Ron Harris

You know what I am talking about? Where does that spark, that inspiration, that bit of creativity come from? Have you ever needed a special thought or inspiration for a writing project or a special message or speech? And you come up short. Nothing. Nada. I have been there, and I have experienced that!

I’ve been writing these weekly blogs for ten years. That’s over five hundred articles. Each one required a spark, a thought, that would help a ministry leader better accomplish what God called them (you?) to do. So, where did these inspirations come from, and how do you get there again and again? Especially when the deadline is right before you.

My friend Phil Cooke has written a book on the topic, Ideas on a Deadline: How to Be Creative When the Clock is Ticking. Among the many great insights Phil gives, he says deadlines are really our friend in that they push us to focus all our attention on the need before us…an idea. We need to use that “pressure point” to our advantage.

I keep a mental list of ideas or thoughts that can become the spark for a Monday MEMO or for another project I may be working on. At some point, the best of those ideas makes it to paper for use at a later time. You see, all ideas aren’t winners. Some fade away over time. Phil Cooke says that of one hundred ideas he may have for a project, only two or three are worth pursuing or presenting.

There are some things I do to help me come up with ideas. I focus on quality in all realms. I like to listen to quality music. My favorite symphony is the Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony (#3 in C minor). I have listened to it scores of times because of its musical excellence. A favorite movie is The Book Thief. The cinematography is beautiful. The John Williams movie music score is wonderful and evocative. I love the wildlife photography of Thomas D. Mangelsen. A large photo by this master hangs over the fireplace mantle in our home. And I love to dive into books by outstanding Christian authors like Henry and Richard Blackaby, Oswald Chambers, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth, and Mark Batterson.

When I have the opportunity, I love to see God’s beautiful creation. A sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico, the beautiful Teton Mountains in Wyoming, and even the vast grasslands of middle America. Beauty that inspires.

Exposing myself to beauty and quality in all forms puts my mind into another gear as I look and listen and analyze their characteristics.

At the same time, I make it a habit to read God’s Word daily. Reading through the Bible using one of the yearly plans is a great way to immerse myself in the Lord’s powerful message. And it is amazing how directly He speaks to me, guided by the Holy Spirit.

This process, along with my six decades in media and ministry, leads to the ideas that emerge on a weekly basis. Sometimes the thoughts come easily. Other times it is more of a struggle. And not all the efforts are in the “best ever” category. But over time I am able to share things I have learned or observed, and I have often been able to directly relate God’s Word to leadership and communication principles. And, yes…many times, it is the pressure of a deadline that squeezes out an idea that emerges as an idea worthy of passing along.

Do you need an idea? Is there a deadline looming? Try these things:

• Immerse yourself in quality literature, movies, music, and productions.
• Take in the beauty right around you, the things God has provided for our pleasure.
• Spend quality time in God’s Word, letting His story become your story, gaining insight along the way for yourself and others.

Paul gave advice to his Philippian friends. He thought it was so important he made it the last thing he told them in his letter:

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9 NLT

Try this concept…and see where it leads you as you seek to communicate effectively to others.

God’s best,

You’ve probably heard that phrase. You may have even followed that advice in some of the situations in your life. There have been multiple clinical studies on those who adopt this philosophy. Conclusions suggest that by imitating confidence, competence, and an optimistic mindset, a person can realize those qualities in their life and achieve the results they seek.

There are numerous books and movies about people who have done this in life. One of the most famous is “Catch Me If You Can,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Based on a true story, the lead character poses as an airline pilot, doctor, and lawyer and cons people out of millions of dollars.

The phrase “fake it until you make it” has a rather negative connotation. You really can’t do a certain thing, but you act like you can. However, there can be a positive side to the action of faking it until you make it. Most of us would rather follow someone who was sure of themselves…even if they didn’t have all the answers. That confidence they show might be considered “faking it.” The truth is leaders don’t always have the answers to everything that is before them. Sometimes they need to show a confidence they aren’t feeling inside.

