When Things Don't Go the Way You Planned

Credit: Creative Commons (Toronto History)

Let's face it: when you're a ministry leader, things don't always go the way you plan them to. In fact, at times they can go very, very wrong. And of course, they often go wrong at the time that you least expect them to. It might be an event that can't go on as planned because of circumstances outside your control, or it might be that one of your leaders drops the ball on something. When things go wrong, how you react says a lot about your as a leader and as a person. Here are some ways to respond when things go wrong:

Take a deep breath. If you're like me, your first reflex when things go wrong is to freak out and spring into action trying to fix everything. Stay calm, take a minute to pray, and gather your thoughts as you assess the situation.

Don't lash out. If things go wrong because someone dropped the ball or messed up big time, now is not the time to let that person know how upset you are. It might be that they know they screwed up big and feel terrible about it. Let them know that you still love them, that you can talk about the issue later, but that you need their help in finding a solution. You earn a lot of chips as a leader when you deal graciously with a team member who messes up in some way.

Be on the lookout for what God is doing. Even if your plans get ruined on account of human error, God is still in charge, and he is still orchestrating your ministry. When things don't go the way you planned, don't freak out that your precious plans have been turned into a pile of dust. Instead, ask God for guidance, and try to follow his lead. He very likely has a much different plan than you put down on paper.

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