Thoughts on Life and Leading

December 19, 2012December 19, 2012

How about a Christmas Truce?

One of my favorite stories from history is the Christmas Truce of 1914. On Christmas Day, the troops from Great Britain and France along the western front stopped fighting and declared a brief and unofficial cease-fire while they exchanged gifts, sang Christmas carols and even enjoyed a friendly game of soccer with the enemy. It was a remarkable display of peace in the middle of unthinkable carnage.

I think the “war” started for us in earnest last Spring. The looming election brought out the worst in us: we slandered people from the other party. We spewed hate across the Internet. We disrespected and despised each other. Our country was deeply divided. Not surprisingly, November came and went and yet the poison still erupts. We’ve seen it most recently in the most insensitive and uncompassionate way; surrounding the deaths of the innocent shooting victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Unbelievably, people have taken advantage of this tragic event to tout their varied political opinions.

In the interest of world peace, I am suggesting that we declare another Christmas truce. I am hoping for just one day of not saying what we want to say. Here is my idea: On social media sites – no political cartoons, no condescending comments, no judgmental insults, no divisiveness in the press, no partisan debate, nothing on gun control, fiscal cliffs, Huckabee, anti-Obama rhetoric, James Dobson… you get the idea: One day of peace on earth. I think it is an idea that could work.

I’m not asking you to agree with your enemy. I’m not naïve enough to ask for compromise on convictions or a backing down from opinions. I just think the world could use a little peace right now. In the spirit of the Prince of Peace, Jesus! How about it?

This might even be a great time to forgive someone who hurt you, repair a breach in the family or call a long-lost loved one.

Back to 1914. The war resumed with fierce bloodiness just after Christmas. Military leaders from both sides made sure there was no repeat of the truce in 1915. But for one day, peace ruled.

2012 would be a fine time to repeat history. Our respective “wars” will surely be waiting for us on December 26, if we are still interested in fighting.

December 14, 2012December 14, 2012

Tragedy and Bad Theology

We are all sickened by the senseless murder of so many people, both children and adults, in Newtown, Connecticut. While we mourn, we also have to hear the dime store God “experts” share their not-so-humble opinions about why this devastation occurred. Facebook and blogs are filled with smug responses surrounding the crisis – ideas like: “What do you expect? We kicked God out of our schools.” and “that’s what we get for making prayer in school illegal”.

Please stop this kind of rhetoric. It is hurtful to the families of the victims, it gives God a bad name and it is unbiblical.

It is bad theology to say that we removed God from our schools. True, we disallowed public prayer, but rest assured, God was right there in the heart of every child who lost their life. God was there. How dare we think that we can control where God goes and doesn’t go. Reminder: He is omnipresent (everywhere at the same time). We cannot confine Him. God is close to the brokenhearted (Ps. 34:18), no force in nature can stop that. The arrogance that assumes we can answer such mysteries is unfathomable. As one friend, Eddie Robbins said, “If folks believe that, how do they explain so many shootings in churches?” Humble down, people of God. This is no time to grind an axe.

True, prayer is not allowed in most public arena today, but I guarantee you that there was a ton of prayer going up in Sandy Hook Elementary School today. God was there, He was with every victim and He is with all of the survivors. To believe otherwise is heartless and in conflict with the nature of God.

We need to refute bad theology. People need to stop saying hurtful things to try to prove a point. But now is the time for mourning and praying, not arguing.

December 9, 2012

Five Indicators that You are Doing What God Wants You to Do

How can you know if you are where God wants you to be, doing what He wants you to do?

You are stretched: If you are really comfortable in your position or responsibility, chances are, you need a change. If you can do you job with your eyes closed, change jobs. God wants you to grow and the only way to do that is to be challenged. If your duties require that you expand your abilities, congrats – you are right in your sweet spot.

You are fulfilled: If you find a sense of satisfaction simply from doing what is expected of you, that is a good sign. Completion, peace of mind and contentment can’t be manufactured. Additionally, these emotions are very rare. If you are enjoying them, kudos to you for finding your groove.

You are succeeding: One of the best ways for God to get the attention of one of His people is to allow them to fail. Failure is a great motivator. God wants you to succeed. I know this is a generalization and it is way over-used in some television preacher circles, but it is true nonetheless. If you are enjoying a season of success, it is probably a “thumbs up” from God.