There is another aspect to this idea of faking it. It has to do with our spiritual activity. For years I have set out to read through the Bible each year. At first, it was difficult to stay with it. There were many distractions, and sometimes I just didn’t feel like doing it. That happens occasionally now, though I find that my early morning routine helps me stay on track.

So, what about those times I don’t feel like reading God’s Word? Should I not do it because I don’t feel like it? You may have heard the phrase:

It is easier to act yourself into a new way of thinking than to think yourself into a new way of acting.

That thought is attributed to a lot of folks, but many will point to E. Stanley Jones, a Methodist missionary, theologian, and author as a source. There is a lot of truth to those words. My experience in Bible reading is that I just continue to read each morning, following one of the many plans for reading all the Bible in a year. Some mornings it feels flat, like I am just faking it. But then I remember two things.

First, God’s Word is a living, breathing message to me from the Lord. And God has given me the Holy Spirit to help me as I follow through with the exercise of daily reading. Guess what? It is sometimes in the action of reading that God’s Spirit opens my heart to a fresh insight or a pointed message to my heart.

Satan will use lots of things to keep us from doing God’s will, from serving the Lord daily, from being the Christian leader God has called us to be. But we can overcome those temptations by looking to the Lord Jesus to give us the strength we need. And God can use even what seems ordinary or just repetitive activities. Listen to the Lord’s promise:

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
1 John 4:4 NLT

Fake it? How about just doing what you know God wants you to do until His Spirit energizes you and fills you with His heart’s desire? You have the Lord’s promise you will make it!

God’s best,

I was about to interview my friend Chuck Swindoll at a listener event several years ago. Dr. Swindoll has been one of the top biblical teachers in the U. S. and has been featured on the radio program Insight for Living since its start in 1979. That program airs weekly on over two thousand radio stations worldwide. At our listener event, there were almost two thousand people, and as I started my first questions to Chuck, he interrupted me…and startled me.

“Ron, how do you keep from becoming cynical?” Chuck asked. That “out of the blue,” left-field question left me speechless…for a moment. To be honest, I’m not sure exactly how I responded. I probably talked about keeping the focus on Jesus and on our calling to serve Him. For whatever reason, cynicism was on Chuck Swindoll’s mind that day.

Mentor and leadership coach Fred Smith also has thoughts about cynicism:

“Cynicism has no integrity. Even though it often properly evaluates the present, it has no hope for the future.”

The Israelites lacked hope for the future even though they witnessed the amazing power of God to save them from Egyptian slavery. Yet their cynical nature came out verbally again and again. Listen to their comments to Moses, their leader:

… “Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’”

Exodus 14:11-12 NLT

That’s being pretty cynical!

Jonathan Parnell, a pastor in Minneapolis, Minnesota, has some frank words about this kind of attitude that can sneak into our lives:

“Cynicism is that sneering bitterness toward all things true and deep. It’s the subtle contempt trying to contaminate the cheeriest of moments — that slow, thick smoke of pessimism toxifying the oxygen in the lungs of our hope….”

That’s a good warning for us to be on guard.

The apostle Peter in his letter to new believers, may have been addressing this skeptical attitude as people looked for the promises of the Lord to unfold:

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

2 Peter 3:9 NLT

Fred Smith concluded with these thoughts:

“As Christians we have the responsibility to accurately assess the environment and respond appropriately. Maturity allows us to see without falling into unhealthy cynicism. We always want to be realistic but keep our minds centered on the truth of the higher things.”

I like that. Be centered on the truth of the higher things. Let’s fix our hearts and minds on the higher things and cast aside any cynical or pessimistic attitude that may be starting to creep in.

As Paul said, “Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”

Philippians 4:8 NLT

Or, as I like to say…God’s best,

It’s the start of a new year. For some, it seems like the past year went quickly. For others, it seemed to drag on and on. It is a matter of perspective.

