The ReLeader's Reassurance

Botheration, encouragement, and the resolve to never quit

My caller ID read, “Jimmy Evans cell.” Of course, it did. Jimmy Evans is a long-time pastor, author and the founder of XO Marriage. He had become a mentor to me when I took on a new role as Lead Pastor of Victory Church, and he has been a faithful friend ever since. 

I can’t explain how, but he always seemed to call me at my lowest moments in those first few years of my ReLeader journey—those periods when momentum seems nonexistent, and the thought of quitting seems far safer and beneficial for everyone involved.

I needed that phone call.

Weathering Botheration

Have you ever felt like quitting? Perhaps a better question would be: Have you ever not felt like quitting?

I get it.

As ReLeaders, we’re grateful for the work we do. When we’re good at that kind of work, we can find joy in it almost every day. But the burdens are heavy, and we are only human.

I recently learned a new word: botheration. It means worries or difficulties, as in: “He has caused us a great deal of unnecessary botheration.” I may not have known the word botheration existed, but just like every ReLeader, I have a long history with it.

When ReLeaders step into a new role, we’re not met with parades and celebrations. We were brought in because something was broken. And when something is broken, people scatter.

Those who remain aren’t necessarily at peak performance either. They’re cynical. They’ve lost hope. They may even be suffering from a form of PTSD.

Walking into all this, the burden of leadership can feel overwhelming. The potential for failure looms. You may feel isolated, and loneliness always takes a toll.

But there is good news.

Great news.

The Gift of Reassurance

I won’t presume all ReLeaders are people of faith, but I’m a pastor so I want to give you a glimpse into what encourages me.

One foundation of Christianity is that God knows what we’re going through. He’s not distant. He knows the challenges we face. He knows how we feel. And He knows what you need. Not only does He know; He offers it to every ReLeader.

What does He offer? It’s the gift of Reassurance.

You might call it something else: Comfort. Encouragement. Security or confidence.

However you label it, I’ve experienced it. And it’s come from people and places I don’t often expect. So many individuals have helped me through my ReLeader journey—becoming mentors and trusted advisors who keep me moving forward—and I’m hoping this newsletter can potentially play that role for you.

As a reminder, my first three years of ReLeading were particularly challenging. I had found myself becoming the new Lead Pastor to a once thriving church. But it came on the heels of a moral failure by the founding pastor. There was blood in the water and the sharks were circling. Trust had been lost, finances were hemorrhaging, church members were leaving and, well, I was young and inexperienced.

I was in way over my head.

Keep Sowing New Seeds

But Jimmy Evans kept coming to my rescue. Nearly every time I drifted into a bad place emotionally and my soul was balled up in a fetal position, my phone would ring, and it would be Jimmy.

One of those times was in the Spring of 2015, approximately six months into my ReLeader journey. I answered, and Pastor Jimmy told me that I came to mind during his morning walk along the golf course. It reminded him to pray for me, and he wanted to call to check in.

Then he said something to me I’ve never forgotten. I believe the words he shared with me may be helpful for you, too. In fact, for every ReLeader trying to do something great.

Jimmy described me as having found myself standing in a field surrounded by a harvest from seeds I didn’t plant. And the harvest wasn’t a good harvest. It was a crop of bad fruit.

“You’re not called to harvest this crop,” Jimmy said, “so stop worrying about the fruit surrounding you.”

He told me instead, to use a biblical phrase, to focus on sowing new seeds. The fruit won’t change overnight. It will take years. “If you focus on the fruit that’s in front of you, you will grow discouraged and quit. So, take your eyes off that fruit and place your eyes and your faith on the seed that you are sowing,” he said.

Jimmy told me to just keep throwing down seeds, and one day I’d wake up and find myself surrounded by good fruit—the fruit of the seeds I’d been sowing.

That image has remained in my imagination ever since.

Fear of Failure

Lurking in the shadows just beneath the surface of every leader is a fear of failure. In extreme cases, psychologists call it atychiphobia. Fear of failure is the kind of fear that can stop you in your tracks. It can paralyze you from trying something new, taking a risk, or moving forward because you’re afraid of an unsuccessful outcome.

I wonder if these fears are especially pronounced for ReLeaders, who are usually stepping into a situation where failure has already occurred, and where there is little to no momentum. Our circumstances and our human shortcomings often cast a shadow over our faith, our confidence and our resolve.

As I’ve mentioned in past posts, it reminds me of Zerubbabel and Jeshua, leaders described in the Old Testament book of Haggai. They led the Jewish exiles back to Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile. For them, the fear of failure had to be immense. These were the men chosen by God to restore Jewish religious practices and rebuild the temple for God.

People would surely compare the new temple to the first one—and the first temple had been spectacular. Solomon built it, after all. Even if Zerubbabel and Jeshua could bring together the needed resources, how could it possibly compare to the temple that Solomon built?

For them, the fear of failure must have been debilitating.

As the Bible tells it, God provided. He seemed to have been mindful of their circumstances. For Zerubbabel and Jeshua—and every ReLeader—He provides a special strength to sustain us through the challenges of our calling.

I call this the gift of reassurance. In the Bible, we see God, time and time again, meet every doubt with His assurance. That reassurance gives the boost a ReLeader needs to move forward, even in the face of fear.

This passage always catches my attention:

“The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,” says the Lord Almighty. “And in this place I will grant peace,” declares the Lord Almighty. (Haggai 2:9, NIV)

In this instance, God didn’t give Zerubbabel and Jeshua all the answers they needed or may have wanted. You probably don’t have all the answers you’re looking for either.

A Glimpse of the Future

God also didn’t give them a step-by-step breakdown of how everything was going to come together. He gave them something better: a sneak peek of where they would end up.

His reassurance to them was three-fold:

1. You will finish this work. This is a karate kick to the fear of failure.

2. The finished product will be great. Not only will you finish the work, but it will be great and bring great glory to God.

3. God will grant peace. Amid the chaos of rebuilding what was broken, God will ultimately bless the project with peace.

The message I got that day from Pastor Jimmy had a similar impact on me. It gave me confidence. It brought me peace. He was inviting me to not focus on the current condition of “the present house.” Instead, I was to fix my eyes on the future.

Today, I’m inviting you to do the same.

Maybe you’re burned out, exhausted, and ready to quit. But understand that what you are rebuilding is essential. I believe it’s essential in the eyes of God. Maybe it’s critical for your industry or community. You might be surrounded by rotten fruit, but the seeds you are planting today can flourish into something amazing.

Don’t quit. You will finish the work, the finished product will be great, and I believe God will grant you peace.

Every ReLeader needs reassurance. So, receive yours today!