Do you have what you need?
At some point in our annual cycle of ministry we begin to assess what we will need for the coming year. Usually it is part of the budgeting process. What are we lacking? What could help us better accomplish our mission? What is the staff asking for in the way of equipment, facilities, supplies?
That is always a good exercise for us…assess the need, plan for the future, seek the resources to meet that need and grow in our effectiveness and service. Usually the process leads us to prioritize what ends up on our list. What is really needed? What could wait for another time…another year?
I was thinking through this when I read the very familiar 23rd Psalm in the New Living Translation. The first verse stopped me cold.
[blockquote author="Psalm 23:1" link="" target="_blank"]The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. [/blockquote]
David wasn’t’ talking about ministry or organizations or businesses for which we are responsible. He had in mind God’s blessings in his life. Most of the rest of the Psalm is just a listing of what God has done for David that brings him satisfaction. The comfort, the protection, the peace, the direction…all part of the enduring love, grace, and mercy of our Lord.
As I think through these two things…the need to plan and grow in our ministries, and the sufficiency of God for every area of our lives…I wonder if we sometimes get the two areas confused? Do we buy into the thought that we have to have more in our personal lives in order to be happy? I must confess that happens to me. I look around at all the “stuff” I have accumulated. Upgraded mobile phones. Latest software. Things for entertainment or recreation. Stuff.
It isn’t that having this stuff is the problem. It is why we get it that can be our trouble. Do we need it to be fulfilled? Do we rationalize that if we don’t get the latest “thing” we will be left behind? Do we just like new stuff? Maybe, most important, is all this stuff keeping us from enjoying our time with the Lord Jesus?
That Psalm of David is more about the Lord and less about the provisions He supplies. It is more about being satisfied with God than needing things. And it is more about the unrelenting love He shows to those who trust him.
The Apostle Paul reassured the early day Christ-followers at Philippi:
[blockquote author="Philippians 4:19" link="" target="_blank"]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.[/blockquote]
Thoughts on Leadership
It is good to attend leadership seminars and summits, to read books by experts, and to observe how great leaders influence their team. But sometimes a short quote or thought sticks with us better, helping us to understand the opportunity and responsibility that falls to those in leadership. So…today, here are a few of the quotes I have gleaned from leadership experts.
[blockquote author="Thomas J. Watson " link="" target="_blank"]Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.[/blockquote]
[blockquote author="P. T. Barnum" link="" target="_blank"]Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone unturned and never deferring for a single hour that which can be done just as well now.[/blockquote]
[blockquote author="John Maxwell" link="" target="_blank"]Leadership is not a right…it is a responsibility.[/blockquote]
[blockquote author="Jim Whitaker, first American to summit Mt. Everest " link="" target="_blank"]You never conquer a mountain. Mountains cant be conquered; you conquer yourself…your hopes, your fears.[/blockquote]
[blockquote author="Andrew Carnegie" link="" target="_blank"] No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself, or to get all the credit for doing it.[/blockquote]
[blockquote author="Margaret Thatcher" link="" target="_blank"]Being in power is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t. [/blockquote]
[blockquote author="Robert Townsend" link="" target="_blank"]How do you recognize a leader? His people consistently turn in superior performances.[/blockquote]
[blockquote author="" link="" target="_blank"][/blockquote]
[blockquote author="John Maxwell" link="" target="_blank"]Ability may get you to the top…but it takes character to keep you there.[/blockquote]
[blockquote author="John Maxwell" link="" target="_blank"]People tend to stay motivated when they see the importance of the things they are asked to do.[/blockquote]
[blockquote author="H. Ross Perot" link="" target="_blank"]If you see a snake, just kill it. Don’t appoint a committee on snakes.[/blockquote]
[blockquote author="D. N. Jackson" link="" target="_blank"]The size of a leader is determined by the depth of his convictions, the height of his ambitions, the breadth of his vision and the reach of his love.[/blockquote]
Finally…
He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said:
[blockquote author="Mark 9:35 (NLT)" link="" target="_blank"]Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.[/blockquote]
Hope…Strong Yet Fragile
Hope. It is such a powerful word. It is foundational to the Christian life. We sing:
"My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness….”
Yet hope is fragile, too. Job, in the midst of His despair, revealed how life…and even friends…can erode our hope.
[blockquote author="Job 17:11 (NLT)" link="" target="_blank"]
My days are over.
My hopes have disappeared.
My heart’s desires are broken.
