Ron Harris

That got me thinking...

Every so often I see something that gets my attention and then starts me thinking. That happened the other morning. My email inbox had a devotional from YouVersion. Since I use their app for some of my Bible reading, I wanted to see what they had for me. And I was surprised. It was a headline.

You weren’t created for a life you don’t have time for.

MEDIAlliance is in the middle of some of our busiest days. International conferences, a Summit, fundraising, many opportunities and much planning, and... oh, yes...family time. Very busy days. And there are those moments where you wonder where the time will come from to get everything done. (No one has yet invented a way to stretch 24 hours into something longer.)

But there is important ministry, and there are important moments with family. And... we all need some “me” time. What do we do?

To be honest, there will be times that are busier than others. There will be special events and occasions that call for an extra measure of time and energy. But that shouldn’t be the norm. The folks at YouVersion explained:

“God created us for purposeful work. But there’s a difference between doing meaningful work and letting that work become our identity. The second we cross the line, we’re caught in a vicious cycle.”

Does that sound familiar? That busyness that crosses the line? Dr. Henry Blackaby addressed that in one of his devotionals in Experiencing God Day by Day. He compares the busyness of Martha to the quiet devotion of her sister Mary.

“It is good to want to serve Christ as an expression of love for what He has done for you. Yet when your activity consumes your time and energies so that you have no time for Him, you have become too busy!”

Blackaby goes on to talk about the balance we need in our lives.

“We are not called to continually sit at the feet of Jesus, otherwise our service for Him would cease. Neither are we called to serve Him incessantly, without taking time to find restoration in His presence.”

Here are some suggestions from YouVersion on how to find a way to do that...to manage your ministry time, family time, personal time, and God time.

• Find your why. Don’t let everything that comes along demand your time and your energy. What is it that God has called and gifted you to do? Focus on that and leave time for the Lord.
• Schedule it on your calendar. Without being totally legalistic, carve out specific times when you are alone with the Lord, in His Word, listening to His voice. For many, that is in the early morning hours when there are fewer opportunities for distraction.
• Give yourself something to look forward to. When you schedule time to rest, plan to do something that brings you joy or peace. Enjoying God’s nature. Being creative. Refreshment for the soul.
• Be relentless. It is easy to let that valuable time of rest...stillness with the Lord...slip away. Protect the time, and relentlessly pursue a time of quiet rest.

YouVersion closed their devotional with these important thoughts:

• Rest helps us enjoy God’s presence and realign our priorities.
• Rest allows us to trust that God is working even when we aren’t.

Jesus said it best.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28 NLT

Remember...you weren’t created for a life you don’t have time for.

God’s best...

by Ron Harris

I’m just amazed!

On my shelf of media books collected through the decades is one called simply...Microphones. No guessing what that book is about! But here is the amazing thing. It’s over 340 pages long. As the young boy who was forced to do a book report on penguins said, “This book told me more than I cared to know about penguins.” I think this book on microphones might tell me far more than I care to know about microphones.

Yet there is something intriguing about a book this size on just one topic. Microphones. Yes, it tells about the different connector types, and how to use the mics in different situations. But still... Three hundred and forty pages?

Part of my amazement comes from the fact that I am a generalist. I know a little bit about a lot of things. What’s the saying? “A mile wide and an inch deep.” So, to think of someone writing such a book boggles my mind.

Yes, there is something to be said for those who dig deeper than that one inch into a topic. In fact, through the years I have wanted to surround myself with people who were experts in their own areas. Whether that’s microphones, digital media, fundraising, or other things related to media or ministry.

There was a time when I thought I had to know everything about everything. Those days are long gone! As a person leading a ministry, it is better for me to see the broad picture than just one or two parts. Believe me, those who are experts are extremely valuable. But someone needs to be able to lift his or her head and see the many things needed for ministry to ensure the organization is heading in the right direction, not just accomplishing today’s job.

As the leader of a Christian ministry, there is one area where I need to go deeper, much deeper. I need to know Jesus. If I am to pattern my life after Christ, then I need to know Him and know Him well. Jesus’ disciples spent three years with the Savior. After his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul spent three years in Arabia learning from the resurrected and risen Christ. That is certainly going deep. Someone has said Christianity is primarily a growing relationship with the infinite God who has revealed Himself through the Lord Jesus Christ. I need to ask myself, “Am I growing in my knowledge of Christ?”

