With Great Trust Comes Great Responsibility

Today I want to look at Chapter 4 from 1 Corinthians.  

Paul starts the verse out by stating "Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful."  In this context Paul is talking about being trusted by God to deliver the real message and being faithful to deliver it.  However, I think that we can also take this and relate it to how we should act in our day to day lives.  As leaders, people put their faith in us, and we owe it to them to be faithful in delivering on our responsibilities.  Being able to be dependable and faithful are key attributes to strong leadership.  They are also key attributes of being a good Christian.

Beginning in verse 3, Paul addresses the topic of judgement.  I am always humbled when I read this part of the chapter.  Paul states that he doesn't care if people judge him, that the only judge that matters is God.  This is a great truth that should be a guiding principle in how you act on a daily basis.  How often do we make decisions out of worry of what others might think?  How many of the leadership decision that you have made would be different if you only had to answer to God?  Additionally, when you need to make a decision that impacts those around you, what percent of the time do you look to others opinion vs. the opinion of God while you are in the decision making process?

The reason I asked those prior questions is that in the next verse Paul makes a great point...Verse 4 states, "My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent.  It is the Lord who judges me."  If we look for others' approval when we are making decisions, we can convince ourselves that we are doing what is best, yet miss the action that God would have us take instead.  Don't be fooled by a clear conscience, self rationalizing can allow you to defend actions that are, in reality, un-Godly choices.

The third main point that Paul makes at the beginning of the chapter is to not fall into the trap of judging others.  It is so easy, especially when you are in a leadership position, to pass judgement on people.  While you will have to make decisions based on information that you have, don't extend those decisions to pass judgement on the people attached to those actions.  Paul reminds us that the Lord will judge when he comes and He will "bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts.  In reality, this takes the pressure off of each of us, as leaders.  Our job is to make objective decisions based on our observations....period.  We can not know what is going on within a persons heart or head that have motivated them to take the actions.  It is just as easy to give credit to a person who committed "good" acts, for unethical reasons as it is to discredit a "bad" action performed with godly intent.  That is why only God, who is witness to all sides is the only true "fair" judge.

Pride goes hand-in-hand with judgement.  Paul transitions into this topic in verse 6.  He reminds us to stick to "what is written" so you don't take pride over another.  This is a reminder that everything comes from God, but if we are not vigilant, we can begin to believe that we are the source of the success as a result of our decisions.  He points out that nothing truly separates one man from another, other than the opportunity that God has presented, and how obedient you are in following his word.

Finally, Paul points out that he is a spiritual father to the people in Corinth and they should look to him as an example of how to stay accountable to Christ.  Through the end of the chapter he warns against people becoming arrogant.  He suggests that they look to their spiritual examples as a point of reference and understand that there will be consequences if they stray too far from where the Lord wants them to live.  Do you have a "spiritual father" that you can use to keep you grounded?  Do you refer to the Bible in order to make sure your flesh does not begin to take control?

Chapter 4 of 1 Corinthians is a very powerful chapter for leaders.  Leadership makes you vulnerable to many pitfalls.  The power that comes with Leadership makes it easy to believe that the success in the decisions that you make are all to your credit.  It makes you feel like you have the right to place judgment on people because you are responsible for the outcome.  It makes you open to believing that the results that happen are due to you.  Finally, it makes it easy for you to stop looking to God and others to keep you grounded in what is right, in order to do what you want and rationalize your actions away.

After re-reading this chapter, I have decided that I should compare my actions weekly to the guidance that Paul gives:

1. When I make decisions, am I more worried about how others will judge me or how the Lord would judge me.

2. Am I using my judgement when I'm making decisions or am I being judgmental in how I deal with others?

3. Do I convince myself that I deserve the credit for my success and that I am better than those around me, or do I understand that I am truly successful in how close I listen to the Lord and obey his direction?  All material success is a gift that can be taken away as easily as it is given (see the book of Job if you don't believe me)

4. Do I have strong spiritual leaders that I can hold myself accountable to that will keep me grounded in what my actions should be, and have the power to get me back in line if I stray?

Not of this world.....but in it.

How do we lead in this world when the Bible tells us that we should not be "of" this world, but "in" it?

In John, as well as other places in scripture, Jesus gives us the direction to be "in" the world but not "of" the world.  How do we do that and still remain relevant and effective?

I think the key is keeping in mind why Jesus left us in the world.  He had the opportunity to take the disciples with him, but in John 17:15, He asks that God leave them in the world, but keep them from the evil one.  The reason Jesus made this request of His Father was so more people of this world could come to understand and become one with Jesus and the Father.