[/blockquote]
At another point, Job would tell his “friends,”
[blockquote author="Job 14:19 (NLT)" link="" target="_blank"]…as water wears away the stones and floods wash away the soil, so you destroy people’s hope.[/blockquote]
It seems we have the ability to give hope and take it away. As leaders, that ought to make us stop and think. What are we saying to those God has placed in our realm of influence, our co-laborers? Are we giving encouragement or discouragement? Yes, we need to be realistic in our assessment of situations, performance, and actions. But can we do it in a way that gives hope?
My friend Don McMinn, in a recent blog, told of a couple he was counseling who was having major marital issues. They sat at the far ends of the couch, illustrating the anger and hatred they were experiencing. At one point he told them, “You have a toxic relationship.” The couple never came back. The wife said that phrase stuck in their minds. She told Don, “We left with no hope.”
That was a turning point for Don. No hope. McMinn said the lesson for him was, “I must always be a purveyor of hope.”
England faced its darkest days during World War II. Winston Churchill could not just gloss over the problems facing them. Yet, as a leader, he knew he had to give the people hope of some sort. Don McMinn tells of the Prime Minister’s assessment of the situation.
After the fall of France to the Nazis, many in England felt defeated, and a sense of resignation and impending doom hovered over the populace. In a speech given to the British House of Commons, Churchill embraced the gravity of the situation—“The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us”—but he also spoke a message of hope and optimism that promoted a firm resolve and determination in the hearts of his countrymen—“Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour".
Someone may walk into your office today, this week, in need of hope. You may be facing a discouraging situation with your ministry. What will you say to yourself? What will you say to encourage others and strengthen them? How will you lead?
[blockquote author="Psalm 39:7 (NLT)" link="" target="_blank"]
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise him again—
my Savior and my God![/blockquote]
Freedom…at what price?
Today is Independence Day in the United States. Most will take the day off, have cook-outs, watch baseball games, spend time with family and friends. All good. But there might be more to reflect on, even briefly on this day.
…never to be called a veteran.
I was moved to tears recently as I watched a television special honoring those who have died serving the USA in times of war. It was very emotional, as actors read the first-person accounts of those who had suffered loss due to war. Some were soldiers who watched friends around them die at the hands of the enemy. Others were family members telling of a son who, though understanding the potential of death, served their nation, and never returned…never to be called a veteran.
The Viet Nam era was the time I served in the US Air Force, though far from the battlefield. I have walked the length of the Viet Nam War Memorial Wall that lists the names of those who died in that war…finding the names of friends from church, college, and my Air Force training days. I can’t talk while I am there. Tears flow. These men and women paid a high price. And I am a beneficiary of their sacrifice.
In past years, I have been in other countries as they marked their special days. I’ve seen the old soldiers in their uniforms stand at attention as the parade passed by, mustering a salute to their nation’s flag as it fluttered in the breeze. Moving. Freedom always has a price. Usually, it is the highest price…the ultimate sacrifice. The phrase we often use in remembering those who have secured our freedom with their lives is that they "…gave their last full measure of devotion".
It is easy to take the step into the spiritual realm, isn’t it? An ongoing war with Satan and his evil designs. Christ, the ultimate sacrifice, securing our eternal freedom at great cost. But His death on the cross was not the "…last full measure of devotion". Jesus’ resurrection means He forever lives to secure our freedom, not just in one battle or one war, but for all time and eternity.
[blockquote author="Ephesians 1:7" link="" target="_blank"]He [God] is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.[/blockquote]
We don't shrink back!
The global reports in recent weeks have been disheartening. Sixteen churches burned in a Southeast Asian country. Direct ISIS threats in a Middle Eastern country. And in another challenging area, government agencies informing Christian stations they need to turn in their licenses and apply for fewer and lower power frequencies than they now have.
Threatened…
Intimidated…
Diminished...
[blockquote author="Hebrews 10:39 (HCSB)" link="" target="_blank"]But we are not those who draw back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and obtain life.[/blockquote]
Where 16 churches were burned, seven new Christian radio stations have been started.
Where direct ISIS threats were received, the radio ministry launched another Christian station, and is looking at another one in an area where there is no evangelical witness.
And as government agencies intimidate, bold broadcast ministries are seeking new frequencies to grow the impact of the Gospel…all the while thinking how to maintain ministry if the government carries through with their plan to diminish their opportunities.
I am so thankful and so impressed with the Christian broadcasters whom MEDIAlliance International serves. They face all sorts of obstacles. Satan throws many fiery darts at them to limit their powerful proclamation of the Gospel. While these broadcasters are not perfect, they are bold in their service to the Lord, and they do not draw back from what God has called them to do.