How can I possibly know about an infinite God unless I spend time with His Son Jesus? So, look at your To Do list or your calendar. What time is there carved out for spending time with Jesus, in His Word, listening for His voice? If it’s not there, why not readjusted your schedule and see how the Lord might reward that time spent with the Savior?

The Psalmist certainly knew of the importance of time with God.

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.

But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.

Psalm 1:1-2 NLT

Or consider this command from the Lord found in the Psalms:

Be still, and know that I am God!

Psalm 46:10a NLT

As tempting as it is, I think I’ll pass up learning about the capacitors on a condenser microphone and spend more time learning about the One with whom I will spend eternity.

God’s best...

by Ron Harris

Do you see a face?

Some radio stations have been known to put a picture of someone in their studio or even on the audio console. It might be a female, around 35 years old. They may even give her a name. Alice. Or Jane. Do you know who that person might be?

The picture they post in their studio represents the target person they want to reach with their programming. It is a reminder that they are not just broadcasting, playing music, sending commercials, and giving weather reports to anyone. They are reaching individuals. And they are reminding their announce staff that when they are on the air, they need to talk to that one person. Alice. Or whatever name they assign.

That’s a great reminder for us in media ministry that we are not just sending things out, we are trying to connect, to communicate, with our audience. The Greek philosopher Aristotle centuries ago told us there is no communication unless there is a receiver of the information sent. Talking isn’t communicating. Connecting when we present is critical when we talk to others, both personally and through various media tools.

That’s the way Jesus communicated. When the Lord started one of his parables, “A farmer went out to plant some seeds....” He was talking to people who fully understood the sowing and reaping process. When Jesus talked to the woman at the well, he didn’t talk about planting seeds, He spoke of water. The Lord understood his “audience” and spoke words that connected with them, so He could deliver a powerful, eternal truth.

When you write copy for a social media post, how do you picture your audience? Could you narrow it down to a person, a face, maybe even a name? When you present on the radio, TV, or on podcasts, are you thinking of the individuals who will be your audience? Do you picture them?

In your daily life, do you talk to a seven-year-old the same way you would talk to someone your age? Would you use the same words? We have to think in terms of our audience and how we can best connect with them if we are going to be effective in delivering life-changing truth from God’s Word. It’s more than just building an audience. It is critical that people hear and understand biblical truth. And you are God’s agent to proclaim it.

So... whose face do you see as you deliver your message today?

God’s best...

by Ron Harris

When leadership gets hard

I call it the “down” side of leadership. Most of us, in whatever leadership role we have, enjoy the good days when everyone seems on our side. All things are humming, and great things are being accomplished. We even get a bit energized when we have to have to deal with the “enemy,” whomever or whatever it is. Many times, that pulls the team together.

But what about the days when you have to go against the grain, against what the rest of the staff thinks or feels? What about when you must discipline someone for their actions, or worse when you have to let someone from the team go? Those are not fun or great days.

Someone once said you don’t learn to sail a boat in calm waters. It is in the storms...the wind and the heavy waves...that you learn the most. I’m sorry...but if you are facing a major challenge right now, that is probably not what you want to hear.

My recent walk through Nehemiah’s life and actions reminded me that he faced lots of opposition as a leader. Maybe the most striking to me was after the wall in Jerusalem was built, the people had praised and worshiped the Lord, and then Nehemiah had gone back to King Artaxerxes for a while. Upon his return, Nehemiah learned that one of the priests had provided a special room right on the Temple grounds for Tobiah, one of the men who had opposed Nehemiah in the building of the wall. Not a good thing. Here’s how Nehemiah described what happened next. Just picture this!

When I arrived back in Jerusalem, I learned about Eliashib’s evil deed in providing Tobiah with a room in the courtyards of the Temple of God. I became very upset and threw all of Tobiah’s belongings out of the room. Then I demanded that the rooms be purified, and I brought back the articles for God’s Temple, the grain offerings, and the frankincense.

Nehemiah 13:7-9 NLT

It doesn’t stop there. If you keep reading in Nehemiah 13, you learn of many other wrongs that this leader had to set back right. I’m sure there were a lot of people very unhappy with this man and his leadership.