You are reliant: If your duties are requiring more than you feel you can possibly give, it may be a sign that God has you right where He wants you. Of course it is possible to just be in over your head. However, God expects great things of you – and you can’t do it without Him! Learn to lean on Him.

You are not looking around: If you spend zero time thinking about your next move; if your plans are focused on your current appointment only; if you wouldn’t accept a change even with a pay increase, you’ve found a home. Enjoy it.

There a few greater joys than knowing you are fulfilling your God-given purpose. Until you find that, keep pushing until you do so. Once you do find it, you’d better stay put – until and unless God changes His mind.

December 1, 2012December 1, 2012

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day. A few news agencies are carrying the story in an effort to raise awareness of this crisis and to motivate action so that we can make progress against this horrible disease. Unfortunately, not many Christians are talking about this topic and few churches ever do anything to address solutions.

I wonder what Jesus would do. I doubt seriously that He would, when confronted with the ugly realities, just go on about His business. I think He would do something. I believe He would heal people. I know He would love the victims and minister to them. He would care.

I want to be more like Jesus. I want to help the hurting. True, I cannot heal anyone. But I can love people with the love that Christ puts in my hearts for them. I cannot change the world, but I can make a small difference in the life of one person.

AIDS, human trafficking, abortion, the orphan crisis in the world, famine, contaminated water…there are so many opportunities for Christians to engage in meaningful and life-changing work. I think this is what Jesus wants us to do. He wants us to do what He would do – address these crises with His love.

November 26, 2012November 26, 2012

What’s Your Strategy?

When it comes to life and getting things done, progress and growth generally aren’t organic. By that, I mean that if we do not have a strategy for success (a plan that we work), success probably won’t come. This is true on a corporate level as well as on an individual level. Too many people just live a day at a time with no forethought about what it will take in order to make things turn out right. They have a desired future in mind but no idea how to actually arrive at that desired future.

Let me say this: If your goal is to simply maintain, you have made the decision to start dying. “Just getting by” is a strategy for failure. Life will not let us slide with that kind of a cop out. More is required if we hope to accomplish something of significance.

People are born with a desire to thrive. Babies want to eat. Little children strive to learn and do more. Sadly, sometimes things happen that cause people to quit reaching for something more. Once a person stops dreaming, things go down hill. The Bible relates it this way: ”Without a vision the people perish.” We are made with the need to dream. When the dream dies, we die with it. But dreaming is one thing. Being willing to work your tail off to make the dream come true is another thing. As Bob Goff says, “No one is remembered for what they just planned to do?” What is your plan to make your dream happen?

You need a plan of strategy! Whether you are considering your marriage/family, your career, or your ministry, you need a plan. It should be concrete, easily communicated and vision-driven. Regarding the coming New Year, let me ask you specifically:

~What is your strategy for growth and success for next year?

~What steps will you take to see your dreams fulfilled?

~Where do you want to be in 12 months, and how will you get there?

Now is the time to start answering these questions.

So, what’s your plan? If you don’t have one, you’d better get to work! And don’t bother with some little passionless, no-risk ideas. Let’s dream big dreams and get to work fulfilling them! Your ideas are too important to allow them to fail simply because you didn’t have a strategy.

November 14, 2012November 14, 2012

The Best Things in Life are …

The best things in life are NOT free. I understand the inference of the old adage that says that they are: in essence, it means that you can’t buy happiness. That remains very much true. But I believe that some folks may misunderstand the concept.

As we are approaching Thanksgiving week, people will be waxing sentimental about the things for which they are grateful. Invariably, some will focus on the simple things in life; family, health, food, peace of mind and so on. The point of this post is this: these things, and all of the things we may categorize as simple, are not free. Rather, they are very expensive. A healthy family does not just happen, each individual invests a lot of themselves, or it will not be healthy. The food we enjoy is expensive – not just at the grocery store, but someone had to work hard to provide the food and put it on the table. Good health is many times, the result of healthy living. The best things in life will cost you.

Unfortunately, some are sitting idly by waiting for someone to give them the best things in life. They feel deprived when they can’t enjoy the nice things that others enjoy. They bemoan the fact that they do not have friends to spend time with. They may find it difficult to be thankful when so much of life is void of the “best things”. While compassion certainly is apropos for this season, so is personal responsibility.

