Yesterday I was walking down the hall of our Family Life Center. One of our Weekday Ministry kindergarten classes created a bulletin board on which bees were present, along with desired traits (ok … I didn’t pay THAT much attention as I hurried down the hall). And that bulletin board spoke to me just now.
One of the constants in my profession is a flow of negative energy… That is a sad sentence, but true. In a church with over 1,300 members, there is ALWAYS someone unhappy about a decision… Or about the state of ________ … or about the color of shoestrings in the pastor’s shoes … I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how negativity, derision, and factions absolutely SMOTHER the vision and mission of any church. And I realize I am the point of contact for that at Ebenezer.
This morning, I find myself realizing the more energy I put into fending off this stuff, the LESS energy I am able to focus on what God called me here for many years ago … (Well, Tommy Dowling has been telling me that for years. And Marty Coates reinforces this constantly on his blog http://www.coatesandassociatesinc.com/blog.html).
It all makes sense now … BEEE POSITIVE!! Tommy and Marty and John Maxwell and a bunch of other solid leadership gurus are right: FOCUS ON STRENGTHS!! Now, when there are legitimate problems that need to be addressed, the Holy Spirit WILL make that clear, too! But I’ve got to stop worrying about the color of my shoestrings … or if John Q. Churchmember is upset about the brand of TP we are now using, or the fact we put a 42″ TV in his Sunday School room instead of a 46″ ….
Yes, in several ways I know I need to trust the Holy Spirit to show me the way. And I’ve got to do a better job at avoiding the quicksand in which the devil desperately wants me to become swamped. So, pray for me today!!! And I’ll pray for you!
And BEEEEE Positive!
The Random Thinker 
A realization in all our lives…thank you for again reminding us of the need to be aware that negativity drains us of energy intended to use for His purpose.