A List of One
Have you noticed the trend on Facebook and other social media sites these days? It seems everyone has a list to make your life easier and better.
- 26 Life Hacks to Make You Smarter at Work
- 13 Ways to Read Faster and Comprehend More
- The 46 Most Brilliant Life Hacks Every Human Being Needs to Make Life Easier
- 9 Ways to Start a Conversation with Absolutely Anyone
And even that list goes on and on…and leads to other lists.
I remember a few years back when companies were making additives and accessories for your car that saved 10%, 20%, 50% or more on gasoline. I figured out one time that if I bought all of these things and put them into my gas tank and on my car, I could probably sell off the excess gasoline and never have to buy fuel again!
The same is true with the interesting lists. If I did all of them I would be so smart that I could simply sit back, enjoy life, and never have to work again.
It seems we are looking for the easy way, the smoothest road, the simplest method to do something…and sometimes we spend all our lives looking. I wonder if we have our priorities in the right order.
I’m not sure I want a surgeon who used shortcuts during surgery…especially if it’s MY surgery. I don’t know if I even want to get a haircut from a barber who just read “Haircuts for Dummies.” Some things are just hard, yet are worth the effort we put into them to learn and accomplish something important.
Sure, there are lots of things that we can save time on…things that don’t matter much. A favorite of mine in one of these lists is cutting a toilet brush off its handle, attaching it to an electric drill, and putting the spinning brush in a bucket of water filled with raw potatoes. It says you can peal a whole bag of potatoes in less than a minute. If I ever need to peal a whole bag of potatoes quickly I may try it.
In the Bible there is a “list” that the Apostle Paul mentioned. Not much of a list, actually. Just one thing. Remember? It is in Paul’s letter to the Christ-followers in Philippi.
[blockquote author="Philippians 3:13-14 NASB" link="" target="_blank"]Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.[/blockquote]
Paul was saying that the only thing of importance to him…the only thing on his list…is to strive for the goal of the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
I like the paraphrase that Eugene Peterson gives those verses in The Message.
[blockquote author="Philippians 3:13-14 MSG" link="" target="_blank"]By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.[/blockquote]
Of all the lists floating around, this commands my attention.
This. One. Thing.
Rejoice anyway
The Old Testament book of Habakkuk is an interesting book. I have read it multiple times over the years, and I seem to glean something new each time.
This prophet of the Lord is not very happy with God. First, Habakkuk felt God wasn’t hearing his cry for help in the midst of evil days. Then, he feels God is extremely unfair to let the Chaldeans, those evil people, be God’s tool for punishment. Habakkuk isn’t happy with God at all.
From the second chapter, I have often pointed out that the Lord directed the use of media to get his message out to the people. He said “record” His message, God’s vision, on clay tablets, making the message plain and easily understood. The Lord directed Habakkuk to put the tablets in the marketplace. Not in the synagogue, but out in the public place, so that those who hurried by could easily understand what the Lord was saying to them.
There is some great application there for us in media. That will be for another day.
Judy and I were reading the concluding verses in our evening Bible reading the other night. It is that beautiful prayer of Habakkuk. After being upset at the Lord, and after hearing what was coming for the people of Israel, this closing song of praise is amazing.
[blockquote author="Habakkuk 3:17-18 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation![/blockquote]
Habakkuk was not happy with the situation around him. And he was even less happy when he heard how God was going to bring justice. These closing words of the prophet’s prayer show us the depth of His love for His Lord.
Habakkuk is basically saying that if everything around him falls apart, if the economy is destroyed by the enemy, if the corruption of the people leads to utter destruction of all that sustains him, he will still rejoice in his Lord.
We live in an evil world. You who are serving in countries beyond the U. S. are experiencing corruption, protests, riots, wars, and persecution. And we have our own battles and injustice in America. You may have prayed for your country, and don’t see the answer you hoped for. What do you do?
Chuck Swindoll’s ministry, Insight for Living, expressed the lesson of Habakkuk this way.