It has been our privilege to connect with, plan with, and encourage these faithful ministries as they use today’s powerful media tools to share God’s Truth and His love. Are they being effective? I can guarantee you that Satan would not be pushing back so hard if they were not making an eternal difference by planting the seed of God’s Truth in the fertile soil of men and women, boys and girls who are looking for hope. MEDIAlliance International will continue to do what God has called us to do…so these faithful servants can stay on the battlefield for the Lord.
What can you do?
First and foremost…pray. Pray for these we mention, and for many others around the world who are literally behind enemy lines bringing light to the darkness. Most of the international Christian broadcasters I see aren’t simply sitting in a studio putting good teaching programs on the air. Of course, that would be a blessing in itself.
These driven disciples of Jesus are out in the communities they serve, helping the widows, the children, the young girls who are targets of human trafficking, providing needed clothing, food, and books to poor Muslim families in forgotten villages, then lining up evangelical churches to continue the aid…all in the name of Jesus.
In other countries, journalists are seeking ways to engage a country in conflict with Truth, and others are fighting against the condemning culture of racism that stirs unrest and diminishes the lives of those for whom Jesus died.
As I write this, I am praying for these dear servants of Christ. As you read this, would you join me in lifting up those who are not “shrinking back,” but who are walking courageously in faith?
International Media Leadership Summit
This fall MEDIAlliance is launching a major initiative for key international media leaders. The International Media Leadership Summit (IMLS) will be hosted by Dallas Baptist University, October 10-12. This invitation only event will see some 35 Christian media leaders come to Dallas for three days of seminars in media, leadership, and spiritual growth. In addition, the group will take part in a number of cultural activities, from Mexican food fiestas to museums to worship experiences.
Thanks to Dallas Baptist University, the international guests will enjoy beautiful facilities, transportation, meals, and worship experiences. DBU is assisting MEDIAlliance with logistical and support help, which is greatly appreciated.
The guests at the IMLS will attend at no cost to them, thanks to MEDIAlliance International and its many supporters, including some key contributors who have made substantial financial gifts for the Summit. Each attendee will receive a scholarship to offset some of the travel expenses as well.
Outstanding speakers, such as Tony Evans, O.S. Hawkins, Phil and Kathleen Cook, Jim Denison, J. Keet Lewis, Bob Lepine, and DBU President Dr. Adam Wright are on the agenda for the conference. Attendees will also worship at First Baptist Church Dallas, and will sit in on the broadcast of First Dallas’ Sunday worship, too.
If you would like to sponsor one of the invited international guests to attend, the cost per individual is $3,000. If you would like to provide scholarship funds for transportation, that amount is $1,000 per person. Other gifts of any amount are welcome. And if the funds received exceed the expenses, those funds will be used for MEDIAlliance International’s ongoing ministry to these and other Christian broadcasters as they take the Gospel to the dark corners of the world.
Excitement is building for the International Media Leadership Summit. Pray for those who need a visa to enter the US. Pray for the finances needed for the IMLS event. Pray for the many logistics that MEDIAlliance will be provide. And pray for an eternal impact as these dynamic media leaders come together for this special event.
India
September 21-23 is the date for the next Kingdom Media Conference to be held this year in Bangalore, India. The Indian Christian Media Association hosts this event in major cities in India each year, and MEDIAlliance has been honored to provide a number of the media instructors for the training seminars. As in the past, we are expecting some 350 attendees for the training workshops in television, social media/internet, church media, and ministry management.
Pray for the ICMA as they work through the many details for the event, and as they promote it to those in media, Christian ministries, and the church. Pray for the team of US and Indian instructors who will participate in the teaching. Pray for the finances needed to hold such an event. Most of all, pray for India and the need for the Gospel. There are many forces working against Christian churches and ministries as they share God’s Truth in a largely Hindu land.
Albania-Radio Emanuel
Korçë is a quaint town in south central Albania in a region with a growing Muslim influence. For the past 14 years there has been a strong voice for Christ through Radio Emanuel, a Christian radio ministry directed by Tani and Efti Baraku. On my visits to Korçë, I have been impressed by the great ministry work that Radio Emanuel is doing. Their small studios are often filled with young people and children who are producing programming aimed at their own generation. And the ministry, due to its proximity to Macedonia and Greece, produces programs to reach into these cultures.
These days are challenging for Christian broadcasters in this country that was officially atheistic for decades before the fall of Communism. Yet, in spite of the current challenges, Radio Emanuel is taking steps to expand its ministry and its outreach.
One key step is to have adequate facilities to produce many local original programs. The dream of new studios and offices is now becoming a reality. Radio Emanuel is poised to transform the structure seen on the left into a wonderful broadcast and ministry center, right in the heart of Korçë’s city center.
