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I Like the Idea of People
I like the idea of people.
You may be like me. I’m sitting in the Atlanta airport right now waiting for a flight. I started my day half way around the world and have now sat for nearly 18 hours in 3 different airports. And it’s not my last airport of the day. One miss-timed arrival led to one missed flight, which led to one delay after another, and now I’m hopeful my wife and I will be able to catch the last flight to Tulsa before midnight!
Regardless, these hours in the airport have afforded me the opportunity to take a closer look at people. And I have to say, “I really like the idea of people!”
I’ve seen people of all shapes and sizes. Some are dressed comfortably, obviously stealing themselves for a long day of travel. Others are dressed to the nines coming or going to the next billion-dollar business meeting, or perhaps a wedding, or maybe just a weekend excursion with someone special. Two Nuns dressed in full Habit sit directly across from me. Questions flood my mind. While just over their shoulder I see another unexpected sight.
There goes a dude that’s not really dressed like a dude at all. I’m not exactly certain what look (s)he was going for but the look alone captured the attention of every passerby. A Delta agent told us Bradley Cooper was supposed to be on the last flight we missed to Tulsa. He missed it too. Maybe he was the dude not dressed like a dude trying to travel incognito!
Everywhere I look there are people, glorious people! Each has an interesting story to tell, an amazing life to live, and unimaginable potential to discover. Sitting in this airport I’m surrounded by magic, enchanted with possibilities, enthralled by the undiscovered country that surrounds me in the lives of these travelers. I really like the idea of people!
Here I am, surrounded by a thousand stories, yet the only significant conversation I’ve had all day is with my wife. I’ve spoken with Flight Attendants, Security Agents and Café employees, but those weren’t real conversations – more an exchange of pleasantries followed by an exchange of currency, than a real conversation.
I sat next to a nice, newly married couple on one plane. But I don’t know that because we took the time to get to know one another. I know because I was the third wheel in what was clearly the honeymoon row of the plane. I did my best to discretely ignore their attentions for one another and they were kind enough to ignore me.
There’s a group of traveling high school musicians seated at a terminal down the hall from us. I know because the t-shirts they wear tell me they are ‘Ambassadors for Music’ on their whirlwind world tour. I’ve been tempted to ask about their trip and request a song, but I haven’t. I don’t want to embarrass my wife. Besides, it’s easier to listen to my iPod instead.
I’ll bet you’re not too different from me. I really like the idea of people. But, truth-be-told, in these airports today, people have been more of an obstacle to overcome than a story to discover. They’ve been more a product to be managed than a person to be engaged. Not one of us has really unplugged from our gadgets, books, newspapers or travels long enough to notice the glorious magic unfolding all around us. I really like the idea of people. But people themselves…
Well…we smell. We’re moody and difficult. We are under-educated, under-motivated and sometimes, under-handed. We cut in line. We complain about circumstances beyond our control while doing nothing about circumstances under our control.
I really like the idea of people, but I’m not convinced I really like people all that much. My actions today are evidence of this. I’ve watched and listened, been entertained and delighted in my imaginings about all that could be, yet never once genuinely engaged one person.
Jesus likes the idea of people. Proverbs 8 tells us that when God designed the world that Jesus was with him and that once God breathed life into humanity we became His delight. It’s better than that actually. It says He rejoiced in the sons of men and we were daily his delight. Jesus really likes the idea of people.
But more than this, Jesus likes people. He doesn’t stand afar off imagining the possibilities or observing our actions. He became one of us. He got right in the middle of our humanity. He made time for conversation. He went to our parties, wept when we mourned, and challenged our way of thinking. He was at home with the religious elite and the chief of sinners. He was interested in the least and the great, the seemingly wise and the utterly foolish.
This was no passing interest. That which began as delight grew to passion. And that passion became personal.
I long for this – to delight in people, to passionately pursue significant relationships with everyone God would entrust to me. I’m not satisfied with liking the idea of people. I want to really like them – and be liked. I want to follow the example of Jesus.
The Bible tells us not to just say we love people, really love them. I think this is the starting point. Delight in people, discover their story, and devote yourself to their good and God’s glory.
