Ron Harris

My roommate in college came up with a “philosophy” that ended up as a sign on our dorm room door.

Be sincere…whether you mean it or not!

Yes, it was a joke. But you may know people who 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, the late 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 this truth 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. The late 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 room door.

God’s best,

Leaders often look back on their lives and work and see the path they have climbed to get to where they are today. And in looking back, they quietly say to themselves, “I’m glad I don’t have to do all that again.”

They would never say it out loud, but their heart is saying, “I’m above all that, now that I am a leader and in charge.”

When I was a media minister, I had a seminary student intern who wanted to lead a church media ministry. One day, I asked him to coil up the big, long camera cables we had in our small studio. He looked at me and, either in words or facial expression, communicated, “It is beneath me to do that.” The young man was about to learn a lesson from me.

In the years of our MEDIA Alliance ministry, I have licked envelopes, folded programs, set up tables and chairs at conferences, and performed many other menial tasks. To be honest, I didn’t really think about it as being above me or below me. The task just needed to be done.

The founder of Bell Aircraft, Lawrence D. Bell, is quoted as saying, “Show me a man who cannot be bothered to do little things, and I’ll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things.”

Jesus was pretty clear about how we need to serve and where our hearts should be. He taught that the first should be last, and He demonstrated this as He washed the disciples’ feet. Some of those chosen men struggled in that area. James and John, the sons of Zebedee, wanted something from Jesus.

“Arrange it,” they said, “so that we will be awarded the highest places of honor in your glory—one of us at your right, the other at your left.” Jesus said, “You have no idea what you’re asking…”

Mark 10:37-38 MSG

I know that in leadership, we need to delegate tasks to others, protect our time, and do the things that only we can do. But we also need to check ourselves to see where our heart is. Pride is a sneaky thing that can destroy a good and powerful ministry.

Leadership expert John Maxwell is strong on leaders serving others in our ministries or organizations:

I believe the bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others. That is achieved by serving others and adding value to their lives. I believe that God desires us not only to treat people with respect but also to actively reach out to them and serve them.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

A word of warning: Don’t do those menial tasks for show or announce to others what a great servant you are. Or pride will be knocking at your door.

Serve the Lord…and others…with gladness, and let the Lord lift you up.

God’s best,

Sometimes, I think I can save some money and “do it myself.” This is usually when my long-time friends say, “Keep him away from power tools.” Yes, I cut the phone lines once while digging in my yard. And yes, I ruined a dimmer switch I was installing when I shorted it out. The sparks were spectacular.

Sometimes, though, it could be good to short-circuit something that is slowing us down or is detrimental to our leadership. Self-doubt is one of those things. Most of us in leadership have experienced that feeling when facing monumental challenges. In fact, the challenges don’t even have to be monumental. Sometimes, they are just relentless…day after day, week after week. And we wonder if we can handle it.

When that self-doubt goes to the extreme, it can become what is known as imposter syndrome. That term was created in the late 1970s to describe people who doubt their accomplishments and have a persistent, often internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud.” The impact of that can immobilize a leader, making them indecisive, and can end up short-circuiting their ability to lead.

Pastor and speaker Craig Groeschel says leadership comes down to a person’s understanding of who they really are. Groeschel often speaks at the Global Leadership Summit, yet he says he has experienced this kind of doubt. He says, “The biggest force that shapes your leadership actions is actually your identity.” If that is not firmly fixed in your mind, you begin to doubt. Groeschel says we should “short-circuit” our self-doubt, and he offers a suggestion on how to do it.

Craig Groeschel encourages leaders to write their leadership identity statement. That statement is based on asking yourself two key questions:

1. What kind of leader am I?
2. What kind of leader do I want to become?

Your answers to these questions may help you come up with a written statement like these examples:

• I am a compassionate leader who deeply loves people.
• I’m an empowering leader who brings out the best in others.
• I’m a disciplined leader who always prioritizes the day.