Pray for the ministry as they gather the needed funds, refurbish the building, and outfit it with appropriate broadcast equipment for their ministry needs. And pray that they will overcome all challenges that would try to diminish the voice of the Gospel through Radio Emanuel.
Finally...
Thank you for your prayers and your support. It is a blessing to serve Christian broadcasters and media professionals who are spreading God's Truth. Your gifts to MEDIAlliance International allow us to come alongside these ministries...at no cost to them...and bring the encouragement and help that strengthens them and their work.
Pray for the International Media Leadership Summit as we continue to finalize plans and programs that will bless and encourage. One broadcaster, who is impacting his culture in spite of Satan's opposition, said his greatest need was for refreshment. Pray that the IMLS can be that place of refreshment and insight for all these international friends and servants who labor courageously for the Lord Jesus.
Struggling with God’s Will
A recent devotion I read from Chuck Swindoll, taken from his book, The Mystery of God’s Will, got me thinking. I’m in a bit of a dilemma over knowing and following God’s will.
In the devotion, Dr. Swindoll says that God’s will for us
“…almost without exception requires risk, adjustment, and change. We don’t like that. Even using those words makes us squirm. Experiencing the reality of them is even worse.”
Swindoll goes on to talk about our love of the familiar, the comfortable, something we can control. And I think that is usually true.
…And here is where the dilemma comes in. God’s Word also tells me that the Lord will give me the desires of my heart. Here it is, scripture and verse.
"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires". Psalm 37:4
How do I get from “the desires of my heart” to being willing to risk, make adjustments, change?
I think it comes with spiritual growth..maturity…trust in God. Our desires become what He wants for us. His desires become our desires. We trust in His unfailing love, as the song says.
Jesus went through that dilemma in the Garden of Gethsemane. Facing what he knew to be a horrendous agony and death on the Roman cross, He asked His Heavenly Father if there was any other way.
“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet, I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Matthew 26:39
Chuck Swindoll concludes this way:
…the closer we walk with the Lord, the less control we have over our lives, and the more we must abandon to Him. To give Him our wills and to align our wills to His will requires the abandonment of what we prefer, what we want or what we would choose.
God’s will and God’s way in your life and mine brings the ultimate satisfaction and joy. If we give up anything…comfort or control…it is for the better life our Lord has laid out for us as part of His plan.
Huh? What?
Husbands are often accused of “selective hearing,” grasping only what we want to hear and ignoring the rest. There is probably some truth in that, but not just for husbands. All of us have selective hearing. Want an example? There are probably some noises going on around you right now that you ignore. Traffic on the street. The sound of an air conditioner or fan. Crickets. We just tune these out.
In our role as leaders, we need to be sure we are listening to those we serve…really listening. Mentor and executive coach Fred Smith loved communication and had some thoughts on listening.
Every leader spends a good part of the day communicating with others. A lot of books have been written on techniques of good communication, but the real problem is the spirit, not the method. Attitude is often the barrier. Almost any two people who want to can talk together. The emphasis on open lines of communication hides a deeper problem. Often people who are unable to communicate find that they are hindered by their desire to impress, not express.
Fred Smith added…
Most leaders are adequate talkers, but inadequate listeners. The ability to listen creatively and positively depends on the leader’s ability to listen on four levels:
1. the meaning of the words
2. the choice of words
3. the sounds of the words
4. the sight of the words.
Most people listen negatively, which is simply keeping silent or reloading while the other is shooting. Positive listening guides the talker both in the giving of facts and a display of emotion that permit the listener to evaluate on more than a surface level.
There are some great insights here. Two things stand out
from Fred Smith’s comments.
Almost any two people who want to can talk together.
Often people who are unable to communicate find that they are hindered by their desire to impress, not express.
Jesus often spoke in parables, and then would tell those around him, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!” (Matthew 11:15 NLT)
Listening…really listening…takes effort and is active. And leaders who listen…really listen…strengthen their organizations and the relationships among the staff. And, by the way, it works in the home, too.
Toss 'um Out!
I should have thrown them out. Dead. Lifeless. No great value. Good for a season…but no good now.
Those thoughts went through my mind over the winter as I looked at some flower pots filled with dead plants. We had left them out over the winter months. And, though those months had been mild, the plants died and dried up. I should have tossed them…thrown them out. I didn’t.
I remember one instance as I served as manager of the local Christian radio station. The program director came to me, closed the door to my office, and said, “We have to let Joe (not his name) go…fire him.” The PD had hired Joe about six months before.
“Why do we need to let him go?”
“Because he isn’t sounding good,” the PD said. “He isn’t living up to his potential. He just needs to go.”
My next question was said in a rather straight-forward way. “What have you done to help him improve?” The PD paused…thought…looked down…and responded, “Not much.”
