Problems and obstacles: We encounter them in ministry all the time, but one is decidedly better than the other. What’s the difference between the two?
A problem is something that makes us stop and work on it for a while, no matter what the problem is. When we encounter a problem, we need to find a solution to eliminate the problem.
An obstacle on the other hand is a bit different. An obstacle is something that is in the way as we travel to a destination. Sometimes we can see the obstacle coming, and sometimes it just appears or we run into it out of the blue. We get frustrated by it because the obstacle has the potential to impede or slow our progress to our destination.
That’s why I prefer obstacles to problems. I have a math background, which means I love problems because I love solving things. When you have a problem, the focus is on the problem itself. When you have an obstacle, the focus is on the goal or the destination and how the obstacle is impeding our way. It’s a subtle difference, but it’s an important one.
If you’ve got an obstacle, you’ve got a destination as your goal. You have vision. That’s exciting, especially when you’re trying to follow God’s leading. Because your eye is constantly on that destination and finding (or trailblazing!) a road that will take you there, you only see the obstacles that are blocking your way to that destination, not the issues that impact your journey. You won’t fall into the mistake many youth leaders make: trying to solve problems that don’t really impede your way.
If you’ve got a problem, then you’ve got…a problem; but problems can be solved. Problems don’t necessarily mean you won’t get somewhere. It feels good to solve a problem, but this can give the illusion of progress.
To give a far-out, totally hypothetical example, imagine there is someone in your church who is critical of how you lead the youth ministry (I know, this never would happen within your church setting; but just go along with me on this). You’ve met with this person for coffee; you’ve heard his or her concerns; you’ve patiently and lovingly explained that you believe you’re being faithful by setting the direction for the ministry. Still, the person continues to be critical of just about every decision you make. That’s certainly an issue, but is it an obstacle or a problem?
The answer depends on whether this person’s criticism impedes the direction God has given you for the ministry. Is the person a parent of a junior high student in your church? Is he or she a leader in your ministry? Does this person sign your paycheck? Or is it someone who comes to church once a month, sits in the back and always has something negative to say about the church, whether it’s the youth ministry or the pastor’s sermon?
You cannot disregard or dismiss every critic or pretend real issues don’t exist. It does mean you should recognize the fact that you never will have the support of every person in the congregation, and that’s not necessarily an obstacle. If someone’s criticism keeps you from doing what you think God has called you to do, then you have an obstacle you need to deal with. If not, then you simply have a problem that—though it sometimes may be disheartening or threatening to your ego—shouldn’t take up much of your time or energy.
Problems abound in our world and in ministry. You don’t actually have to be moving to find one; but to encounter an obstacle, you need to be headed to a destination. Road construction and traffic jams are always a reality, but I don’t worry about the ones that don’t affect the route to my destination. In the same way, we shouldn’t worry about problems that don’t really keep us or the ministry we oversee from moving in the direction we believe God is leading us. After all, we’ll encounter enough obstacles by staying on course; we don’t need to take detours to find them.
Great leaders know the difference between a problem and an obstacle. In fact, great leaders continually encounter obstacles, because they are headed in a particular direction. Problems are just that—problems—and problems aren’t going away anytime soon no matter how adept we are at solving them. So why not put time and energy into discerning where God is leading and worry only about the obstacles in that paths?
