Approach #1: Get a clear picture in your mind, draw a blueprint, make a plan. Then try to gather all the Lego pieces you know you need. Dig through the noisy buckets until you find all the exact right pieces. Frantically search in the couch cushions for the pieces you know you must have, but can’t find. Don’t settle. Maintain control and vision.
Approach #2: Dump all the Legos out on the table. Step back and ask, “Ok. What can I build with what I’ve got?” Come to the task open-minded and ready to get creative. Hold the final product loosely. Be willing to give up control of the outcomes. Be eager to accept the final vision, even if looks little to nothing like what you had imagined.
In ministry, these are two very different ways to go about business. Perhaps both are wise, but probably not at the same time. Discernment will tell you which approach to choose when.
