Other Side

Stephen Furtick post:  Change your tactic

After being extremely frustrated with the format of one of my meetings, I recently decided to switch things up. To change my tactic.

Instead of face-to-face meetings, I did everything through email. And I never email. It wasn’t a long-term change. And I wouldn’t even go so far as to say that the old meeting format was inherently bad. New life was just needed, and new life wasn’t going to come from the same old system.

It worked. We had greater productivity and when we resumed our meeting, it had fresh energy. This seemingly insignificant adjustment yielded significant results.

Many people think that when something is stagnant in their lives, it’s a sign that something is seriously wrong. A major overhaul is needed and you need to start doing the right things instead of all the wrong things.

Maybe.

But it might just be time to try something new. To change your tactic.

It reminds me of when Jesus told Peter and the disciples to throw their nets to the other side of the boat in John 21 when they weren’t catching any fish. Jesus didn’t tell them to throw it to the correct side. Just to throw them to the other side.

It worked. They hauled in the largest catch of their lives. The result was nothing short of miraculous. And it was just because they tried something new.

I wonder what areas of your life need a change in tactic. A new technique.

Maybe your relationship with God feels a little dry and you’re wondering what you’re doing wrong. You think there must be a hidden sin in your life you haven’t confessed yet.

That could be it. But it could just be the fact that you’ve stuck to the same format of engaging with God since you first met Him. The same Bible reading plan. The same prayer structure. The same everything.

Change your tactic. Find fresh ways to walk with God. If you usually study one book of the Bible over a few months, read through the entire New Testament in the same time. If you usually read a few chapters a day, focus on one verse a day instead. Whatever you do, just try something new.

The same could be said for how you approach your marriage. The way you raise your kids. How you’re leading your team. The possibilities are really as endless as the places in your life where fresh momentum is needed.

Don’t ever be afraid to change it up a little. To change your tactic. It’ll be an adjustment for you, but the big dividends these small changes can pay makes the adjustment more than worth it.