What makes this story stand out to me are three things:

1. Nehemiah was following God’s plan, not his own.
2. Nehemiah was not doing these things for personal gain or acclaim.
3. Nehemiah was less concerned about what men said or thought and was more concerned about pleasing the Lord.

Of course, that doesn’t make those days fun. I’m sure this great leader wished for calm days for himself and for God’s kingdom. But Nehemiah knew what he had to do, and he was willing to sail into the storm to set things right.

Computer scientist and U.S Navy Rear Admiral Grace Hopper once said,

“A ship in port is safe, but that’s not what ships are built for.”

The smooth, calm waters are not always what leaders get to sail in. As you lead, be sure you know God’s will...through prayer and Bible study. Don’t act out of a desire for personal gain. And remember...you are serving God, not man.

Set your sail, leader. With the Lord by your side, you can weather the storm.

God’s best...

by Ron Harris

Getting it done!

I had to blow the dust off the book. It is among those that have been on my library shelves for years. I bought it when I was leading a broadcast ministry and knew I needed help. Our ministry was great. The people were great. But in the back of my mind was the question: “How do we sustain this for the months and years ahead?”

The book is called Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done by Bossidy and Charan. Written over twenty years ago, many of the illustrations are dated. The principles put forth by the authors, though, are solid even today.

Most of us know of good companies and good ministries that just don’t seem to get off the ground. Like a passenger airplane, zipping down the runway is no good if the plane doesn’t actually take off. Let’s look at a few things from the experiences detailed in this book.

• You as a leader must be deeply and passionately engaged in your organization and honest about its realities with others and yourself.
• Having a strategy isn’t enough. It needs to be executed well for success to come.
• Unless you translate big thoughts into concrete steps for action, they’re pointless.

Fred Smith is quoted as saying if you don’t write your ideas down, they are just dreams.

• An organization can execute only if the leader’s heart and soul are immersed in the company. The word “passion” comes to mind again. Not just passion for the job, but passion to see the organization flourish. In our Christian context, the leader needs passion for others.
• Leading for execution is not micromanaging. It’s about active involvement...doing the things leaders should be doing in the first place.
• Organizations don’t execute unless the right people, individually and collectively, focus on the right details at the right time.
• The culture of a company is the behavior of its leaders.

That last point is critical in our ministries and organizations. We have all seen ministries that have lost their effectiveness and credibility because of the leader and his or her behavior. And we have seen ministries flourish and exceed expectations due to a leader who is filled with passion, energy, and an executable plan.

Of course, in our Christian organizations, we must remember whom we serve. Our passion is to please the Lord in everything we do.

Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

Proverbs 16:3 NLT

It is not enough to have good ideas. Not even good enough to have great people. The leader must have a plan that can take the organization forward...and upward...to God’s high calling.

God’s best...

by Ron Harris

Making Jesus known...

The folks at Lead Like Jesus reminded me in a recent devotional that Jesus’ role on earth was to make God known. And since we are to pattern our lives after Jesus, it seems that should be in our game plan, too.

So, if I asked you what is the purpose of your ministry, what would it be? While in Brazil recently I was reminded that many people in that country never think of God. Yes, there are many Christians in Brazil. There are many Christians in America, too, but as I look at the culture I wonder if they consider God in their daily lives. The examples of a nation far from God are all around us.

A recent Disney animated series for FXX television is about a young girl who is the product of Satan having sex with this girl’s mother. One film industry website described the program this way: “After being impregnated by the Devil, a reluctant mother and her Antichrist daughter attempt to live an ordinary life in Delaware.”

What? Disney? If anyone at Disney or FXX is thinking of God, it isn’t in a good way. In all my years I have never seen a time when people needed to see the light of the Lord and know the sacrifice He made for their sins like today. The words to an old hymn by P. P. Bliss ring as true today as when penned in 1875:

The whole world was lost in the darkness of sin,

The Light of the world is Jesus!

But how will our world know of Jesus and His love if they don’t hear it and see it in the lives of Christians? That holds true for our ministries, too. What happens when a non-believer comes across your ministry? What happens when they encounter you in the daily routine of life? While not every experience with those who don’t know Christ is your spiritual responsibility, we ought to be sensitive to the fact it might be our assignment.

You may say your ministry is not largely evangelistic. Yet you do have a responsibility toward those God brings across your path. Henry Blackaby pointed that out.

