Day 1: A Disturbing Jolt

God sometimes allows a disrupting experience to jar our hearts or minds loose from complacency. It is often His way of saying, “I love you, and I want better for you.”

Be careful, Timothy thought as he steered his sky blue Hyundai through a torrential rainstorm, on his way from the church he pastored to his favorite coffee shop. He was still reeling from the jolt he’d received at his church board meeting the night before. Be careful, or you’re done there.

The meeting had started everyone in good spirits. About an hour into the meeting, it happened. During the annual outreach discussion, Ray – a longtime board member – raised his hand.

Acknowledged by the chairman, Ray spoke. “Can’t quite put my finger on it, but something’s nagging at me.” The atmosphere of the meeting suddenly changed. “Most of our meetings are consumed with committee reports, projects, and budgets. My gut tells me we’re majoring in the minors. Are we missing something significant in this process?”

All paper shuffling halted; note jotting stopped. The easygoing ambiance evaporated.

When he finished, all were silent – for about ten seconds. Then various board members found courage from Ray’s example to speak up. One unanswered question after another emerged about the church’s mission, methods, results, testimony, and effectiveness.

Harassed by disturbing questions and self-doubts, Timothy had a tough time sleeping that night.

Responding to a Jolt

A jolt is a crisis. But it becomes a blessing when we respond in God’s way. It is an opportunity to become wiser and sink our roots deeper into His love.

1. When did God let you experience a jolt that rocked your world?
2. How did you respond?
3. What is the single most troubling question you ask yourself about...
    
   1. ). . . the ministry of your church or charity?
   2. ). . . yourself as a follower of Jesus Christ, a “disciple”?
   3. ). . . discipling others?

For ten days, let’s journey into God’s Word. Let’s discover what matters most to God about ourselves and our ministries. This will help us grow into even more effective leaders for Him.

Ready?

Read about Joseph’s jolt in Genesis 37:1–28. Ponder Proverbs 3:5–6

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, Your will be done in and through me on earth as it is in heaven.

Skip Garmo is president of the Mission to Children (www.MissionToChildren.org), founder of Character Solutions International (www.CharacterSolutions.org), and national coordinator of the disciple-making sphere of The Mission America Coalition’s “Love2020” movement (http://www.love2020.com/disciplemaking).

The basis for this 10-day devotional series is Skip’s book, The Leader's SEEcret: Asking the Right Questions and Embracing God's Answers [http://bit.ly/LeadersSEEcret ]. Get your copy of this paradigm-changing personal, leadership, and discipling resource today.