Don't Waste the Crisis
A few years back a fundraising organization was taken to task for advising ministries to take advantage of a specific crisis to gain financial support for the ministry. The message came across as “use someone’s crisis to your financial advantage.” That’s is NOT what I am suggesting today.
However, sometimes we do waste a crisis by not understanding what God is up to. The Lord has always had a plan for accomplishing His will and His purpose. Nothing happens by chance. Not even a global pandemic. God was not caught by surprise when Covid-19 began its initial surge of infections. He is not taken back by recent resurgences of the virus in many countries around the globe. God always has a plan. Our goal should be to discover how we can be part of His plan...how we can further the Lord’s cause...how we can see God’s will accomplished in those around us.
So, what about the crisis? I should make that plural. We are seeing crisis after crisis in our world, with the pandemic leading the way. Many of the countries where we have ministry partners are among the worst in the world when it comes to this resurgence of the Covid virus and its variations. India, Brazil, Romania, Turkey...to name just a few. And the United States is also near the top. Yet along with that are places dealing with floods, earthquakes, and other perils. We just returned a few weeks ago from Ukraine having dealt with extensive Covid protocols all along the way. But the big story in Ukraine is the 20,000 Russian troops massing on the eastern border, and the buildup of Ukrainian troops to try to provide a defense for their people. It has been only six years since Russia “annexed” the formerly Ukrainian area of Crimea. Crisis.
What is my point? There is one singular thing that stands out to me.
The need for hope.
When a close friend dies from Covid, we are rightly concerned with our own health and the health of friends and family. When the enemy across the border begins to rattle their sabers, we look for a sense of safety and wellbeing in that crisis. We need hope.
Those of us who know Christ as Lord and Sovereign over all recognize that our only hope in this sin-sick world is Jesus. What has come to me again and again is the need to see these times of uncertainty and peril as opportunities for the Gospel. The Apostle Paul was chained to Roman guards, yet still shared of his hope to all who would listen. We need to emulate that kind of spirit in our lives.
My wife has dealt with multiple medical challenges over the past eight months. Yet she embraces the spirit of Peter when he said,
“...you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.”
1 Peter 3:15 NLT
At a restaurant the other night, struggling with memory issues and a lack of full mobility, Judy was soon talking to the manager, learning of health issues with his mother, and promising to pray for her. Ready to share the hope.
Are you struggling these days? You can either turn inward and see your problems...or you can turn outward and see the opportunity to touch the lives around you with God’s promise of peace, His promise to never leave us, and His promise to save all who turn to Him in sincerity and humility.
You may be in a crisis. But it doesn’t have to be all about you. You can see the needs of others and share with them the only thing of lasting value today...the hope and salvation found in Jesus our Lord. You will be amazed how much smaller your crisis will become.
...If There Be Any Excellence...
Excellence is a difficult thing to define. Even the dictionary struggles. Webster’s tries to nail down the meaning of excellence this way: “...the quality of being excellent.” That doesn’t help a lot. Yet most of us know what excellence is when we see it.
I just returned from Ukraine where Kyle Gilbert and I were part of a media conference organized by our friends at Novomedia. One of the sessions I led was on the topic of excellence. A well-known American football coach, Vince Lombardi, expressed great wisdom with his thoughts on the topic.
“Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”
As leaders in ministries and Christian organizations, it often falls to us to push the team to do their best in order to achieve the most. I often think of the title of the book of devotionals by Oswald Chambers. My Utmost for His Highest. What a great phrase to capture what we should be about in our ministry, our work, our families, and our lives.
Here are four keys to excellence:
- Consistency – Aristotle, the Greek philosopher, said “Excellence is not an act, it’s a habit.” Strive consistently for excellence and soon you will be developing a habit of great accomplishments.
- Improvement – we need a heart to constantly get better. A successful college baseball coach asks his players to get one percent better every day. That’s a good start towards excellence.
