Leadership | JonathanPearson.net

Never Got That Far In Our Dreams

“I never got this far in my dreams.”

Those were the words Bubba Watson said to Jim Nantz during an interview after Bubba Watson won his first ever Master’s this past Sunday.

I was watching the interview at the time and heard Watson say those words and immediately thought…

what happens when we live beyond our dreams?

The truth is, we talk so much about dreaming big, having big goals for our lives, casting big vision to the people we lead, and doing something big for God. But, what happens when we live beyond what we ever dreamed?

We’ve all been woken up by the annoying sound of our alarm clock just as we were about to understand the ending to the dream we had the night before, but what happens when our life stays ‘asleep’ long enough for us to reach BEYOND our dreams?

I have to think that’s where God often wants to take us…

to take us beyond our dreams of intimacy with Him
to take us beyond our dreams in the relationships we maintain.
to take us beyond our dreams of the joy He has for us to experience.

But we often come up short don’t we?

We sell the whole thing short by bowing down to our immediate desires and the expectations of others.

We sell the whole thing short by taking what’s easy and good rather than what may be tougher but is God’s.

I want to live beyond what I can imagine.
I want to go to new places and do imaginable things.
I want to live beyond my dreams.

What about you? How do we do that? What does it mean? What does it require of us?

Apr 2012

POSTED BY Jonathan Pearson

POSTED IN

Blog, Leadership, Life

DISCUSSION 6 Comments

Forget your to do list. Do this!

This past weekend, I was at home doing some random chores that I we all have to do on occasion. As I rushed around from room to room, task to task, I had this thought…

“Why am I in such a hurry? I have about 30 minutes of stuff to do and the rest of the day is absolutely empty. I need to enjoy the moment.”

If you’re anything like me, you always feel like you’re in a hurry,

That you must hurry to finish this task so that you can rush to get to that one.

You feel like your success/failure is based on accomplishing your tasks or calendar appointments for the day.

Let me encourage you,
no matter where you find your self stuck in a to-do world,

Forget the to do list on occasion

Whether you’re a…

Stay at home parent.
A pastor.
A teacher.
A student.
A business man or woman.
A manager.
An accountant.
A teller.
A custodian.
A cashier.

Whatever you are, forget the to do list and enjoy the mission.

Remember why you do what you do.
Take time to be in the moment.
Take time just to take time.

Forget the to-do list.

Remember to live.

[For more about living in the moment, see this post.]

Mar 2012

POSTED BY Jonathan Pearson

POSTED IN

Blog, Church Ministry, Leadership, Life

DISCUSSION 8 Comments

The Fine Line Between #Leading and Manipulating

It’s a fine line, really…

The difference between leading someone and manipulating someone.

Leading = Influencing.

Manipulating = Vile Persuasion.

Ultimately, the line between leading and manipulating is less about the method chosen for performing the action, and more about the heart of the person that’s performing it.

Leading says, “I believe in you.”
Manipulating says, “I believe I can use you.”

Leading says, “Let’s do this together.”
Manipulating says, “Do this for me.”

Leading says, “I want you to want it.”
Manipulating says, “I want to convince you to get it for only my good.”

Be careful….

Are you leading or manipulating?

What’s the difference in your mind?

Mar 2012

POSTED BY Jonathan Pearson

POSTED IN

Blog, Leadership

DISCUSSION 6 Comments

How To Lead A Significant #Movement

Deuteronomy 5:29 Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!

Everyone wants to make a difference.
Everyone wants to do something significant.
Everyone wants their life to count beyond their own time on earth.

Deep down, we all want to be a part of something much larger than ourselves…
Regardless of our beliefs.

I love that in Deuteronomy 5, God gives us some great insight into how to truly lead a God sized movement.

We see what we need to do in order to make a difference.
What we need to do in order to be a part of something significant.

If it were a formula, it might look something like this…
heart + action = blessing

In other words, before you and I will ever be able to lead a significant movement, we must first allow God to work on our hearts. We must come to him open, honest, bare, and willing to change and obey Him… willing to submit to what He wants from us.

That’s what drives us to action. He speaks and moves us to act on what He’s already done in our heart. We become burdened with a God vision and forced to act on it… it’s too deep not to get done when it’s placed in our heart by God.

We sit so we can act.

We seek God and allow him to change our heart.
We do the thing(s) that he places in our heart.
We see the blessing.

That’s where movements are born.

That’s where the world is reshaped.

Feb 2012

POSTED BY Jonathan Pearson

POSTED IN

Blog, Devotional Thought, Leadership

DISCUSSION 9 Comments

Leading While Breathing

Leadership = Influence

The truth is, no matter who you are, where you go, what you do, or who you’re around, you’re influencing (leading) someone.

Whether you realize it or not, your decisions are effecting (or affecting, I get those confused) other people.
Whether you realize it or not, someone is watching you move so they know how to.
Whether you realize it or not, you’re impacting other people.