Success! Now what?
I was intrigued recently at John Maxwell’s comments in the Maxwell Leadership Bible. He looked at Nehemiah’s response and action after the successful rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem, and from this biblical passage in the Old Testament Maxwell drew some interesting leadership insight.
Many of us set goals and have projects for our ministries and organizations that stretch us and often exhaust us. If we are not careful, we can let down our guard, enjoy the success of the project or event, and fail to lead properly. What was it that Nehemiah did that Maxwell caught?
Nehemiah didn’t let down his guard.
If you read the beginning of Nehemiah 7 you see that the massive work of rebuilding the wall and hanging the gates had been finished in spite of opposition and ridicule. It would have been easy to celebrate and relax. Not Nehemiah.
This amazing man of God quickly set specific instructions about watching and guarding the gate to the city of Jerusalem. He recognized the importance of looking at the next step in being not just successful, but diligent and obedient to the Lord.
Leadership guru John Maxwell says that leaders have to be willing to change their leadership style and stay on task even after a successful project or event.
“Two emotions usually follow a great achievement: first, a sigh of relief and celebration; and second, a sense of . . . now what? How we handle achievement tells us a lot about our character.”
Maxwell sees Nehemiah as a great example of how a leader needs to change with the times. He illustrates this by detailing the differences in how a person leads when situations change. He calls these two styles seasons.
Two Types of Leadership Seasons
1. Catalyst: Gets it going
2. Designer: Thinks it up
3. Motivator: Encourages
4. Entrepreneur: Relies on self
1. Consolidator: Keeps it going
2. Developer: Follows it up
3. Manager: Organizes
4. Executive: Relies on others
If a leader, especially after a great success or achievement, doesn’t move from one season to the next, the ministry may suffer. Nehemiah knew they couldn’t just celebrate the achievement of rebuilding the wall and gates. They needed to be diligent and have a plan for protecting the city and the people. He kept the success going by following up, organizing, and putting other people in his plan.
You may not feel you have an enemy ready to storm the gates, but we know that Satan is always roaming, looking for a weak place in our lives and our ministries to exploit and to defeat us. Be sure that you as a ministry leader and a spiritual leader adjust your plans and your style to ensure Satan doesn’t get a foothold for destruction.
Too busy? Then stop!
How busy are you? I can almost see you roll your eyes, sigh, and think about all that is on your agenda today…this week. I woke up the other morning at 3:15am thinking of several key projects I had on my list. I wasn’t sure if I would get back to sleep. Too much to think about!
So…where does “time with the Lord” show up on your To Do list? At the top? Near the bottom? Not on the list?
American Gospel singer Larnell Harris sang a song with words from God’s perspective.
I miss My time with you….
And it hurts me when you say
You're too busy, busy trying to serve Me
But how can you serve Me When your spirit's empty….
When I was manager of Christian radio station KCBI in Dallas, I often told the staff, “We can’t effectively send a message outside the walls of the station that isn’t happening inside the walls.
God’s love? Forgiveness? Grace? Humility? Are these evident in your ministry and in your work? I realized something as I would talk to the staff about that. It first had to begin with me. And it first had to begin with my personal time with God. Bible study. Prayer…and not just talking to God but listening to Him…to hear what the Lord wants to say to me.
I also realized I had to exhibit Jesus’ nature in my daily life. Love. Forgiveness. Grace. Humility.
The second radio station I ever worked for, while still in college, was a major market secular station. On one wall was a little sign that said:
To err is human; to forgive divine. Neither are the policies here!
It was meant as a joke, but it still sent the message: Don’t expect any grace in this place.
Martin Luther is quoted as saying,
"If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. "
We can see that philosophy in the life of Jesus. We are often told of the Savior’s times of solitude and prayer.
Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. Mark 1:35 NLT
Well, I’m not in Martin Luther’s realm in my prayer life. But I can follow the pattern Jesus set and carve out early hours for the study of God’s Word and a time of prayer...listening for His voice in my heart.
How about you? Let’s see what the Lord can do in our lives and in our ministries as we move towards more time with the Heavenly Father…before things become too busy.
Don’t over-think yourself
Our world is complicated and complex. And if we are not careful, we will over think situations and solutions that we need for our ministries and organizations. Sometimes simple is best. But in this complex world of technology, simple isn’t usually our first thought. Maybe it ought to be.
Many of us have sung the simple chorus, “O How He Loves You and Me,” by the late Christian composer, pianist and conductor Kurt Kaiser. I had the honor of getting to know Kurt through the years. On an occasion I drove the 90 miles south of my home to his home in Waco, Texas. We sat in his office/studio and he told me how that simple song came about.