[blockquote author="" link="" target="_blank"]...the book of Habakkuk reminds us that no place is too dark and no wall too thick for God’s grace to penetrate in a powerful and life-affirming way.[/blockquote]
How dark is it where you are today? How bleak does the future look? Does it seem God is inactive in your world...your life? Show the depth of your faith by praying and singing along with Habakkuk. Eugene Peterson, in The Message, paraphrases the passage this way:
[blockquote author="Habakkuk 3:17-19 MSG" link="" target="_blank"]Though the cherry trees don’t blossom and the strawberries don’t ripen, Though the apples are worm-eaten and the wheat fields stunted, Though the sheep pens are sheepless and the cattle barns empty, I’m singing joyful praise to God. I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God. Counting on God’s Rule to prevail, I take heart and gain strength. I run like a deer. I feel like I’m king of the mountain![/blockquote]
Rejoice... anyway!
Too busy?
How busy are you? I can almost see you roll your eyes, sigh, and think about all that is on your agenda today and 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 sings 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 what the Lord wants to say to me.
I also realized I had to exhibit Jesus’ nature in my daily life. Love. Forgiveness. Grade. 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,
[blockquote author="" link="" target="_blank"]If I fail to spend two hours in prayer each morning, the devil gets the victory through the day. I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer.[/blockquote]
Well, I’m not in Martin Luther’s realm in my prayer life. But I trust I am moving towards more time with the Heavenly Father…before things become too busy.
You will benefit from that special time. So will your family. So will your staff and those you influence daily.
Make time with the Father a priority...today.
Legacy...now?
The past couple of weeks have been interesting. Judy and I attended four funeral services for dear saints. Some had gone well beyond the Bible’s suggestion of three score and ten, others a bit less. All loved the Lord and served Him faithfully.
Some thoughts cross my mind as I reflect on these experiences. First, I need to get younger friends. OK...just kidding. I am blessed with many younger friends, and I am grateful to God we aren’t attending memorial services for them.
No, what has really been brought out into the light in each of these sweet services is the fact that these saints left a legacy. One of the definitions of a legacy is this:
[blockquote author="" link="" target="_blank"]...anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor....[/blockquote]
The legacy these people left was not necessarily money or things. It was something in their lives from which we all have gained. We heard stories of love of family, of being a friend to many, of service to the Lord and His church. Over and over stories were told and testimonies were given...often with tear-filled eyes...of lives well lived, of a legacy of love and life and loyalty.
Billy Graham has said,
[blockquote author="" link="" target="_blank"]The greatest legacy one can pass on to one's children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one's life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.[/blockquote]
These reflections also remind me that you don’t begin to build a legacy at the end of your life. I have heard of politicians and business leaders who wanted to establish a legacy for their life work. For many, it is too late. Our legacy is our life. Steve Saint, son of one of the five missionaries martyred in Ecuador in the 1950's, said,
[blockquote author="" link="" target="_blank"]Your story is the greatest legacy that you will leave to your friends. It's the longest-lasting legacy you will leave to your heirs.[/blockquote]
Even though Nate Saint’s life was cut short (by our human understanding), he left a legacy to his son, and to all of us as well.
I’m not sure we should set out to “build a legacy.” I think we simply live the way God intended us to live, and, from that, our life-legacy emerges. The Word of the Lord reminds us,
[blockquote author="Deuteronomy 12:28 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]Be careful to obey all my commands, so that all will go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and pleasing to the Lord your God.[/blockquote]
It was said of one man whose memorial service we attended, “I never saw him angry.” Another told a story of one of these godly men who was approached by another church member who began to rant and rave at this dear saint. Our friend simply listened, then gently said, “I’m sorry you feel that way.” Little things, little instances, that indicate a legacy is under construction.
So...what will you do and what will you be today that adds to a legacy of life by which the Lord will be pleased and by which your children...and your children’s children...will be blessed? Don’t wait. Start today.
A question...who's the expert?
What will it take for you to be a better media manager? More time? More management seminars to attend or books to read?
There have been a couple of key concepts that have helped me in the management realm. One I learned a few years ago and have tried to follow since. The other one I am still learning.
For many years, I worked in church media, training volunteers to do the great work of extending the walls of the church and taking the message of the Gospel to the many who won’t or don’t come to church. In that role, I was the master teacher, training those without much media experience to be high quality media workers. I remember how exciting it was to find one or two people who had some media experience, and let them take some of the load in training and directing the work.
