It’s kind of a strange question, isn’t it?

You might have been longing for a fresh start in some area of your life for a while, like in your:

leadership

marriage

parenting

preaching

finances

character

friendships

devotional life

But here’s the weird part.

Many leaders I know are really hard on themselves.

The grace we readily extend to others is grace we rarely extend to ourselves.

And that shouldn’t be. In fact, it can be crippling.

Here’s what’s true:

Most of us long for people to do the right thing.

Most of us resist the change needed within ourselves to do the right (or better) thing.

Why?

Because we use what we’ve done wrong to condemn ourselves and convince ourselves that a new beginning isn’t possible.

We only think about what didn’t happen, rather than celebrate what did happen.

We focus on our shortcomings, not our potential.

We write ourselves off.

We focus on what we missed, not what we hit.

Don’t get me wrong – our mistakes provide valuable lessons. But they only serve to paralyze us unless used to propel us into a better, wiser future.

Tell me if this isn’t true:

Confession without repentance leads to self-pity.

Confession without confidence in God’s belief in your potential leads to despair.

So many people get stuck there, and some never make it out.

So today a simple, ask yourself:

Why won’t you just make the change you need to make and accept a fresh start?

Why don’t you just give yourself the fresh start you long to see others claim?

God is willing to give you a fresh start. I mean you know that. You preach that stuff, don’t you? And you believe it. If God isn’t about new beginnings, then what exactly is He about?

Other people are longing to give you a fresh start. You know this because there’s hardly a day that goes by where you don’t think “Why doesn’t he…” or “I really wish she would just…”. And you know that if they actually did bring about the change you’re longing to see in them, you’d be the first to celebrate. Not condemn. Not say I told you so. But just celebrate. You’d be leading the cheer.

So why do you hesitate to give yourself that same fresh start?

Here are three practical ways to get started:

Stop dwelling on what went wrong. Learn from it. And shift your focus to what could go right.

Trust that God has forgiven you. Note to file. Sometimes the things you refuse to forgive yourself over aren’t even sinful. Just move on. And if it is truly sinful, isn’t that what Jesus covered?

Allow yourself to stumble while you keep your eye on the future. I’ve never met a parent who doesn’t celebrate like crazy when a toddler is learning to take his first steps. No parent criticizes him when he stumbles and inevitably falls down. Because the parent knows what’s coming. And their child just got ten steps closer to it. What if God sees you this way?

So today…give yourself the fresh start you are oh so willing to give others.

Others are ready to extend it to you.

So is your Heavenly Father.

So why are you holding back?

If you’re a ministry leader, mostly what you think about this weekend is others.

The people coming to Good Friday services

The guests who will be at church on Easter Sunday

Your team and crew who served so hard this weekend while everyone else was ‘off’

Your family and all the people who will be through your home

Your spouse and kids (certainly not last and certainly not least)

But what about you?

One of the nasty secrets of church leadership is that leaders help other people celebrate the major holidays but in the process sometimes fail to celebrate it themselves.

When that happens repeatedly, major moments like Good Friday and Easter Sunday lose their meaning. They become about what Jesus did for others, and you lose the fact that He also did this for you.

It’s not just a personal relationship with others Christ wants, it’s a personal relationship with you.

And the shadow side of neglecting your soul on weekend like this is that, over time, the impact is cumulative.

A spiritually empty leader can’t grow a spiritually vibrant ministry.

You will never be able to lead people beyond where you yourself have gone.

So by all means serve others this weekend. We have six services this weekend and we’re launching a 40 Day spiritual journey on Easter Sunday. I’m all for that.

But don’t neglect your own soul.

God loves you. He really does.

That’s why you got into this in the first place, isn’t it?

Here are a few, simple ways you can engage your heart this weekend:

Put on a playlist that moves your spirit. I did this before the weekend services, and some of the songs moved me to tears.

Dig into the scriptures personally. I find Isaiah 53 moves me into incredible space when I think about the sacrifice of Jesus. You might have a few passages that move your core as well.

Pray beyond just ‘grace’ with your family. This can be awkward, but don’t settle for just the usual ‘grace’ at dinner – probe deeper and express your gratitude and longings to God.

Go for a walk. Or go for a hike or hit a coffee shop or take a bike ride or do something that gets you away from your usual and into a place where you naturally have time to think, breathe and reflect.

Spend 30 minutes in silence reflecting on God’s love for you. When was the last time you did this? Exactly.

So this weekend, let God’s love for people also be God’s love for you.

Regardless of whether it makes you a better leader (it will, trust me), it will help you experience the grace Christ longs for you to experience.

What helps you connect with God during a busy ministry season?

There is a lot of talk about ‘platform’ these days.

I think a lot of the conversation is excellent. I loved reading Michael Hyatt’s book on the issue, and am excited that the emerging reality of the online world gives everyone a potential platform. Writers like Seth Godin continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible for ‘average’ people today.

The bottom line? Between blogs, podcasts, websites and even more conventional means, almost anyone can have a platform in an online world.

But let’s push past that and ask a deeper question.

So what if your platform grows?

What if you become ‘successful’?

This is true not just for bloggers, but for pastors, ministry leaders, marketplace leaders, entrepreneurs – anyone who is in a place of influence and ends up with people following them.

What happens if it ‘works’? Your church grows. Your readership inches north.  Your influence expands.

How do you respond?

These two thoughts can help you stay grounded.

Your platform isn’t yours.

It’s a platform. Not a pedestal. (Thanks to my friend Casey Graham for that insight.)

First, your platform isn’t yours. It’s God’s. It’s not your church or your organization. It’s His.

You don’t have a ministry, but God does (and out of his grace he chooses to use you).

The more I remind myself of these things, the healthier I am.

Second, it’s a platform, not a pedestal. There is a world of difference between a platform and a pedestal.

Pedestals are about ego and adulation.

Platforms are designed to be shared and used for the benefit of others.

Leaders need to learn to navigate the difference between a platform and a pedestal.

So how do you avoid turning a platform into a pedestal?

1. Give it over to God (continually). You prayed a lot when you were struggling. You need to pray even more when you are successful. I know in those moments where I experience any level of success, I need to pray. Remember: it came from God, and its deepest purpose is only revealed when it’s used to glorify him.

2. Figure out how to help people with it. Pedestals miss the central Christian idea that power and influence are to be used to benefit others, not the person with power or influence. Ask yourself: how can I use what God has given me to benefit others? That applies to position, knowledge and money.

3. Share it. Platforms are shared. Pedestals aren’t.  Push other people into the spotlight.  Don’t make it about you. Make it about God and others.

4. Hold it loosely. What is given can also be taken away. It isn’t yours.

5. Pour your heart into it. This sounds like the opposite of the other four, but I think it’s actually a compliment to them. If God gave it to you, give it back to him. Help people with it. Share it. Hold it loosely. But pour all you’ve got into it with all the skill you have. Success can create an ambivalence. Don’t ease off when you’ve become ‘successful’. If you’ve got more to give, give it. You’ll help many and come closer to realizing your God-given potential. Leadership requires our full diligence.

What are your thoughts on platform and how to use it well?