Kurt was wanting a little chorus for a project he was working on. As will happen with artist and creative people, his mind was blank. Nothing would come. Looking around in his piano bench he came across a little piece of paper with some words on it he had written sometime before. Just a few words. Discarded when written...but found in this moment of creative need.
Kurt set the piece of paper on the music rack of his piano and began to look for a melody that would fit those few simple words. What he arrived at was a sweet, simple chorus that resonated with people because of its simple truth.
O how He loves you and me,
O how He loves you and me,
He gave His life, what more could He give?
O how He loves you, o how He loves me,
O how He loves you and me.
In Kurt’s words:
“In 1975, I sat down to think about that phrase and the whole song quickly came to me. I could not have spent more than 10 or 15 minutes writing the whole of it. That’s how rapidly it all came, the lyrics and the melody together. I sent it off to secure a copyright. I could not believe what came back in the mail.”
To his surprise, Kurt received a letter back from that office saying, “Mr. Kaiser, thank you for submitting your song for copyright. I’m sorry to inform you there is not enough original material for us to be able to legally protect it with a copyright.” The song was simply too simple.
Kurt, being the creative man that he was, quickly penned a second verse to the chorus, never intending it to be sung, only to secure that important copyright.
Jesus to Calv’ry did go,
His love for sinners to show.
What He did there brought hope from despair.
O how He loves you; O how He loves me;
O how He loves you and me!
That day in Kurt Kaiser’s studio/office he played that simple song. Even as I write these words, I get tears at the simple truth...the profound truth...of God’s amazing love for me and for you. Powerful.
For God so loved the world that He gave... John 3:16 KJV
Interestingly, during that visit, Kurt put on a tape of that song. Kurt Kaiser was a great improvisor, and he had taken the simple melody of that simple song and had woven it into an almost 10-minute piano piece as intricate as any classical piece by Debussy. The simple had taken on new life.
A few years later our Christian radio station had a special concert with a large symphony orchestra. Kurt was in the audience, and we had arranged a surprise. We called him up on stage at the symphony hall, he sat at the grand piano, and before thousands in that great concert hall, Kurt played that extended version of his simple chorus. Several times in the piece he would nod to the audience and they would begin to voice those simple words, softly...reverently...thoughtfully.
O how He loves you and me,
O how He loves you and me,
He gave His life, what more could He give?
O how He loves you, o how He loves me,
O how He loves you and me.
I will never forget that moment. The simple had become profound. Tears fell from many eyes. Professional musicians sat up in surprise. God was honored and His Truth was lifted in praise.
Sometimes...sometimes...the simple idea is the right idea.
And as a gentle reminder, it is not our idea that is important. It is the power of the Lord Jesus that is crucial.
He gave His life...what more could he give?
What? How? When?
If you are like me, being a leader is challenging. The normal leadership activity (we think) is to tell others what to do. The smarter thing is to ask questions. It is so much easier, though, to just tell people what to do. It might surprise you to know that dictating action, activity, and instructions to those around you can actually be quite limiting for you and your ministry.
I’m still working on this facet of leadership...and like me, you may need some help getting started in the process of asking questions. A recent post by my friend Bob Tiede (LeadingWithQuestions.com) had these suggestions.
- Ask and give people a chance to think before they respond, don’t fill the silence.
- Don’t judge their answers; say “yes AND....” instead of “yes, BUT....”
- Assume that the people on your team are smart and capable, because they ARE.
- Give them a chance to lead the way forward.
Questions to Ask Your Team This Week and EVERY Week
- How can I help?
- What do you think?
- What needs to happen next?
- What’s possible from here?
- How can we take it up a level?
- What do you need from me?
- What can we use that we already have?
- What’s in our way?
- What scares you?
- How can I clear the path forward?
I love these suggestions. Jesus used this technique as he dealt with the people around him.
Then he (Jesus) asked them (the disciples), “But who do you say I am?” Matthew 15:16 NLT
Jesus didn’t ask this for His own information or His own affirmation. He asked because He knew that who they believed He was would make all the difference in their lives. And Peter’s answer became a revelation to those around him.
You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Matthew 16:16 NLT
I almost wrote, “Use these suggested questions this week to increase your leadership.” Instead, let me ASK, “Reading this, what needs to happen next in your ministry?” I’ll wait for you to ponder and then answer.