If you are like me, these days are filled with contemplating the past year…the past accomplishments…the past road bumps or challenges…the past personal struggles. I reflect on the circumstances of our MEDIAlliance family around the world. Last year was full of challenges and struggles, for sure. But along the way, the Lord’s hand was evident…guiding, protecting, lifting, encouraging.

Of course, sometimes, the memory of the struggles and challenges overpowers the good things God brought our way. The Psalmist was no doubt reminding himself of the Lord’s goodness despite the rough roads he had to travel:

You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;

even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.

Psalm 65:11 NLT

Even King David had to reflect and remember the goodness of the Lord. While he experienced many blessings from God, he could list battle upon battle, challenge upon challenge. He chose to look at the harvest rather than dwell on all it took to bring the harvest to pass.

In Chronicles, we get an almost bullet-point outline of instructions on how to face the new year. Let me lay out one passage that way:

• Search for the Lord and for his strength;
• continually seek him.
• Remember the wonders he has performed,
• his miracles,
• and the rulings he has given…

1 Chronicles 16: 11-12 NLT

Search for the Lord

The great God of the universe wants to spend time with you and me. Let’s pledge to seek Him more, and not let our schedules get too full.

Continually seek Him

Don’t let the busyness of our lives or the little time challenges of our day divert us from seeking the Lord Jesus.

Remember the wonders He has performed

Today might be a good day to look back over the calendar, month by month, and write down all the ways God has blessed and provided. I suspect that once you get started, you’ll find you need more than one small sheet.

From Deuteronomy, we can draw from the same encouragement Moses gave to God’s people centuries ago. It still holds true for us today as we launch into a new year:

“…Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

You can go a long way this new year with that truth and reassurance. Let’s watch and see what our great Lord will do as we confidently…even boldly…serve Him this year.

God’s best,

I don’t think about them much. I’m talking about hinges. If they squeak, I oil them. Or spray a little WD-40 on them. If they are rusted and stuck, I replace them. But even that doesn’t demand much of my attention. Done and done!

Don’t get me wrong. Hinges are important. Even critical. Doors swing open or closed on hinges. Those doors may open to new opportunities. They may swing open to the emergency room for medical issues. They may open to our warm home on a cold night…or to our church on Christmas Day, so we may sing praise to the One born in a manger. O come, let us adore Him…

But I still don’t think about hinges very much. Do you? Maybe we should.

It is at Christmas that I recall the phrase penned by Ralph W. Sockman, a Methodist pastor, teacher, and radio preacher of the last century. Ever since I read it in a little Christmas book years ago, it has captured my heart.

“The hinge of history is on the door of a Bethlehem stable.”

Oh, I don’t know if there really was a hinge on that stable door. Probably not if it were the cave in Bethlehem. But the meaning of the phrase isn’t diminished. What happened two thousand years ago when Jesus was born of a virgin in that little town of Bethlehem has opened the door for my salvation and for yours. It changed the course of history. It fulfilled centuries-old prophecy:

For a child is born to us,

    a son is given to us.

The government will rest on his shoulders.

    And he will be called:

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 NLT

And the impact of that event continues to make a difference in our lives and the lives of millions around the world. It also gives hope to billions who have yet to see the babe of Bethlehem as their Savior.

We have the opportunity provided by that “hinge” to share that hope. To tell the world of Jesus and His love. To reach beyond the walls of our homes and churches—to go tell it on the mountain, over the hills, and everywhere.

A hinge. A door. A story. A Savior.

Let’s celebrate Christ at Christmas and tell of His love all year long.

God’s best,

Do you sometimes get lost in all the leadership activities you deal with? Along with the meetings, there are mission statements to craft, ministry vision to share, and strategies to shape to accomplish the goals driven by the mission and the vision. It can make a leader’s head swim!

It starts with the vision. Executive leadership coach and friend Steve Gutzler recently wrote on the vision needed for today’s leaders. Steve says the leader needs the following:

Fresh Vision

This one relates to how you see the future, creating an expectation of exciting possibilities that you can’t help but share with others.