“We were not saved from our sin simply so that we would qualify for heaven. God delivered us so we would have a relationship with Him through which He could carry out His mission to redeem a lost world.”

We should not be content with simply entertaining Christians or even just building them up intellectually for their own edification. Our goal as followers of Christ is to grow and to learn so we might better reflect the nature of God to those around us. It is a dark, sinful world we live in. The need is for the Light.

After telling His followers they were to be salt and light, Jesus said:

“Your light must shine before people in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16 NASB

Glorify God. Make Him known. Let others see Jesus in you.

God’s best...

by Ron Harris

Vanilla ice cream versus Rocky Road

I love vanilla ice cream. Especially if you put it on pecan pie. Or apple pie. Or cherry. But there are times that wonderful ice cream creation called Rocky Road is amazingly and wonderfully overwhelming. So much flavor… with the Dutch chocolate, the rich texture of the almonds, and the marshmallows. Mmmmm.

There are times in our writing and our communications that we write with plain vanilla words. It’s clear. Concise. Appropriate. But there are those times when there needs to be more. Much more.

I got to thinking of that the other day as Judy was playing through some old hymns. In my mind I was singing along and came to the words of one that catapulted me into another realm. The hymn is “Peace, Peace” by W. D. Cornell, and the final line of the chorus grabbed me.

Peace, peace, wonderful peace
Coming down from the Father above
Sweep over my spirit forever, I pray
In fathomless billows of love

Look at those words. Fathomless. Billows of love. There is no way to grasp the depths of God’s love. Fathomless. And billows? I think of those massive sea waves that can overwhelm, but rather than waves of disaster…billows of love.

I know. It takes time to think up such visual imagery. But isn’t it worth it to come across something like that? Isn’t it great when you can take a listener or reader to a higher level of understanding? Especially on something that matters…like God’s wonderful peace?

Phil Cooke recently quoted the Russian writer Anton Chekov:

“Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

Creativity. It is one of the great blessings that the Lord has placed in all our lives. Some think creativity is just for artists and song writers. Not so. It is for all of us. God is the great creator. And Genesis tells us we were created in His image. Creative.

Sure, some can exhibit their creativity better than others. And sometimes creativity isn’t what you need. I don’t particularly want my barber to be creative! A plain, simple haircut will do, thank you very much.

So, when should you put your creative efforts to work? When you want to get the attention of the reader, viewer, or listener. When you want to take them to a deeper level of understanding. When you want to touch their emotions, not just impart information. On occasion…be Rocky Road, not just plain Vanilla. Let the creative waves sweep over you like fathomless billows!

God’s best...

by Ron Harris

He hissed at me!

Judy and I are somewhat famous for trying to domesticate feral cats. These are the ones that are probably born in the wild and just roam around without a home. They are basically wild. We are on our third feral cat.

We don’t know what happened to Cat #1 or Cat #2, but we suspect the coyotes that live in the woods behind our house had them for dinner. It takes a long time to win these cats’ trust. Judy begins by putting some food out. I’ll join in the process, though you need to understand. I’m a dog lover…and I just tolerate cats. Well, over time these feral cats somewhat accept us as friends…or at least not enemies. And, depending on the cat, they may even become friendly toward us. But not always. They are wild cats at heart.

So, this last one has been around for a few months. When I get up early, the cat (we just call it Kitty…no real name) has been sitting near its food bowl waiting for me to bring it something to eat. In recent days it has even allowed me to touch its head. Almost petting it…but not quite.

Yesterday was different. I put the food down and reached out gently to touch its head…and he hissed at me! Not a little polite hiss. No, this was a full on “get away from me or you’ll be sorry” hiss. And he underscored his attitude with a swipe at my hand, claws fully extended. I got the message. And I told Judy, “That’s it for me and that cat.”

That was yesterday. Today…I got to thinking. I know it’s a bit silly to try to make something spiritual out of an encounter with a feral cat, but I couldn’t help myself. I got to thinking about God’s love for us. His provision for us. The way He provides for us in so many ways. Food. Home. Health. Relationships. Family. And yet there are times we ignore His blessings and may even take a “swipe” at God. The Lord’s chosen people did it. Read Exodus and other Old Testament accounts. The Lord does a miracle, and soon the people are grumbling. He rescues them from the Egyptians. And soon they wish they were back as servants in that foreign land.