The Medium is the Message -
This intriguing phrase, “the medium is the message,” has been shaping media thought for over 50 years, penned by Canadian communication thinker Marshall McLuhan in 1964. And it has probably confused as many people as it enlightened. In its simplest form the thought is an acknowledgement that messages are not delivered in a vacuum, but rather are impacted by the medium by which they are carried. McLuhan goes a lot farther than that, but it is good to think through this concept as we transmit God’s message.
On a greater level, those who are called to lead others, whether in our ministries, organizations, churches, or simply our families, need to understand a similar principle.
The character of a leader counts.
I know, we see many leaders whose personal character is questionable. If they are leading well it is by God’s abundant grace. But rather than consider these anomalies in leadership, let’s think about the role to which God has called us.
In the book Spiritual Leadership Coaching authors Richard Blackaby and Bob Royall talk about the importance of character for those wanting to lead others and connect them to God’s plan and His heart. Dr. Blackaby talks about the difficulty of actually influencing others in a positive way.
“Most people want to impact others, yet such influence is often elusive.... The sheer number or volume of a person’s words does not determine their power. Even truthful words may fail to inspire change. The most effective coaches are those whose character is consistent with their message.”
That sounds a lot like Marshall McLuhan’s thoughts. The medium...the person wanting to lead others...influences greatly the message. Our ability to lead others spiritually (and in ministry that is ultimately what we are needing to do) is often limited by our own spiritual condition. Dr. Henry Blackaby said, “You cannot take people further spiritually than you have gone yourself.”
So, if you are wanting to give strong, spiritual leadership to those the Lord has entrusted to you...your staff, volunteers, family, friends...there are some things to keep in mind. We know that if we want radio listeners to hear our programming and receive the message we have for them, they must be sure they are tuned in to the correct radio frequency. In the book on spiritual leadership the authors point out that coaches and leaders must be tuned in to God’s frequency in order to hear God’s message and direction. And there are four ways that happens.
- God speaks through the Bible. Coaches and leaders must persistently seek the Person and will of God through His Word.
- God speaks through prayer. However, simply telling God about a need does not necessarily reveal God’s answers. For that, people must stop speaking and tune their spiritual senses to the Lord’s voice.
- God sometimes speaks through life circumstances. Blackaby calls this “connecting the spiritual dots.” We must learn to recognize the Lord’s activity in our ordinary lives. Life is merely a random series of events...until people recognize God’s activity in their circumstances.
- God speaks through the church. Spiritual communities provide valuable wisdom, feedback, and accountability to their participants.
Author Greg Henry Quinn’s thoughts on character ring true:
“Some are blessed with physical and mental facility, but none are more prized than the one who has developed true character.”
Famed American basketball coach John Wooden would agree.
“Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.”
Paul, writing to the Roman believers, talked about the steps that lead to a person of character.
Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope.
Romans 5:3-4 NET
To sum up the importance of character, here’s what Blackaby and Royall say:
“The key to a coach’s (leader’s) effectiveness is not in their eloquence but their Christ-likeness.”
That is my prayer for you and for me today.
Turn on the power
When I was a young boy my dad owned a radio repair shop in downtown Fort Worth. I loved to rummage around in the old radios and see if I could get any of them working. I learned that there were some key vacuum tubes that were critical to making the radio power on and provide music, news, information, and even inspiration to those who listened. One tube was a 6AU6. That tube allowed all of the other tubes to function and amplify the programming picked up by the radio. When that tube went bad, the radio was merely a useless box.
I learned recently that the president of SiriusXM satellite radio uses an interesting acrostic in his meetings. Jim Meyer references the acrostic over and over to his team. It is based on the word A-M-P-L-I-F-Y. Sounds like it fits right into our media world. Here is his acrostic:
- Applaud and encourage new thinking.
- Move forward and be purposeful in our desire to win.
- Prioritize honesty, integrity, and respectful communication.
- Lean on each other and learn from one another.
- Invest in our actions and commit to the follow through.
- Find ways to give back by focusing on community and feeding your individuality
- You Matter. We embrace our differences, empower each other, and include everyone.
Some good thoughts there. These principles promote fresh thinking with great purpose and desire. They seek to build a foundation of honesty, integrity, and respect with all in our communications. And teamwork, community, and the value of each person on the team is emphasized.
While certainly not a biblical approach, the explanation of the acrostic can have spiritual meaning as we lead others. Look at what God’s Word says in some of these areas.
For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 NLT
...let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1 NLT
He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.
Proverbs 2:7 NLT
Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. 1 Timothy 4:15 NLT
We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. Romans 15:1 NLT
I’m sure you could find more from God’s word that amplifies the acrostic A-M-P-L-I-F-Y. More importantly than just finding scripture or reciting an acrostic, put these principles to work as you lead teams and serve the Lord...for His glory and His purpose. And see God’s power turned on and amplified through your ministry.