These kinds of statements incorporate a realistic look at who you are with a strong desire for who you want to become.

For the Christian, we look to Jesus and base our identity on Him. We have His promises that He is with us always. When we are in His will, the Lord enables us to accomplish His purpose for His glory. In many ways, it takes the pressure off of us to be the world’s greatest leader and reminds us to be a faithful follower of Christ and His ways.

When we face those monumental challenges as we follow the Lord’s direction, we can rely on His promises. After Jesus commissioned His disciples, He promised them, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). All throughout the Bible, God made a promise. To his prophets, He said, “Is there anything too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27), and underscoring that truth to His disciples, Jesus said, “…with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

As leaders, we need to examine ourselves to understand how God has made us. Then, we should look to our Lord and remember He has placed us where we are to accomplish His purpose. That is how He has wired us.

God’s best,

As leaders, we all face them. Those big, seemingly insurmountable obstacles we struggle to find a way around or over. No way forward. No way around. And no end in sight. We begin to question our ability to lead or to strategize. We wonder if we have the skills needed not only to face the giant obstacle but also to get beyond it. And the longer we look at that “giant,” the bigger it gets.

It may be a financial issue, a personnel challenge, or our inability to see the next step for our ministry. But the problem is big, and it seems undefeatable.

I wonder if Jesus’ disciples ever felt that way. Those twelve men heard the Lord commission them to go “into all the world” to share His Good News. Travel back then was far different from today. Yet even today, such a direction would cause most of us to see the problem as something monumental. The whole world? Us?

That’s why it must have been so comforting for those men to hear the Master say, “And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20 NLT).”

As a Lead Like Jesus devotional pointed out, “He gave them supernatural power to accomplish their God-given task.”

Part of the challenge with giant obstacles is their proximity to us. The closer they are, the bigger they seem. I used to ask my grandchildren, “Which is larger, this 5-cent coin or that big clock on the wall?” They would quickly say, “Daddo, the clock is much bigger.”

Then, I would take the coin and hold it close to their eye. So close that they could not see the clock. “Now, which one looks bigger?”

If we are not careful, we will allow the closeness of our giant problem to overshadow the greatness of our God. We will keep our eyes fixed on the problem and not the Master problem solver.

My Old Testament reading takes me through the days when God’s people were presented with opportunities. Yet all they could see were the problems. The classic case is when Moses appointed twelve men to scope out the land promised to them by God. They all agreed it was a wonderful land, but ten of the men were more fixed on the obstacles they saw…literal giants. Only two saw the potential of the land.

God’s people had seen miracle after miracle. They should have understood what the Lord said repeatedly: “Is there anything too hard for me?”

So, where are you fixing your gaze today? Do you focus on the giant problem before you, or do you trust the Lord? The writer of Hebrews talked of running a race, saying we need to get rid of every obstacle and every distraction that keeps us from doing our best. And then he said, “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith… (Hebrews 12:2 NASB).

As we draw closer to our Lord, as we seek His direction and His protection, we find that the giant obstacle before us is not so big after all. It is a matter of where we fix our gaze.

God’s best,

I can’t tell you how many times my wife must repeat something she has said to me. It isn’t a problem with my hearing (although my many years of radio might have had some impact). It is a problem with my listening. And it isn’t just with my wife. I find if I am not focused on listening—really listening—to someone, I will quickly forget what they said. Does anybody else relate to that?

The good news is unlike some physical hearing problems, this is correctable…with practice. Fred Smith was a mentor to top CEOs and key ministry leaders, and he had some great thoughts for leaders on listening that really hit home.

“Most people listen negatively, which is simply keeping silent or reloading while the other one is shooting. Acquiring the skills of active listening guides the talker both in the giving of facts and a display of emotion which permits the listener to evaluate on more than a surface level.”

Fred Smith also outlined some ways to develop better listening and communicating.