Jesus acknowledges that because he has given them his word, that the world would hate them.  But also asks that they get to have joy through his glory.

So, as I look to un-pack John 17, I begin to see, as a leader, what my role needs to be:

1. The reason I have been left in this world is to bring the Word to those who are not one with the Father.  This can manifest itself in many ways.  Since I strive to be one with Jesus and the Father, I need to show up and participate and trust that the Lord will use me how He sees fit.

2.  I should not be discouraged when the world works against me.  The world is trying to drown out the message that I am supposed to trying to deliver.

3. My true joy will come, not through materialistic trappings, but through keeping the Word alive in the world and increasing the number of people who will become one with God.

4. If I focus my influence to do what Jesus aks, he has promised to protect me from the evil one.

The "watch out" that I consider, however, is not to let things of this world keep me from doing what I am supposed to do..As distractions of this world encroach on my ability to understand how I can help God accomplish His will through me, then I become "of" the world again.  Satan's biggest weapon of this world is noise and distraction, because while God is all-powerful, he speaks softly.  When we are not quiet and don't listen, then we miss the message that God is trying to send.  He wants us to focus on Him and listen.

So, Jesus asks that we be left in the world to spread His word, through what we say and how we live.  The self-test for you is this....
Would people look at you and how you live as different from everyone else that is living?  If not, then you are living to much "of" the world.  If you fit in too much, then you are not the light that God needs to attract others to Him.

I admit that when I look in the mirror, I often see someone who fits in more often than someone who stands out.  I know what my homework is this week....

Oh, Now I See.....

John Chapter 9 - You never know what can happen in a day

John chapter 9 contains a very famous story about a miracle that Jesus performed. There was a man who had been blind since birth who was sitting by the side of the road. Jesus, spit in some dirt, rubbed it on his eyes, had him wash in the river, and gave the man sight. Can you even imagine how happy the man must have been? Seeing for the first time as a grown man!!

The man was overjoyed and obviously told anyone who would listen what had happened to him. Word obviously spread about the good news. When the Pharasees heard about this, they had the man brought in front of them for questioning....This is where the story gets interesting.

First, the Pharasees tried to question whether the man had ever really been blind in the first place. They tried to explain away a miracle by calling the man's word into question. They even had the man's parents brought before them to verify the man had been blind since birth. So their first tactic was to discredit the source of the story. The parents were willing to testify that the man had been blind, and could now see, but they were afraid to testify to how it had happened. This often happens. People are willing to comment on the before and after circumstance, but are afraid about supporting the "how".
Let's pause for a moment to focus on the blind man's behavior to this point.

1. He was blessed with the gift of sight after years of blindness
   
2. He told anyone who would listen about what had happened and HOW it had taken
   place
   
3. When questioned by authorities, he gave an honest account of what happened
   
4. When pressed further,he began to advocate for Jesus, beginning to fill in the"why"
   of the miracle....He stated that Jesus must be a prophet because a demon would not
   do good deeds
   
5. He was willing to risk punishment and ridicule for telling the truth and not
   compromising his story, or allowing it to be dismissed.
   

At any point in this story, the man could have caved in to the pressure that the Pharasees put on him and just gone away, happy that he could see. However, we see him stand behind his story, even when his parents backed down, up to the point of eventually being cast out of the temple.

After he was cast out, we see him interact with Jesus again. Jesus revealed himself to the man and blessed him. Finally we see the story end by Jesus making a point to the Pharasees that even those who have sight can be blind to what is important.
So how does this apply to leadership?

I think there are two main things I take away from the story:

1. Weshouldalwaysbereadytospeakthetruthaboutwhatwewitnessand experience. There would have never been an opportunity for Jesus to make his point at the end of the chapter if the blind man would have just gone off by himself to enjoy his new gift of site. Leaders have to step up and be willing to make important stories public.
   
2. Whenyourstorygetspressuredbythosewhoaretryingtoexplainawaywhatis happening, you need to stand in the pocket and not let the information be trivialized or explained away.
   

This man had no idea what was going to happen to him when he woke up that morning. Jesus chose to use him and his situation to prove a point to the Pharasees. If the blind man had not told his story, and been willing to defend how and why it happened, then the teaching moment at the end would have never been possible.

I can think back to multiple times in my life when I caved to peer pressure when I knew that the right thing to do was to speak the truth. I wonder how many of those moments Jesus was trying to use to prove a point to someone who was with me. I wasted an opportunity....

