by Pastor Brad Carter
As I stated in Parts One and Two, I have revisited my black book where I write in my “Garden Time” to see what lessons I’ve learned this last year. Most of these thoughts are in the context of leadership but they certainly can apply outside of that lens. So I thought that sharing some of these “highlights” might help someone who reads it. If not, perhaps it will at least entertain you for the next few moments.
Many problems aren’t saying “solve me”, but “outgrow me”
Another big realization from last year was that most of the problems that you are facing in life aren’t saying “solve me”. They are saying “outgrow me”. I was taught early on in life and ministry that I was created by God and placed in this earth to solve a problem.
That led me into this paradigm of trying to discover this grand plan God had for my life designed around some problem that He apparently needed help with. It’s hard to even revisit that thought without laughing out loud now. The truth is, we weren’t created for a problem, problems were created for us! Let me make it biblical, David wasn’t created for Goliath, Goliath was created for David!
Outgrowing A Problem Is A Sign Of Maturity
If we resign ourselves to simply solving problems, then we will spend the rest of our existence solving those very problems. At first glance that may seem noble, but truthfully it is much more beneficial in our life journey to outgrow those problems. The greatest sign of maturity isn’t learning to solve the problem, it’s growing to a place where that problem is no longer a problem.
Think about it like this. Aren’t you glad that some of the problems you used to have to solve when you were a teenager, are no longer an issue? I sometimes laugh at the conversations I’m having with my kids. Because now that I’m older, I know that most of the “problem mountains” they are facing right now, will seem like “molehills” when they get older. Learning to outgrow those problems allows you to put them in your rear-view mirror. And the problems are disguised as opportunities to inhabit new territories of your own soul.
Tradition doesn’t always mean truth
I have learned that tradition doesn’t always mean truth. What “has been” can often become the greatest hindrance to what “could be.” One of the challenging things about this on-going relationship with Holy Spirit is that the communication is fluid. We love to quote Romans 10:17 which says “Faith comes by hearing, hearing the word of Christ”. However, the truth is most of us live more by this version of that scripture “Faith came when I heard the word of Christ”. We love to step into a word from God in obedience and then turn that word into a tradition.
It’s Hearing From The Lord, Not Heard
Hearing is a present-tense practice. We don’t just hear from God once, we continue to hear from Him! Imagine if Abraham’s faith was only based on what he heard? He heard the Lord say “take Isaac up on the mountain and sacrifice him.” That is truly what he heard! But then God spoke again and said “STOP! I have provided a ram in the bush for this sacrifice”. Thank goodness that Abraham was still hearing!
Just because we followed the leading of the Lord and saw success, doesn’t mean we should stay tethered to that “old thing”. We need to hear Him. He will often do a new thing! My late mentor Bishop Tony Miller loved to say this “Never be led tomorrow by the smoke from yesterday’s fire”. Tradition isn’t bad, it can actually be very helpful. It’s ok to allow tradition to develop stability just not security. Routine is a great set of training wheels as long as you eventually take them off. Habits can conform you ad much as they can transform you. So just because it’s what “has been” doesn’t necessarily mean it should also be “what can be.”
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