When I took on the role of station manager at KCBI Radio in Dallas, there were many with years of experience in radio. Many had far more expertise in their area than I did. And it was very liberating. It led me to develop the mindset that I don’t have to know everything. In fact, I new the station would function much better if others became the experts in their area of work, technical, production, on-air, and support. That was very liberating. I didn’t have to be the expert. I was surrounding myself with experts. I still had to lead, but I could rely on the knowledge of others in their area to fulfill all God was leading us to do as a Christian media ministry.
The other concept is one that I am still working on. A friend of mine, Bob Tide, has an organization called Leading with Questions. With his writing, he is helping leaders become more effective by encouraging them to ask more questions. I see this as a great compliment to being surrounded by experts in your ministry.
Often the questions a leader asks empowers their team to be more effective. In a recent email post by Bob, his guest writer, Kimberly Gleason, gave a list of 35 questions that can be helpful. I’ll just paraphrase a few.
- What is your plan to do that?
- What part of this plan are you most passionate or enthusiastic about?
- What are your strengths or talents that either one of us is not using to good advantage?
- What new ideas do you have?
- What could we be doing better?
- How would you like me to lead you?What resources do you need from me to be successful in your job?
- When do you most feel a part of the team?
- What kind of feedback would you find most helpful?
You will find that each person you work with responds differently to these questions. But I think you will also find that all will appreciate you asking them the questions.
So, why don’t you pick out two or three of these questions and pose them to folks on your team this week. And let me know the response. You see…I’m still learning, and need the feedback.
If you would like to see more, visit Bob Tiede’s website at http://leadingwithquestions.com/
Now...my question to you is...has this been a help to you?
God’s best…
Achiever or Leader?
Jim was a great volunteer at my church where I served as Minister of Media. We had come to the church to take an old and outdated television ministry to a new level. There was lots to do, both in planning and in execution. Jim was valuable, and was wise. I love these kinds of folks.
One day Jim walked up to me and said, “Hello, Lone Ranger.”
You may know the movie or TV shows based on a story of a lone Texas Ranger who righted wrongs, usually all by himself. I asked Jim what he meant. He said something to the effect that when something needed to be done, I usually did it, rather than looking to others to help get the task done.
Ouch! That stung a bit. He was saying I was accomplishing some good things, but not building a team who could help do these things...and much more. I learned a valuable lesson from Jim that day, and it made a huge difference in my life and ministry work.
In a recent blog, my friend Don McMinn talked about that very thing.
[blockquote author="" link="" target="_blank"]There is a significant difference between an achiever and a leader.
An achiever gets the job done.
A leader gets the job done through other people.[/blockquote]
In both cases the job gets done. But when other people are involved in the process, much more happens. McMinn continues his thoughts.
“Many people have honed their 'get it done' skills; they live disciplined lives and are able to accomplish immense amounts of work. They are achievers. Give them a job and they’ll get it done. I admire these people, but I don’t consider them leaders, because leaders accomplish work through others.”
Do you know the name Peter Drucker? He was a business consultant and was often referred to as the father of modern management. Here’s what Drucker had to say on the subject of an achiever vs. a leader.
“The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say ‘I.’ And that’s not because they have trained themselves not to say ‘I.’ They don’t think ‘I.’ They think ‘we’; they think ‘team.’ They understand their job to be to make the team function.”
The Apostle Paul, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, said this:
[blockquote author="Romans 12:8a NLT" link="" target="_blank"]If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.[/blockquote]
So, are you an achiever or a leader? You can be both.
Missed it by three feet!
It started out as a simple project. Add a slide out bar in my closet so I could hang clothes on it as I prepared for a trip or other activity. Simple. Find it online. Buy it. Attach it. Use it.
You are probably ahead of me. Rarely does something that seems simple turn out to be simple. It is somehow attached to Murphy’s Law. If that doesn’t translate in your culture, Google it and you will understand. If it can go wrong, it will.
While the item I bought was fine, it wouldn’t fit where I wanted it. There was a clothes bar in the way. So, I had to find a solution. After thinking and planning and drawing, and a couple of trips to the hardware store, I was ready to start. Armed with small strips of wood, I glued, painted, sawed, screwed, and attached the device to the shelf. Voilà! After many days of thinking, planning, and executing the plan, my project was complete.
