Keep Moving Forward
One phrase has guided my life, leadership, and ministry for many years: Keep Moving Forward.
In fact, I sign many of my emails and notes with those three words. Why? Because leadership is not about standing still. Leadership is about progress.
I recently heard an interviewer talking with the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals. The fans were expressing concerns about the rebuilding process, and the interviewer made a simple statement: “They just want to see progress.”
That thought stayed with me.
Whether you're leading a business, a ministry, a team, or a family, people understand that challenges are part of the journey. They understand that growth takes time. What they want to see is progress. They want to know that things are moving forward.
The same is true in our personal lives.
One of the greatest dangers in leadership is stagnation. When we stop moving forward, frustration begins to creep in. We become discouraged. We lose momentum. Before long, we find ourselves settling for less than what God intended.
The Apostle Paul understood the importance of forward momentum. In Philippians 3:13–14 he wrote:
"Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal..."
Notice Paul's focus. He was not dwelling on yesterday's victories or yesterday's failures. He was reaching forward.
I have discovered that what we focus on grows larger in our lives. If we focus on disappointments, they grow. If we focus on obstacles, they grow. But when we focus on God's purpose, His opportunities, and His promises, our faith grows.
Someone once asked my pastor, Tommy Barnett, what he would do differently if he could live his life over again. His answer surprised me.
He said, "I'd take more risks."
That wisdom has stayed with me over the years. Every significant step forward in our ministry came because we were willing to take a God directed risk. Growth always requires movement, and movement often requires courage.
As legendary leaders, let's refuse to become comfortable with where we are. Let's continue growing, learning, and improving. Let's release the past, embrace change, and keep our eyes on the future God has prepared for us.
Today, I encourage you to evaluate your life. Are you moving forward, or have you become stagnant?
Whatever may be trying to hold you back, make the decision today to keep moving forward. The future is still ahead of you, and I believe God has greater things in store than you've seen so far.
Keep moving forward.