Here’s a good conversation starter for you. If you could identify one thing in a prospective leader that would ensure success, what would it be?
Or if you are currently in a place of influence, what’s the one thing you should strive for, today and every day?
Let the suggestions roll in… discussions like these will yield stand-by favorites such as vision, compassion, examples, character, communication, inspiration, encouragement and the like. All good answers.
It probably wouldn’t surprise you to know there’s a Bible answer for that. In fact, there are several, if you dig deeply enough. But there’s one place where the Bible – particularly the Apostle Paul – addresses leaders. And there he could have used any word in the language of his day to challenge them. So what one word did he use? See for yourself: [click to continue…]
The language of a Judge is to execute and liberate.
“knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin” (Romans 6:6-7).
The language of a Father is provision.
“God will provide for himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son,” (Genesis 22:8). [click to continue…]
It’s one of the most haunting verses in the Bible. Sad, because it actually happened. Haunting, because it could also happen to you and me.
The verse:
Then all the disciples forsook him and fled (Matthew 26:56).
What’s interesting is that a few verses earlier, they all had chimed in with their spokesman, Peter:
“Even if I must die with you, I will never deny you” (Matthew 26:35).
Wow. I think that may still be a record turnaround. So what went wrong? Are there any lessons to be learned? Any warnings to be heeded for our moments of testing? I think so. Put in proverbial terms,
Pride goes before destruction; a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).
And on any given day, for any reason, you and I are just as capable of setting ourselves up for a blowout as Peter and the gang were.
Looking back on Peter’s attitudes and expressions, it’s easy to do a post-mortem on his ego trip. To be fair, it isn’t quite as easy when we’re the ones doing the strutting. See if you can related to any of these symptoms: [click to continue…]
Love…
Such a simple word in English,
made complicated by the fact
that it can mean and refer to so many things.
It’s often cheapened
by reducing it to something resembling selfish pleasure…
It often generates cynicism
among those who gave their hearts to someone or something,
and were crushed by the experience…
It creates confusion
because the same word can be used for
Readers Digest,
Mom’s lasagna,
old movies,
and your newborn infant.
Yet even in the face of the frustration of finding the right way to express ourselves,
I still believe in the promise and the reality of a Perfect Love… [click to continue…]
When you think you know all the steps ahead, you’re tempted to borrow emotional energy from today’s challenges to deal with tomorrow’s.
Don’t.
The next thing you need to do is the next thing you need to do. [click to continue…]
I never really knew that Hank Aaron was black. But I knew he was from Mobile, my home town. And, lest I forget, the Mobile Press Register would remind me daily as it tracked Aaron’s pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record, shattered 40 years ago today.
The Atlanta Braves moved onto my radar when I was eight years old. That’s when the franchise moved from Milwaukee to Atlanta. We started listening to Braves games on WUNI radio, where we heard guys like Milo Hamilton and Ernie Johnson – and later Pete Van Wieren and Skip Carey (my all-time favorite) – call games. Occasionally we’d watch Pee Wee Reese and Dizzy Dean announce a TV game on the Pensacola station.
My granddaddy loved baseball.
My dad appreciated it.
I loved Henry Aaron.
He was and is a symbol to me. [click to continue…]
Found myself making a list the other day. It was really helpful, and I suggest you do the same. It’ll be good, clean fun. So grab that pen or loosen up those fingers and let’s brainstorm.
Ready?
Make a list of all the things you still don’t know.
Okay, from the sound of those crickets, I’m assuming that may be a bit too broad. So hone in on one specific area.
The economy? That’s a good one.
Your kids of family? Excellent.
Your work situation? Awesome.
Regardless of the venue, when you allow your mind to focus on what you still don’t know because the future is uncertain, you’re giving yourself a heart-engraved invitation to be anxious in the purest sense of the word. We experience anxiety whenever we are pulled in different directions. That’s literally what the word means. Anxiety certainly includes worry, but it isn’t limited to that. Any emotional impasse can be classified as anxiety.
Recently I was reading the prayer of a really anxious man, and got a whole new perspective on what to do when I’m feeling anxious. [click to continue…]
After surveying more than 10,000 people, the Gallup organization learned that people want four things from their leaders: trust, compassion, stability, and hope. Whether you consider yourself as the “touchy-feely type” or not, you can greatly influence others by showing you care and are willing to take action on the concerns and joys of somebody else. In short, regardless of your position, your influence rises and falls with the level of your compassion.
So how’s your level of compassion? Here are eleven questions to help you explore that: [click to continue…]
We’re in an interesting season and it has me thinking a lot about – and working a lot on – home. In a couple of months we’ll be moving from this…
To this…
At times the process has felt a lot like David’s famous whine: “How long, O Lord?” At other times we’ve found ourselves wondering how in the world we’ll get it all done.
All the details.
All the work.
All the thinking and buying and selling and meeting and planning and more meeting…
To prepare a place called Home.
In between all those details, plus the daily joys of work and service which go on regardless, I’ve been thinking about another kind of Home. One that’s more lasting. One where I have a place, but don’t have the task of preparing it… I just have to partner with the Lord to prepare me for the place.
Sometimes, like the Whiner-in-Chief, I look at this hope and ask, “How long, O Lord?” And sometimes I get this sense that it’s sooner than I think. [click to continue…]
One of the most charming words in the English language is the word “promise.” Do you realize that so much of what we experience, of what we know about God, of our spiritual maturity, and of our success or failure in the Christian life has something to do with how we respond to the promises of God? Check this out:
Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God (2 Corinthians 7:1, NLT)
We do not want any of you to grow slack, but to follow the example of those who through sheer patient faith came to possess the promises (Hebrews 6:12, Phillips).
And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires (2 Peter 1:4, NLT).
To put it simply, we are People of the Promise. So let me get nosey a minute. What are you trusting God to do today that only He can do? Where is the evidence in your life that God is keeping His word to you? What is there about your life that can only be explained by the faithfulness of a loving God?
The original card-carrier for People of the Promise was a man named Abraham. And we can learn some things from his example. [click to continue…]