“Most leaders are adequate talkers, but inadequate listeners. The ability to listen creatively and positively depends on the leader’s skill development on four levels:

1) The meaning of the words. Often vocabulary is an evidence of experience, education, and background;

2) The choice of words. I have friends with impeccable word usage. They have a wide, diverse repertoire which allows them to be very specific;

3) The sounds of the words. Words are emotionally charged. We can pick up what is going on just by hearing the tone, and rhythm;

4) The sight of the words. I would say this falls into the body language category. What we say is actually seen in our bodily reactions. When we think we are not communicating, our bodies are sending messages.”

For me, the key is to focus on the person with whom you are speaking and not be distracted by others or by random thoughts. One article on active listening gave these suggestions to improve your ability to listen and not just hear:

Face the speaker and maintain eye contact.

• Be attentive and relaxed.
• Keep an open mind.
• Don’t interrupt or cut them off.
• Ask questions to clarify what they are saying.
• Give the speaker regular feedback.
• Pay attention to nonverbal cues.

A quick check of the New Living Bible translation of God’s Word shows 584 references for the word “listen.” Solomon, as he began his compendium of wisdom we call Proverbs, said:

Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser.
Let those with understanding receive guidance.

Proverbs 1:5 NLT

So… are you listening…or just hearing?

God’s best,

Sorry if that question sounds like a downer. Actually, getting older is not bad…considering the alternative!

In my nearly eight decades on this planet, I’ve come to realize there are changes as we get older. Sometimes dramatic changes. Sometimes subtle changes. But change is inevitable. I have often acknowledged that I am a lot younger from the neck up than I am from the neck down.

I recently came across some thoughts from longtime pastor, author, broadcaster, and spiritual leader David Jeremiah. Now in his eighties and still pastoring, Dr. Jeremiah has some suggestions for how to live effectively and keep going as you get older.

1. Stay holy.
2. Stay healthy (take care of your body).
3. Stay humble.
4. Stay hungry (keep learning).

Let me take these a bit out of order.

Staying healthy means taking care of your body. Yes, good eating and regular exercise are important. But what is right for those areas when you are in your thirties or forties may not be the same as when you are in your sixties and seventies. It also means not avoiding regular checkups with physicians and other medical folks. I recently told my primary care doctor it was his job to keep me on the road on my frequent international trips.

In writing to his friend Gaius, the Apostle John linked physical health to spiritual health. Both are important.

Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.

3 John 1:2 NLT

Staying hungry is part of being a lifelong learner. Never stop your education. Read. Attend events that grow your understanding of today’s world. Even Google can be a source of education if used properly. Stay curious and up to date on technology and events around you. The Psalmist put high value on learning.

I believe in your commands;
now teach me good judgment and knowledge.

Psalm 119:66 NLT

Staying humble may be more challenging for some. There are people around you who will follow you and look up to you. Some will praise you and try to give you accolades and honor. Be careful how you accept these things. Remember, all that you have, know, and are comes from the Lord. It is His grace that allows you to achieve anything of worth. Paul listed humility among the important traits of God’s chosen children.

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Colossians 3:12 NLT

Staying holy. I saved this for last because it is an area that requires daily effort in my life. And it is not a suggestion. It is a command from the Lord. Simple. Straight forward. Peter underscored that for those who follow Christ.

But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:15-16 NLT

Growing older? Remember to stay holy, healthy, humble, and hungry. Then, see what the Lord will do in your life.

God’s best,

A quick internet check shows me that heart disease, including heart attacks, is the number one cause of death in the United States. In fact, it is the number one cause of death worldwide. It’s a good reminder that we need to be heart healthy.

But my question has more to do with your spiritual heart. How is it? Our spiritual well-being is critical to our daily lives, just as a physically strong heart is important for our physical health. We can be strong physically but mentally and spiritually be on a downward spiral.