I don't think the size of the moment matters because we can't predict the size of the outcome. Also, I think that God uses us in small ways, before he uses us in big ways. So as I see these opportunities in the future, I will do more to communicate with conviction and defend the facts. Then, like the story in John, I will wait for Jesus to show up and see what happens....... 

Don't Judge Me.....

Wow!  It has been awhile since I have blogged....I am truly sorry to my 4 faithful blog followers.

I am currently studying the book of  John and thought now would be as good a time as any to re-open my blog.

In Chapter 7 in John, Jesus talks about judgement.  I think that there is a good examle of a trap that many of  us fall into when we are in a leadership postition.

At the begining of the chapter Jesus tells the story of the Pharasees bringing a prostitute to him and asking him what they should do to her.  In that time, the Law of Moses dictated that the lady should be stoned to death for her actions.  Jesus is careful not to say that the lady had not broken the law, or that stoning her would be inappropriate.  However, Jesus did point out that only those who had not sinned should feel able to throw the first stone.

This is the first place in this chapter that I can see a direct coorelation to the story and how we can become better leaders.  As leaders we are called to make tough decisions.  It is also brought to our attention when someone has acted inappropriately.  In a case where there are explicit rules in place that dictate the action we must take, our course is pre-set.  Often times, however, we have an opportunity to take the course that Jesus did in the above example.....

There is a difference between aknowledging when someone did something wrong, and judging them. When we aknowledge wrongdoing, we hold people accountable for not reaching an agreed upon standard of performance or conduct.  When we judge someone, we are making a statement about who they are as a person, and what their motivation to take that action was.  There is a line of demarcation between the two.  Judgement is final and often times personal.  The lable that is often attached will follow the judged for a long time.

We see Jesus making a statement about the judgement of the prostitute, and not about her actions.  In his eyes, all wrongdoing in equal, and just because you haven't been caught, or have a different area in which someone can find fault, does not give you the right to condem others.  Once that point is made, he still addresses the prostitute and tells her to "go, and sin no more".  Notice, he corrects her actions after everyone else leaves.  Unless it is absolutely necessary, do your correction in private.

So I would challange you, the next time that you are faced with a situation where somone is caught doing something that they shouldn't and others expect you to take extreme action, to take a moment to focus on the actions of the accusers.  Knowing that everyone will eventually fall short in their performance or behavior, set the expectation that the action is what needs to be addressed and not the person.  Point out what the expected behavior/performance needs to be and communicate where the gap lies, and then help the person understand that current behavior can not be continued.

The tone that you set will be one of inclusion and of learning.  When people know that you are displeased with actions (activities that can be looked upon objectively) vs. People (personalities that will be reacted to emotionally) they will see you as a teacher, that is concerned about helping people develope and perform to the best of their abilities.  They will realize that you understand that no one is perfect, that we all fall short of God, and that you just expect your people to stop acting in a manner that is unacceptable.  Love the person, Hate the behavior.

There will always be issues that arise where people want judgement placed on those around them.  Focus on rising above the emotion, focusing on the behavior, conduct the coaching in private, and setting the expectation that the behavior will not happen again, and you should see a culture that is built on trust, learning, and motivation.

Thanks for hanging in there with me....I will try to post again on a bi-weekly basis....I would still love any feedback that anyone has....

Leading through Traumatic Times

I have been thinking about how to write this post for two weeks.  When the gun man went into the school in Sandy Hook and took the lives of the children and teachers, I knew I would have to write about it.

This is one of those monumental moments that takes place every so often that really challenges our faith.  The first question that comes to many people's minds is, "How could a loving God allow this to happen?"  While I admit that question did cross my mind momentarily, I want to take a little while to explain how I get through times like these, and how I try to help others.

First, and this is really important....Satan is real.  He also is bold.  If you look back to the book of Job in the Old Testament, Satan challenges God by stating that he could turn Job away from God by making him miserable on earth.  God allows the challenges and Job goes through one of the worst testing ever recorded.  He loses his possessions, his children and his health....He is in constant pain....yet his perspective is: ...."The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away."  He acknowledged that all things were from God and that it was His prerogative to take back what is His.  He goes on to say in a later verse (Job 36:15) "But those who suffer He delivers in their suffering, He speaks to them in their affliction.