I am thankful for the best things in life. These things cost many people a lot. The very best thing, my relationship with God, cost Jesus His life. Very expensive!

Give thanks to God for He is good, His mercy endures forever! Psalms 107:1

November 8, 2012

I Admit it, I’m an Alien

Spending most of our time with fellow Christ-followers can cause us to approach our lives as though we live in a bubble. One indicator is when our conversation centers on how shocked we are at the condition of the world and the depravity of the people around us. Christians are aghast that non-straight people want to get married. We are stunned that some choose to end the life of a child while it is still in it’s mother’s womb. We are incredulous that everyone doesn’t agree with our political stance.

We have to stop expecting those who do not follow Christ to behave as though they do. Make no mistake: We are a minority and the majority is not impressed with our morals. They will continue to do as they do – regardless of how shocked we are or how much we complain about it.

Remember, we don’t belong here. I go back to 80’s Christian rock band, Petra, when they sang, “Not of This World”. We are not at home here; we are citizens of another place. We are aliens. Not of the outer space variety but of the heavenly kingdom variety. Philippians 3:20 reminds us, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (NIV) No wonder we don’t feel at home – we are not at home.

While we must share the Good News of Christ, we will never change our unChristian culture into a Christian culture. The quickest we can expect things to get perfect is the moment we make it home.

So behave yourself as a short-term visitor – an alien. That’s what I am, I admit it.

October 31, 2012

Either God is in Control or we are all …

The election insanity has everyone on both sides of the fence itching and scratching. There is serious and deep seeded verbal warfare going on and it is leading to some really hurtful conclusions. Unless things let up a bit, Election Day could divide friends, split churches and destroy families. I know that sounds drastic but this is the most polarizing election I can recall. People are more committed to their politics than they are to their relationships.

Then add the craziness of Superstorm Sandy to the mix. So many people impacted in so many devastating ways, it is truly a frightening time.

For good measure, consider the economy, terrorism, and any personal issues you must be dealing with.

I’m here to offer you a little hope. Here’s the scoop: God is in control. Always has been, always will be. The word we use is “sovereign”, which means He absolutely is running the universe, even when it appears that we are on a crash course with disaster.

If Daniel 2:21 is not true, we are in trouble. It says, “He (God) controls the course of world events; he removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars.” (NLT) Either God controls the weather or the future of the world is one big roll of the dice.

God’s sovereignty does not absolve us from doing our part: voting, disaster relief, common sense things that intelligent people do. But we can only do so much. In the end, God will figure it all out and keep the universe spinning like He has for the last few eons.

Here’s how I see it: if I am wrong and we are left to work out all these dilemmas on our own, this won’t end well, but it will end quickly. Either God is sovereign or we are toast.

God’s got this!

October 22, 2012October 22, 2012

Lessons from Lance Armstrong

As a cyclist, I am sickened by the demise of Lance Armstrong. His fall from grace in the biking world is being felt by everyone, not only cycling enthusiasts. This is probably a combination of things: his dominance in the sport; his household-name status; the millions he raised to fight cancer through his Livestrong Foundation.

While I am sad to see all of his failure, I think it would be wise for us to learn lessons from his life.

Lesson like:

Cheaters don’t win. Really, they don’t.

Short-term gain equals long-term pain.

Some things are more valuable than winning. Self-respect and integrity are invaluable.

Yellow jerseys won by cheating are an embarrassment.

“Be sure that your sins will find you out.” (Numbers 32:23)

I have compassion on Mr. Armstrong. While I think he will never redeem his reputation, he can regain his self-respect. I pray that happens.

I am convinced that most, if not all, of Armstrong’s competitors were also doping. There were so many who were busted in that era. Makes me wonder if he would have been as dominant, if none of them had cheated. Somehow, I think probably so. Now no one knows or cares. Rather sad, isn’t it? Let it never be said of us that we are such moral failures, that no one cares.

Living strong is more than words.

October 16, 2012

Be Kind to Your Successors

Let’s talk about big decisions and long-term consequences.

I am going back to a discussion I had with a friend a couple of years ago. He serves as an Executive Financial Administrator at a large, well-known church in the south. He was telling me how, on a daily basis, he wrestles with decisions that leaders of the church made forty years ago. I was blown away by that idea. Specifically, he was trying to pay for and maintain buildings that never should have been built. It was currently hamstringing their ministry. They were having trouble fulfilling their God-given vision because they had to manage the choices made by guys who were no longer around.

