No I am not going to write about how you should have a good cry now and then. I'm not talking about pink shirts on Ed Young or even great new cologne (which are fun reads none-the-less). The sensitivity I'm talking about is a sensitivity to your people and circumstances.
As a leader you are charged to move people from point A to point Z. In many situations you can simply "Know the way, Go the way and Show the way" but there ARE situations when you need to be sensitive enough to the hearts and minds of those around you.
As Pastors we can find ourselves in the middle of a see-saw between two polar opposites. On one side you have 'sensitivity to needs of your people' and on the other side you have yourself thinking: 'We've gotta get moving!'
In every church you have complainers and whiners. You have people who want to talk to you just to say they had your attention. Please ignore those people during my post. They are not who I'm talking about. The great thing is that we all have the other types... sane, rationale and regular people who have some common sense. These ARE who I'm referring to.
Bob Franquiz asked the other day about the hardest things to do in the Pastorate. I believe that this balancing act is one of the most challenging. If you are in a church where people can still talk to you in the hallway you will deal with this balancing act.
Where is the balance then? Where is the balance between letting the tail wag the dog and getting stuff done without completely stomping on the very people you're trying to reach? I believe the answer is found in your ability to remain sensitive.
If the Holy Spirit lives in each believer and each believer believes in the same God and seeks out truth in the same bible we SHOULD be able to gain wisdom from HIM about our people and about the direction of the church.
Many times Pastors find themselves trying to run on 'back then' visions from God.
"Back in ______ (2003, March, Last month, etc.) God told me to do this... so I am."
What we can find ourselves doing if we're not careful is running on spiritual fumes. If we don't have a constant and fresh face before God we can take our marching orders and go make terrible decisions. I read in His Excellency about a battle that the British troops lost to the Americans where the Americans killed many of their men only to find out later that the peace treaty was already signed before the battle began. The original order to fight was right but something changed. If they had faster communication (like a cell phone) they would have not died in vain but because of the lack of communication (give them a break, it was the 1700's) these men died in a battle that didn't' have to happen. Our original order to reach the lost won't change but it's possible the 'how' will. We can't get married to our methods.
Our ongoing sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and to the lives of our people will help us to make decisions at the best time. That sensitivity will allow us to be ready to pull the trigger at the right moment to see our plans succeed.
Final Illustration:
I'm not a fisherman. I have gone fishing only a handful of times but if fishing was like what I see on Bassmaster where fish are coming out of the water every 2 minutes, I'd probably enjoy it better. What I have noticed about fishing however (from trail and error as well as the television) is that when you pull your rod back and toss it forward to cast, you have to release the line at the right time or else your bait will flop. It's not the bait's fault and the equipment was fine. The boat does it's job to hold you up and boy you sure look good in your new shades... But still a flop. Why? Timing.
As a Leader I encourage you to remain sensitive as you make each of your decisions. It doesn't mean that others tell you when to lead, it just means that you take into account all of the circumstances before you cast your line.
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