Any attempt to teach, lead, bring change, etc opens one to criticism (or as one of my pastoral friends is fond of saying, the higher you move up the ladder of leadership the more of your butt is exposed). This is why Parker Palmer (rightly) speaks of “the courage to teach,” why the temptation to play it safe is a perennial hazard for teachers and leaders, and why Paul no doubt so often asked for prayer that he might be bold as he ministered the gospel. But when we stop and think about it, how can we do other than share what God gives us? The alternative is to do less than live into our calling.
This from leadership guru Seth Godin:
You will be judged (or you will be ignored)
Those are pretty much the only two choices.
Being judged is uncomfortable. Snap judgments, prejudices, misinformation… all of these, combined with not enough time (how could there be) to truly know you, means that you will inevitably be misjudged, underestimated (or overestimated) and unfairly rejected.
The alternative, of course, is much safer. To be ignored.
Up to you.