I think I’ll walk down the terminal and see if the Ambassadors for Music might tell us a story and sing us a song.
God Bless,
Chad
What Do You sSee?
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “What gets measured is what gets done.”
The attitudes and actions you reward today will become the habits and character of your team tomorrow. The inverse is also true. The attitudes and actions you ignore today will become the habits and character of your team tomorrow. What those habits are and the character they define is largely up to you as the leader.
It makes the art of the atta-boy an important resource in both your strategic and tactical leadership development tool chest.
For most leaders there’s a great temptation to get caught up in the ‘why’ rather than the ‘what’. While ‘why’ may motivate, ‘what’ points the way. More than this. ‘What’ defines those values that set us apart from other organizations. McDonald’s and Chick-fil-a both provide fast, affordable food in a family friendly atmosphere, but the ‘what’ behind their ‘why’ sets them apart from one another as clearly as the clown that represents one and the cow that represents the other.
Many leaders see themselves as visionary masterminds driven to fulfill the destiny of their dreams. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this. It’s this drive and vision that separates leaders from followers. But at the same time it’s is easy to forget that old cliche’, “A leader without followers is simply someone taking a walk.” It means that every leader has a responsibility to those who follow. It’s not enough to point they way. An effective leader will meet people where they are in order to take them where they should be.
Some people drain. Some people energize. Some people get it, others don’t. Either way, part of the leader’s job is to meet the follower where they are and try to take them where they should be.
There are only two ways to motivate this kind of change. You can beat people with a stick or prompt people with a carrot. Certainly the numbers of ways to accomplish either of these is limited only by the scope of your own imagination, but whatever you think up to motivate people toward growth will always fall into one of these two broad categories.
I’ve heard it said that people don’t see things as they are, we see things as we are. In other words, we interpret life through the filter of how we think. We respond to each situation and circumstance based on our own worldview. Or said another way, “What we see is often what we get.” The glass is half full, not because the resource hasn’t been fully allocated or because we’ve already begun using it. It’s half full because that’s simply how I see things. My boss expects the impossible, not because the task is challenging but because I undervalue my own skills, underestimate my resources and simply can’t see how I can possibly achieve the outcome they want. So the old cliche’ again too often rings true, “What you see is what you get.”
The leader’s challenge is to meet people where they are and redefine their worldview. One carrot we’ve used successfully to reshape the worldview of our team has the added value of involving the entire team while challenging everyone to go above and beyond the call of duty when working with others, whether they be other team members, customers or potential clients.
We ask team members one question, “What do you sSee?” Yes, the double ‘s’ is intentional. If what you sSee is what you get then challenge everyone to look for and provide ‘Service with a Smile that Exceeds Expectations‘. On a regular basis we recognize and reward one team member who’s been been sSee(n) providing service with a smile that exceeds expectations. But there’s more to it than reward and recognition. The leadership or management team may provide the incentive, but it’s the team itself that offers up the names of team members worthy of the honor. The leader gives out the atta-boy, but only because the team has recognized the attitude and effort of the team member receiving it. As often as you want to reinforce the value, one team member directly benefits and becomes the example while all the others are challenged by the idea and constantly looking for the value you’re trying to train. Slowly, methodically, it changes what people sSee. It causes a subtle shift in their worldview that challenges them to look beyond themselves as they are challenged to serve beyond themselves.
Try this carrot with your team and see if the way they see things begins to change. Ask them what they sSee and challenge them to look for ways to provide service with a smile that exceeds expectation to one another and your clients as they look for others who are doing the same.
If what you sSee is what you get then begin finding ways to reshape the way your team sSee’s themselves and those with whom they work.
- What are other ways you meet people where they are and motivate them to move to where they should be?
God Bless,
Chad
Some Thoughts on Divorce
Mark 10:1-12 & Matthew 19:1-10 (click the verses to read them at Biblegateway.com) provide pretty succinct Biblical discussions on divorce. In these passages Jesus tells us that Moses allows for divorce because people have hard hearts. He then quotes Old Testament Scriptures that say divorce is not what God intends.
Matthew 19 indicates that sexual immorality may be legitimate grounds for divorce, but if you read it closely this passage isn’t really granting people permission for divorce. It’s actually saying that if you divorce for any reason except sexual immorality then once you or your former spouse remarry you’ll be committing adultery. It doesn’t really say, “Because of sexual immorality, divorce is okay.”
To be clear, it says, “Divorce is bad, don’t do it. If you think divorce is your only option count the cost and consider what the affects will be.”
Divorce is only a legitimate option because of the hard hearts of people. Sometimes this hardness of heart leads to adultery. Sometimes to wrath. If someone is in a physically abusive situation they should get out now.
The End of Grace
Divorce, historically, has carried a stigma, as though God somehow considers divorce more wicked than other sins or divorced people second class citizens. This simply is not true. From a spiritual perspective, divorce represents the end of what is almost always a long list of unrighteousness. The tragedy of divorce is not simply the damage done to a family but that divorce represents the end of grace. It’s two people saying to one another, “There is no hope for repentance, reconciliation or restoration between us. I’m giving up on you.” I believe this is why God hates divorce (not divorced people). Scripture is clear about the grace God has given those who believe. He is faithful even when we are unfaithful. His love for us remains sure, His grace remains strong and His mercy is everlasting in spite of how often we disobey or disappoint.
One design God has for marriage is that it should be a picture of His relationship with His people. It’s simply contrary to His character to give up on His people. When a couple gets a divorce they destroy that picture.
God is so passionate about His faithfulness to us that he once commanded an Old Testament prophet, Hosea, to marry a prostitute in order to illustrate His relationship to His people. God told Hosea, in spite of her unfaithfulness and adultery stay with her, love and cherish her. You are an example of my (God’s) relationship with Israel. They are my people, they have been unfaithful to me, but I will remain faithful to them. Nothing will separate them from my love.
I know couples whose marriage has survived the misery and devastation of adultery. They survived because the unfaithful spouse asked for forgiveness and the faithful spouse gave it. It’s a choice I’m not sure I could make. But I’ve seen it happen on multiple occasions. These marriages, like Hosea’s, have served as an example of God’s faithfulness in spite of our unfaithfulness.
I’m not suggesting that remaining married in the face of adultery is the first, best or only choice. Just like everything else in marriage it takes two. It takes one to seek forgiveness and one to give it. In most marriages both people need to ask forgiveness of one another and give it. It takes both repentance and forgiveness. That’s what leads to a restored relationship. If no one is willing to repent it’s impossible to offer the kind of forgiveness that leads to a restored relationship.
In the end Moses was right. Adultery, outbursts of wrath, selfishness, envy, uncontrolled and unreasonable spending, an unwillingness to repent or forgive – all these things represent a hardening of the heart that can (and likely will) lead to the end of a marriage. Are they ‘legitimate and Biblical’ grounds for divorce? Legitimate, maybe – Biblical, I’m not so sure.
In the end God’s desire is the same, remain faithful to one another. Keep your promise. Anything less is not His perfect intent for you and your spouse.
Practical Thoughts
If you’ve been divorced – You’ve lived through one of the most painful life events a person can experience. You may feel shame or failure. You may feel freedom. Whatever the case I can assure you of a couple of things:
- God loves you. You have not done anything that God cannot redeem.
- You have a future. It may involve another marriage, it may not. Either way, it’s never too soon to begin practicing faithfulness.
Your divorce happened because someone hardened their heart. How will you cultivate a pure heart that willingly yields to God?
If you’re considering divorce – You are living through one of the most painful life events a person can experience. You may feel shame or failure. Whatever the case I can assure you of a few of things:
- God loves you. You have not done anything that God cannot redeem.
- Count the cost – divorce will cost you something. It will cost your kids. You will break a promise to your spouse and your children. Is the price worth paying?
- Someone has hardened their heart. Examine yourself. Is it you? Is it both of you? Is there room for grace? Are you willing to forgive? Are you willing to ask for forgiveness?
- You have a future. It’s never too soon to begin practicing faithfulness.
Generosity
What was the last generous thing you did for someone else? You know what I’m talking about, the kind of thing that cost you something and doesn’t seem to directly add value to you, but that greatly benefits someone else. What was it?