Resilient Vision

Possessing this is a game-changer in how you tackle challenges, making you more comfortable with uncertainty and turning setbacks into learning opportunities.

Relational Vision

Get ready for a shift in how you connect with others. You’ll be building relationships, fostering collaboration, and laying the groundwork for trust.

Genuine Vision

This is transformational in how you express care for the well-being of others. A genuine recognition of contributions and sincere celebrations of team success becomes second nature.

Let me add one more to Steve’s list.

Godly Vision

The spiritual leader recognizes that the main goal is to move others from where they are to where God wants them to be. This is true for churches, ministries, and businesses. When we understand the Lord’s vision, then we can use many leadership tools available to accomplish the Lord’s will, as long as we remain true to God’s call and His purpose.

In their book Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God’s Agenda, Henry and Richard Blackaby write of the distinctives of a spiritual leader. Among those traits are these:

Spiritual leaders depend on the Holy Spirit. They recognize the paradox that God calls them to do something that, in fact, only God can do. A leader can move people toward the Lord’s agenda, but only the Holy Spirit can ultimately accomplish the task.

Spiritual leaders are accountable to God. That’s a much higher standard than any board of any organization. But with the Holy Spirit’s help, the spiritual leader can effectively share God’s vision and bring people along to embrace that vision.

Yes, vision is critical for today’s leaders. But it is not just any idea or goal. For those seeking to serve the Lord effectively in the role to which He has called them, they must follow the Lord’s agenda and His vision.

God’s best,

Have you ever looked in the mirror and said, “Why did God make me the way I am?” If we are honest, most of us look to other leaders and acknowledge they are stronger, more charismatic, bolder, funnier…a whole list of traits we may not have.

What we often do is compare our worst with someone else’s best. Or as someone else put it, “We compare our behind-the-scenes image with someone else’s highlight reel.” When we look at these other leaders, we don’t see their weaknesses. But we know ours quite well.

Did you ever think that God made you just the way you are for a purpose? God designed you for the role He has put before you. And if you are smart, not only will you accept how the Lord has made you…warts and all… you will embrace your personality.

Now, that doesn’t mean we can’t work on things to become more effective leaders. We can learn leadership techniques. We can sharpen our communication skills. But we don’t need to compare ourselves to others, thinking we should be like them.

Leadership guru Zig Ziglar (there was NO ONE like him) says it is a mistake to compare ourselves to others:

“You are not inferior or superior to any human being…You do not determine your success by comparing yourself to others; rather, you determine your success by comparing your accomplishments to your capabilities. You are ‘number one’ when you do the best you can with what you have.”

Another has said the only one we should compare ourselves to is who we were yesterday.

I wonder if God’s leaders in Old Testament days had to deal with these things. What about Joshua following Moses? God set His prophet straight right after Joshua became the new leader. I like how Eugene Peterson bluntly paraphrases that passage. I think he captures the sense of God’s direction for Joshua’s leadership role:

Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people.

Joshua 1:2 MSG

It’s as if the Lord were saying, “Look, Joshua, Moses is not in the picture and isn’t coming back. I’m pressing on with you. Get going!”

I wonder if Ezekiel pondered why God chose him for some of the hard tasks he was given, feeling a bit inadequate for the job. Again, the Lord was forthright with His prophet, letting Ezekiel know he was made a certain way for the role the Lord had for him. It wasn’t going to be easy passing on God’s message to a rebellious people. The Lord already knew that.

Again, Eugene Peterson captures the sense of purpose God has in making His servants the way they are:

They won’t listen to you because they won’t listen to me. They are, as I said, a hard case, hardened in their sin. But I’ll make you as hard in your way as they are in theirs. I’ll make your face as hard as rock, harder than granite. Don’t let them intimidate you. Don’t be afraid of them, even though they’re a bunch of rebels.

Ezekiel 3:7-9 MSG

Another translation has the Lord saying, “…I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are.” (NLT) Pretty direct.