- Creativity – Our Lord is a creative God, and we are made in His likeness. We have creativity within us. No doubt it is seen better in some than others, but we all have the ability to break new ground and find innovative ways to solve problems.
- Going the extra mile – Someone has said that responsible people do what is expected of them. Excellent people routinely do more than asked.
Ryan Denison of the Denison Forum recently wrote on excellence. “There is something about the pursuit of excellence that is easy for people to notice and appreciate, regardless of the context in which it occurs. Perhaps it is easier to recognize when it comes to music, athletics, or other more public displays, but the principle applies to our work, our relationships, and our personal pursuits as well.” He goes on to look at the life of Daniel in the Old Testament as an example. He lived a life of excellence that was quickly noted by Nebuchadnezzar.
The Apostle Paul reminded the believers in Colossae that our best efforts...our excellence...is in service to our Savior.
Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.
Colossians 3:23 NLT
Along with the obvious reason for pursuing excellence in our Christian life, there are other benefits. Again, the great football coach Vince Lombardi made a profound statement worth pondering and retaining in our minds.
“The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”
God is honored when we serve Him with excellence. Other lives are impacted by the effort we exhibit toward excellence in ministry. And the quality of our own lives is enhanced by our commitment to excellence.
It sounds like we all gain from a life of excellence. And the Lord is honored. Oswald Chambers sums it up this way:
“Worship is giving God the best He has given to you. Be careful what you do with your best.”
Manager or Coach?
To be honest, I don’t always pay a lot of attention to titles. In sports, you have coaches and managers, and sometimes the titles get interchanged. Or they seem different depending on the sport. But as I look a bit deeper into the nuances of some of these titles and how they differ, I find there are some great applications for the ways we lead others.
Holly Green, writing in Forbes Magazine, outlined some of the differences.
Managing is all about telling, directing, authority, immediate needs, and a specific outcome.
Coaching involves exploring, facilitating, partnership, long-term improvement, and many possible outcomes.
She goes on to say, “In business, we have to be both coaches and managers. To lead effectively, we need to know when to wear which hat.”
In another online article on this topic, Cherissa Newton indicates that managers need to work at becoming good coaches. Most managers are focused on the outcome and are less engaged with the “team.” Newton says that when managers learn to become coaches, they can expect several things for the organization.
- Enhanced performance and improved productivity.
- A work environment where people are highly engaged.
- A culture of trust within the organization.
So, how to do this? Here are some ideas Newton suggests:
1. Motivate instead of command. Motivating others to take action is one of the primary goals of coaching. A coach learns how to balance providing direction with remaining inspiring and accessible to employees. Coaches show employees their potential by pointing out the value in their work and helping them develop self-confidence.
2. Make it desirable to do quality work. Let’s say, for instance, that there’s an employee who has a heavier workload than usual. This extra work makes him feel anxious and stressed. A manager might just tell him to make sure he gets it done somehow—but this is rarely effective and can even exacerbate the employee’s anxiety.
A better way to handle it would be to encourage him: tell him that he is capable, that you know he has the capacity to go above and beyond the minimum requirements of the job. Emphasize how much you’ve appreciated his work in the past. There might even be some kind of small reward, which could be simply public recognition for the good work.
3. Make it a pleasure to work for you. Remember that the culture and climate of a workplace are key components of employee motivation. The atmosphere should be fun, safe, and inspiring for employees because satisfied employees foster satisfied customers.
My friend Bob Tiede (leadingwithquestions.com) has a number of questions that a person can use in coaching those on their staff. I particularly liked these that help an employee evaluate their work and its impact.
- How could we/you have done this more effectively?
- Looking back now, what did you learn?
- What’s the biggest thing you would have done differently, with the benefit of hindsight?
- How have you learned the skills that you now have?
- How will you pass on these skills/these insights to other members of your team?
- How will you practice these skills in other areas of your life?
The joy of coaching comes when you see those on your team grow and develop into more productive and more satisfied people.
