How to Succeed Where It Matters Most
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…. Philippians 3:13
Professor Howard Hendricks mentored hundreds of pastors and leaders. He writes: ‘ As a young leader, my biggest mistake was allowing my time to be eaten up with things outside my core competencies. I wanted to set the pace for others, to demonstrate that nothing was beneath me, so I devoted an inordinate amount of time to things I wasn’t good at – things I’d never be good at. At the same time I invested little energy into developing my strengths… Finally I realized that my true value lay within the context of my giftedness – not the number of hours I worked. There were some balls I’d no business juggling. When I finally got the courage to let them fall to the floor, I began to excel in juggling the two or three balls I was created to keep in the air in the first place. And the amazing thing is, people came along and picked up the other balls. What I couldn’t relinquish were the opportunities they’d been waiting for.’
Answer this: Of the two or three things that define success for you, which of them are in line with your core competencies? That is where you must focus your energies. That is where you’ll excel. Within that narrowed context you will make your greatest contribution. And best of all, you will enjoy what you do! You say, ‘But I can’t afford to focus all my energies on one or two things.’ Maybe not yet, but that should be your goal. It’s something you should be working towards if you want to succeed where it matters most.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, give me the wisdom to know the things You would have me do and to let go of the things You have for others to do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen