Ron Harris

“It’s not how you start the race that’s important…it’s how you finish!”

I think all of us would like to finish well. We should desire to manage the race in order to make it to the finish line. Admittedly, we usually think of that ultimate finish line…death…when we hope to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” But what about today? Tomorrow? Next week? Don’t you want to finish well then, too?

My pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress spoke about this recently. He said we need to have a goal…a finish line…on a weekly basis, maybe even a daily basis. From my experience, it is so easy to just keep plugging away at the task, feeling like it will never end. What we thought was a sprint turns into a marathon, maybe even a super marathon. Jeffress says we need to change our way of thinking about these tasks.

“We don’t do all there is to do…but all we need to do.”

Here are some practical ways to help move us in the direction of establishing finish lines that allow us to rest and enjoy what the Lord has for us.

• Organize your day, don’t let it just run you. What we call the tyranny of the urgent often overrides other decisions and keeps us from accomplishing the important things. Guard your schedule.
• Know what can wait until tomorrow. Not everything has to be done today. Make your “tomorrow” list as today winds down.
• Delegate…but don’t just dump your to-do list on someone else. Make delegation part of the planning process.
• Turn it off. I once had to instruct a person in media to stop doing his editing work and go to bed. He was letting his ministry work intrude on his family life. Yes, there are times when deadlines have to be met. But with better planning, these become the rare exception, not the normal routine.
• Do something you enjoy. Take a walk. Go shopping. Go out to eat with friends. Play a game.
• Spend time with your family…and especially with your Heavenly Father.

Someone recently commented, “Our internet was down all day. I couldn’t do anything online. So, I went downstairs to visit with my family. They seem like nice people.”

The Apostle Paul often used the running of a race as an illustration of the Christian life. He said of himself:

Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT

Set a finish line daily. Weekly. Pace yourself as you run the race set before you.

I think I see a checkered flag ahead. I’m wrapping up this Monday MEMO and I’m going to spend some time with my wife.

God’s best,

In the U.S. today people are getting things ready for a cookout, a picnic, hot dogs, fireworks, barbecue, homemade ice cream, and maybe some apple pie. We celebrate our independence with friends and family…and hopefully, with gratitude.

Fred Smith mentored many leaders, and he often talked about the power of gratitude…thankfulness. Smith says, “Authentic gratitude is recognizing and appreciating what we have now, not for what we hope to have.” And Fred Smith points out it isn’t gratitude just for good things in the past, though it’s good to recognize our blessings. Smith says, “It is relatively easy for people to recite a list of past items, but it is sometimes more difficult to express the current ones.”

One struggle we sometimes have with gratitude is that it shows our need for others. Once again, Fred Smith addresses this:

“Gratitude represents dependence. It says, ‘I can’t do this all by myself… I need your help.’ Whether we speak that to parents, teachers, colleagues, or God, it is a sign of humility.”

In a devotional, Henry Blackaby takes gratitude one step further:

“Thankfulness is a conscious response that comes from looking beyond our blessings to their source. As Christians, we have been forgiven, saved from death, and adopted as God’s children. There could be no better reason for a grateful heart!”

And, as leaders, there is another byproduct of our gratitude. Those around us are blessed, as Fred Smith points out:

“When we acknowledge the contribution of others, we build them up.”

So, enjoy your day, and be grateful.

I recently came across a simple song by Marvin Winans. You may recognize his name as the father of the famous Winan family of singers…CeCe and BeBe and eight others. This pastor and gospel singer talked of seeing a fight break out at a bar he passed by on his way from church. Under conviction, he penned the message:

Who’s gonna tell them Jesus loves them
Who’s gonna tell them there’s a better way
Who’s gonna warn them of the things coming on them
So God can turn their nights to day

I listened as Winans and the singers repeated the little chorus again and again. Then it shifted:

I’m gonna tell them Jesus loves them
I’m gonna tell them there’s a better way

That simple shift of focus is monumental. It’s one thing to ask, “Who?” and quite another thing to respond, “I will be the one to warn them, to tell them.”

I needed that. I sometimes think what I do in Christian communications is all I need to do. Helping others share God’s hope. That’s good…but it can’t be all I do.

Jesus didn’t just talk about healing people. He healed them. He didn’t just tell others of God’s path that leads to eternal life. He walked the path…right to the Cross.

Though Jesus’ disciples stumbled a few times, they ultimately “walked the talk” even to the point of their death.

At MEDIAlliance we are privileged to serve with some of the Lord’s most amazing servants. They build ministries, grow their media reach, and guide dedicated staff. Is that enough?

I think God calls each of us to be a personal witness of the Lord’s love and saving power. Is it sometimes uncomfortable? Sometimes awkward? Yes. But we should get beyond that. Jesus did.

As needed, we must answer the call and shift our focus from just asking who is going to tell others, warn others, point others to a better way…to responding from our heart, “I’m gonna tell them Jesus loves them.”

Can I get an amen?

I hope that doesn’t make you uncomfortable. For some of us, the word “intelligence” causes us to think back to our school days, and those thoughts can zero in on a failed test or a failed class. Rarely do we think of our best experiences in school. Or…is that just me?

The latest buzz words today are “artificial intelligence.” My colleague Kyle Gilbert is often stepping into my office to share with me the latest application of AI in writing, graphics, photographs, and more. (By the way…this is really me writing this Monday MEMO…not AI. I am not a robot!)

Another phrase gaining popularity is emotional intelligence. Here is a good definition:

…the ability to understand and manage your own emotions, as well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you.

Psychologist Daniel Goleman talks of the five areas of emotional intelligence:

• Empathy
• Effective communication or social skills
• Self-awareness
• Self-regulation
• Motivation

Many people in our organizations are looking for leaders who exhibit these qualities.

Our MEDIAlliance friend Steve Gutzler is something of an authority on managing emotional intelligence for leadership purposes. He has some ways to build up your emotional intelligence for effective leadership.

1. Be mindful of setting your emotional tone early in the morning. Be positive and grateful.
2. Rather than being a self-critic, be a self-coach who builds your self-confidence.
3. Channel your energy into something productive and joyful each day.
4. Focus on one percent improvement each day.
5. Maintain a healthy diet and ensure a good night’s rest.

There is much more to emotional intelligence, but these steps can be good starting points.

As I share these suggestions, I remember the Apostle Paul’s admonition to the Philippian church on setting our emotional tone.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8 NLT

Try that…and see what a difference it can make in the team around you.

God’s best,

True confession. I love to laugh. And I love to see others laugh. In elementary school I got into trouble on more than one occasion for trying to make my classmates laugh. I still gauge the value of my days by how much joy I shared or received. Just this morning as I headed off to work, my wife instructed me, “You boys have fun today.” Judy knows me well.

Spiritual and leadership mentor Fred Smith wrote: “Humor is part of a healthy rhythm of life. It relieves the monotony. It improves the taste, like salt on vegetables or the meat.” It seems I am always looking for humor in the midst of life. And, believe me, it is there if you look for it.”

Humor is not just telling jokes. There is a difference between a comedian who tells jokes and a humorist who sees the funny in the ordinariness of everyday life. American humorist Will Rogers once said, “Things ain’t what they used to be…and never were.” One of his most famous quotes is still true some 80 years after Rogers’ death:

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.”

I recently attended my 60th anniversary high school reunion. The last one I attended was the 40th one and I noticed some major differences. First, there were more walkers and canes than previously. Second, there was a contest to see who had the most hip replacement surgeries. (Judy won with four.) And third, the event started at 5:00 p.m. and ended at 8:30 p.m. so folks could get back home before dark and take their nighttime medicines. Humor often comes from truth.

Fred Smith quoted a doctor friend who told him, “Laughter has been linked by longstanding tradition with longevity. One thing almost all very healthy elderly patients have in common is their sense of humor.”

The Bible provides a foundation for that and a warning for those who don’t apply humor to their life:

A cheerful heart is good medicine,

but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.

Proverbs 17:22 NLT

After an amazing spiritual service and the reading of the Law of the Lord, Prophet Nehemiah instructed the people to have a feast and share joy with others. He concluded with these words:

“…This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

Nehemiah 8:10 NLT

So go ahead…laugh a little. It will bring others joy. At the very least it will make people wonder, and it just might start a great conversation when they ask, “What’s so funny?”

God’s best,

Recently I attended a dinner where singer/songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman performed. Chatting with him, I told him I had been thinking of one of his songs all week. Maybe you remember it.

We will abandon it all for the sake of the call

No other reason at all but the sake of the call

Wholly devoted to live and to die for the sake of the call

I wonder if we really believe that. I think of the hymn many of us sing in our churches:

All to Jesus I surrender

All to Him I freely give

And then the chorus:

I surrender all, I surrender all

All to Thee my blessed Savior

I surrender all

Do we? Do we surrender all?

There is a book that tells the life of Bible teacher Oswald Chambers. His material through the years became that best-selling devotion My Utmost for His Highest. The book on Chambers’ life is called Abandoned to God.

Are we? Abandoned to God?

Jesus, over and over, told would-be followers to leave all, to sell their possessions and give it to the poor before becoming His disciple. Did Jesus mean that? When Christ called those fishermen to be his disciples, the Bible tells us they just walked away from their fishing business, they left it all behind to be a follower of Jesus.

Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!” And they left their nets at once and followed him.

Matthew 4:19-20 NLT

I wonder what God could do in our lives, our ministries, if we could be fully abandoned to Him. Steven Curtis Chapman’s song goes on to say:

Not for the sake of a creed or a cause

Not for a dream or a promise

Simply because it is Jesus who called

And if we believe we’ll obey

Maybe we need a fresh look at Jesus…and His call on our lives.

God’s best,

What gets you excited? What is it that gets your heart beating a bit faster and causes you to focus more intently on what’s before you?

My friend and leadership expert Steve Gutzler shared some thoughts on the importance and value of passion in all we do. Here are some of his points:

• Passion invigorates achievement.
• Passion inspires you from the inside out.
• Passion sustains you during tough times.
• Passion expands you and pushes boundaries.

Paul encouraged those to whom he ministered to be people of passion in their service to the Lord.

Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Romans 12:11 NLT

One leadership ministry described passion this way:

“Passion is the God-given desire that compels us to make a difference in a particular area of life or in a ministry.”

Making a difference. That is what the Lord calls us to do. Make a difference. And the passion for the Lord and what He has for us to do in ministry ought to compel us to give, as Oswald Chambers phrased it, our utmost for His glory.

God-given passion calls us to choose a different path than many might take. Not being complacent or comfortable but pushing forward with passion. Pastor and author Mark Batterson put it bluntly:

“Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.”

What’s your passion? How is it driving you as you lead and serve others?

God’s best,

Vision, mission, strategies, outcomes. Leaders are often busy with what it takes to inspire and guide others in the organization. Lots of time is spent determining the right vision to help the organization and all associated with it to have a sense of direction. And the vision should also provide an exciting goal that helps drive the team to new heights.

But I have a question for you. Not concerning your ministry… for YOU.

What is your vision for yourself?

Fred Smith, in his role as a mentor to leaders in ministry and business, talked about this in one of his letters. After writing about the occasional need for a new and changing vision, he added this:

“One exception is the vision of who we want to be as men and women of character…. That vision can be lifelong… and should be. In fact, we should be growing in maturity the older we get. The picture we have of ourselves should include a clear idea of who we are becoming, not just what we are doing.”

We can easily get caught up in the doing, making sure our ministries have direction and purpose. We don’t often think of the importance of building our own vision for who we are and who we are becoming. But that is critical. Dr. Henry Blackaby points to that in one of his devotionals:

“Big assignments require big characters. God will give you a responsibility in proportion to the size of your character…. A small character will fail in a large responsibility every time.”

– Experiencing God Day by Day

And then Blackaby poses these questions:

• How is God building your character?
• Do you sense He has a task for you that will require a far greater man or woman than you presently are?
• Will you yield to God as He works in your life to prepare you for your next assignment?

Powerful questions. Important ones for each of us. The Apostle Paul often spoke of the importance of the character of those who follow Christ. He saw this as a critical link to our understanding of salvation and the hope we have, and that we exhibit it to those around us. Yes, we will face challenges on our path, but they can be used by God to build us up for His service.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.

Romans 5:3-4 NLT

Fred Smith concluded his thoughts this way:

“Defining who you want to be as a person should be foundational, and many of the aspirations and dreams can be expansive. But all visions should be consistent with who we want to be during each stage of our lives – and how we want to be remembered when it is our time to go.”

– Breakfast with Fred

So… what is your vision for YOU? Are you willing to do what it takes to be the man or woman of character that God needs for His big assignment?

God’s best,

I’m going to guess that this has happened to you.

You meet someone. They give you their name. And three minutes later you can’t remember it! You are reduced to calling them “friend” or “brother/sister” because you cannot pull up the name you just heard. I know. It’s embarrassing. Been there…and ashamed to say I have done that.

Did you ever take time to wonder why that happens far too often? For most of us, it is not a memory problem. It is a focus problem. We are not actively listening.

My friend Bob Tiede recently posted excerpts from a book by Heather R. Younger on that very topic. In the book The Art of Active Listening, the author identifies the value of active listening.

“Active listening is about making a conscious effort to hear and understand someone else. When we actively listen, we demonstrate concern, limit our interruptions, and ask open-ended questions. We commit all of our attention to the speaker…”

Most of us have had the experience of talking with someone who keeps looking beyond us while we visit. We know right away they are not totally focused on us and what we are saying. Sadly, most of us have done the same thing to others.

Mark Cole with John Maxwell’s leadership organization recognizes the importance of active listening:

“Listening is one of the most valuable tools a leader has in his or her tool belt. Unfortunately, the busier we are and the higher we climb in the organization, the more difficult it becomes to listen.”

Cole has suggestions to help make all of us better listeners. Here are a few:

1. Look at the Speaker – It may sound simple, but it’s absolutely the first step to effective listening. Don’t shuffle through papers or your phone while someone is talking to you. Make eye contact and lean in.
2. Don’t Interrupt – It is important to give people the time they need to express themselves.
3. Focus on Understanding – The best listeners aren’t the best because they can remember facts about what was said; they are the best because they understand the purpose and meaning of what was said.
4. Ask Questions for Clarity – There is an art to gently asking clarifying questions, and the best listeners have mastered it.
5. Always Make Listening Your Priority – It shows how much you value the other person.

Solomon reminded us how important it is to listen, and to listen carefully:

Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish.

Proverbs 18:13 NLT

A powerful example of God listening to His children is found in Psalm 40. David is in the pit of despair. When he cries out to God, the Lord not only hears him, but God also focuses on him as He listens.

I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

Psalm 40:1 KJV

The visual image is of God leaning forward to focus in on David as he cried out for help from the mire and mud of his self-made pit of despair. What an example.

Do you give that type of attention to those around you? Do you focus on what they are saying? It goes way beyond just remembering someone’s name when you meet them. But it can certainly start there.

God’s best,

Most of us know the initials YMCA. Yes, it’s more than a song by the Village People. Some might think of the YMCA as a place to work out. Others might know these letters as an inexpensive place to stay. There was a time those letters stood for something. Young Men’s Christian Association. It was founded in London, and when it came to America, one of its early leaders was a Methodist layman named John R. Mott. This leader worked tirelessly around the globe to bring unity and Christian values to the troubled times of his day. And for that, Mott was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945.

Mott had nine questions that he used to determine the leadership ability of a person. Take note of these questions…maybe jot them down…and see where you stand as a leader.

1. Does he do little things well? Excellence
2. Has he learned the meaning of priorities? Focus
3. How does he use his leisure time? Rest
4. Does he have intensity? Passion
5. Has he learned to take advantage of momentum? Timing
6. Does he have the power of growth? Learning
7. What is his attitude toward discouragement? Resilience
8. How does he face impossible situations? Faith
9. What are his weakest points? Humility

These are some great questions to ponder to see how we stack up in the critical role to which God has called us.

All throughout the Scriptures the Lord provides characteristics of those who would be godly leaders. The Psalmist said of David as a shepherd of the people he led, “He cared for them with a true heart and led them with skillful hands.” (Psalm 78:72 NLT)

Luke, the likely writer of Acts, echoed the psalmist for those who would be leaders. “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28 ESV)

And Jesus set the standard for leadership with the example of His life and in His teaching:

You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you.

I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

John 13:13-17 NLT

By the way, when John Mott received the Nobel Peace Prize, he concluded his acceptance speech with these words:

“…let me emphasize the all-important point, that Jesus Christ summed up the outstanding, unfailing, and abiding secret of all truly great and enduring leadership in the Word: “He who would be greatest among you shall be the servant of all” He Himself embodied this truth….”

Godly leadership is critical today…and is desperately needed. Strive to be the leader that Jesus desires you to be.

God’s best,