Each year in November the folks in the United States take time to focus on giving thanks. The fact is, being thankful ought to be a day-in, day-out experience.

Noted Methodist author and professor Donald M. Demaray once wrote on the value of giving thanks:

The magic of a thankful spirit is that it has the power to replace…

Anger with love,

Resentment with happiness,

Fear with faith,

Worry with peace,

Jealousy with joy at another’s success,

Lack of creativity with inspired productivity,

Inferiorities with dignity,

A lack of love with an abundance of self-sharing.

Over and over again, the Apostle Paul gave instructions to his friends to be thankful.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:17 NLT

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Philippians 4:6 NLT

Eugene Peterson interpreted Paul’s admonition in everyday language:

My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him…. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

Colossians 2:6-7 MSG

Thanksgiving is not a day. It is a way of life that leads to a healthy heart, a healthy life, and a healthy ministry, and brings glory to our Lord Jesus.

God’s best,

We often talk about our “comfort” zone, the place where we feel…well…comfortable. That’s not a bad thing. I want to be comfortable at home, around friends, and with our many global ministry partners. But is there a limit to our desire for comfort? Should there be an “uncomfortable” zone in our lives?

Have you ever worn shoes that were uncomfortable? I have. But that’s not what I am talking about. There are times when our comfort zone is a deep pit that keeps us from seeing what the Lord wants us to see. Often, we build the walls of that pit so high that we can’t see over our personal likes and spiritual prejudices. If you are saying “Ouch,” don’t feel too bad. Some of Jesus’ closest disciples had built up such walls, and the Lord Jesus had to reorient them to His thinking.

You probably remember the account that happened after Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. The disciples were busy sharing the Good News, but in a way, they were stuck behind walls. They needed to learn the greatness of God’s heart, and it happened through Peter.

In Acts 10, we find the account of Peter on the roof of Simon the Tanner’s home. He had been there for a long time doing the Lord’s amazing work of healing lives and even raising from the dead a young lady named Tabitha. While on the roof, Peter, in a dream-like state, saw something like a sheet being lowered. It was filled with all sorts of animals, birds, and even reptiles. When the voice from heaven instructed Peter to get up, kill, and eat them, Peter went back into his comfort zone.

“Lord, I’ve never done that! Our Jewish laws have instructed me to not eat unclean things. Nope. Not doing it.”

Then the voice from heaven built a bridge from Peter’s comfort zone to God’s plan for sharing the Good News.

“Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.”

Acts 10:15 NLT

Peter’s thoughts weren’t bad or selfish. He was doing what he thought honored God. But the Lord needed to show Peter that the Gospel had a broader path, and it included the Gentiles.

I’m so glad Peter was willing to move out of his comfort zone to share the hope of Christ with that Roman soldier Cornelius. It opened the door for you and me to know the joy of salvation through Jesus Christ.

In my global travels, I have been confronted with things that are beyond my personal preferences and biblical understanding. I must be reminded that God’s ways are not necessarily my ways. I have had to hear that voice that said, “Don’t call something unclean that God has called clean.” And I have had to adjust my understanding to the Lord’s heart for the world.

There are certain things I won’t adjust —the main tenets of our faith. But there are other practices and areas that are okay spiritually, even if they are different from what I have always known or thought.

So, how do you discern these things? I’m glad you asked! Prayer. The daily study of God’s Word. An openness to the Holy Spirit’s instruction that may take me out of my comfort zone…but place me where the Lord can do amazing things in the lives of others. I’m willing to be uncomfortable if it furthers the work and the spread of God’s Good News to a lost an dying world.

God’s best,

We live in a communication world. We have never been more connected, yet we often struggle with being understood, being clear, being relevant, or being influential with the greatest message ever proclaimed. Is the message of Christ out of step with our culture? Do we need to change it? Or do we need to better understand the communication process in today’s busy world?