- Did you leave a tip for a waiter that was greater than 18%?
- Did you give $10 for a water straw?
- Did you clean out your kids closet and donate the toys to charity?
- Did you volunteer your time to help someone in need?
- Did you stop to listen to the story of an anonymous stranger simply because, in that moment, they needed a sympathetic ear?
Generosity – giving out of the abundance of what God has given you.
It’s Christmas and as they say, “‘Tis the season!” Here’s the beautiful thing about generosity. True generosity benefits the one who receives and the one who gives. No earth shattering revelation here.
- The one who receives gets the value of the gift given.
- The one who gives gets the satisfaction of serving someone else.
Generosity is a good thing.
God loves generous people. Proverbs says that some people never give anything and end up loosing it all while others spread what they have all around and keep getting more. It’s the difference between the generous person and the miser. God loves a cheerful giver.
But, in God’s economy, there are two standards of giving that are better than generosity.
- Obedience
- Sacrifice
Obedience is simply doing what God asks you to do because God asked you to do it. Sacrifice is giving up something you love for something you love even more. It’s giving more than you think you can afford and trusting God to provide.
Out of obedience we give our FIRST and our BEST to God. It’s another Proverb. Proverbs 3:9-10, “Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.”
Out of simple obedience to God I will give Him the FIRST of all I have. This is about money. But it’s also about time & talent. It’s about attitude. It’s about taking the first and best of who you are and giving it God.
Out of simple obedience to God I will give Him the BEST of all I have. Simple obedience doesn’t ask for just anything. God asks for your best. He’s not interested in your left overs. He’s not impressed with your abundance. All that you have He gave to you in the first place. He deserves your best. He wants your best.
Now here’s a common misconception. God doesn’t ask for your first or your best because He needs the money. He asks for your first and your best because you need to learn to give. Let’s be honest. We’re not exactly ‘givers’ by nature. It may be more blessed to give than receive, but I spend way more time fretting over my Christmas list than everyone else’s. Genuine giving – the kind that is without grudge or remorse, the kind that comes with no expectation of getting something in return, the kind of giving that comes with no strings attached – that kind of giving has to be learned. How often has your generosity really cost you something? How often have you given with no strings attached?
God’s generosity toward you cost Him something. As a matter of fact God pushed beyond generosity to sacrifice. He gave His first and His best. He gave His only begotten son. Jesus became the sacrifice. He took the penalty for your sins and mine. God gave…Jesus was obedient, God was generous and the sacrifice was made. It’s the kind of gift that can never be repaid, but because of the gift I can choose to live my life a certain way. I can choose to live in a way that honors the gift I’ve been given.
So this Christmas season – in the midst of all the giving and receiving – don’t settle for simply being kind or generous. Push past generosity and give like Jesus gave. Give your FIRST and your BEST. Give out of the abundance of what God has given you, but don’t stop there. Give out of simple obedience. Give sacrificially – give more than you think you can afford and trust God to provide. Give up something you love for something you love even more.
This Christmas don’t stop with generous. Give your first and your best. Give out of simple obedience. Give sacrificially and discover God’s first and best for you.
God Bless,
Chad
The people of First Baptist Owasso are generous. Their mission and ministry meets needs in our community and around the world. They share the gospel and serve faithfully because they want to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this generation. You can partner with us through giving. Click here to discover more.
Transactional Leadership – 4 Challenges of ‘Value’ Based Influence
Have you ever thought about the words we use to describe relationships? Our entire paradigm for how we relate to one another is economic. We ‘spend’ time with family. We ‘invest’ training and resources in employees. When we feel neglected by our spouse we tell them they don’t ‘value’ us nearly enough. I’ll get that promotion when my boss recognizes how much I ‘contribute’ to the team.
Seth Godin has said that leadership, at it’s core, is marketing and marketing is leadership. As leaders we’re selling a vision, an idea, a method, a system. We market our influence and hope someone will ‘buy in’. This economic model affects our approach to leadership at every level. It’s transactional in nature. Quid pro quo. I’ll follow you if I get something in return. You’ll follow me when you realize my idea has more than merit, it has value that will benefit you personally. They say all politics is local. Well, all leadership is transactional and everyone’s looking for an ROI (return on investment) that far exceeds the risk they take when they believe you.
