This post is part two of an ongoing series about the lessons I have learned in transition. If you missed the first lesson you can find it here.
“Lesson Two: Proceed with caution and patience, the goal of transition must still be the advancement of the Kingdom of Heaven. ”
Some times when transition comes it needs to happen quickly, because after prayer and wise counsel it is the best and healthiest option for everyone involved.
There are other times where a transition may take some time to unfold fully. That time is extremely precious and how you handle yourself and those around you in the midst of that transition will be what people remember.
This plays out very practically in "guarding the hearts" of those you lead.
Guarding hearts means that you may need to refrain from sharing every detail of your transition or your hurts, or frustrations with everyone.
Leaders have a responsibility to always think about those who may be following them. The moment you have built influence in another person's life is the moment that you have become a leader and therefore the moment that you have responsibility to lead well.
Transition is not a time of you to make yourself look good in the eyes of your followers or friends while putting down the organization or leadership above you.
The goal of transition for us as disciples is still the same goal for every other day of our lives, advancing the Kingdom of Heaven.
I have known leaders who have begun transition with wording similar to this:
"I have been praying and I just feel like the Lord is leading me in another direction... or that he is releasing me from this place..."
If the Lord is leading you to do transition, then do it in such a way that he will be proud that he is associated with your life and transition, not in a way that will cause his heart to ache.
The reality is this, if you don't do transition well, and you are not thinking about advancing the Kingdom of Heaven, and you do decide to become divisive, you will advance the agenda of hell among those around you.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy...”
Advancing the Kingdom of Heaven means living in such a way as to make the agenda of Heaven your agenda and the realities that exist in Heaven the realities in your life.
The reality is that in Heaven there is no division. There is Unity.
The reality is that in Heaven there is no dishonor. There is Honor always.
The reality is that in Heaven there is no gossip. There is Truth and Love.
As a leader, as an individual there will be transition in your life, and when those days come gather around you a close group of friends and allow them to rejoice with you, mourn with you, celebrate with you, whatever it is, you need that group to walk through this with you. When it comes to those you lead, guard their hearts and make sure that what you are advancing is the the Kingdom of Heaven and not the divisiveness of hell.
In the middle of all of my transition recently, there was a verse that challenged me to my core regarding what it looked like to be a leader...
“72 And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.”
My prayer is that as leaders, friends, family, coworkers, church family, we would be people who transition well with the purpose of advancing the Kingdom of Heaven among us, that we would lead with integrity of heart and skillful hands.