Turning a Spiritual Ship is Harder
If you’ve read many leadership books or articles, you have likely heard a very common illustration. It has to do with changing the culture of a business, organization, or even congregation. It is the illustration of trying to turn around a large ship. The picture is meant to remind you that you simply cannot turn those large ships on a dime and it takes awhile for them to get turned all the way around.
As it pertains to leadership, then, that picture is meant to instill in the leader the idea that you cannot just change everything overnight and expect it to be successful. Changes have to be thoughtful (of course), but also patience is needed because you are trying to change something that has become comfortable for people. And whether we want to admit it or not, whether something is good or bad often does not matter as much to us as whether that thing is comfortable!
The illustration of a ship turning is a good one. But I would suggest to you that, as it pertains to spiritual matters, it falls a little short. The reason is because there is a missing element that every elder, preacher, or committed member needs to constantly have in mind.
It is this: we are not trying to turn around a cruise ship in a calm ocean. We are trying to turn around a battleship in the middle of a (spiritual) war!
Our enemy does not mind if people are comfortable doing things that do not really matter, so he will do all he can to tempt people to remain comfortable and not see that this change is necessary.
For example, if a congregation is inwardly focused and not personally involved in evangelism, the leaders of the congregation may work on trying to change that. After all, we are to be seeking to win the lost constantly. But they know that they can’t just cancel every event and replace them all with new things in one snap decision. So, they will take the time to preach about evangelism, “talk it up” in announcements and articles, and change the events of the congregation to more closely align with what they know the congregation should be doing.
But does the devil like that? Of course not! He would be totally fine for folks to go to church and for a congregation to just “feed itself” and never try to reach the lost. So, not only are the leaders fighting comfort, they are fighting the real enemy!
However, if the change is Biblical (not just change for the sake of change and certainly not change away from Holy Writ), it must be done. We must turn the ship around, even if we have to do so right in the midst of the fiery darts of the devil.
When leaders are willing to do that, it will take awhile, but it will be worth it. Souls will be saved. Christians will be more aligned with the teachings of Scripture. Communities will be blessed. Above all, God will be glorified.
Realize that it takes awhile and realize that you’re in a spiritual war. But turn that ship around and be what the Church is supposed to be.
AUTHOR: Adam Faughn