The original passions that drive a person toward ministry are powerful. These firestorms of frustration reflect a person's clearest, most unadulterated vision for how the world should be. But the ongoing stress and aggravation of leadership take a toll. Love of God may not wane, but the complexities of dealing with people's deep-seated pain, fear, and need often suck the joy out of the work. As a result, pastors and leaders often suppress, dilute, or ignore their holy discontent altogether--who has the time to chase after such lofty dreams? They forsake their unique interests, their individual gift mix, and the gutlevel knowledge of God's specific purpose for them, and instead attempt to be everything to everyone--an impossible task.
When leaders operate from a place of obligation instead of from the authentic energy of the God- given pangs of frustration than birthed their vision to begin with, the outcomes they face personally are devastating: their hearts lose hope, their stance becomes reactive, and their fuel reserves dry up as ministry becomes a drain instead of an inspiration. Moreover, visions become fuzzy ( if they exist at all), goals get watered-down, teams fell deflated, and ultimately, cynicism overtakes the communities they attempted to serve. This not the vision God had in mind when he commissioned the local church to be the message-bearer of his Good News.
