Ask How, Not If: Leading with Curiosity and Faith
For Executive Directors of Faith-based Nonprofits Who are Learning to Trust God's Process and Lead with Boldness
God honors faith-filled curiosity. Don’t ask “if”—ask “how.”
Have you ever caught yourself wondering if God will come through?
I’ve been there.
As a young executive director leading a faith-based organization with a very small budget, I often asked big, bold questions. One of them was, “What would it take for us to become a million-dollar organization?”
It felt audacious. Unrealistic even.
But over time—through answered prayers, generous donors, and persistent hard work—I watched God provide. I’ll never forget the morning I crested a hill on my drive to work and realized we had crossed that million-dollar mark.
It didn’t happen overnight. There were mistakes, pain, joy, and growth along the way—but most of all, there was partnership. I did my work. God did His.
Together, we built a community where people without homes found love, dignity, and hope. And we got to tell them: God is preparing a place for you!
Zechariah vs. Mary: A Tale of Two Questions
Recently I was reading again about Zechariah and Mary—two people visited by the angel Gabriel with astonishing news.
Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, asked, “How can this be?”
Because of his doubt, he was silenced.
Mary, on the other hand, asked, “How will this be?”
Same angel. Same kind of miracle. But a completely different response.
Mary’s question came from belief, not disbelief. She embraced the vision and simply wanted to understand God’s process.
What does this mean for you?
1. As a faith-based leader, God may have given your team, your board, or your organization a vision that feels too big.
That’s not a sign to doubt—it’s a call to faith-fueled curiosity. Let me say it clearly:
Your job is not to question whether God can do it.
Your job is to ask Him how He will do it.
That subtle shift—from if to how—is the difference between being paralyzed by doubt and being propelled by faith.
Don’t let doubt win.
There are real forces trying to erode your confidence:
The world.
The flesh.
The devil.
All three conspire to make us second-guess what God has already declared. But Scripture reminds us:
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.”
—Psalm 23:6God’s promise to never leave or forsake us is buried deep in the soil of His unshakeable faithfulness.
Today’s Encouragement
Here’s my encouragement to you today, godly leader:
Embrace curiosity with faith.
Evangelize your team to trust God’s goodness.
Share the vision boldly and expectantly.
You serve a God who is more than willing and more than capable.
Put your hand to the work.
Don’t look back.
Focus on Jesus.
It’s okay to be curious—just be curious with faith.
Ask God, “How will You do this?”
And then get ready—because He will.
I would love to hear ways you are seeing God provide in seemingly impossible ways. Drop a note with His story of faithfulness below.