I think that much of what we read from the Apostle Paul comes from the heart of a coach. Certainly, what he wrote to young Timothy was in that realm. And Paul himself was willing to admit he didn’t know it all. (We sometimes leave that impression if we just direct others to do things for the task at hand.)
I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: 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 3:12-14 NLT
Think about it...would you rather be managed...or coached?
God’s best...
I don’t understand...
Let me be honest with you. I don’t understand. A lot.
In my Old Testament Bible readings, I see the way the children of Israel watch God do amazing, miraculous things...and then turn around and complain...or make idols to worship instead of the God who had delivered them and provided for them. I don’t understand.
I read Peter saying he would never deny Jesus...would even die first...then within hours he denies the Lord three times...just as Jesus predicted. I don’t understand.
In our modern world, I see good friends...healthy friends who have served their Lord Jesus for decades...contract the Covid virus and within days are dead, while others seem to slide through the virus with little or no symptoms. I don’t understand.
Judy and I have had our share of troubles over this past year. Her four hip replacement surgeries in eight weeks due to complications, mild cases (thankfully) of the Covid infection, the flooding of our home from burst water pipes after record-breaking cold temperatures.
I don’t understand.
But I guess I am in somewhat good company. David often questioned God as to why the enemy seemed to have the upper hand. Or why God didn’t seem to answer.
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief.
Psalm 22:1-2 NLT
David could have added... “I don’t understand.”
And the prophet Habakkuk also struggled to understand why things were happening in his culture, why the enemy seemed to be winning all the battles.
How long, O Lord, must I call for help? But you do not listen! “Violence is everywhere!” I cry, but you do not come to save. Must I forever see these evil deeds?
Habakkuk 1: 2-3 NLT
Habakkuk goes on and on with his complaint. He also could easily have added, “I don’t understand.”
But here is a bulletin:
God doesn’t owe us any explanation.
He has often said, “My ways are not your ways.” And He has reminded us that He is a Sovereign God. He can bless whomever He wants to bless and curse whomever He wants to curse. He is God Almighty over all.
So... what do we do? Just hunker down and endure? Not exactly.
We should follow the example of David and Habakkuk, among others. Later in Psalm 22 David acknowledges the holiness of the Lord and follows with this direction for his own life.
I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, I will praise you among your assembled people. Praise the Lord.... Honor Him...Show him reverence...
Psalm 22: 22-23, 25 NLT
And one of the most beautiful canticles of praise in the whole Bible came from Habakkuk after he had complained to the Lord. In it the prophet says that if the whole world falls apart, “...yet, I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength!” (Habakkuk 3:18-19 NLT)
The old hymnwriters got it right.
Trials dark on every hand,
And we cannot understand,
All the ways that God would lead us
To that blessed Promised Land;
But He guides us with His eye
And we’ll follow till we die.
For we’ll understand it better by and by.
In these days when we do not...cannot...understand what God is doing or why He is allowing all that is swirling around us, we must simply trust the heart of an all-loving God. He is Sovereign. And... He does understand!
God’s best...
Check your ego...
How’s your ego? One of the most challenging things for a leader is dealing with ego...with pride. If things go well, we have a tendency to pat ourselves on the back for the good planning and the good leadership we give that leads to success. If things go wrong, we can come up with a whole list of reasons why our plan failed.
- Others didn’t execute our good plan as well as they should have.
- Situational timing caused the plan to miss the mark.
Our ego works to keep us on top and others below us.
Someone has said, “A bad day for your ego is a great day for your soul.” That may be a good starting point for us today. Taming our ego...our pride...is one of the most difficult things, and one of the key areas where Satan does his work. Sadly, most of us don’t realize the amazing potential that awaits us if we can just let go of our pride, control our ego, and embrace God’s plan.
The Lord speaks directly about this issue. James said it well.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
James 4:10 NLT
When think about this, I like what Ken Blanchard says about EGO. In his book Lead Like Jesus, Blanchard equates our human ego to an anachronym.
