Becoming a Climber!
By Stovall Weems
How do we fulfill our God-given destiny? How we live & lead today, tomorrow, next week, next month and over the long haul determines whether we become climbers. Why? Because leadership is an uphill journey!
Matthew 5:1-2 (MSG)
When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat and taught his climbing companions.
There are essentially three kinds of leaders:
- Quitters – short-term leaders (we can hardly call them leaders at all)
- Campers – Mid-range leaders
- Climbers – Long Haul leaders
QUITTERS: They are the ones that pick up their toys and go home just at the realization that there is a mountain!
- Opt Out – Cop Out – Back Out – Drop Out
- If leadership is an ascent up a mountain, quitters abandon the climb.
- They DESERT their inner drive to move forward.
- They abandon their DREAMS.
- They are often BITTER, DEPRESSED, EMOTIONALLY NUMB and a REAL DRAG TO BE AROUND!
- They may be MAD and FRUSTRATED at the world around them – RESENTFUL and offended at those who continue to climb.
CAMPERS: They are the ones that go only so far and say, “That is as far as I can (or want) to go.”
- If leadership is an uphill trek, weary of the climb, campers terminate their ascent and find a smooth, comfortable plateau on which to hide from adversity.
- They’ve taken on some challenges of life.
- They’ve reached the campground & now focus on furnishing their tents with material goods to make them as comfortable as possible – instead of focusing on the peak.
- They say, “It’s not best, but it’s good enough.”
- They are the “play-it-safes.”
- They hang out with other campers, roast marshmallows, compare Rolexes and sing “Kumbaya.”
- They don’t associate with quitters because they’re LOSERS.
- They don’t associate with climbers because they’re MAVERICKS & LOOSE CANONS.
- Campers have chosen predictability over fulfillment.
CLIMBERS: They are dedicated to the life-long journey. Only climbers live life to its fullest!
- If leadership is an ascent, climbers continue onward and upward regardless of background, advantages, misfortune or past achievements.
- They are possibility thinkers.
- They embrace challenges and change.
- They get knocked down, but they get up again!
- They understand that setbacks happen – but they are willing to sometimes take a step back if it will result in two steps forward in the end.
- They may stop at the campground to get refueled, rejuvenated and re-energized – but they DON’T hook up a satellite dish, a leather sectional sofa and a cappuccino machine to that tent!
- To the climber, the campground is a base camp. To the camper, it’s a permanent address!
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
For our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.
Paul, like Jesus, wasn’t a quitter or a camper but dedicated to the climb. It’s what it takes to finish strong in what God has called you to. In your pray today, ask God to help you to become a tenacious climber who makes it to the end – to your God-given destiny!
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Pastor,
I apologize for being away for a while, I have been travelling and very busy with the family and career.
What a great post. I agree with Erik in the fact that we need more climbers as men in the church, and I pray the Lord will continue to give me guidance and strength to encourage those I come in contact with.
What motivates you to continue the climb?
I am motivated by what God had to do with me to get me to this place. I look back and understand that it is by His grace, and his grace alone that I am sitting in this chair.
There are several we as men can look to in the bible as climbers; Abraham, Joseph, David, Daniel, Paul and many others. I like to look at what motivated tham, as I like to look at what motivates any great man of God.
I thank you for your leadership, and your passion. We have an awesome church, and Jesus is with us.
In Him
Jason
I can explain country music to you…the song “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” well…it was my biological father’s theme song…I had no choice in the fact that he was who he was. I’m thankful to still be alive and continuing on my journey to whatever it is I’m supposed to be doing. I have learned to quit giving stuff to God then “taking it back” when I didn’t like how it was going. I’ve learned there is a reason for all even though I may not understand it yet. I’ve learned that I am still a child of God even though my father forgot I was his daughter. I’ve learned it’s ok to make mistakes. I’m learning how to be a single mother of an absolute angel who thinks he rules even though he’s only 18 mos old. I’ve also learned you CAN convert a gator to be a DAWG. In God all things are possible-even the seemingly “impossible” Maybe Celebration church was the reason I moved to FL because I didn’t want to come but it was out of my hands and I’ve been here since 1998 and look where I am now. Hallelujah!!!
and yes…I guess I can forgive you for being an LSU Tiger I’ll be pulling for yall this weekend. ugh should have been US against y’all—but again that’s ok..we’ll have our day again.
