Our best days are always ahead of us
In our service to Christian leaders, we like to remind ministers-in-transition that, as Christ-followers, our “best days” are always AHEAD of us. Not BEHIND us.
Why do we hold such a conviction? Because the longer and more intimately we follow Jesus, the more our scorecard changes… re-defining what “best days” really means.
So maybe, in your next season of leadership, you won’t receive as many “benefits” as you did before. Maybe you won’t receive the same hefty paycheck, or enjoy the same crowd of devoted followers. Perhaps the beautiful office, the more-than-adequate budget, the sizable support staff, the enviable status, the month-long paid vacations, will all be down-sized. What then?
We suggest a reality check. Such a perky scorecard may signal “best days” for some, but not so much for Jesus. Allow Jesus to adjust your scorecard for success.
Core to Christian leadership is embracing Jesus’ definition of success – and to then share such wisdom with younger Christian leaders. (If this doesn’t get you fired up as a Christian leader, your scorecard still needs work.) We are not doing anyone any favors by perpetuating an immature scorecard for Christian leaders.
The more we faithfully follow Jesus, the more fully we understand HIS definition of success – which is usually a dozen country miles from how we first imagined success for our own leadership endeavors.
As difficult as transitions can be, they provide an ideal opportunity for God to change our “success scorecard”. As we follow Jesus in the midst of our trials, we begin to slowly see and accept the truth that our ‘best days” absolutely HAVE to be in front of us. Why? Because each day forward we have the undeniable privilege of bringing greater glory to God by relating to Him and to others with greater Christ-likeness. Believe it or not, that’s God’s definition of ‘best days‘!
Tomorrow? Greater Christ-likeness. The next day? Even greater Christ-likeness. It just keeps getting better.
As faithful followers of Jesus, our Best Days are Ahead of us. Always.
And for this, we can be eternally grateful.
