When you find that right cause…

I had a phone conversation with my younger sister yesterday about her experience working with her local Relay for Life campaign in Warren Ohio. My sister has been doing this for a number of years now. During the two day event, her booth raised several thousand dollars and she said that the overall event had contributed over $450,000.00 toward the cause of eradicating cancer. That is a lot of money for one economically challenged small town in Ohio to contribute, and I know that this is a year around pursuit for many of the folks who are involved in the effort. Obviously my sister has found the right cause to invest in. I love to see people connecting with an organized effort that inspires them to make a difference in the world. I love it when people unite around a common cause, energetically attacking a challenging goal with the power of agreement and cooperation. My favorite experiences of church leadership have been those times, when people have looked beyond their own self interests and worked together to make big things happen. My worst experiences of church leadership have been when people have taken a selfish opinion or idea and promoted discord and argumentation about something that has little or no significance in the Kingdom of God. Surprisingly though, some will fiercely rally around life’s “mole hills” like they are the true mountain sized issues of existence. Successful organized efforts don’t get caught up in confused understandings about what is important and what purpose the organization serves. Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the primary mission of the church and when people agree and cooperate in this common cause, big things happen. I need to constantly remind myself that this is the cause that I have been called to and agreement and cooperation, with the help of God, will bring success.