God has designed you…your personality, your experience, your physical makeup…for His specific task. Accept His design in your life and accomplish the job He puts before you as no one else can. You are something special!

God’s best,

I really like being around creative people. You may find them challenging to work with, edgy, quirky, or just different. Often, it’s because they see things differently…yet that is the very thing that helps them to be successful communicators.

My friend Phil Cooke always seems to have something to say to me about creative communication. Whether it is through his blogs (philcooke.com), his teaching, or a conversation over a meal, there is usually a nugget of inspiration that can propel us to a higher level of communicating truth. And storytelling is a major emphasis.

At a few years ago, Phil was talking about the importance of short videos to tell our story. He indicated that YouTube is spending $1 million daily to expand its servers to handle all the constantly uploaded new videos. Short videos are making an impact. But how do we learn to be more effective with less time?

I am reminded of the quote attributed to different historical people, from French mathematician Blaise Paschal to American writer and humorist Mark Twain. In various forms, it says, “Please excuse this long letter. I didn’t have time to write a short one.” Short letters, short stories, and short videos often take more time because every word and every minute is of heightened importance.

Phil Cooke has some excellent suggestions on learning how to be a creative storyteller:

1. Watch TV or movies with the sound turned off. As a young TV director, my mentor suggested doing this, and it made a huge difference for me. With the sound turned off, you don’t get into the story, and you start focusing on the shots. Framing, composition, sequence, editing – how it builds the scene. Try it.
2. Slow down. In today’s distracted culture, we RUSH everything, and as a result, we MISS everything. Slow down. Really look at the people you pass on the street. Notice how the sun hits the side of a building at sunset. Watch people’s behavior at checkout lines. Start to notice, then start thinking about how to recreate those scenes.
3. Experience life. Most directors today don’t know anything about life because they spend it in front of screens. They haven’t traveled, haven’t experienced difficult jobs, and haven’t been in challenging situations. Go on a short-term mission program, hike through Europe, take boxing lessons, or start a conversation with a homeless person. Work at a Salvation Army food distribution center. Spend time with the disabled. Visit a museum. Get out of the rut. What you experience will transform the way you look at things

I would also suggest you carefully reread the stories and parables of Jesus. In just a few sentences, He often painted a graphic word picture and shared a powerful biblical truth. Think of the story of the man who built his house on the sand versus the one that built his on the rock. Great visual imagery comes to mind with an obvious lesson for life.

Go beyond the ordinary and the expected. See things from a different perspective. Don’t just look…really see…and then put together strong images that tell important stories to change lives for God…and for good.

God’s best,

I recently posed the question, “What’s in your hand?” The idea is that what God has placed in your hands…skills, desires, opportunities…can be used by the Lord to accomplish His will in your life.

The other day I was going through some boxes of old things, saying to myself, “Why do I hang onto this stuff?!” But at the same time, I came across a couple of things that got my mind going. I found a little vinyl sticker from a radio station in the city of Kupong on the island of West Timor…in Indonesia. I had not been there in almost twenty years. I remembered the husband and wife running that station from their home…with the radio tower right in their front yard. I recalled their dedication and passion for this tool to share God’s hope with the people on that island. The husband has died, but his wife continues the radio ministry. Faithful. I’m glad I held on to that little memento. It reminds me of some of the Lord’s great servants and how they continue to use today’s powerful tools to spread the Good News to the lost.

Digging deeper, I also came across a bar of soap, still covered in its distinctive wrapper. Printed there were the words “SS United States.” That is the name of an ocean liner built in the early 1950s that was the flagship of American cruise ships. In 1959 at age thirteen I was on the SS United States with the award-winning and highly acclaimed Texas Boys Choir, heading for seven weeks in Europe to sing at some of the world’s most iconic concert venues.

I dug deeper in that box and found a few other artifacts from that fantastic trip. And my heart reminded me how God used those special experiences in my life to instill in me several qualities…such as a standard of excellence, of the effort needed to accomplish that level of performance, and a sense of what could be done with twenty-six rather ordinary boys who were willing to work hard to accomplish a goal…and reap the rewards.

