{"id":20008,"date":"2018-11-08T01:51:06","date_gmt":"2018-11-08T09:51:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=20008"},"modified":"2018-11-08T01:51:06","modified_gmt":"2018-11-08T09:51:06","slug":"differentiated-non-anxious-and-having-a-high-threshold-for-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/differentiated-non-anxious-and-having-a-high-threshold-for-pain\/","title":{"rendered":"Differentiated, Non-anxious, and Having a High Threshold for Pain"},"content":{"rendered":"

I first read Friedman\u2019s A Failure of Nerve<\/em> during my Master\u2019s program, and it was a book that revolutionized my life. In fact, I would not be exaggerating to say that applying the wisdom that Friedman shares may have saved my relationship with my son. As he launched into his university years, I learned about the value of \u201cself-differentiation,\u201d[1]<\/a> becoming a \u201cnon-anxious presence,\u201d[2]<\/a> and increasing my \u201cthreshold for another\u2019s pain\u201d[3]<\/a>\u2014lessons that equipped me to parent adult children. I am deeply indebted to Friedman for these revelations, which (unsurprisingly) line up perfectly with much of what scripture teaches as well.<\/p>\n

Today, I am learning to apply these same leadership principals to Elan, the association that I\u2019ve created to help new missionaries adapt to the field in France. The goal of Elan is to equip missionary to transition to the field through collaboration with French partners, promoting greater effectiveness and sustainability. The challenges that I am facing are 1.) Sending agencies are reluctant to allow their missionaries to be influenced by French partners, fearing they will have to compromise some of their own vision and mission; and 2.) The program is expensive and as of yet, unproven, therefore missionaries are reluctant to participate. In order to see this thing through, I am having to be self-differentiated, non-anxious, and able to tolerate another\u2019s pain. Let me explain.<\/p>\n

In Heroic Leadership<\/em>, Lowney describes \u201cindifference\u201d as one of the key ingredients for Jesuit ingenuity: \u201cIndifference frees Jesuits from the prejudices, attachments, fears, and narrow-mindedness that can block the enthusiastic pursuit of new ideas and opportunities.\u201d[4]<\/a> Indifference is exactly what Paul was describing when he wrote, \u201cI have experienced times of need and times of abundance. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of contentment, whether I go satisfied or hungry, have plenty or nothing.\u201d[5]<\/a> When I am differentiated,<\/em> my value is no longer linked to my circumstances or even to the outcomes of my endeavours. I pursue excellence because Christ lives in me, but I have no fear of failure because I am loved and accepted, period. I can speak freedom (and not use manipulation) as I promote the program to missionaries and sending agencies, genuinely seeking the best interest of all parties. I am not dismayed by rejection because my identity is not linked to Elan; neither am I elated by success. My one desire is for God\u2019s will to be accomplished in my life and in the lives of others. That is\u2026IF I am differentiated. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

My self-differentiation was recently put to the test, as one of my four Elan participants told me that he did not plan to continue with the program next year. I felt a pang of failure, and was tempted to give up. Then I remembered that God had called me to this work, and that my obedience to God was what really counted, regardless of the choices of others. I was able to listen to the participant\u2019s reasons for quitting, and genuinely wish him well. With my leadership team, we will discern if we should make changes to the program as a result of this feedback, but we will do so calmly and thoughtfully, not reactively. This approach reveals some personal growth in me as a leader, and for that I give God all the glory.<\/p>\n

Throughout the establishment and launching of this association, I have felt God calling me to be a \u201cnon-anxious\u201d presence. This Christ-like quality is well described by Friedman as a leader who \u201chas clarity about his or her own life goals and therefore someone who is less likely to become lost in the anxious emotional processes swirling about.\u00a0 I mean someone who can be separate while still remaining connected, and therefore can maintain a modifying non anxious and sometimes challenging presence.\u201d[6]<\/a> Elan needs to stay connected to the world of missions without getting tugged and swayed by the individual desires of every sending agency.<\/p>\n

One agency only wants to work with one denomination, Elan is intentionally non-denominational and works across all denominational lines. Another agency doesn\u2019t put women in leadership positions. Elan is egalitarian and empowers missionaries according to their gifting, not their sex. Some agencies are unwilling to adjust their methods, even if national partners warn them of their weaknesses. Elan works to build collaboration between sending agencies and national partners. It can be tempting to compromise, to give in to anxiety or fear that the organization will fail if it doesn\u2019t comply with the demands of those it aims to serve. But when I have a non-anxious presence, I can stand firm, challenging the status-quo of sending agencies and national partners without getting worked up into a frenzy. I am inspired by Eugene Peterson\u2019s translation of Psalm 119:1: \u201cYou\u2019re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.\u201d[7]<\/a> Sounds like a non-anxious presence to me.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, the most critical quality for me has been my ability to increase my threshold for tolerating another\u2019s pain. Without a high pain tolerance, I am tempted to rush to a solution, and often end up with a \u201cquick-fix\u201d that causes more harm than good. \u201cFocused on symptom relief rather than on fundamental change\u201d[8]<\/a> leads human beings to seek saviours and magical solutions rather than undergo the transformational processes that will result in better outcomes. Elan invites missionaries to take the narrow path, to go the way of the cross, to pursue the downward journey. If I do not continually increase my threshold for tolerating their pain, I will instead seek to rescue them and deprive them of the experience of resurrection and the bearing of much fruit.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, most sending agencies do not have such pain thresholds. They are seeking to please the missionaries, believing that their coddling will keep missionaries from leaving the field. I\u2019m convinced that allowing missionaries to suffer, to struggle, and to hurt is what produces longevity. Helping a butterfly emerge from its cocoon will kill it\u2014for the struggle to emerge is what builds strength into its wings. In the same way, missionaries need to struggle to transition to the field to produce fruitful and sustainable ministries.<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Edwin H. Friedman, Margaret M. Treadwell, and Edward W. Beal, A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix<\/em>, 10th anniversary revised edition (New York: Church Publishing, 2017). 25.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Friedman, Treadwell, and Beal. 89.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Friedman, Treadwell, and Beal. 137.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Chris Lowney, Heroic Leadership: Best Practices from a 450-Year-Old Company That Changed the World<\/em>, Reprint edition (Chicago, Ill: Loyola Press, 2005). 128.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> NET Bible\u00ae copyright \u00a91996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http:\/\/netbible.com All rights reserved. Philippians 4:12.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Friedman, Treadwell, and Beal, A Failure of Nerve<\/em>.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> The Message. Copyright \u00a9 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Friedman, Treadwell, and Beal, A Failure of Nerve<\/em>. 84.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I first read Friedman\u2019s A Failure of Nerve during my Master\u2019s program, and it was a book that revolutionized my life. In fact, I would not be exaggerating to say that applying the wisdom that Friedman shares may have saved my relationship with my son. As he launched into his university years, I learned about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[236],"class_list":["post-20008","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-friedman","cohort-lgp8"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20008","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20008"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20008\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20009,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20008\/revisions\/20009"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20008"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20008"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20008"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}