What would happen if we changed the language of leadership? What if we stopped using the words of Wall Street to describe how a leader relates to others? Transactional Leadership relies heavily on 4 words that have more to do with economics than leadership. What if we replaced these 4 words with new words designed to inspire, empower and engage people?
- Value vs. Respect
- Invest vs. Serve
- Buy-in vs. Trust
- Contribute vs. Collaborate
These aren’t simply 4 contrasting ideas. They are a progressive pattern for how leadership works. They are guiding principles that build one on top of the other.
Value vs. Respect
The role of ‘value’ in transactional leadership is based on the idea that people follow the leader because the leader somehow adds value to their lives. The benefits could be social, political, economic or even spiritual. Followers follow because of the value the leader adds to them. The leader benefits from the value brought by those who follow him. It’s reciprocal and the leadership equation continues successfully unhindered as long as everyone can clearly see the benefit of the relationship. The problem with value based leadership is that it’s focused on one single idea, “What’s in it for me?” Don’t get me wrong. That’s not an inherently bad question to ask. People are in business to make a profit. The reason we want to improve our leadership skill is because we have this vision of a future that’s better for us and the people we lead. But, ‘What’s in it for me?’ can’t be the foundation of our leadership relationships. What’s in it for me is transient. What makes me happy from one moment to the next is dynamic. Therefore the value I’m looking for out of any given relationship is constantly changing. It’s why married couples can fall in and out of love. It’s why Coaches can be heroes one day and villains the next. You didn’t win the game. The value of this relationship has just been diminished. You don’t make me feel like you once did. It must be time to find a new partner in marriage.
‘Respect’ approaches relationships differently than ‘value’. Instead of leaders looking for what they can gain from others they recognize that every individual has intrinsic value apart from what they give to an organization. Out of respect for the individual the leader looks for ways to unleash the unrealized and untapped potential of those they lead. Instead of using people as a resource they challenge and inspire people to become more then they ever imagined possible on their own. Respect becomes the foundation on which a new kind of leadership is built. When respect drives the leader’s responsibility to lead and the follower’s willingness to follow the paradigm changes for how we relate to one another. Because of my respect for you I won’t treat you as a commodity or as a means to an end. Out of respect for you I have a responsibility as a leader to attempt to understand your hopes and dreams, to use my resources and experience to equip, encourage and empower you to fulfill your maximum potential. The follower has a responsibility here as well. Out of respect for those who lead the follower commits to serve the organization well. This service isn’t simply about a paycheck or promotion but about giving my best, being fully engaged with the responsibilities entrusted to me, and doing what’s right for the organization as a whole. Respect defines the way we relate in times of success, failure, conflict and cooperation.
Put simply, value looks for what’s in this relationship for me. Respect dreams of what’s possible for you as we serve together.
Invest vs. Serve
With Transactional Leadership once you’ve discovered the value someone provides you begin to invest your time and energy in that person or idea. This is like any financial investment. You expect to get something in return. But that’s not really the nature of an investment is it? You’re not pouring money into an IRA in the hopes you’ll get a little something in return. You’re hoping for more than you risked in the first place. You gage the value of your investment by how much compounding interest or residual income you are able to receive as a result of the risk you take. The same is true for transactional leaders. You invest in someone or in their idea because you’re convinced you’ll get more out of it than you put into it. But what happens if the investment doesn’t pay off? What happens when a leader invests in followers who don’t follow through? Think of the coach with the perfect game strategy leading a team of under-skilled players. It takes more than a winning strategy or remarkable talent. Both are necessary to win the game. We stop investing in others when we realize we’ll never get the return we’re looking for.
The Servant Leader approaches these relationships differently. Out of respect for the person, a servant leader chooses to meet that person where they are in order to take them where they should be. It’s not about an investment being made, but a responsibility fulfilled. As a leader you’ve been entrusted with the care of those you lead. When faced with an underperforming employee the Servant Leader recognizes an opportunity for growth. Conflict isn’t personal. It’s the resistance that builds the strength and the skill necessary to take the individual and the organization to the next level. Correction isn’t corrosive. It’s a reminder of the core values that define how we relate within this organization and what this organization is really all about. We serve by looking out for the needs of others and the needs of the organization we lead. For a servant leader no task is too menial, no job is too small. The transactional leader is focused on how to protect his investment. The servant leader is focused on meeting the needs of others.