Here is where you need to ask yourself, and those around you, a serious question because the answer will guide you in your life.  Job had a fantastic relationship with God.  His relationship with the Lord was more important that his relationship with anything else, including his family, his possessions and his health.  In his trying times, Job didn't curse God, but instead he knew that the real curse would be if he had to endure these losses without God.  Think about this for a minute.....Bad things ARE going to happen.  The Lord gave the Earth to Satan, so you can bank on the fact that evil is everywhere.  Where will you turn at your lowest moment?

There are two things that you can hold onto to get you through.....first,  The Lord wants the best for you.  Stay faithful and he will give you peace.  In Matthew 5:4 Jesus said, "Blessed are those who mourn, they will be comforted.  How many times have we seen great things come from great tragedy?  The 911 tragedy brought an entire nation together.  I was a corporate trainer at the time and had a class in for training.  As we watched to events unfurl in front of our eyes, people were already desperately trying to figure out how to get back to their loved ones....they even rented Uhaul moving trucks, because all of the rental cars were gone.  It made everyone appreciate their families....but it took an evil deed, that caused a lot of pain for many, to shock the rest of the country into their appreciation.  Look at the tragic shooting in Columbine High School.  It was a terrible incident, but it brought to light the dangerous results of bully-ing and shed light in a place that had tormented people for ages.  Finally, let's look at Sandy Hook.....what an example of Satan's lack of compassion....his total lack of anything good...The lives of Kindergarteners, First Graders, and School Staff just a few weeks before Christmas, for seemingly no reason.  With it's closeness to Christ's birthday, one could wonder if this was yet another way that Satan tries to take people's focus and good will away from the season?  In Luke 18:16, Jesus called the children to him and said "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."  We can all rest assured that ALL of the little ones got to spend an amazing Christmas in heaven.  They were not yet old enough to be jaded and covered in sin.  The other "silver lining" that came out of the tragedy is that EVERYONE went home and held their children tighter.  As busy as this world has become with distractions that pull us away from family, it takes a terrible shock to re-center us on what God wants.

The second thing that you can hold onto is that our time on this Earth is fleeting.  I had a friend who was talking to me about a conversation that he had overheard between a personal trainer and his client in a gym....The client was really struggling through a certain exercise and the trainer leaned down and said, "you can endure anything for 7 seconds".  Our time on this planet is our "7 seconds" in eternity.  However, what we do in those "7 seconds" has a very enduring effect.  Don't allow the pain, suffering, and hardship of this life to shake the faith that will allow you to rejoice in the next.  The real mourning should take place when we lose those who do not have faith in the Lord's salvation, that is the true loss.  So as you help people deal with the recent events, focus on the results, the outcomes, the future.

In closing:

1. We live on an Earth that is Satan's playground.  Bad things will happen, we will suffer, and how we react to the trials is important.

2.  God will take great tragedy and allow good to grow from it.  It may not seem so at the time, and you may not be the one who sees the good, but he will always bring growth from tragedy.

3. Our time here is short in the span of eternity.  Understand that the only thing that can't be taken from you is your relationship to God.  EVERYTHING ELSE is fair game for Satan.

4. This all sounds great, until you are the one in the midst of the trial.  I am not saying it is fair, or easy to endure.  I pray that when you are faced with tragedy that the Lord will send you the support and the peace that you need.

I hope this has been helpful.....It is how I have tried to talk my family and friends through the recent events.  Hug your kids, kiss your spouse, enjoy your friends, live every day as if tomorrow could change for the worse...enjoy your blessings while you have them, you never know when they may be gone.

Nobody plans to fail, they just fail to plan.

It's that time of year again....we look back over what we have accomplished and begin to make plans for what we would like to do in the year to come.

The question that I want to pose today is: How often do you pray before you begin to plan?  Proverbs 21:30 says "The is no wisdom, no insight, no plan, that can succeed against The Lord." So if you aren't going to The Lord for guidance before making your plans, you are risking certain failure if your plans go against what God wants.

So I looked in Proverbs to see if I could find a strategy to make my yearly planning time more productive.

God is definitely in favor of planning, when done right. Proverbs 21:5 points out, "The plans of the diligent lead to profit, as surely as haste leads to poverty".  From this advice I know that I have to take time and deliberately think about my plans.  The investment you put into planning can make the difference between success and failure.

Once you are happy with what you have developed, Proverbs 15:22 points out that "Plans fail for lack of council, but with many advisors, they succeed".  By running your plans by MULTIPLE advisors, you will be able to get different perspectives on how to accomplish your tasks.  You may have overlooked a step that someone else spots.  The other thing that takes place when you run your plans by multiple advisors is that the plans become more real.  What I mean is that by showing others what you are planning to accomplish, you are making an accountability claim.  Most of the planning gurus agree that there are two things you can do that drastically increase your chance of reaching your goals...1.  Write down your plans. 2. Share them with others.

