Where is the Bottleneck?
A “bottleneck” is defined on thefreedictionary.com as:
1. a. A narrow or obstructed section, as of a highway or a pipeline.
b. A point or an area of traffic congestion.
2. A hindrance to progress or production.
3. The narrow part of a bottle near the top.
4. Music A style of guitar playing in which an object, such as a piece of glass or metal, is passed across the strings to achieve a gliding sound.
5. Biology An abrupt and severe reduction in the number of individuals during the history of a species of a population, often resulting in the loss of diversity from the gene pool.
For our purposes here, we will focus on the 2nd and 3rd definitions given. I believe that a consideration of those two definitions will provide a lot of food for thought as it relates to many areas of our lives. Those two definitions may also prove to be challenging to those of us who may find ourselves in any sort of leadership position.
Are you a parent? If so, you are in a leadership position. According to the Bible, this is especially true if you are the husband/father in a family. Not only does the Bible inform us that the “…husband is the head of the wife…” (Eph. 5:23), it also gives the following instruction to fathers:
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).
Is everything in your family progressing as you would desire? Do you get frustrated at times with lack of progress in the spiritual, social, physical, financial, and/or other areas that concern your family?
How about at work? You don’t have to be the CEO, president, etc. of a huge corporation. You might only be responsible for a particular department, division, etc., but people look to you for guidance and direction.
Is everything at work going along smoothly? Does there seem to be a “bottleneck” somewhere?
What about the congregation where you worship? Are you (like me) attempting to serve as an elder? Maybe you are not an elder, but you are in some way “over” something. Maybe you’ve been given the responsibility for a particular ministry or project. It could be that you’ve volunteered to “head up” a particular ministry.
Could there be areas of service, outreach, edification, benevolence, devotion, concern, etc. that are lacking? Do you dream of an impact that could be made in the community and beyond “if only…”? Does a lack of involvement and interest frustrate you?
As you think about these and other similar situations, please think also of those two definitions mentioned earlier. When you do, I think you will agree (and be challenged by) what a friend of mine said to me recently.
It may be of interest that he was quoting a former boss. It may also be of interest that he was applying the quote to his opinion of the congregation where he worships.
“Bottlenecks happen at the top!”
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AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
