Intersting Perspective

In yesterdays issue of the HBS Working Knowledge blog I read a quote that caught my eye. Here it is exactly how I found it:

"Past performance is no guarantee of future results." —standard financial disclaimer

LATR came into 2007 with great financial momentum. The last five months of the year got progressively better and better, each month becoming our highest giving month ever. Now in the second half of February we are faced with our second lowest six week giving period in about ten to eleven months. This is in no way a cry for help or a passive way of headbanging our very very faithful core group to get them to give more. It is simply a statement of fact. So I read that quote and agree, yes, it is no guarantee of future results. (emphasis added)

Let's switch gears and I will tell you why this hit home with me.

A number of years ago Tanya and I found ourselves across the table from three senior leaders of our fellowship. It was our interview to become licensed ministers. When the guy who was the main interrogator, I mean leading the conversation flopped open my folder I saw the papers on top...

My college transcript.

I knew instantly where this was going. I won't make any excuses, I had a couple bad semesters that took a while to recover, but I did end up finishing pretty strong. (eventually :-) ) The point is, he went right where I thought he was going, without holding back. His comment to me was, "Your past is the best indicator of your future, so what does this tell us about your future?"

Talk about pouring encouragement into a young minister.

I was able to recover from the direct blow and point out recovery at the end of my studies and even show a class I had recently taken and aced.

The thing that really stuck in me though was the thought of cyclical failure. Was I destined to fail? Was I always going to be mediocre? Even though I had successfully defended myself and without excuse owned up to my lazy phase, I still carried that conversation around with me.

Thank God that Jesus is in the habit of using people that we don't see as usable. I was able to regain my confidence and move forward and today we lead an amazing church plant.

I remember that conversation and I remember working through it but do I remember it when working with others? Which statement do I hang onto? Do I trust human nature which we know fails, or do I trust in the life transforming grace of Jesus? Do I strive to train people out of bad habits or do I lead them to the cross to find grace and empowerment through the Holy Spirit?

I have to admit, there have been times when I have said, "The past is the best indicator of the future." I regret that now. As I am developing leaders and leading people toward what Jesus has for them, I hold onto the fact that He has the power to transform a person into who He needs them to be.

What if Jesus had not been willing to say, "Past performance is no guarantee of future results." when calling Peter to lead the church?