EGO = Edging God Out.
That really says it, doesn’t it? When our ego takes over, we claim praise for ourselves that rightly should go to God. We tend to forget that anything we have, think, or do...anything...is a result of God’s grace in our lives. The Lord gives us breath. He brings about circumstances and experiences that help us develop and grow as leaders. And His Spirit provides inspiration to our thoughts. Yet we often simply Edge God Out and let our ego take over. We claim praise that belongs to the Lord and take it as our own. Edging God Out. And that is dangerous.
Through Jeremiah the prophet, the Lord admonishes us.
This is what the Lord says:
“Don’t let the wise boast in their wisdom,
or the powerful boast in their power,
or the rich boast in their riches.
But those who wish to boast
should boast in this alone:
that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord
who demonstrates unfailing love
and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth,
and that I delight in these things.
I, the Lord, have spoken!
Jeremiah 9: 23-24 NLT
Ken Blanchard offers another definition for EGO that we would be wise to embrace.
EGO = Exalt God Only.
That means doing what Jeremiah wrote those thousands of years ago...boast only that we know God and understand and acknowledge that He alone is God...and we aren’t!
One of the warning signs that we are Edging God Out, according to Blanchard, is the constant use of the pronoun, “I”. I did this. I deserve that. My plans...my ideas.... And on and on. Take inventory of your own language and see how many times you fall into this trap. A phrase like, “If the Lord allows...” should be more than a trite slogan. It should permeate all we do. And we need to quickly and sincerely add at the end of an accomplishment, “Praise God for His great work in my life.”
Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, gave good advice.
Pride leads to disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 11:2 NLT
So...what will it be for you and your ego. Will you Edge God Out? Or will you, more and more, day by day, Exalt God Only? The decision is yours. The glory belongs to God.
God’s best...
What’s the big deal about excellence?
I’ve admitted before that I’m a lifelong learner (LLL). And I am thankful that the Lord put that drive in me. Full disclosure...I wasn’t that good a student in school, so this desire to learn has come to me a bit later in life. Part of it is curiosity about the world around us and the people God created. That has been greatly enhanced by the opportunities I have to travel internationally and meet such great people from so many different cultures.
Part of this LLL syndrome is looking for ways to improve myself, to learn from masters, to see levels of excellence in many different arenas of life. Sports. The arts. Literature. Spiritual commitment in the life of people I admire. Learning...always learning.
The Apostle Paul talked about the process of fixing our mind on the best things. You remember the admonition he gave to the believers in Philippi.
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
As a media person I try to find things of excellence to observe and from which to learn. I’m sometimes surprised where that takes me. I often come across some of the audition stories from the American Idol television show. Some of the performers are quite good, but it is usually the stories about those trying out that catches my attention.
Most of these vignettes are not faith-based. Yet many tell the story of overcoming hardship and difficulties, bad home environments and economic downturns. Some emphasize the value of a family member or friend who has provided encouragement. Many are quite moving.
Storytelling. It is quite an art, but there is much we can learn by seeing how others craft their stories for maximum impact. Here are some quick points I have gleaned from those who are successful in telling stories for impact.
- Create a strong narrative arc. This is the story line, with beginning, middle, and end. There is usually some conflict in the story, and then it is resolved in the ending.
- Keep your target audience in mind. Who is watching your story? Who do you want to influence?
- Appeal to emotions. The best stories touch our hearts and tug at our emotions. Use this in a way that brings impact to your story.
- Show...don’t tell. Use the visual impact of the tool to express information...not just words.
- Learn the power of composition. Shots, angles, sequences of shots. Filmmaker Phil Cooke says watch good videos and movies with the sound turned off. See how the filmmaker uses composition to move the story along and provide impact.
- Draw from your own life experiences. Observe life. Slow down long enough to see what is happening around you. Then think how to apply what you are seeing in your story.
Phil Cooke quoted well-known American naturalist and author Henry David Thoreau.
