Jesus. Yet, rather than heeding their enemy’s warnings, they continued to boldly proclaim Christ. The result? The number of men who believed rose to 5,000 (Acts 4:4). The Church was threatened with prison and death yet it grew stronger than it had been before.
Acts Chapter Five relates what happened when sin entered the early Church. Ananias and Sapphira lied to their fellow believers and to the Holy Spirit about a financial transaction. The church leadership took decisive action to address the sinful behavior. The result? “great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things . . . and through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people . . . And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (Acts 5:11, 12, 14). The Church confronted sin among its members and as a result, it grew stronger than it had been before.
After reading the first five chapters of Acts, one might assume that the best tool for church growth is conflict and problems! It seemed that every time the Church properly dealt with adversity, the result was further growth and spiritual power. In light of this, you would think that church leaders today would welcome the opportunity to deal with adversity and to suffer persecution.
Yet notice how Acts Chapter Six begins: “Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution” (Acts 6:1). What happened? For the first time in six chapters, a chapter in Acts began on a positive note, with growth and success, and the result was division! Of course, the apostles would ultimately deal with this challenge biblically as they had the others, and unity would be restored. Nevertheless, it seems interesting that, what persecution, ridicule, and sin in the church had been unable to do, success had. Church numbers increased at a rapid rate and the result was that the Church was divided by race.
I work with church leaders. They often ask me to consult with them about problems they face. Often difficulties are viewed negatively, as something that prevents them from getting on with the more important business at hand. Yet Scripture as well as history suggests that some of the greatest advances occur in the face of adversity, not in the absence of it. Conversely, while we often strive and wish for tranquility and unencumbered growth, there is evidence to suggest that periods of success are often more dangerous to the Church than are seasons of persecution.
Conclusion
So what does this suggest to you and to me? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you view your problems and challenges the way He does. He is not discouraged by your difficulties! In fact, He may realize that He can accomplish far more through your problems than He can through your prosperity. Conversely, be cautious in times of apparent success. You may be far more vulnerable than you realize! Look on your problems with an eye for the possibilities and view your success with a cautious eye for any seeds of a future crisis. Take heart! With God, your problems always have a silver lining!