“If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” 2 Corinthians 11:30 (ESV)
This is the fourth in a series of blog posts called, “My Top Ten Mistakes in Ministry (That I Can Share Publicly)” After many years of ministry experience as a church planter, pastor and seminary professor I think I’ve finally learned that one of the best kept secrets to surviving well in the ministry is to stop making the same old mistakes that others (like me) have been making for decades. Instead, let’s all start making some brand new, bold, innovative and creative mistakes!
We began this series with an introduction called, “Ladies First” in which veteran church planter wife, Shari Thomas, addressed the tough topic, “What I Wish I Had Known About Church Planting” from the perspective of the church planter’s/pastor’s spouse. We then took a look at
Mistake #3: Not Understanding the Difference Between My Goals and Desires
Dreams and Goals
In the Sermon of the Mount Jesus said, “Do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matt 6:24
This is one of many famous quotations from Jesus that we’ve heard so often we think we really understand it. But the hard truth is that we’ve often either forgotten it or never really learned it in the first place. So let me try to remind you of the stunning present relevance of these words of our Lord for you and me today.
In these famous words of Jesus we are meant to learn the simple but life-changing truth that God means for us to focus our attention, energies and worries primarily on the things we can do something about today— and then trust him with all those things that are out of our control tomorrow and in all the tomorrows that lie ahead. Just like with the Israelites, the Lord wants us to learn how to trust Him for our manna (our “daily bread”)—one day at a time (Sweet Jesus!).
In the trenches of real-life ministry, the task before you can be so overwhelming that you can easily feel like one very small person standing all alone with a very small axe in your hand looking up fearfully at a massive forest that you’ve been “called” to cut down. The task can be absolutely paralyzing unless you learn how to put on those “Gospel Blinders”, go into “biblical denial” about all those things that lie ahead 
of you now that could eat your lunch—and instead set a very reasonable, achievable goal for cutting down just a few trees each day.
Then you must learn the art of giving yourself each day–not to fulfill your desire to remove the whole forest–but to accomplish your goal of just taking down those few trees (and they better not all be about ministry!). Only then can you be free from the oppressive, crushing, joy-robbing demands of the whole forest.
Understanding the difference between your goals and desires can truly help set you free from a life dominated by anxiety and fear. I think it was from Dr. Larry Crabb and/or Dr. Dan Allendar that I first learned (way too late!) this idea that:
- Your Personal Goals need to be defined as those things that are within your control, relatively speaking (because nothing is every REALLY in your control), while you must learn to see
- Your Personal Desires as those things normally not in your control.
Let me try to bring this lofty idea down for a landing regarding practical ministry issues. Under this definition if, as a church planter or pastor, you want to have ten people become Christians and be baptized in your church this year, that would be a desire but not a goal because you cannot control that outcome.
The key that can often open the door to new, heart-freedom is when you learn how to WORK toward Your Goals . . .
. . . and PRAY for Your Desires.
What you must learn to think (and to say!) is that your desire is to have ten people trust in Christ and be baptized in your church this year but your goal is to do practical, tangible things like set aside regular times to pray for the lost, make so many contacts with people in your community every week, train six people in evangelism, have three evangelistic gathering events, etc.
The key that really opens the door to heart-freedom in all this is that you learn to work toward your goals and pray for your desires. The value of this approach to life and ministry is that it serves to remind you that the outcome of your life and ministry ultimately rests with God—and not you!
I’m convinced that one of the primary reasons so many Christian leaders drop out of the ministry today is because they have never learned this simple distinction between their goals and desires. Their desires become their goals and when their desires are not meant, for whatever reason, they become angry, bitter, depressed and frustrated.
But there is a freedom and peace about your life and your ministry that can be yours if you will learn, by God’s grace, how to understand the difference between your goals and desires. Oh how I wish someone had shared this with me thirty years ago. As Steve Brown would say, “You think about that!”
Ste
ve Childers is the President & CEO of Global Church Advancement, an inter-denominational ministry that provides church planting training, consultations, and resources for church planters, pastors and missionaries throughout the world. Steve has trained Christian leaders from more than 50 countries (curriculum in five major global languages) representing over 200 denominations and mission agencies in 5 continents (& 5 languages). Steve is also an author, Professor of Practical Theology (since 1995) and the Director of the Doctoral program at Reformed Theological Seminary, in Orlando, Florida, where he teaches church planting, missions, evangelism and spiritual formation. To learn more about GCA:
WHAT PEOPLE ARE 
WHAT PEOPLE ARE 
WHAT PEOPLE ARE 
