On one hand, some people refuse to ask any questions about effectiveness at all, on the grounds that facing up to ineffectiveness would just be too painful. They run on the "if I can help one fainting sparrow back to the nest, it will all have been worth it" standard, a standard by which it is very hard to fail.
If I'm not good at something, it's best to find it out clearly and early, grieve my inadequacy, and move on to more fertile possibilities. How many congregations—and pastors—and pastor's spouses—live in misery year after year because someone won't face the truth about where their gifts do and do not lie. How many of us don't grow because we are afraid of honest feedback. Truth is always our friend.
On the other hand …
Is there anything we don't evaluate to death? And I suspect the reason is that we are desperate to make sure we are perceived to be successful.
Yea, though we walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Performance, we will take another survey.
John Ortberg, CT Leadership, 16th February 2009
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