I was listening to the Willowcreek case study on Matthew Barnett and the Dream Center in LA. He shared a defining moment where he felt like the Lord spoke to him: “I want you to die to the dream of being a success and live to the dream of being a blessing!”

That’s so good.

Permission to speak frankly?

We waste so much energy worrying about outcomes. Focusing on outcomes is fruitless and frustrating. We ought to focus all of our energies on inputs. If we focus on being a blessing God will bless us big time!

That’s one of the lessons I’m learning with In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. I can’t control how many copies it sells. All I can do is pray that every book is a blessing to whoever reads it.

I think it’s one of the lessons I learned early on in church planting. You want to grow so bad, but all you can do is plant and water because God is the one who gives the increase! You have to be the best pastor you can be to however many people you pastor!

Quit trying to be a success. Start being a blessing!