Having just installed it, I was standing in the closet looking at this project and, for some reason, looked three feet to my left. And it dawned on me. If I had attached the slide out bar over there, I wouldn’t have needed to do any of this other work. Instead of the project stretching out over days and weeks, it could have been finished in minutes.
(Insert SCREAMING sound here!)
That has been on my mind since last night when I realized how I had missed it. The solution rested just three feet away, but I didn’t see it. I had been so focused on the problem...and my clever solution to get around the problem...that I didn’t look around to see if there might be an alternative to what I thought had to be done. It was right there...three feet away.
Hopefully, I’ve learned a lesson, one that I can pass on to you. No, it isn’t about something to put into your closet. It is about how we as leaders deal with the many problems we find almost daily. We stare at the problem, we study the problem, we get out pen and paper and draw up the problem and the possible solution to the problem, and then we get started on our plan to overcome the problem.
It reminds me of a story that came out of the early days of the race for space. It may not be absolutely true, but it does illustrate a point. The US and the Soviet Union were both trying to outdo the other in the race to put a man in space, and later on the moon. One problem that came up was the effect of weightlessness on a simple thing like a ball point pen. The ink wouldn’t flow in that weightless condition. The Americans spent over a million dollars coming up with a solution...a pen that would write in space. It was amazing.
The Russians, on the other hand, devised a much simpler and far less costly solution. They used a pencil.
What problems are you facing today? Have you been focusing on the problem, without looking beyond it for a better solution? Have you submitted the problem to the Lord for His wisdom and insight? No, I didn’t pray about my project. I should have. Does the Lord care about some project I am working on in my closet? All I know is what His Word says.
[blockquote author="I Peter 5:7 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.[/blockquote]
[blockquote author="Proverbs 3:5-6 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
[/blockquote]
Yes...look around. But also look up. Help for your problems...big and small...is close by.
Popping the Bubble
The Greek philosopher Aristotle recognized it over 2,300 years ago. There is no communication unless the audience receives and comprehends your message. In fact, Aristotle believed that communication didn’t really happen if it did not bring about some impact on the audience. He is quoted as saying:
“All communication must lead to change.”
Pretty strong statement. It doesn’t matter how loudly you say it, or how clever your words, if the audience doesn’t understand the message and doesn’t act on it, real communication hasn’t happened.
We sometimes sit in our studios on the television set, or at our computers, putting together good thoughts. But do we know if our viewers and listeners are hearing and understanding that message?
Years ago, I was on Rote Island in Indonesia. I was there for the dedication of a new Christian radio station. It was not only the first Christian station on the island, but the first radio station EVER on that island of some 100,000 people. It was exciting to see the young couples who worked so hard to establish that station tell of how God was fulfilling a dream of theirs. Mayors and government officials were there for the dedication. It was a powerful evening.
Just imagine, though, if these same leaders had ignored one critical thing. Radios. Most people did not have a radio. They hadn’t needed one. No radio, no receiving the radio signal. No signal, no message. No message, no communication.
However, these leaders did remember this important item. As the station was under construction, they encouraged churches in other parts of Indonesia to donate radios for the people on Rote. And now, with radios in homes all over this island, and with a new powerful station communicating God’s eternal truth, people were receiving the message. Communication was taking place.
How do I know its effectiveness? About a year later, the radio station, Sware Malole, began announcing about a listener meeting on a coming Friday and Saturday night. It was to be held at the little football (soccer) field near the port town of Ba'a. After a week or so of telling the people of the “listener meeting,” the nights came for the event.
Out of 100,000 people living on the island, 9,000 people showed up. At the listener meeting, they talked about the eternal hope found in Jesus Christ. And the speaker invited those in attendance to step forward to ask Jesus to be the Lord of their life.
Over 800 people committed their lives to Christ on those two nights. They acted upon what they had heard.
If Aristotle was right, that all communication must lead to change, then an amazing amount of communication went on, and eternal change came to hundreds of souls.
The radio station alone could not communicate effectively. There needed to be radios. And, of course, there needed to be listeners who heard, understood, and acted upon what they heard. Real communication.
[blockquote author="Romans 10:14 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]
But how can they call on him to save them
unless they believe in him?
And how can they believe in him
if they have never heard about him?
And how can they hear about him
unless someone tells them?
[/blockquote]
Who is your audience? What are they receiving? Is it clear? And is there change in their lives as a result? Don’t just broadcast God’s Truth. Communicate His Truth.
