13h • Lessons Learned
Lessons From the Field: Clarity Before Activity
Back in 1992, I was posted to an addiction treatment center. I was in training to become an Executive Director — young, eager, and determined to make my mark.
The center already had plenty of programs running. But instead of taking time to understand the heartbeat of the ministry, I jumped straight into “busy mode.” My thinking went something like this: If I can add more programs, more activity, more initiatives … people will see I’m a leader worth following.
So I launched things. Meetings, projects, extra activities. From the outside, it looked like momentum. We were buzzing. People were busy. I was busy. But the truth? Our impact was shallow. Energy was scattered. Staff were stretched thin. And deep down, I knew we weren’t changing lives at the level we could have been.
One day, a mentor sat me down and asked a question that hit me like a hammer:“What exactly has God called you to prioritize?”
Not “what programs can you add?
”Not “how can you look productive?
”But what has God actually called you to focus on?"
That question forced me to stop. To listen. To peel away the noise and look at what mattered most.
When we cut back the extra programs and honed in on our true calling, something shifted. The impact deepened. Staff weren’t just working harder — they were working with purpose. And the people we served experienced real transformation.
Here’s the lesson I carry to this day:
📌 Clarity before activity.
Without clarity, activity is just motion. And motion without meaning changes nothing.
Reflection for you:
Where are you busy right now just for the sake of being busy? And if you stopped, prayed, and asked God what to prioritize — what would rise to the top?
Drop your thoughts below. Someone else here might need to see your answer today.
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Lessons From the Field: Clarity Before Activity
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