If you're like me, you've probably fielded more than a few questions in the past week or two about how your team could really take Christmas to the “next level” this year. What rabbit could you pull out of your hat to make this Christmas one to remember? Your inner cynic may even be wondering why no one was listening when you tried to bring these questions up back in July.
But again, if you're like me there's probably part of you that loves this time of year, because this is when everyone needs you to strap on that red cape and play Superman. They want to be dazzled, to have their retinas seared with the brilliance of your creativity and showmanship.
It's an incredible feeling. After 11 months of feeling overlooked and taken for granted, suddenly you're the center of attention. People want to hear your opinion. Suddenly the budget has a little margin. It's like a narcotic, and it can lead us in the wrong direction if we're not careful.
GUT CHECK
Too often that desire to be the Christmas hero can lead us to start using people to build our ministry, instead of using our ministry to build people. Take a look at I Corinthians 13:1: “If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn't love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.”
When you break it down, that whole passage reminds us that our abilities, knowledge and dedication are useless without love. The stresses and pressures of the holiday season can often reveal a misalignment between what should matter to us and what does matter to us.
A few years ago I was leading our video team through a very stressful Christmas production season, with a full capital campaign thrown in for good measure. Talk about an opportunity to be a hero! The more I pushed and prodded and bullied our overworked staff and interns, the more kudos I got for being Mr. Creative Solutions.
Eventually my team had to stage an intervention, gently pointing out that our ministry, our relationships, and even our spiritual lives were buckling under the weight of my demands. While it hurt to hear in real-time, they were right; I was putting ministry before people. Fortunately for me, they handled the moment with so much grace that we were all able to grow and move forward together. But I know of a number of similar situations where the ending wasn't nearly so happy. Probably you do too.
If this story is hitting a little too close to home, take a moment to be encouraged. Almost all of us could be out making more money doing things that require little, if any, personal investment. We chose ministry because we love Jesus and we love people, and we want to use our gifts to invest into others. Our story is still being written.
MOVING FORWARD
So how do we avoid creating that kind of havoc in our own lives and ministries during this time of year? Start by blocking out 30 minutes in the coming week to be honest with yourself about what's driving you. Are there some team-building habits and systems you kicked off in August that are already vanishing under the weight of holiday expectations?
Next, ask God to show you what's really important this Christmas season. Ask Him to show you what initiatives or projects should really wait until next year. If you're so overextended that you know you can't be that honest with yourself, get the input of someone in your life that you trust.
Finally, make a plan to act on what you've learned. If necessary, have a conversation with your leadership and tell them what you're wrestling through. Trust the Holy Spirit to speak to their hearts the way He's speaking to yours.
Always remember …
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters…. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.”
– Colossians 3:23-24