Pastor,
It makes me sad to see someone camp out when it is in them to climb. I’m constantly filled with the desire to share and talk about Christ and how awesome Celebration Church is to those I hold in close relationship, but it is too often met with the frustration of short sightedness and a constant bombardment of religious judgment. Leadership is truly a lonely place sometimes. It just hurts so bad to see people with so much to offer the church just stop and set up camp.
Pastor Stovall,
Your words on Leadership really spoke to me. I am in the process of building our 2008 professional Endurance Racing Porsche Team to include the involvement of high risk teenage boys (crew). With God’s help we hope to teach them how to endure and be victoreous in life while offering them a dream come true of participating in auto racing. God placed this on my heart years ago and after taking a six year break from racing I feel God is leading us to move forward. Life and circumstances keep trying to tell me I can’t do it but I am determined to align myself with the “Open Heaven” and listen only to the voice of Truth. Your words on leadership have provided me with more determination to stay the course. I am so thankful to call Celebration my home and you and Kerrie my Pastors.
Pastor, Good word on our life’s journey and leadership being an uphill battle.
I have a good analogy from a recent personal experience:
My wife and I just returned last weekend from a week in NC where we celebrated our one year wedding anniversary and climbed to the summit of Stone Mountain in the state park.
It took us 2 hours to climb up it- often at 60 degree inclines !! Needless to say we were glad to reach the top ! The view from the top is incredible and worth every agonizing step to reach it. But it did take every ounce of energy we had to push through the pain and shortness of breath to reach the goal. (The descent took an hour and was about 1,000 steps in and of itself.)
Suffice it to say you cannot just climb without taking times to regroup and rest momentarily- it will not only wear you out physically but you could be in mortal danger if you don’t rest and get your bearings on The Rock correctly. (On Christ the solid Rock I Stand had a whole new meaning after we did the climb.)
While on the journey we must wait upon the Lord and glean our strength from Him. We can get strength from Him because He doesn’t tire.
Isaiah 40:28-31 (CEV)
28 Don’t you know?
Haven’t you heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
Creator of the earth.
He never gets weary or tired;
his wisdom cannot be measured.
29 The LORD gives strength
to those who are weary.
(Because He has it to give, you can’t give what you don’t have)
30 Even young people get tired,
then stumble and fall.
31 But those who trust the LORD
will find new strength.
They will be strong like eagles
soaring upward on wings;
(interestingly it is effortless for eagles to soar in the wind, we saw many in the mountains- they simply submit to its power and flow with its guiding hand)
they will walk and run
without getting tired.
God Bless !
You continue to amaze me with the word of God! I first started going to Celebration on Easter of 2006 and I can’t go to any other church except yours. Its not the same. I feel like you are talking directly to me every time I hear you speak about the word and how it pertains to our lives! Keep doing what your doing…the following of Christ will continue to grow!
P.S. I can’t wait until Shine ‘08 ! (This will be my first time attending)
I am certainly glad to be serving with the climbers!
I am in it for the long haul with you Pastor!
Stovall I can’t help but think of David and Johathon when Saul set out to kill David. You talk about a “band of brothers”. It would have been easy for King David to take the free agent contract after killing Goliath and reside in the kings quarters of luxury the rest of his life. But no…he stepped up to the leadership challenge that God called him to. He didn’t back down to Saul’s intimidation on account of jealousy.
And then there’s Johnathon. Talk about stepping up to the plate. He turned on his own father to do what is right for the Kingdom and lock arms with David to fight for what is right (and against his father). Thats powerful stuff that climbers are made of.
I am reminded of a quote from ML King, “With this faith (in the glory of the Lord) we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope”.
Last I checked hewing anything out of a mountain is not easy… But when it is done it will last a long time.
Word to fellow Celebration Men…We need some more, a LOT more, climbers!!!
Thanks for the blog entry.