With a little encouragement, the PD began to work with the station employee, to set standards, to make suggestions, to coach him…yet hold Joe accountable. And little by little there was growth. The radio man became more and more valuable, playing a solid role in the programming for the station.
What made the difference? Yes, setting standards and offering help were part of the reason for improvement. However, I think the main reason this employee blossomed is the encouragement that said, “We think you are valuable, and you are worth us working with to help you improve.” Years later, after the program director had moved on, Joe was still a valuable member of the team.
Yes…I should have thrown that plant out. It wasn’t worth much. It didn’t look like it had potential. But I kept it. I broke off the old dead branches. I gave it a chance to grow. And something beautiful emerged from that flower pot. I’m glad I didn’t toss it out. It really adds something special to our backyard landscape, don’t you think?
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
It's a Balancing Act
Balancing, juggling… these sound more like terms fit for a circus than for our ministry work. Yet juggling all the priorities of ministry, business, family, and personal faith journey is a full-time job. And achieving balance…it is a never ending challenge.
When I was younger…much younger…I used to try to balance on one of those boards on a large pipe-like roller. And juggle. I took a lot of spills in the effort. And when I did accomplish this feat, I could never relax. It took constant effort to maintain balance.
The same is true in our lives, particularly as leaders in ministry. It is a constant effort if we are to maintain a healthy balance between work…even if it is ministry…and the rest of our lives.
Ben Case, of Case Consulting Services, has a daily blog on fundraising. He often gleans from guest writers, as he did recently. Robyn Mendez has some good reminders on things we can do to maintain our perspective in the daily struggle for balance.
1. Schedule a no-meeting day - time spent in meetings can kill productivity during the workday. Block out a day each week when no meetings take place.
2. Learn to say "No" ... or "Not Right Now" - the world is full of great ideas. As a leader, the additional work or projects that you approve often falls on the shoulders of those who report to you.
3. Define a consistent time that you will leave the office - by establishing a consistent time to head home, you are giving yourself time in the evening to live your life. You also are telling your staff that it's OK for them to head home in the evenings.
4. Take your vacation time - this seems so straightforward but in 2014, 40% of Americans forfeited vacation time. You've earned this, so take it.
5. Guard your time at home - don't allow work to creep in. Create at least a two-hour work-free zone where you have to focus on family time together.
Most of these suggestions we have heard before. The challenge comes in implementing them in our weekly routine.
And about the actual juggling and balancing I did so many years ago…that’s another reason I’m glad we didn’t have You Tube back then!
Lead…follow…or get out of the way!
Maybe you have heard that saying before. While it might seem harsh, it does relate to the urgency of these days. As servants of the Lord Jesus, we need to be willing to give strong leadership, or we need to be good followers of those who lead. Or…we need to get out of the way, so as to not impede the impact of the Gospel in the lives of the lost.
In reality, we are all leaders and followers. As Christians we follow the teachings of our Lord, and the examples of other Christian mentors. Yet all of us have those who look to us to be the example…to teach the Truth of God’s Word, whether we do so formally or by our living example. We have family, children, friends, co-workers, that God has placed in our path that we might lead them in His ways.
You may say, “But you don’t understand my past. I can’t be one of God’s leaders.” You are right in one sense. I don’t know all that may be in your past. But you are wrong if you think that disqualifies you from the leadership role the Lord has for you.
You don’t have to look too deeply into the Bible to find some of God’s leaders who had some pretty bad history. There is Moses….who killed an Egyptian, hid him in the sand, and had to flee from his place in the palace to the far side of the wilderness. Yet God had a plan for him to lead the children of Israel.
There is David…a man after God’s own heart. The situation with Bathsheba, the orchestrated murder of her husband…you would think that would take David off the playing field and out of the role of a leader. But God showed mercy, and used David greatly.
Maybe you would look to the Apostle Paul. Saul…a terrorist. He was instrumental in the persecution and even the death of many of God’s faithful believers. In fact, he was on his way to Damascus to persecute more Christ-followers when God stepped in and changed his life. One of God’s faithful leaders to his death.
There is an urgency for the Gospel today. Persecution of Christians has reached new depths. People need hope…God’s hope. They need leaders who will boldly do what God is leading them to do. They need the Gospel. And the good news, of course, is that God supplies all our needs by the power of His Holy Spirit, alive and active in our lives.
What is it God has for you to do for Him? Who are the people who look to you for leadership? Follow the direction of the Holy Spirit. Lead the flock God has given you. Trust in an all-powerful Lord to accomplish through you what He needs for His plan. And be quick to give God the glory. Amen.