Leading in the Midst of Adverse Circumstances

Leading in the Midst of Adverse Circumstances

A couple of years ago, I was in an auto body detailing shop in Tulsa. Like many businesses, they had a sign above the counter expressing their motto – the philosophy with which they approach their work. It read: “It is our responsibility to be successful under conditions as we find them, not as we want them to be.” What an excellent thought!

How many times have we become frustrated and allowed ourselves to become deactivated because circumstances weren’t ideal, or because other people weren’t doing what we thought they should do? I am reminded of Ecclesiastes 11:4: “He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” The New Living Translation of this verse reads, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done.”

There is a temptation to become discouraged and passive because things aren’t the way they used to be, or because we aren’t at the place we’d like to be. Remember that we are responsible for doing the right thing whether anyone else is or not! Spurgeon said, “‘Now’ is the watchword of the wise.” The greatest opportunities are in front of us right now. Another individual said, “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”