Very Resourceful people
They ignite our passion.
VRP’s are sometimes called mentors or shapers of our life. These are the people who ignite our passion for higher performance.
Each of us can probably think of different VRP’s that have shaped our spiritual life throughout the years. Significant in my early Christian experience was a man called John Sefton. He was the dean of the Christian Community that I lived in. He impressed me with quiet approach to knowing God. His ordinariness to me was an inspiration that I too could effectively serve God.
Of course the temptation for us to want to stay in a VRP relationship forever. One in which we are constantly being renewed by the passion they have for their life’s purpose. This is unhealthy for both parties and does not allow us to develop in our lives the independent and resourceful spiritual passion we are talking about that makes one a life force for our future.
VRP’s are those whom we lean upon for direction and approval. We gain courage from their courage and maturity. They are in every sense of the word our resource, from them we can draw our first sense of passion.
Very Important People
They share our Passion
Conflict with a VIP will usually be resolved quickly and the experience not dwelt upon. When you are with a VIP facing challenges together you are aware that in partnership you.
With a VIP you don’t spend lots of time trying to get along, or debating whose philosophy will prevail, or determining whose in charge. We are bound together to get a task done and get it done we will.
I have a friend who I have known since Grade 7. One of the distinctives of our friendship is we laugh together. We know most of each other’s stories. After knowing each other for over 20 years we understand each other’s weaknesses well but don’t feel compelled to always draw attention to them. We can challenge and question each other without fear of knowing the friendship will fade away.
VIP’s share our passion. Together you stir each other up and encourage each other to better and more faithful performances. VIP’s keep us looking at the right goals; our rationalizations and excuses do not fool them. They sense when we are hurting or in need. They delight in our successes and weep with us in our disappointments.
Very Trainable People
They catch our passion.
VTP’s will tax our strength because they require our input. But, they are great to have around because we sense the possibilities in them. There is immense enjoyment in seeing a person catching hold of spiritual things.
Very Nice People
They enjoy our passion.
McDonald describes VNP’s as being like a send up he saw of breakfast cereal. They don’t snap crackle and pop. They don’t turn colours. They’re not coated in sugar and they’re not shot from guns. What do they do? They simply lie in the bowl and soak up milk.
So is the role of the VNP.
We can expend a great deal of energy on accommodating to the needs of very nice people. VIP’s and VTP’s will often accept great inconveniences to direct resources and services into an organisation. VNP’s prefer nice facilities, services delivered at convenient times, programs built in personal gain, convenience and enhancement of their own comfort.
They exhaust because of their desire to take whatever the leader has to give.
Very Draining People
They sap our passion.
This does not mean we are excused from working with and dealing with these types of people but we need to be aware that contact with them will result in a constant outflow of energy from the person ministering to them.
Any group of people you come across will have a percentage of VDP’s. Of course it is hoped that the input they receive will allow them to become trainable.
- VDP’s will be drawn to any healthy group of people. They will remain there until they become healthy or they are pushed away.
- A healthy group of people will lose its vitality if there are too many VDP’s to sustain. The life of the group becomes crises or problem orientated. Any movement toward any type of objective becomes impossible.
- Very dependent people who are permitted to relentlessly drain leaders will ultimately create a climate where no one will want to serve in a leadership capacity.
The people around us give and they take. We can expect that a flow of passion will be moving in one direction or another. We need to understand this and to plan to refresh ourselves regularly.
How we do this will be dealt with in future posts.