I heard a defence expert interviewed recently about Afghanistan.

He spoke about the gap between a counter-insurgency strategy that would work and a strategy that could be politically sold in the west. He claimed an effective counter-insurgency commitment needed us to think of being there for at least 10 years but probably 25.

He was confident that a long-term but smaller scale commitment would bring peace and stability to the region. He was savvy enough to see though, that the West simply doesn't have the patience for any such long-term commitment.

Where there is conflict we prefer big and short to small and long. Shock and awe from over the horizon trumps the harder and more dangerous work winning hearts and minds on the ground. 

Now whether he is right on Afghanistan I don't know. Whether we should be there, and if so how long is something we'll have different opinions on, and needs to be discussed elsewhere.

What I'm sure he was right on though, is our culture's reluctance to think long-term and our preference for the quick fix. We live in a microwave instant fix world.

Beyond microwave ministry thinking

Ministry thinking is not immune from our culture's obsession with now.

The Bible though encourages us to think long term. We are a people who wait for God to fulfill his promises. We are people who are called to endure and hope and perservere.

How might things look different if we took a long view? Here are three quick ideas:

1. We would treasure the families that are around for the long haul. A few godly mission minded households are usually the backbone of any great church. They create the culture, often in ways far more significant than the ministers who may come and go. They disciple the next generation. Their children will often grow to be the evangelists and missionaries. Do we encourage people to make costly decisions to stay long term for the health of local ministry? Do we train people for household ministry?

2. We'd plan and pray much further out. What will our city look like in 10 years? What needs will there be for ministry then? Can you be buying property now that can be given from your estate to ministry? Can your kids be learning a language now that will help them speak the gospel to our changing city? Are you seeing this year's creche as youth leaders in 20 years - what steps will help disciple and train them along the way?

3. Some ministers (not all) need to stop moving. Stop seeing the church they are in as a stepping stone to somewhere bigger. Think instead of staying long-term and all the benefits that can bring.

How might thinking long term change the way you think about ministry?