Be reminded that, some of the things you decide today will be around for a long time. Long after you are dead and buried, some of your choices will still be going strong. Before you decide to commit an organization to a long-term arrangement, consider those who will follow you. Before you jump on a bandwagon, before you follow a trend, before you do what other well-known leaders are doing, ask… how will this affect people who come along behind me in 10 or 20 or 30 years?

Go ahead and dream big, and act big. But do so with the knowledge that someone gets to deal with the residual of your decisions.

Be kind to your successors! They will love you for it.

(by the way, I took the picture above while on a bike ride in the swamp in South Florida)

October 11, 2012October 11, 2012

Need Inspiration? Just look around

I rode my bike 100 miles today as part of the 120 for Orphans, a fund raising project for a clean water project at a Haitian orphanage: (click here: 120 for Orphans – admitted shameless plug!). I was at mile 82. I was tired, it was cold and I was getting leg cramps. I was seriously thinking about stopping for the day.

At that point, I saw a young family; a guy, his wife and a little baby. They were setting up for a bike ride on the trail I was on. Here’s the thing: both parents were paraplegic, they were preparing to ride their hand powered trikes. Suddenly, I found the strength to finish the last 18 miles.

We probably don’t need to look very hard to find someone who is doing something harder than we are, with tougher situations than we have. The next time you want to give up, take a peek around. You may surprised at the inspiration you find to keep moving forward.

October 8, 2012

my presidential candidate is:

pro-life

actively compassionate toward the poor

supportive of the Biblical view of marriage

passionate about social justice

supportive of Israel

fair toward all people groups

protective of our religious freedoms

able to make peace rather than war

actually able to keep His campaign promises

a guardian of our country

above being “bought” by special interest groups

able to fix the economy

I suppose, on November 6, I’ll write in the name of “Jesus Christ”!

October 3, 2012

careful words

I had a brief conversation with a colleague yesterday. He mentioned a topic we were both familiar with and I responded with a flippant answer, something meaningless to me, something I assumed he wanted to hear. He stopped, looked me in the eye and responded in a way that caught me off guard. He said, “that means a lot coming from you.” The problem is, I wasn’t all that sincere in my words. I didn’t think about my words – I just used what was convenient.

I’ve been feeling bad about it since then. I think I need to call him to straighten out the situation. The topic is not all that serious or at least my impact on it is not. But I do not want him to assume things based on what I said.

I need to guard my words a little more closely. I encourage you to do the same.

Psalms 141:3 Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips. (NLT)

September 25, 2012

apparently, it’s not harvest time

I heard a country song the other day by Luke Bryan called Harvest Time. The theme of the song is the hard work that farmers do this time of year. Everything else stops while these guys and gals work like crazy to gather whatever is in the field. The top priority is getting all the crops in. The bridge of the song says: At a quarter ’til 2 I kick off my boots in the laundry room. We’ll start it all over tomorrow at noon ’til it’s all done, until we’re all done.

Can you image a farmer who, at harvest time says, “who cares?”

My whole life, I have heard people in the church talk about harvest time – as a spiritual metaphor. The crops are the people who need Christ and we are supposed to be the “farmers” that bring them to Him. The idea comes from what Jesus said, “…wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.” John 4:35 (NLT)

We sing the songs, hear the sermons and even name some of our churches something connected with the idea of “Harvest”.

Well, I’m not buying it. We don’t believe it. Most Christians I know do not believe that this is harvest time. We do not believe that our time to work for God is short or that there are a lot of people who need Jesus. In fact, it appears that there is very little urgency by most American Christians to gather any crops (souls) for God’s kingdom. If we believe it is harvest time, we would adopt Luke Bryan’s approach and work hard until the job is done. We would do whatever it takes to get the job done. As it is, we may as well be saying, “who cares?”.

I guess that’s why Jesus said, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” (Luke 10:2 NLT) I am praying for laborers, but I want to do more laboring in the field.