Are there things in your storage room that can be valuable to you today? Not valuable in a monetary sense, but for what they represent traits that have been instilled in you. What do you hold on to? What ideas take up space in the storage room of your mind and life? Are they things that can give you a sense of the work of the Lord? Things that can remind you of His hand in your life? Something that shows God’s faithfulness to guide you and meet your needs?

In Joshua 4, an unusual event is detailed. As the children of Israel finally crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land after forty years of wandering, Joshua asked the people to do something important. He gave instructions to twelve men:

Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.

Joshua 4:3 NLT

I’m sure they wondered what their leader was doing. Joshua soon explained:

“…We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”

Joshua 4:6-7 NLT

The Lord wants all of us to remember His goodness, His faithfulness, His leadership in our lives. And I think He wants us to pass these things on to our children and future generations.

OK… many of the items in those boxes I opened and went through were junk, not worth holding onto. But the Lord used a bar of soap and an old bumper sticker to remind me of His guidance and His faithfulness in my life.

What’s in your storage room?

God’s best,

There is a credit card company that uses famous actors to extol the wonderful virtues of using their card. Their now-famous line at the end of the commercials is “What’s in your wallet?” In other words, with their credit card in your wallet, you have great spending power, and all your cares are over…until the bill comes in the mail!

In a higher (and holier way), God says to us… “What’s in your hand?”

We learned during the pandemic that we can do without a lot of things we thought we needed. We often approach the task and ministry to which the Lord has called us by saying, “If I only had this tool,” or “If I had that set of folks on my team,” thinking this is what is needed to do what God has enlisted us to do.

Reading through the Bible, a practice of mine for over ten years, has recently taken me back through Exodus. We find the amazing story of Moses, who was in great favor with the Egyptian royalty, then out of favor and somewhat exiled to the back side of the wilderness, tending flocks. Until God spoke to him.

Do you remember the encounter? The bush in the wilderness was burning…but it wasn’t burning up. Just burning. Moses said to himself, “I have got to see this amazing sight.” Of course, when he arrived, he found himself on holy ground with the great God of the universe speaking directly to him. Moses was shocked and overwhelmed. Who wouldn’t be? But that feeling led Moses to express himself to God in a way that angered the Lord.

“Who am I?”

A number of years ago I was on the verge of being named to a key position. It was a position of honor…but it was overwhelming to me. So much so that I called my spiritual mentor, Dr. Henry Blackaby, and explained my situation. And I quoted Moses at that point. “Who am I?” I should have remembered what happened when Moses said that. Dr. Blackaby did remember…and he gently said to me, “Ron, you shouldn’t be saying, ‘Who am I?’ You should be saying, ‘Who is God?’” And he was absolutely right.

As I recently reread that encounter between God and Moses, I was struck by a phrase that the Lord uttered to Moses as he was trying to explain his mission and how it would be accomplished.

“What is that in your hand?”

Exodus 4:2 NLT

Moses was trying to figure out how it was all going to work. God wanted Moses to simply commit and obey. What Moses had in his hand was what he had been using for those 40 years to herd sheep and goats. A shepherd’s staff. A rod. A big stick. But God had a formula for success that exceeded Moses’ understanding. Here it is.

God + You + Your Obedience = Success

The Lord then began to show Moses how it was going to work. If Moses would be obedient, be willing to use what was already in his hand and follow God’s direction, Moses would be successful in rescuing the children of Israel from the oppression of the people of Egypt.

Today, we have a world living under sin’s oppression. What will it take to successfully show them there is freedom in Christ?

What is in your hand?

What has the Lord already provided you in the way of skills, opportunities, wisdom, and passion? Will you be obedient to the Lord as He speaks to your heart? Instead of saying “Who am I?” or “How can I do this great task?” you should say “Yes, Lord. Use me and what I have in my hand to impact lives with your Truth.”

So…what’s in your hand?

God’s best,