The Ministry Tableનમૂનો

Don’t Come Down

Every leader has a choice: get distracted by the noise… or stay locked in on the mission. In Nehemiah 6:3, he said, “I am carrying on a great project and I cannot come down.” Don’t come down for the noise. Build what God told you to build. Ignore the noise. The future belongs to the focused.

In leadership—especially in ministry—our ability to stay focused determines our ability to overcome the obstacles that rise up in our path. In ministry, we lose momentum not because the obstacles are too big, but because our focus is too small.

Proverbs 4:25 says, “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.” To do that, like a laser light, we must keep our eyes on the mission, not the momentary distractions.

Point 1: Focus is the Leader’s Laser

Every great leader in the Bible understood that focus is not just about what you look at, but what you refuse to look at. Nehemiah, while rebuilding the wall, refused to come down to the level of his critics. Leaders who get sidetracked by every opposition risk losing God given momentum. Experienced leaders know how to capitalize on God given windows of opportunity. Focus allows us to manage valuable energy, to say “No” to the good and to say “Yes” to the great.

Point 2: Obstacles are Temporary; Vision is Eternal

Paul writes in Philippians 3:13, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me Heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Paul never allowed what was seen to hinder what God wanted to do in the unseen realm of ministry. The road to long-term vision is littered with short-term speed bumps. Obstacles aren’t meant to defeat us, but to sharpen our eternal vision. Leaders must treat delays as moments to sharpen focus rather than lose it. A magnifying glass only ignites a fire when it stays focused on one spot. Likewise, leaders ignite momentum when they focus on one goal at a time.

Point 3: Focus Turns Pressure into Power

Great leaders don’t let pressure scatter their attention—they use it to channel energy toward the mission at hand. Focused leaders are not watermelon seeds; they are thumbtacks. When pressure is applied, they don’t slip out from under the mission; they drive deeper into the plan. When a leader faces pressure because of the mission, focus makes them strong. Focus builds their credibility. Focus stabilizes the leaders around them. And ultimately brings the mission to completion. Jesus Himself modeled this in Luke 9:51—“As the time approached… Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” His focus on the cross made Him unstoppable.

Closing Challenge: Leadership is not measured by the size of the obstacles you face, but by the size of your focus when you face them. Keep your eyes fixed on the God-given mission. Like Paul, declare, “I press toward the mark…” (Philippians 3:14).

Final Quote: Winston Churchill said, “You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.” Stay focused. Keep moving. The mission is too important to be distracted now

Pastor Al Valdez
Lead Pastor, Victory Outreach Church
San Diego, CA
https://alvaldez.org/