Rooted and Grounded
My trusty chain saw was in the garage gathering dust. Cold weather was on its way, and we needed some more wood to burn. So, I grabbed the saw and extension power cords (the saw is electric) and headed out back. We are blessed with a lot of trees on our property, and they occasionally die. At that point, they need to be cut down, both for safety and for us to burn during our occasional frigid Texas winter days.
While out cutting, I noticed two trees side by side. They were both dead. One was leaning too close to some overhead phone and power lines, so I got it down. The next one was obviously dead, too. Not wanting it to crash into the overhead lines, I reached over to pull on it and see what it would take to get it down.
To my surprise, the tree was easily pulled over. In fact, the bottom of the tree came right out of the ground. The roots had rotted, and offered no resistance as I tugged on the tree. Down it came.
If we are looking for them, we can often find life-lessons all around us. I got to thinking about that tree. A season ago, it was a living thing. Putting on leaves. Providing a resting place for birds, a playground for squirrels, and shade down below. Now...nothing. Ready to be cut up and burned.
Perhaps, like me, you have seen that happen in the lives of leaders. They stand out, stand tall, and bring benefit to those around them. They are living. They are serving. They have purpose. But somehow, some way, they fail to be nourished. Roots, that at one time went deep in order to grow and flourish, now receive nothing...and shrivel up. No strength. No nourishment to the rest of the tree. Nothing. Soon, they are no longer growing or leading. And sometimes they simply fall and are forgotten. Sad.
As leaders...and as spiritual leaders, especially...we need to keep our roots strong and the nourishment flowing. We need to be curious about God and His Word. We need to learn more about the ministry or craft to which we are called. We need to take on new life in order to be a blessing and a benefit to those around us.
We had a beautiful sunrise this morning. The sky was splashed with deep and vibrant colors. It reminded me that, like God’s mercies, His creativity is new every morning. The Lord is all about new things. Through the prophet Isaiah He said:
[blockquote author="Isaiah 43:19 NLT" link="" target="_blank"]For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?....[/blockquote]
Are you renewing your strength? Are you being nourished daily? Are you learning the new things that God is doing around you? Be careful. The roots of that tree in my backyard didn’t atrophy overnight. It happened little by little.
Let the fresh Spirit of our Lord renew you and nourish you daily. And may you continue to learn and grow in the areas of service and ministry God has given you. Stand strong and tall. Our world needs strong leaders who have the wisdom and power of God flowing through them daily. That is what He is calling you to be. His strong, tall tree...providing help, encouragement, truth, and refreshment to all around you.
Would you be surprised?
It startled me. And it got me thinking. It happened early one Sunday morning several weeks ago. If you have a smart phone, you’ve probably noticed they seem to get smarter every day. Yet, knowing that, I was still caught off guard.
Judy and I have a Sunday morning routine. We’re up early...around 5:00 a.m. We each do our Bible readings, I scan the newspaper, get ready for the day, and we head off to church. Now, while I put a lot of things on my phone calendar, I don’t put “church” there. It’s automatic for us.
That is why I was so startled.
That Sunday morning I picked up my phone and looked at a message on the home screen. It said:
[blockquote author="" link="" target="_blank"]Traffic is light, Ron. It will take you 34 minutes to get to 1707 San Jacinto Street.[/blockquote]”
That’s the location of our church! My smart phone had figured out our Sunday pattern without us entering that information into the phone. Amazing.
So, that started me thinking. I wonder what else my phone “notices” about me and my habits? We used to ask, “If someone found your check book and saw how you spent your money, would they know that you are a Christian and support God’s work?” Now, the questions might be addressed to Siri or Alexa or whomever: “Can you tell by the pattern of my life where my heart is?”
While today’s smart technology might be a little unsettling at times, we should remember we have an omniscient God who sees and knows everything about us. And whether it will be reviewed on a flat screen TV or a tablet or something else, there will be an accounting.
Solomon gave this advice to young adults, but it surely applies to us all:
[blockquote author="Ecclesiastes 11:9 (NLT)" link="" target="_blank"]Young people, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do. [/blockquote]
That’s not Big Brother watching you. It is your loving Heavenly Father who cares for you and wants the best in your life.
“Uh...Siri...just how much do you know about me?”