That’s impossible!
It is amusing to see incidents in the Bible when God’s people ask for a miracle, the Lord does a miraculous thing, and the people are shocked and surprised. It is amusing, that is, until I see it in my life and the life of other Christ-followers. Examples?
I mentioned a few weeks ago about that miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand men...plus women and children. When the disciples encouraged Jesus to send the people home because they had no food for them and no way to get any, Jesus simply looked at his dedicated followers and said, “You feed them.” Surprise!
Later, when the disciples had pushed off from shore while Jesus stayed to pray, the storm hit, and it hit hard. Looking around, these men saw a form walking on the water. Jesus. And Peter, being Peter, blurted out a request.
Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. Matthew 14:28,29 NLT
You remember what happened next. Peter jumped over the side of the boat...and he walked on water...until. Until he looked around at his circumstances...the winds and the big waves...and he began to sink. Peter had apparently never sung the old song, “He who began a good work in you....” And Jesus, in His love and with His gentle admonition, grabbed Peter and exclaimed, “You have so little faith. Why did you doubt me?”
I’ve prayed for friends and family members for years and have seen the Lord do His miraculous thing in their lives. Yes, some are still a work in progress...but aren’t we all? There are times Jesus has had to say in my heart, “You have so little faith. Why did you doubt me?”
There have been other times when I have brought problems to the Lord looking for Him to do something great before my eyes, and He has responded like He did to His disciples, “You feed them.” As I imagine those men who surrounded Jesus did, I sometimes just stand before the Lord and stare. “What? I just told you the impossible situation we are in. Don’t you get it, God?”
Oh, He gets it. And He understands you and me. The Lord knows we need to take steps of faith...in our ministries, in our lives, with our families. If Christ is leading us, then we need to just step out of the boat...or begin to gather little fish and loaves of bread.
As you read God’s Word, as you pray, as you lead your ministry this week, listen for the Lord’s voice in your heart.
“You feed them.”
“Yes, come.”
And don’t be surprised when the impossible becomes not only possible but amazingly victorious.
How much is that picture worth?
You have no doubt heard the phrase, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Many say it’s an old Chinese saying. Though the Chinese have similar proverbs, the more likely origin is an advertising man in the early 1900’s, Fred Barnard. The genesis of that thought, though, goes way back in history.
Leonardo da Vinci once wrote that a poet would be “...overcome by sleep and hunger before [being able to] describe with words what a painter is able to [depict] in an instant."
Even in our burgeoning digital realm, this phrase...no matter the actual origin...has merit.
Studies are showing that online articles with images get 94% more total views than articles without images. Wow! Ninety-four percent. I heard similar statistics a few years ago in a digital media conference at the National Religious Broadcasters convention. I had started these Monday MEMOs and was watching the percentage of engagements to the number of people who received the email. I decided to use a picture at the beginning of the weekly article. I was amazed at the almost immediate jump in readership of the blog. I was convinced.
Now, the key is using an image that will intrigue the potential reader and draw them in. A hook. Studies also show that generic stock shot photos don’t do the trick. It’s not using any picture. It is using one that has the ability to grab the attention of the reader, intrigue them to read the article, and relate to the topic.
Those who study this subject indicate there are some key things to keep in mind.
• Visuals should enhance the message.
• Quality wins over quantity.
• Use common sense in your image choices.
There are a number of sites that offer images for a monthly fee. Others you purchase the rights to a photo on a one-use basis. But the good news is there are several sites that have photos available at no cost. It is worth exploring sites like https://negativespace.co and https://unsplash.com, to name just a couple of resources available.
Of course, the idea is to grab the attention of the potential reader and draw him or her into your article. As Aristotle would point out, without an audience, there is no communication.
If you want a biblical example of such a technique, think of the parables that Jesus told. The Lord painted his pictures with words. A sower went out to sow his field. A man built his house on the sand. These were used to both attract the listener and to underscore the truth being taught.
The Apostle Paul in his speech before the men of Athens presented a picture of the many statues of the city to their many gods. He got their attention to share God’s Truth.
If you want a more ordinary example, remember that very few fish wrap their mouth around a hook without something intriguing to lure them in.
If a picture really is worth a thousand words, think of the value of a well-chosen picture and your thousand-word written piece!
Humble...and proud of it!
My roommate in college came up with a “philosophy” that ended up as a sign on our dorm door.
Be sincere...whether you mean it or not!