“It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.”
What do you see? How can you express that with excellence? What impact can your storytelling have on others? Work toward excellence at crafting your storytelling skills. Then see how God uses that to touch a life for His purposes.
God’s best...
What in the world are we doing?
Another meeting. It seems like every time we turn around there is another meeting staring us in the face. And it doesn’t seem to matter if the meeting is virtual or in person, those meetings often leave us wondering if we just wasted our time...and the time of everyone on the team.
My friend Bob Tiede in his “Leading with Questions” blog quoted Mark D. McIntyre, the head of an agency based in Washington, DC. McIntyre talks about those meetings we all have experienced that seem rather unproductive, and he offers some suggestions on how to get to the point. He suggests that each person in the meeting should be able to answer the question, “What’s the objective of this meeting?”
That sounds good, but it isn’t always easy to discern what that all-important objective really is. McIntyre offers five words to help nail down the objective.
- What?
- So what?
- Now what?
Mark McIntyre suggests the leader of the meeting ask, “Okay, so who are we and why are we here?” While this can sound humorous, it serves to 1) define each participant’s role and 2) state the objective for the discussion.
This sounds like good advice for more than just ministry or business meetings. What about couples, families, students, and churches making key decisions? Wouldn’t it be good to know where you are headed...the objective...before you set out on the journey?
The Lord gives us that kind of wisdom when He talked of “counting the cost” before starting a project. If you don’t have a clear understanding of the objective of a project or decision, it is hard to evaluate and harder still to reach a good sense of direction. Coming out of a meeting without a plan of action causes everyone to wonder about the time spent and the path forward.
As a leader, it is critical that your team have clear directions and a clear understanding of the objective before them. Jesus’ direction for His disciples gave them a clear understanding...a clear path...to the objective.
Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Matthew 10:7 NLT
So...now what?
God’s best...
What’s on the air?
Are you responsible for programming a station or Christian media outlet? Let me ask you a pointed question. What are you embracing as truth? There is a struggle common to almost all who are responsible for a Christian media outlet. It often goes like this:
If I’m not able to pay my bills, I can’t stay on the air. And if I am not on the air, I can’t share God’s Truth…the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
That seems to make sense.
So, a decision is made to carry a program that is popular, even though some of its key theology is off base spiritually. The programmer pays their bills on time, and they pay generously to put their program on the station. And that means we can pay our bills, stay on the air, and get the Gospel out.
But what does that say about you or me? First of all, it says we are embracing and endorsing this teaching, this theology, even though we know it to be non-biblical or an over-emphasis of a biblical truth. And the result is that our listeners and viewers are misled in important areas of their spiritual life.
If we do this, it also says something else. It says that we don’t trust God. We don’t trust our Sovereign Lord to provide for His ministry. We are saying that unless we lower our spiritual standards, God’s ministry will fail. In essence, we are actually doing the Lord a favor.
Can I remind us of something? God doesn’t need you or me. He could communicate His Truth any way He wants. However, He chooses to work through us to accomplish His will. And truth is important to the Lord.
God can meet our needs in our ministries as well as in our personal lives. We don’t need to lower our standards to accomplish God’s will. We need to proclaim Truth…sound theology…with the understanding that our God is still sovereign and can help us in all areas, including the financial well-being of our ministries.
The Apostle Paul understood this and taught his believing friends in Philippi that truth.
And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19 NLT
You can show your faith even by how you program your ministry outlet. Easy? Rarely. Rewarding? Always.
God’s best...
You talking to me?
Do you ever wonder if God is speaking to you? I mean, directly?
I recently recorded a promo for a new sermon series by my pastor. The series is called “Invincible,” and the promo begins like this:
“What is your Everest? That mountain you keep coming to that seems insurmountable?”
