The Monday Morning Debrief: Sending the Right Message

This past week, the Florida Marlin’s baseball team Manager Edwin Rodriguez resigned amid a 9 game losing streak.  The Marlins were suppose to contend for the playoffs this year but have dramatically underperformed.  So Rodriquez resigned.

To fill the managerial void, the Marlins called on Jack McKeon, their former manager and now special assistant to the owner.  The only problem with this plan is that he is 80 YEARS OLD!!!!  That’s right, 80 years old and still managing.  So why did the Marlins bring in McKeon to manage this young team?  Jayson Stark has a great post about this on his ESPN blog.  In it, Jayson says a few things that stand out but 1 in particular that I want to point out.

Jayson points out that an “NL executive who has been a longtime friend of McKeon: ‘He’s a guy who could deliver some messages that need to be delivered and not have to worry about, ‘Do I have the backing of the front office?’ — because he doesn’t give a crap.”  Jack McKeon is old and enough and has been around baseball long enough that he could say anything he wanted because he has earned the respect of many. He has earned that right through the years of winning and providing the right kind of leadership to the teams he has worked with.

Jayson points out 2 different instances where Jack knew what had to be done for the betterment of the team and did it.  One time he pulled his star pitcher out of a game and the other time he pulled is start player out of the starting lineup.  It wasn’t popular at the time, but it got the team focused and head in the right direction as a team.  The team came around and performed much better for Jack than the pervious manager.

So how does this apply to ministry?  Here’s how.

Sometimes as youth ministers we are so concerned about winning the right to be heard with students that they sometimes never actually hear us say anything of substance. By that I mean, we want to build friendships with students; we want them to like us SO THAT we can speak the Truth into their lives.  In a way we don’t want to ruffle feathers or say the hard word to them during this “get to know” period because we don’t want to waste a chance to one day speak Truth into their lives.  However, when we allow that to happen, I have found in my ministry that sometimes I never actually speak the Truth into their lives.  I win the right with them just to win the right.  AND because I never actually speak real Truth into their lives, there is a wasted opportunity to share Christ with them.

In addition, sometimes when tough decisions need to be made, we know what the right decision to make is but sometimes we lack the courage, support or confidence to make that decision.  We are afraid of what could happen that it prevents us from making the right decision.  Don’t get me wrong, in all situations, we have to do a cost/benefit analysis of that decision as there are definitely rewards and consequences of all decisions made.  But, I have seen too often that the right decision can be sidestepped because the complications that it can present with certain parents, students or other staffers.  We don’t want to make waves or cause problems, even if the decision/action is the right one to take.

The reality is whether it is something we have to say or an action that needs to be taken, sometimes the saying or doing the hard thing needs to be done.  It may not be fun or easy, but it needs to be done.  That is why Jack McKeon was brought back into baseball at 80 years old.  He can hold down the fort and say some things to these current players that need to be said.  It is still early on in his new gig as manager (just a week in) but it wouldn’t surprise me if he ends up turning that team into a winner.

As youth ministers we all know that decisions are not easy to make.  That is where wisdom and discernment from God comes in.  The great news is with Christ we can get that wisdom.  James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

I don’t know what’s on your plate currently or the things you are dealing with but what I can say is that if we seek the Lord, He will provide us the right answer and direction.  So right now, TAKE A MINUTE and spend some time with God, offering up your requests.  Then sit and listen to Him.  See what He has to say about it and then make the decision or say the hard word that needs to be said.