A sign in a high school football locker room read, “A confused player won’t play well.” Nothing can be more frustrating than not knowing what we are supposed to do in a given situation. And because we believe doing something is better than doing nothing we often simply do something in ministry with little reflection as to why we are doing it. If our actions bring apparent “success,” however we choose to define that, we will make that our standard mode of operation. If not, we abandon that technique and look for another, seeking through trial and error to find something that will “really work.” Our eyes have a tendency to focus on those who have achieved and we often adopt their methods, not reflecting on why those methods “worked” or evaluating them in light of our theology.

Do you ever feel like you are standing in front of an apathetic sports team, trying to get them psyched up for the big game? They lack focus and desire, and your motivational attempts seem to fall on deaf and uninterested ears.

The situation is far worse and more challenging than you think.