Buy In vs. Trust
Once the Transactional Leader has begun to leverage the ‘value’ of his followers and started ‘investing’ in them, his next step is to achieve ‘buy-in’ from those who follow. For the Transactional Leader ‘buy-in’ is critical. Have you ever noticed the difference in the way employees and owners work? For owners, business is personal. It’s more than their livelihood, it’s an expression of who they are. But employees are different. For an employee a job is what they do, not who they are. When casting vision transactional leaders are looking for buy in. Buy-in is more than positive affirmation. It’s a whole-hearted acceptance of the vision cast by the leader. Buy-in is the difference between an owner and an employee. My uncle used to say, “When I was young I thought I wanted a career. Now that I’m old I realize I just wanted a paycheck.” Think about the things you ‘buy-in’ to. If you’re like me you’re a discerning shopper who looks for the best deal possible before making any kind of purchase. You’re not going to buy-in until you’re certain you’re getting the best value possible. And that’s exactly how followers shop for leaders. Which visionary leader will offer me the best deal? As the leader how can I package the vision so people will give themselves to it? Too often, striving for buy-in reduces the most beautiful of dreams down to a clever catch phrase and slick marketing, the heart of the matter lost one talking point, one sound bite at a time.
Trust is different from buy-in. Trust develops slowly and it’s affects are longer lasting. Trust grows from the seed of respect and blossoms in the refreshing waters of service. Trust is a two way street. Followers trust leaders who respect them and who serve well. Leaders trust followers who respect the significance of the work that needs to be done and who faithfully serve to fulfill their responsibilities.
Changing an organization based on Transactional Leadership can be difficult because the group has bought into an idea, a method for how things are done. In order to change direction the value of the new idea has to be sold to those responsible for guarding the current system. It’s a tough sell from the start.
In trust-based leadership I’m not simply following an idea or a method. I’m not serving a system. I’m part of something bigger than myself that’s made up of other individuals, men and women on whom I rely for my own success. It’s relational, not transactional. I trust that others in the organization are giving their best for the good of all and they can trust that I will do the same. When change becomes necessary it comes more easily, the merits of the new idea strengthened by the trust found in my relationship to those I lead and those who lead me.
Contribute vs. Collaborate
The Transactional leader is looking for contributors. Another word for contributor is ‘producer’. Contribute something to the project, the company, the team or find yourself in search of a new job. The need to make a contribution drives some to be back-stabbing, cold-hearted corporate climbers. While others simply settle in to lower circles of responsibility, their contributions limited to the minimum required amount of effort necessary to provide value to the team. Transactional leaders search for contributors the way entrepreneurs search for venture capitalists. What do you bring to the table? How can you bring more satisfied customers, design a better product or provide a better service? If louder, faster, higher is the mantra of the trumpet player, bigger, faster, better is the mantra of the Transactional Leader. There’s always one more sale to make, one more quota to break. Contribute or die and if you contribute the most we’ll give you a fancy gold watch!
Collaboration is different from contribution. Collaboration starts with the premise that I don’t know it all and I don’t have to. Collaboration relies on the fact that there are some things I’m naturally good at and other things I don’t do well at all. Collaboration is the art of working with others. It’s what happens when I have enough respect for someone else that we’re able to serve one another. This builds the trust we need to collaborate on any project. I trust that in those seasons I am weak, you’ll be strong, when you’re weak I’ll be strong. Collaboration and cooperation go hand in hand. The respect on which collaboration is based allows us to see that any individual in the organization can make a difference regardless of position, title or job function.
Put simply, contribution is how one individual adds value to the team. Collaboration is the leveraged power of the team to fulfill the vision.
I wonder how the world would change if we as leaders would begin using the language of relational leadership rather than the economic words of Transactional Leadership. I wonder if this is a change you can lead into? I believe when we do we’ll find our teams more effective, our employees more satisfied and our customers pleased in ways they’ve not yet imagined.