And the people of Israel…began to complain. “Oh, for some meat!” they exclaimed. “We remember the fish we used to eat for free in Egypt. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we wanted.”

Numbers 11:4-5 NLT

Ungrateful, to say the least. But what about me? I can look back and see days I enjoyed the “manna” from heaven in my life but grumbled about wanting more. Even worse are the times I just ignored God. I accepted His blessings but didn’t really want to have much to do with Him and His plan for me and for my ministry. (That’s part of the problem. It’s never MY ministry…it is the Lord’s.)

As amazing as that kind of ungrateful attitude is, more amazing is God’s attitude towards me. It is put beautifully in the hymn by Audrey Assad:

O the deep, deep love of Jesus
Vast unmeasured, boundless, free
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me
Underneath me, all around me, is the current
Of Thy love…

Thanks be to God, His love is not dependent on anything but His nature.

If we are unfaithful,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot deny who he is.

2 Timothy 2:13 NLT

I never thought I would be taught a spiritual lesson by a feral cat. I may have to rethink my attitude toward that wild feline. Maybe you need to join me as I evaluate my attitude and actions toward our loving, faithful Lord.

God’s best...

by Ron Harris

Help! I need an idea!

Where in the world do ideas come from? And where is my next good idea when I need it? Most of us in media leadership are constantly looking for ideas...for our next program...our next brochure...our next fundraising letter. And it seems like a mystery where those ideas are. Are they hiding? Do we just wait for the inspiration? What if we don’t have time to wait?

My friend Phil Cooke has a book out called Ideas on a Deadline: How to Be Creative When the Clock is Ticking. We can all benefit from his insight. Phil says, “One of the most destructive myths about creativity is the idea that we need to wait for inspiration.” Cooke goes on to quote artist Chuck Close, who said, “Inspiration is for amateurs—the rest of us just show up and get to work.”

From his personal experience, Phil Cooke says, “...creativity isn’t about waiting for inspiration, hearing from a muse, or having a ‘eureka’ moment. Creativity isn’t mystical, weird, or illusive; it’s simply solving a problem on a deadline.”

Over 80 years ago James Webb Young put together what has become a classic for those who must think creatively. It’s called A Technique for Producing Ideas. I could probably do a whole seminar session on what’s revealed in the little 62-page book. But let me see if I can highlight a few key principles that will help.

Young says there are types of folks who have a great capacity for ideas. They are the type who aren’t easily satisfied with the status quo and are always looking over the horizon for something new and fresh. But even for them, ideas aren’t automatic. The author, who spent many years in the advertising world, says there are principles to know and methods to consider. He likens generating ideas to Henry Ford and his assembly line to build cars.

One of the principles Young mentions is that most ideas are simply combining old elements in new ways. I have often said that there are a limited number of notes in music. No one is inventing new notes on the piano. Yet there are millions of songs, and thousands of new ones daily based on those old notes.

Young builds on this principle by then turning to the method of generating new ideas. He points to five steps that we can only mention briefly:

1. Gather the raw information or material and try to see new relationships in this material.
2. Think over the information you have gathered. Look at it like looking into a kaleidoscope, turning it this way and that to see it in a different light.
3. Set the process aside for a bit. Try not to think about it. Stepping away from the process often gives you new insight.
4. At this point, your idea may appear. It may come to you in a flash when you least expect it. (We usually call this “inspiration,” but it is part of a process.)
5. The final step is the hard one. Take your idea out into the marketplace and see what it looks like there. Often, reality sets in and that wonderful idea isn’t as good as we thought. But with some work, it can become a powerful concept.

Of course, we have one more resource that ought to be part of the process for us in Christian media leadership. The Holy Spirit. God’s role should permeate each step of the process so that our time and efforts are centered in His will and His plan for us and the ministries the Lord has called us to.

Yes...good creative ideas are usually the result of diligent work. And just like any other thing we do, we can get better at it as we practice the process.

Isn’t that what Paul was telling Timothy in his letter to his young friend?

Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:15 NLT

That new idea isn’t going to fall out of a tree...unless you have planted the tree and tended it and waited for the fruit to ripen. A process that can be repeated again and again with successful results.

God’s best...

by Ron Harris