There is a mismatch between what we say is important and how we spend our time. Most pastors and church leaders know this. Putting out organizational fires, crisis meetings, last-minute deadlines, unforeseen events—all these seem to converge throughout the day, and although they need to be taken care of, they often result in frustration and a feeling of being ineffective for the Kingdom. We are supposed to be working for Jesus. Instead, it feels like we are working for everyone in the church except for Jesus.
This discord between what we profess to hold dear and how we actually behave leads to a state of inner conflict known in psychology circles as cognitive dissonance. And the long-term results of cognitive dissonance can be devastating.