Push and Pull
By Dr. Brian Simmons
Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash
Looking back over my career thus far in Christian education, I am reflecting on times of professional transition. In my experience, there has always been a tension between push and pull… sometimes more of a push and other times more of a pull.
Let me explain…
Push
Often the Lord works in our hearts as steward leaders seeking His purposes for all He has SO graciously entrusted to our care to begin feeling a sense of closure in an existing place of service. I have learned that it is His prerogative alone how much or how little He chooses to entrust to our care. He is the owner, and we are His stewards. Our responsibility, as stewards, is to use all He entrusts to us to fulfill His purposes and seek His will.
The push sometimes looks like a closed door. Now we can choose to stubbornly bang our heads against these closed doors the Lord brings into our lives, or we can seek out new open doors!
A few years ago, the Lord gave me a new vision for the PhD in Educational Leadership degree program that I led. I ran my ideas by the governing committee and they were rejected (a closed door), so I launched a new PhD in Organizational Leadership degree program (a new open door) that quickly grew to 10X the enrollment of the PhD in Ed Leadership program becoming and remaining to this day the single largest degree program at the university with nearly 300 students! I personally taught and mentored scores of students via this new degree program and many grads now serve in various roles across the spectrum of Christian ministry. Praise the Lord!
As some Christian universities struggle with declining enrollment, I have experienced the push of a closed door that looked like elimination of a senior level vice president position. Initially, this stung a bit, but looking back I am AMAZED by the doors of opportunity the Lord opened for me!
Pull
The pull looks like new opportunities that would not have been possible in the current place of ministry for various reasons.
As an example, when I was called by the Lord to serve as Interim Head of School at King’s Ridge Christian Academy (finishing up June 30) and now Interim Head of School at Augusta Christian Schools (beginning July 1), God opened these doors of opportunity, and I would not have been available had it not been for a previous push! Had I remained on the board of directors at another Christian school, I would not have been available to assist my son as he follows the leading of the Lord to found Lakeside Christian Academy on the other side of Lake Murray!
All I can say is Wow, God! Thank you!!
And the lesson in all of this? As we trust the Lord daily with all of the details of our lives, He leads us via pushes and pulls all under His sovereign care and control as He works out His master plan for our lives and all He owns (which is everything!!). “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” (Psalm 37:23) As a steward leader, I need to trust Him completely! His ways are ALWAYS best!
To Him be the glory!!