Now it all boils down to execution, and Proverbs has some words of advice here also. Proverbs 16:3 says "Commit to The Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans."  And later in verse 9 it says, "In their hearts humans plan their course, but The Lord establishes their steps."  I think these are two very important points that will improve your plan attainment. First, show The Lord your plans and commit to doing your best to complete them.  Then allow The Lord to establish them.  Then, once you have committed to your plans in your heart, allow for The Lord to lead your steps.  He knows what you are trying to accomplish, and he may have a better way for you to get it done, if you just listen.

As I prepare to sit down and work out my plans for the coming year, I am going to focus on these tips from Proverbs:

1.  Check in with The Lord before you get started, and ask for his guidance as you begin to plan.  Ask him to reveal what He wants you to accomplish to insure your plans are not in conflict with His.

2.  Take your time and set aside dedicated space to put the work into creating your plans.  There are no bonus points for finishing first.

3.  Once your plans are completed, share them with people you trust in order to get their feedback.  Ask for suggestions, have them ask questions, become accountable for your results.

4.  Commit your plans to The Lord and promise to do your best.

5.  Listen to The Lord along the way.  He may have a better way for you to do something, but if you are so focused on how you are executing, vs. staying focused on the goal, you may miss an opportunity that He is revealing to you.

Planning is always a challenging exercise that can seem frustrating and possibly a waste.  Have you ever wondered if planning is the problem, or if it is how you are planning?  If you are creating plans that don't take what God wants for you into consideration, you are doomed to fail.  Give this process a try this year and let me know how it goes.....I'm excited to see how it turns out.

Who Keeps a Leader in Check?

So if you are a leader.....the person in charge......the one who is responsible for holding people accountable....Who watches you?

Without a compass to guide you, or a rule book to follow, a leader is in a position to bend the rules to include whatever they feel is acceptable.  In Romans 7, Paul points out that one of the benefits of the Law is that it actually helps define what sin is.  The Bible is a fantastic resource for leaders to ground themselves and understand what standard God is holding them to.

Knowing what is right and doing it are two totally different things.  In Romans 7:18-19 Paul speaks about having the desire to do what is good, but not being able to carry it out.  There is a constant struggle between understanding what is right in God's eyes and wanting to do what you know is wrong.  This can be exacerbated when you are a leader and can rationalize away certain behavior, because there is no one there to hold you accountable.

So how do you battle the sinful nature that is within us all?  The key is to stay focused on the Spirit.  In Romans 8:26, Paul writes: "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."  He goes on to say in verse 28 that "....in all things God works for the good of those who love him.......If God is for us, who can be against us. (v31)

So let's talk about the tools that you have at your disposal to keep yourself from getting carried away with your authority....

1. The Bible - the more I live, the more I am convinced that the Bible gives you the rules of the game that God is expecting you to play.  It maps out all of the "best practices" that will help you understand how God wants you to live your life.  Most importantly it helps you focus.....Not on yourself but on God, and those around you.

2. The Holy Spirit - This is the member of the Trinity that usually gets overlooked.  God sent the Holy Spirit to us to help us on Earth.  The Spirit can actually help fix things that we don't even know are broken.  In order to do this, we have to let Him KNOW us.  Only through truly knowing someone, can you see when something is wrong that my be unrecognized.

3. Friends - God does most of his work through people.  He surrounds us with people, expecting us to help each other.  Find a close group of friends who are willing to be honest with you when they see something that concerns them....then listen to what they have to say.

God does not grade on a curve.  There are things that are definitely  right and most certainly wrong.  And God knows that we are going to mess up as often as we do right.  Be thankful for Grace, because if we had to follow all the rules to make God happy, we would be destined to fail.  I think the key is to stay grounded in what the "standard" is and take note every time that we are off track.  While God may not grade on a curve, he will give an "E" for Effort.

So in closing:
1. Use the Bible to ground yourself in what the rules are
2. Check yourself regularly to understand where you are off course
3. Ask for the Spirit to intercede when he sees you going astray
4. Ask for forgiveness when you are aware of your mistake
5. Ask for help to not make the mistake again
6. Do the work necessary to not repeat your shortfalls

Following these steps will not only keep you in check, but it will set a great example for those you lead.  It will show them that you do what is right, not because the "boss says so" but because it is the right thing to do.