Yes, it was a joke. But you may know people that apparently have taken that slogan to heart. Humility falls into that category, too. There are people who are pseudo-humble, and you know by the rest of their life and activities that humility is not their core belief. Yes...humble...and proud of it.
One church media ministry was doing a commendable thing by giving small awards...special pins...for those who showed expertise, teamwork, and humility. When they gave out the humility pin at a dinner, I wondered (out loud, I’m afraid) if they wore their humility pin, did that immediately negate their award? Humble...and proud of it.
A business consultant and mentor to many major ministry leaders, Fred Smith, wrote about humility as a quality he wanted to see in a pastor. Some wise words here.
“I would want my pastor to not act humble, but actually be humble. I have always used the definition of humility as: ‘not denying the power, but admitting it comes through you and not from you.’”
Power comes through you...not from you.
I believe that’s a good word for more than pastors. As we give leadership to others, how do we present ourselves? As the all-knowing authority? Or as one who acknowledges that all we have...our experience, our wisdom...comes from God. Listen to the scriptures:
Everything we have has come from you [God], and we give you only what you first gave us! 1 Chronicles 29:14b NLT
Paul underscored that when writing to his believing friends in Rome:
For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. Romans 11:36 NLT
So how can we claim anything we have as coming from us? Power? Wisdom? Strategy? True humility comes as we recognize that it is God who is at work in us and through us to accomplish His will for His purpose. My friend Dr. Henry Blackaby, writing in Experiencing God Day by Day, says humility is something hard for us humans, particularly for leaders who seek to be effective in their efforts.
“There are two ways to attain high esteem. One is the world’s method: Take every opportunity to promote yourself before others; seize occasions for recognition and manipulate your way into the center of attention. The other way is God’s way: Humble yourself. Rather than striving for recognition and influential positions, seek to put others first. Cultivate humility, for it does not come naturally.”
Did you catch that? Cultivate humility, for it does not come naturally.
You know, now that I think about it, that would have made a far better slogan for the sign on my dorm door.
What lasts?
We live in a throw-away world. There was a time when a fine Swiss watch was to be treasured. If it didn’t keep accurate time or was broken, off it went to the watch repair shop. Then Timex came along. These watches were certainly not of the caliber of an Omega or TAG Heuer watch. They were inexpensive, reasonably accurate, and somewhat reliable. And if they broke...you tossed them and bought another. Increasingly that philosophy has carried through to other items we use in our world. You or your ministry probably have some media equipment on a shelf or in storage because no one wants to spend time, effort, or money repairing it. Few people take time or the trouble to fix something these days. Toss it and replace it.
Yet there are some things worth “repairing” versus replacing. We had a giclée print of a painting by a friend who has been the artist laurite of Texas. It became faded due to the sun shining into the room and on the wall where the painting hung. There was value to us because the painting reproduction was an artist proof and was given to us by the artist himself. Thankfully, a cousin (in-law) who is an artist agreed to restore the original work by painting over it, matching original colors and strokes. Her beautiful restoration work now hangs over the mantle on our fireplace. That artwork is now a twice-treasured item.
Recently, I was at memorial services for dear friends. One service was online, the other I attended in person. Both of these individuals were outstanding in their crafts. Though they worked in different fields with different skills, people recognized them for their unusual ability to do things above anyone else. One was known as a master “fix-it” guy!
But that wasn’t what impacted me.
As I listened to family and friends step to the podium at these two services, what struck me was the lasting impact of the love these men exhibited through the time they gave to others. They willingly shared their skills and their expertise, yes. But it was the time and attention given freely to others that stood out. To these friends and family, this translated into the most lasting attribute of the lives they were remembering and honoring...love.
It is interesting that when Jesus was quizzed about the most important truths for a follower of Christ, it came down to this:
The most important commandment is this: "...The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength." The second is equally important: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Mark 12:29-31 NLT
I have adapted and adopted that passage as my philosophy of life. And I seek to live that out in all I do. As a matter of fact, that is the overarching philosophy I aspire to in leadership. Love...for God, and as a result of that love, for those God sends my way. Four words...profound impact.
Love God...love people.
Do you take time to listen to others, even when you don’t have time? Are you willing to share your expertise with others who might be a bit further back on the path...even when you are busy on something else? What about your family, the most important mission field the Lord has given you? Time? Attention? Do you freely give it?
When I sit through meaningful memorial services, my mind reflects on my dear friends, and the time and love I received from them. And it drives me to want to live that same way each day of my life. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians about the things that are most important...things that will last even beyond our years on earth. He concluded his brief treatise on the subject with these simple words.
Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT
Strive for what will last...not just for our days here, but for all eternity.
Love.