Who Do You Believe?
Recently I was asked to name a person who has been influential in my life. I’m sure you could answer that question pretty quickly. It didn’t take me long either. What was surprising to me is that I came up with two different names with one significant common denominator. These two people believed in the potential they saw in me. They risked my immaturity and my mistakes to empower me to accomplish something I never really imagined was possible on my own.
Mike Taylor was my Youth Pastor when I was a student. He heard from a friend of mine that I played the piano. From that point on he challenged and encouraged me to lead our student ministry in worship every week. I was awful, but he kept pushing. He kept putting me in front of people and giving me opportunities to improve. He believed I could be useful to God and His kingdom in a way I had never really imagined on my own.
James Lankford was the Student Ministry Specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma and Director of Falls Creek. Today he is about to become the next Congressman for the 5th District of the great state of Oklahoma. A friend of mine and I began a video production business. We didn’t really have any idea what we were doing. But there we were, with a hobby, some cool toys and a little imagination that had grown into a small business. And there was James, challenging and encouraging us to produce video for 5000 students a week at Falls Creek and then 10,000 students at the Oklahoma Youth Evangelism Conference. Equipment failed, mistakes were plentiful, yet James patiently continued to challenge and encourage us to go beyond what we imagined we were capable of on our own.
There are other men who have spoken into my life – Rodney Salmon, Mike Compton, my Father, my Father-in-law. Each has challenged and encouraged me to go further than I thought possible and to attempt more than I imagined I could ever achieve on my own. It makes me mindful of an important truth.
You give remarkable power to someone when you believe in them.
So the question for today is this: Who do you believe? Who, by your belief, are you challenging and encouraging? Who do you see tremendous, God-given potential in and what are you doing to help them unleash that potential?
Perhaps God placed you in their life to be the voice that pushes them beyond anything they imagined possible on their own.
175lbs. – Reaching a Goal
It’s not about the shape of my body – it’s about the surrender in my soul. Reshaping the body is my practice field.
On December 21, 2009 I weighed 225lbs. Today I reached my goal – 175lbs.
- I eat what I want – just not as much of it. – Matthew 15:11
- I exercise very little – enough to maintain strength. – 1 Timothy 4:8
- I run, only when chased. – 1 Corinthians 9:26-27
My secret? Galatians 5:22 says one of the fruits of the Spirit is self control. I’ve asked God to fill me with the fruits of the Spirit and teach me self control. May I continue to learn and practice that which brings honor to God.
It’s not about the shape of my body – it’s about the surrender in my soul. Reshaping the body is my practice field.
Revenge Stories
Have you heard any good revenge stories lately?
I heard about one guy who carries golf balls in the glove compartment of his car. When someone cuts him off in traffic he speeds up, gets in front of them and then throws a handful of golf balls out his sun roof in hopes to even the score!
I heard about a women who caught her husband cheating on her. She went home, grabbed his tooth brush and immediately started using it to clean the inside of the toilet! She did this every day till the divorce was final – her husband never knew and often wondered why the toilet smelled so minty fresh!
And then there’s that member of your church staff – I’ll let you guess which one – who seems to delight in putting other people on mailing lists. He’s signed up people to receive Peter Popoff Prayer Clothes and at the State Fair every year he uses someone else’s name and contact info to sign up for everything from free siding quotes to free samples of Uncle Amos’ Hemorrhoid Cream. Not sure this one’s revenge, but rest assured. His time is coming. He will rue the day!
It seems we come pre-wired with the need for JUSTICE. We don’t like to be wronged and when we’re wronged we want the person at fault to receive full punishment for their indiscretion.
Justice is one of the defining characteristics of God. The Bible says that God is LOVE, but it also say that God is JUST. This means that the wrongs you have done and the wrongs done to you will eventually receive their just reward. Think about this – God’s JUSTICE is as unavoidable as His LOVE. Does that frighten you or encourage you?
There’s actually a pattern to how life works. We make CHOICES. These choices have CONSEQUENCES. And sometimes those consequences demand JUSTICE.
