“Several years ago I was introduced to a sociological phenomenon described as the adopter categorizations, which describe how quickly we respond to change. The bell-shaped graph basically tells us that 50 percent of the population lean forward and 50 percent of the population lean backward.”
–Chasing Daylight (Erwin McManus), pg. 166
This quote was in the middle of a chapter called “Advance – Go Unless you get a No” and just made real for me the approach our society takes to approaching change. Half our population balks away, leans backward, waits for something more comfortable rather than taking a risk and leaning in to what God has in store. A few pages later, McManus gives the example of his church and says “this is what makes Mosaic so special to me. We are a community of people on our toes rather than our heals. There is something exciting about an entire community leaning forward to advance the good on God’s heart rather than leaning back, attempting to resist it.” (pg. 187) This church is the real deal – they get it, they understand that God wants them leaning forward in to things rather than backing away from them.
Do I lean in to change or back away from it?
One of my favorite people in the world is the chaplain from the college I went to (who also happens to pastor the church I attended for the last year and a half of my time in the Chicago area). One of the things I have always liked about Pastor Tim is that he preaches leaning forward. He always gives a blessing while standing on his toes rather than rocking back on to his heels. The way I picture him in my head is standing, leaning forward on his toes, with both arms raised up, saying “May the Lord bless you and keep you.” That is what leaning forward looks like to me. But it doesn’t stop there. He doesn’t just preach like this…he lives his whole life looking and leaning forward. Last spring he resigned from the chaplain position because he felt God wanted to do something more with his life. He left what was comfortable, a place where he was making a huge impact, and moved on into the unknown because God said so. He and his wife moved to inner-city Chicago and he began to work for World Vision. He took a risk and stepped out in to what God was leading him to…and though I’m sure the college misses him, God is using him in mighty ways in his work with World Vision.
This is what “leaning forward” looks like to me.
How can I live my life like this? I back away, I’m scared of the unknown, I don’t embrace change (well, not willingly anyway). Lord, help me always be ready to lean in to what You have for me. Help me to live life on my toes instead of digging in my heels where things are comfortable. Help me to lean forward.
