Leave the Results with God

Church Leadership

by Joel Comiskey

Summer 2009

I’m learning more and more that God is God and I’m not. Too often I try to force God into my box. I want HIM to fulfill my will. But He won’t and He doesn’t, especially when I have that attitude.

I’ve noticed two areas that I can easily fall into this trap: 1. book sales. 2. church growth.

I can easily find myself pleading with God to sell more of my books and to give me/us more church growth. Yet, both areas have one thing in common: I can’t make them happen. I can’t force people to buy my books, and I can’t force people to come to church.

I can make my best effort under His sovereign grace to write the best books possible and to minister to people in the most effective, diligent way I know how. But then I have to leave the results to God.

Take Wellspring, for example. God has been showing me that I need to connect success with what I do and then leave the rest to God. I have to ask:

  • Did I coach Eric well? (the lead pastor)
  • Did I pray fervently for Wellspring?
  • Am I taking people through the training?
  • Am I doing my best to make my cell work?

If I’ve done these things, I am successful! I’m learning not to allow my mind to wander down the dark alleys of success and failure beyond my control. I must believe God is sovereign and that He will give the growth. The exact same scenario plays out in book sales.

Stephen Covey says something similar when he talks about the circle of influence versus the circle of concern. He says that many people live in their circle of concern, a circle they can do nothing about. They live their lives reacting to what they can’t control instead of proactively living within those areas they can influence.

Under God’s grace and power, we need to connect success with what we do and then leave the rest to God. Does this make sense? Comments?

Joel