For we are not unaware of his schemes. (2 Corinthians 2:11)
I recently had a conversation with a leaders who were bravely and resiliently seeking to plan into the future. They were committed to moving from a defensive position in this pandemic and chaos of the culture to an offensive one. After making a solid evaluation of where they had been and what they had come through, they focused on the Mission of the Moment and charted a course for the next few months.
They spent time on their knees talking and listening to God. They spent time around the tables talking and listening to each other, and God. We reached the end of the discussion, but before I asked them to consider this question: “If you were the enemy, what trap would you set, what plan would you execute to stop you?”
It’s an interesting question. Knowing what you know about you, where would you seek to engage? Knowing your own strengths and weaknesses, and aware of where previous plans have failed in the past, what trap would you set? What fire would you seek to start? What message would you try to deliver? If you were the enemy how would you disrupt?
They thought for a while and then arrived at three places they might be vulnerable or have been vulnerable at in the past. Here was their list:
1. Discouragement.
2. Disunity.
3. Fear.
Having identified potentially vulnerable areas they committed to checking the locks on these doors often, and openly engaging any issues around them quickly. They built into their plan a proactivity to dealing with and guarding these areas.
So, what about you? As you think about your call, your hopes, your dreams, your family? If you were the enemy what traps would you set? What fires would you start? Where would you seek to invade and disrupt?
I would encourage you to talk about them, prepare to engage them, and then go change the world!
Peace!
