One of the things that a few church leaders have questioned me about is my repetitiveness in regards to saying, “The best is yet to come,” or that the next event is going to be “the best ever!”
Honestly, I’m glad people have talked with me about it because it has allowed me to reflect on why I am always saying those things. Here’s what I’ve come up with:
1. Enthusiasm and the belief that things were going to get better is one of the major things that pulled me out of depression.
From 2008-2011, I was in the darkest period of my life. Yet nearly every single day, I woke up thinking and believing: This is the day that I could get better, this is the day that I could break out of this. If I had begun to believe that I needed to just accept the way things were, then it is highly likely that I would not be here today. Optimism is a powerful weapon against depression.
2. Some have asked me if what I am doing is “hype.”
My response is that it is only hype if you don’t believe it. At the end of the day, I am smoking what I’m selling. I really do believe that the next series is going to be “the best ever!” I really do believe that the next conference is going to be “the best ever!” That belief has impacted my staff in a positive way. Staff members would much rather follow leadership that has way more dreams for the future than memories of the past.
3. If I do not believe in greater things, then I will not put forth a greater effort.
I believe one of the reasons that churches grow cold, apathetic and hit a wall is because leaders all too often choose to be lazy and fall in love with personal comfort instead of progress. Progress always has a price. Followers of Jesus should never just accept status quo. The leader who always says, “That’s just the way things are,” is basically saying, “I’m too lazy or fearful to actually solve that problem.”