September 21, 2012

you have no idea what you are praying for

Ten years ago, I was involved in a several month series of prayer walks around a particular community. We were praying for a new ministry that was starting. Well, the ministry didn’t survive 6 months. However, five weeks ago, I moved into a house that is on one of the streets that we walked up and down. Irony? I think not. The thing is, I had no idea that I would ever live in this state again, never mind on the very street we were praying for! We moved away 8 years ago only to return in an unexpected fashion. But God knew the whole time.

He knew that when I was praying for the neighborhood, I was praying for my neighborhood. He was fully aware that I was sowing spiritual seeds in a field that would come back to bless me. I did not one time ask him to bring my family back or give me one of the houses to live in – but he did both.

When we pray, we are connecting with a God who already knows what is going to happen. We have no idea what we are praying about, but He does. That’s why prayer is so important. We probably ask too small, believe too little and limit Him too much. We rely too much on our words and understanding. We pray small because we know so little. Let’s start praying big.

When you pray, remember:

God is bigger than your imagination.

Open minded prayer is the way to God’s will.

Once you realize what God is up to, don’t fail to come back – with thanksgiving.

I wonder, had I refused to do the prayer walks, would we have ended up back here? Only God knows.

September 18, 2012

leaders can’t be for sale

Most of us know what it’s like to be desperate. Leaders have to make things happen in their organization. Sometime we are desperate for something to happen in our organizations – and sometimes we are willing to do nearly anything to make it happen! But leaders can never be so desperate that they are willing to compromise their better judgment. Never turn a blind eye to someone or something that can bring your organization down. You don’t need that person or their money or their prestige that much. You have too much to lose.

Don’t sell your leadership integrity to someone who could destroy you. Keep your standards high. You and your organization deserve it – and so does God.

September 12, 2012

here we go again!

I am in prep mode for this year’s 120 for Orphans, a 120 mile bike ride sponsored by International Orphan Support, to help children in need. The project this year will fund a clean water system for a beautiful orphanage in Haiti, Destiny Village. Our goal is to raise $10,000. Can you help? Just go to our fundraising website by clicking here. Every dime you donate will go directly to this project – no administrative costs!

I have personally visited Destiny Village. The kids are beautiful, and the need is sincere.

By the way, last years’ 120 for Orphans raised enough money to dig a fresh water well for an orphanage in Dufailly, Haiti. So this thing works! Will you help?

September 5, 2012

an eye-opening lesson on biblical community

Sometimes I think I know a lot about church. On Sunday, I learned some very important stuff.

We visited a small church in central Minnesota on Sunday, they asked me to come and preach in the morning service and stay for the evening gathering. There were only about 25 people in the morning service. The people were very nice, they welcomed us with open arms. We enjoyed ourselves.

Sometimes we assume that it takes a large church to do a good job at ministry. Sometimes we are wrong. After a long day spent with this lovely congregation, I was thoroughly impressed. After about seven hours spent with them (including the after service gathering at Perkins), we were convinced.

They are a small church, but…

They are committed. Nearly everyone who came in the morning returned in the evening.

They love the community around them. They feed about 40 families a month from their food shelf.

They support each other. They prayed sincerely for each other and followed up on previous needs.

They embrace new people. They were very interactive and supportive of a new family that has only been coming about one month.

They care about and for each other. I overheard discussions about offers to help with projects and checking in on the elderly.

They just loved being together. You couldn’t pry them away from the conversation, the laughter at Perkins was genuine and rich.

They don’t demand perfection. They were not distracted by less-than-superior performance in the worship service. They just focused on God.

The funny thing is, on Sunday morning, I preached about how the church must grow warmer through fellowship. Little did I know that they were the ones who should have been preaching to me.

That church understands real, genuine Biblical community. They don’t have a fancy mission statement. They don’t identify themselves as missional. There is nothing “mega” about them. But they get community. I learned some things.

August 31, 2012

an authenticity quiz

Under the influence of the current political fervor in America, I am exercising my gift of skepticism (regarding politics) and asking some questions of our leaders.

Answer the following questions from the perspective of a voter in the upcoming election:

Do I believe the promises this person is making?

Does she (or he) really have my best interest at heart or do they just want my support?

Does this person say one thing to me and something else to other people?

Does this person have a track record of telling the truth?

Do I trust this person?

Now if you are a leader, ask yourself the SAME questions, from the perspective of those whom you are leading. That is really the point of this blog post.

Leaders: Authenticity is not an option. Let’s be real!

Jesus said in Matthew 5:37, “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (NIV)