There’s more to this story we need to consider, but before we do I’d like to hear from you.
- What’s the best REVENGE STORY you know?
- How does FORGIVENESS relate to JUSTICE?
Until next time – watch out for flying golf balls, take care to treat your spouse right and be warned, The State Fair is coming. Wonderful new offers will soon await you!
Declaration of Independence
I sometimes run into people who ask hard questions about God, life & the Bible. They doubt the existence of God. They deny the authority of the Bible. They believe that what works for one person may not work for another and they think it’s best for people to just live their lives however they want and leave one another alone. Our knee jerk reaction may sound like, “How dare you!?” or “You’ve got to be kidding me!” But the reality is these are the questions on the hearts of people today. They are not questions rooted in rebellion, rather they are founded in a sincere, if not misguided, quest for spiritual truth.
I’ve always found it interesting that the writers of the Declaration of Independence saw fit to include life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness together as one’s unalienable rights. Life and liberty make sense to me, but the pursuit of happiness seems terribly foolish. I’m hungry right now. I’m not sure which pursuit would make me happier, to eat a cheeseburger or a chicken sandwich. Perhaps I should skip the main course all together and go straight to dessert. What makes me happy today will not likely please me tomorrow. And so, with daily uncertainty and a life long apprehension I pursue the fleeting and fickle reward that is genuine happiness.
I think this example cuts to the core of these questions about whether or not God, Jesus and the Bible are relevant to everyone. What is the primary goal of life? What is the chief end of man? If happiness is the goal then many roads will take you there and just as quickly slip out from under your feet. If happiness is the goal then certainly what works for you will not work for me. You’re a little bit country. I’m a little bit rock and roll. So if happiness is the goal your music is not relevant to me. And besides I’ve already changed my mind…today I’d rather listen to some cool jazz. If I can’t tell you from moment to moment what will make me happy then how can any system of belief change my life? How could any prayer possibly work? I don’t know what to ask for. I don’t know who to ask. Inside my own head I can’t really decide what’s important. I’ve chosen the cheeseburger so I know that right now I’m content, but I’m only a few bites away from needing a milkshake. I don’t have one of those. So now I’m not happy. This whole cheeseburger theology must not really work. I should have picked the chicken sandwich instead.
The issue of relevance and relativism has a lot more to do with DESTINATION and PURPOSE than PRINCIPLES and PRECEPTS.
Without a clear understanding of the purpose and destination of life it makes complete sense to believe that what works for one person may not work for another. Without clear direction it is reasonable to assume that all religions help people equally because all religions provide some sense of purpose. So how does one determine their destination or discover their purpose? How do you know what’s relevant and what’s not?
First, the answer must come from outside of ME. We’ve already established that when it comes to happiness I’m a manic depressive, schizophrenic! I wouldn’t know what ‘worked’ if I hand picked it myself. Real purpose comes from living beyond myself.
Second, the answer must be universal. What good is an answer that only works for me? Think about math for a minute. The only reason we have any miracles of modern technology is because 2 + 2 always equals 4! Out from this simple math grows complex equations that allow engineers more brilliant than I to produce the amazing gadgets we use everyday. Math is a universal language that provides answers that work universally. The same is true spiritually. Too many people feel like their lives just don’t add up. It’s because they don’t understand the math. There is a right purpose, a right plan and a right path. There is a right way. We know there must be because everyone is pursuing it. If there weren’t we wouldn’t even be asking the question.
Finally, I’ve found the answer. My story reflects a life changed by belief. I am living proof that what I believe helps with my pain and leads to lasting joy rather than temporary happiness. It will work for you because it’s worked for others and because you were designed to work this way. Jesus is the critical element because, just like the math above, He is the formula that makes the equation of your life work. You know that not all religions work. You know because you’ve seen them fall apart all around you. Technically, no religion has ever worked. We weren’t designed to be religious. We were designed to have a relationship with God himself! Live life God’s way and discover a life that works.
In so many ways our forefathers got it right when they signed, sealed and delivered the Declaration of Independence. But when it comes to the pursuit of happiness, there’s only one way. It’s the way to real freedom.
THANKS, for reading!
God Bless,
Chad
