Wake Up!

Revelation 3:2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.

I hope I wake up before they start my wake up! –Lecrae, Rehab

Bill Hybels, Sr. Pastor of Willow Creek recently spoke about the Life Cycle of Ministry at his Leadership summit. He said that Life cycle consists of accelerating, Booming, Decelerating, Tanking, and death. He said, “Nothing Rocks forever.” A life cycle is not meant to depress u but to awaken us to the fact that we have to inspect what we expect.

When we first start a ministry, business, or relationship we begin at the Acceleration stage. We start picking up steam. It’s new and word is getting out about the new initiative. People are getting on board slowly but surely.

Booming is where you’ve hit your stride. You’ve reached maximum capacity, you’ve hit your stride. This is where the organization is reaching your intended target.

Deceleration is when things start slowing down. Numbers fall off. Momentum begins to slow. You’ve become stuck in a routine.

Tanking is when it starts going down real fast. You’re pouring resources on something that is no longer working.

Then there is death.

In order to avoid death in your ministry, business or relationship you must come up with fresh ideas during the deceleration stage. Stop nursing dead stuff and put your resources to new and invigorating ideas which will cause you to keep booming.

In order to ensure that you keep growing in your life cycle you need to:

1. Wake up! Take a sober look at where you are and ask yourself are you accelerating, booming, decelerating or tanking. Name the problem and add a solution.

2. Strengthen that which remains. Even if you are decelerating, you still have something left. You can’t get stuck on what you lost but you have to strengthen what you have left. Your new start comes from strengthening that which remains.

3. Finish what you started. It’s not time to die but you have to add some fresh ideas because God is not through with you. As Marty Neumeier says, “you have to Zig while others are Zagging.” In order for your ministry, business or relationship to thrive you have to do something new to once again accelerate and boom.

Dear God,

Give us fresh wind, fresh fire and fresh ideas so we can boom again. Breathe new life in my ministry, my business, and my relationships. There is more you want from me. It’s not time to die. Renew the right sprit and restore the Joy of my salvation.

In Jesus name,
Amen