Sometimes you can’t stop to make changes but changes still have to be made.
I’ve been watching this little Chinese restaurant near a crazy busy intersection in Clarksville. It’s not one of the giants, but a small mom-and-pop with great lunch specials. Over the years, they have grown and now realized change is necessary but ceasing business to make change is not an option.
They have undertaken a creative approach. The small building has a banner that announces they are still open. Otherwise, there is no way you could imagine they would be open. The building is surrounding by new walls going up, new roof being raised and construction moving right along.
I noticed one evening that the business appeared packed with patrons despite the chaos of construction all around them.
Change is necessary. Usually, we must continue operations while making change. Despite the chaos and turmoil that change creates, we have to keep committed to making it happen.
At the same time, we have to let go of the past to embrace the change. If we have a clear focus on the purpose for the change, we can put up with the chaos. If we lose sight of the purpose, we lose our commitment to the change.
If we hold on to the past, we risk become irrelevant.
We can’t fear change because of the inevitable turmoil and disruption. Those are necessary and essential.
We most often avoid change because we aren’t sure where it will lead. That is were courageous leadership is essential. Wise leaders will know that change must happen and even know how to lead the organization there. A vision for the future is an essential element of leadership.
Like the little Chinese restaurant, churches must have guts enough to suffer through change to keep reaching their objective. Are we willing to endure enough chaos to make necessary changes? After all, our purpose is much more important than the little Chinese restaurant’s. Is our faith equal to the guts of the mom-and–pop Chinese restaurant?
