Can-Do Attitude

I just finished a project with a 12 year old boy.   Since he does not have a father in his life, when this young man was just 5 I began hanging out with him fortnightly to be a father figure and teach him some woodworking skills.  This went on for quite a while until he moved away 2 hours north.  But a couple of years ago we reconnected, and at least once a month, he and his mum come down to our home on a weekend, and I spend a day working on various projects.   The latest was building two remote control boats.  When he first asked me about doing this, my first thought was, "I cannot do this!"  I know a thing or two about woodworking, but all the electronics and engineering seemed a bit too much.  But my first thought soon changed to, "Why not?  Let's give it a try!"   Five months of weekends later, thin pieces of marine plywood, some paint, and lots of boat bits resulted in heaps of fun on the water.   Check out the launch of our boats here.

This is not the only time my first thoughts changed from "I can't do it" to "I can do it".  I think back to the first time I rebuilt a car engine, or when I rebuilt a motorcycle, or built some piece of timber furniture.  These things would not have happened unless I had a can-do attitude.  In this current series of articles we have been looking at eight often-overlooked characteristics that effective church leaders share.¹  Today we consider the importance of having a can-do attitude.  

Some people seem to be "blessed" with pessimism. They can always see the negative and focus on people’s faults.  We see this in relationships and too often in marriages.  But we also see this in leaders.  Just think of Joshua and Caleb and the other spies as they came to doorstep of the promised land.  The majority report that came back to God's people was:  "We can't do this!   We cannot enter into the land God promised us."  Contrast that to Joshua and Caleb who had a can-do attitude.  They reported:  "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it." (Numbers 13:30)  This is what effective leaders do.  They have a can-do attitude.  It is no wonder, that a generation later, it was Joshua and Caleb who led the people into the promised land. 

In my work among churches and church leaders, the first response to change or new ideas by many is "Why should we?" or “We can’t do this”.   People focus on their weaknesses, past failures, the faults of others, and the barriers they are facing.   With this focus, it is no wonder that the majority often don't move forward, embrace change, and/or attempt new ideas.  But there are other churches and church leaders who have a “can-do” attitude.   When confronted by change or new ideas, they simply say “Let’s give it a try”.   And they do!   And surprisingly they discover that they could certainly do what they had hoped to achieve.

Throughout decades of personal ministry, as well as observing effective leaders and growing churches, I have discovered that there are two ways to foster a can-do attitude among churches and their leaders.   The first is to remember the words of Jesus: "with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)   On our own, as churches, pastors, elders, and other church leaders, we might not have the faith, the strength, or the vision to accomplish what we set out to do.  As the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian church, he noted that ministry at times comes with great need and little resources.  But he reminded them, and God reminds us, that we "can do everything through him who gives [us] strength." (Philippians 4:13)  Jesus promised us that he "will build the church, and death itself will not have any power over it." (Matthew 16:18)  Like David of old, effective leaders, when facing giant obstacles, they move forward trusting that "the battle is the LORD's" (1 Samuel 17:47)  

So first, if you want to foster a can-do attitude as a leader, remember the One who is there to give you strength.  Second, surround yourself with those who have already done what you need to do.  As leaders!   As churches!  While I did not know the first thing about building a remote control boat, I surrounded myself with those who have done it before.  A remote control boat builder in Adelaide named Joe was most helpful.  Without his expertise I could not have completed building those boats.  For this reason, in the CRCA, we encourage our churches and leaders to rely on the skills and knowledge of others to guide ministry development and gospel expansion.  Our goal is that every pastor and/or senior leader in the church receive coaching.  This is what the SHIFT initiative is all about.  Through coaching, churches and leaders can receive the help they need to move ever closer to living a life worthy of our respective callings.  Through coaching, churches and leaders can move from their first thoughts of "why should we?" or "we can't do this" to "with God's help and the help of others, we can do this!"   "Let's give it a try!"  It is all about having a can-do attitude.

¹ The other characteristics we looked at are: effective church leaders listen to and obey the voice of God and being forward looking.