My university teaching has typically been on a topic that most college students think is out of date. Radio. Yet by the end of the semester, they have come to realize why radio continues to have a powerful role in our culture today. Sure, we don’t sit around the radio as a family in the evening listening to radio dramas. New technologies and our modern-day lifestyles have shifted the way we use radio. The students also discover that many of the principles for effective radio have a broader application, encompassing the communication process in general.

Radio specialist Valerie Geller lays out many of these principles in her book Beyond Powerful Radio. Here are a few of the points Valerie uses as she consults with clients around the world:

1. Tell the truth.
2. Make it matter.
3. Never be boring.
4. Speak visually, in terms your audience can “picture.”
5. Address the individual as “you.” Talk to one person at a time.
6. Be who you are.
7. Take risks
8. Dare to be great.

Number two is critical. When we share spiritual truth, we need to be sure the audience knows it is important. It matters. For radio particularly, number five is important. The use of “you” in your conversation and the understanding of the intimate medium of radio will link you in amazing ways to the listener.

I especially like number eight. When our purpose is right and our message is based on God’s Truth, we can and should aim for excellence in our presentation. There is no good reason to be second best in presenting biblical truth. We should strive to be the best communicators around.

As I mentioned earlier, many of these principles and suggestions will also help us in our day-to-day communications. Speaking visually is important, using language that paints pictures for the listener to “see.” Think of the stories of the Bible, the stories and parables that Jesus told. We can often pull up visual images that help enhance the stories and make them memorable. I can see in my mind the rather small man named Zacchaeus as he climbed up in a nearby tree to get above the crowd with hopes of seeing Jesus as he passed by. Even without the help of Hollywood movies, I can see the agony of Christ on the cross. If I say “Noah,” do you see his ark?

The stories of the Bible are not boring. And neither should we be boring as we share the greatest story mankind has ever heard… that the God who hung the stars in place sent His son to be born as a baby in a smelly animal stall. Jesus’ life would impact all those around Him, and then He would die by the cruelest of all methods of punishment ever devised…the cross. We can picture Him there. And we see the rock tomb where Jesus was buried, with its big stone blocking the entryway. Such a powerful, visual story.

Let’s sharpen our communication skills. Someone today needs to hear the most important news in our world. And you are the one who may need to deliver it.

God’s best,

You probably learned it in high school.

Objects in motion tend to stay in motion.

Objects at rest tend to stay at rest.

The second part of Newton’s Law of Motion is the pesky one for me. When I’m in a warm bed on a cold day, I “tend” to stay at rest…under the covers. When I’m taking a hot shower, the hard thing is turning off the soothing water. I “tend” to want to just stay there, enjoying the warmth.

Guess what? This law also applies to us in leadership. We can easily get stuck at rest, in our comfort zone, tending to stay there when we should be moving forward. We are “warm and safe” there. No risk. No issue with failure.

“A ship is always safe at shore, but that is not what it’s built for.”

I love that quote, which has been attributed to many, from author John A. Shedd to Albert Einstein to Navy admirals. It speaks to us on several levels.

It is easy to stay in our comfort zone to avoid facing challenges and the potential for failure. But little is accomplished by staying in our safe harbor. Someone has said, “While staying in our comfort zones might be safe and easy, it prevents us from fulfilling our true potential and purpose, which often requires taking risks and facing challenges.”

God gives us a strong nudge to step out and fulfill our purpose. James’ words are a call to action, not safety:

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

James 1:22 NLT

When we get comfortable, we begin to fool ourselves. We become content with where we are and don’t want to push out for fear of storms, challenges, or even failure. God calls us to be better than that.

We should embrace the great potential for growth and success that lies beyond the comfort zone. Set sail, face the challenges and opportunities, and know the Lord is with you as you step out. Above all, don’t allow Newton’s law to keep you from fulfilling God’s assignment for you and those you lead. Don’t stay at rest in your comfort zone. That’s not what you were designed to do.

God’s best,