Not a day goes by that I don’t ask a mind-numbing but really important question. It goes something like this: What if we did X instead of Y or Z? What if we invested more in this project than the small amount we were originally thinking? What if our strategy included such and such? What if we changed our approach on this to advance further and reach more people? You get the idea.
This question takes on many forms and looks different in every conversation. But it’s always about expanding hearts and minds to what “could be” instead of easily defaulting to what “is,” or more often than not, what appears to be.
This question frequently drives my conversations with clients, strategic partners, and team members. It often frames out our creative, strategic, and production sessions while providing a tremendous onramp to expanded vision.
It also represents a simple daily choice to see the possibilities and opportunities that exist in the Kingdom rather than automatically fixating on obstacles and ceilings as a default response.
For me, the question represents one of the foundational principles from which and through which I do life. In fact, it’s so important to me that you could rightly identify it as one of my personal core values.
More often than not, however, long before this question has been given adequate time to morph and mature, someone pipes up and interjects that dreaded word—“but.” And the creative energy in the conversation comes to a screeching halt.
As ministry leaders, what if we adopted a playground rule that says, “’What-ifs’ are rewarded and affirmed while ‘buts’ (pun intended) are silenced and isolated from influence in our ministries and churches”? Wouldn’t that be nice?