Then I picked up a book by Mark Batterson titled Chase the Lion. The theme is based on a brief passage about a man who became one of King David’s mighty warriors. His name is Benaiah. Have you heard of him? I didn’t recognize the name, but later found him in a listing of some of David’s most valiant warriors. Batterson, a pastor in Washington, D.C., has built a philosophy of life around that short scripture. Here it is:
"On a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it." 2 Samuel 23:20 NLT
I had to look that up. I know I have read through the Bible multiple times. I know I have read the books of Samuel. I don’t know that this passage has ever caught my eye...until now.
Batterson says that chasing a lion into a pit on a snowy day is not a normal action. That’s an understatement! It is probably the exact opposite of what I would do. Are you with me on that? I hope to never be in a position to have to find out how I would deal with that exact situation. Mark Batterson says that action is “…one of the most counterintuitive acts of courage in all of Scripture.”
It was that display of courage by Benaiah that seemed to set the pattern for the warrior’s life, and it ultimate propelled him to a high position in David’s army. And Batterson says that “chase the lion” is more than a catchy phrase.
“Most of us spend our lives running away from things we are afraid of. We forfeit our dreams on the altar of fear. Or we chase after the wrong things.”
So, what is your “Everest?” is there something before you that is holding you back from doing what you believe God wants you to accomplish? Something keeping you from being who the Lord has called you to be?
Mark Batterson has gone so far as to write a “Lion Chaser’s Manifesto” to challenge and encourage those facing challenges. Here are a few of my favorites from that list:
- Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death.
- Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-given passions.
- Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention.
- Grab opportunity by the mane and don’t let go!
- Live for the applause of nail-scarred hands.
- Dare to fail. Dare to be different.
- Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away.
- Chase the lion.
Have you decided what it is keeping you from that “thing” God has for you? That Everest? That lion that seems to be in your way? I have. And I’m working on setting a goal...pursuing that God-given opportunity...chasing the lion.
Love, love, love...
Love is in the air. Yes, Valentine’s Day was yesterday, but the feelings of love should linger on.
You may have heard me say that I have a rather simple philosophy of life. Here it is:
Love God. Love people.
I base that on Jesus’ words when asked what the most important commandment was. Remember?
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:37-39 NLT
There is also a third “love” that I live by. I love life! God has richly blessed me with a wonderful wife (over 53 years of that blessing...and counting), a wonderful family of kids, grandkids, extended family, and many great friends from all walks and lands. And our ministry takes me to countries all over the world to be with people I love...to help them share the love of Christ in effective ways, so that others will come to know of God’s love for them. Love.
That’s not to say that everything in my life has always been, as we say, “peaches and cream.” There have been hardships, struggles, health issues, financial needs, at times broken relationships, misunderstandings...the list could go on and on. But all that is overridden by the love and blessings that God has poured out on me.
No...that is not exactly right. The blessings sometimes have been enhanced by the struggles of life. Have you ever experienced a terrible storm in the night? Lightning. Thunder. Pouring rain. You think it will never end. Then comes the morning.
As the sun breaks through the clouds, there is a sense of exhilaration that would not be there were it not for the storms you have just come through. In fact, you might have missed the beauty of the sunrise if the storms had not raged.
Andrew Murray, a South African pastor in the late 1800s, wrote about the value of difficulties.
“Have you ever noticed what part difficulties play in our natural lives? They call out man’s powers as nothing else can, strengthening and ennobling character. ...it is in the mastering of difficulties that our highest attainments come.”
At a critical time in the apostle Peter’s life, after he had denied even knowing Jesus, the Lord tenderly asked Peter, “Do you love me?”
Paul the Apostle would tell the Corinthians and the Philippians of his love for them. And then he followed up that declaration with this admonition.
I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding.
Philippians 1:9 NLT
Love.
It isn’t just for Valentine’s Day. It’s not just about greeting cards, candy, and flowers...though those things can be important. It is about relating to God and those He has placed around you and me in the same way our Lord relates to us...through His love.
By the way...I hope you don’t mind me saying this. Because of the Lord’s sacrificial love for me, I can proclaim this from my heart.
I love you!