Good or Great?

If you are one of my readers who is in ministry, chances are very good you have read Jim Collin’s book Good To Great.  If you haven’t read it, stop reading this post and order it now.  Even though my boy Chris hates it, I think it is a great book with great principles.

There are a ton of great principles in the book BUT none of them have stayed with me like the princple that Good is the enemy of Great.  I think this is one of the most important things a leader can learn.  Every day I am face with good opportunities, but those things will take up all my time and keep me from the great opportunities.

I have learned that a lot of times “good” is easy.  I have also learned that “good” will produce quick results.  That is why we are so drawn to “good” opportunities.  Many churches have setttled for “good” and that is what they will be.  Nothing wrong with being good unless God planned for you to be great.

As I sit here and think about the two huge announcements I am about to make tomorrow, I think they are both another step towards us being the great church God intends for us to be.  However, I also think of how many good opportunities I have had to say “no” to over the last year.  On paper they were great things and no one would have questioned us jumping on them, but if we would have acted on them, we wouldn’t have been in the position we are now.

Saying “no” to good things isn’t always popular and isn’t easy.  Just in the last two weeks, I had a pastor approach us about “partnering” together.  Basically we would have taken their ministry over and turned it into a campus of Revolution.  I like the pastor and like the people that I have met that attend this church.  However, the reality was it didn’t help us accomplish what God intended for us to accomplish and would have not worked with what we are announcing tomorrow.  It was a good thing, but it would have kept us from being great.  The easy thing would have been to do it.  It would have provided some building space, some nice equipment, “bragging” rights because we would have had another campus, but in the grand scheme of things it was simply good, not great.

I admired this pastor (still do) because he was willing to do whatever to reach his community, but I also had to make the best decision for Revolution to be the church God has called us to be.  Honestly, I didn’t even have to pray about it.  I knew the answer because I have learned the difference between good and great.

I could go on and on with examples of things being good stopping us from being great.  We could have moved into a good building a year ago, but it would have kept us from the great thing God has planned.  We could have stayed with the good thing of being Revolution Church in Canton, but it would have kept us from the great thing of reaching another community with the message of Jesus Christ.   We’ve said no to starting a ton of ministries so we can stay focused on the great thing of loving God, loving others, and serving others.

Everyone knows the principle of good being the enemy of great, but those who truly change the world implement the principle.