Leadership Category

 

March 27th, 2010

God Sees Me

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Just went through all the names of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Though it was a meaningful exercise in its entirety, I found myself really drawn in and moved by one title for the Father in particular – “the One who sees me.”

Of course, this is a truth that I know and have reflected on and taught a lot through the years. It’s one of the truths that makes Psalm 139 so meaningful and impacting to me. But, today, it just stuck out.

God SEES me.  This is so valuable to me. After all, if I’m honest, I love the feeling of being seen. I always have. I remember as a kid loving the feeling of looking up in the stands while playing basketball and knowing that my parents were watching. When they weren’t, I would purposely work harder to do something that would catch their eye. I wanted them to keep their eyes on me. I loved the feeling that came with knowing that they were seeing me. Of course, this usually caused me to mess up. I’d try to do something beyond my abilities or I wouldn’t be a team player.  What started with the desire to be seen ended in wishing I could run away or disappear.

Sadly, there are times in my life and leadership when I find myself doing the same thing with God. You know, trying to do something spectacular to get His attention. In those moments, I’m feeling like He’s not seeing me. And, in those moments, I usually try to do something beyond my ability or outside of my calling. These moments almost always result in regret. But, when it comes to God, these kinds of feelings are always wrong and this kind of behavior is never necessary.

The truth is that I don’t have to do anything spectacular to get God’s attention. God never takes His eyes off me. He SEES me. I never have to feel like my dreams aren’t being realized or my passion to help more people isn’t coming to fruition because He’s forgotten about me. He hasn’t. He can’t. At all times and in all places, He sees me.  There is never a moment that He loses sight of me. He knows where I am and what I’m doing.

What a relief. I never have to strive to get His attention. My striving needs to be simply to please Him. If I’m faithful in living to please God, He will open all the doors and give me all the opportunities that fit into His will and Kingdom purposes. No matter what does or doesn’t happen, I can always be assured that He hasn’t forgotten or failed me.  And, just as important to remember, He knows what He’s doing.

When I find myself striving for His attention, I have found that there’s a bigger problem. In those cases, my problem is that I don’t trust Him. Or, I am not finding my value in Him seeing me and/or being pleased with me. Or, I don’t care as much about His will and Kingdom as I do my own will and Kingdom. Of course, all of these are significant problems. I might as well build me a couple of golden calves like Jeroboam did in 1 Kings 12:25-30.

Lord, when I strive to do something spectacular in order to “feel seen”, forgive me. Help me to be satisfied striving to please you in whatever role you call me to. If you want me standing behind others who you’re lifting up, help me to be good with that and to stand and support them humbly and graciously. If you want me standing beside others that you’re lifting up, help me to be good with that and to stand and support them humbly and graciously. If you want to lift me up so that I’m standing in front of others, help me to be good with that and to do it humbly and graciously.

Lord, help me to be satisfied with this truth…You see me.

Just curious, can any of you relate?

Categorized: Christian Living, Leadership |

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March 9th, 2010

Packaging Versus Product

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Okay, I have a confession to make. I really enjoy watching the show “Survivor.” I think it stems from my love for competition. (I can even get caught up in watching bowling if there’s competition involved. Well…) I also believe the people dynamic is a huge part of what I like about the show. It really is a study in both psychology and sociology. Okay, there’s my positive justification for liking and watching the show. How’s that for obvious image protection and preservation? Ha.

Anyway…to the point. On the last episode, a self-proclaimed tough guy known as “Coach”, who calls himself “The DragonSlayer”, had an emotional meltdown. One of his teammates accused him of being lazy while at Tribal Council. As a result, he literally wept on the shoulder of another player and was ready  to quit the game. Why would a “tough guy” respond this way? Because his carefully crafted and well-oiled image was cracked and the real “not so tough guy” was revealed. It caused him to cave, and his insides were finally showing. For the first time, he actually reached out to another player and told him how hurt he was that they weren’t developing a deeper relationship. You see, his external image belied his internal reality.

Here’s the point…we have to be careful about believing the packaging people put on. More often than not, it does not genuinely represent the person they are. For example, the person who acts like they’re tough, together, and totally unaffected by others is often trying to cover up the opposite reality within. This is certainly the case with “Coach” on the Survivor.

Of course, this is important for us to understand about ourselves. But, I want to point out how important this is for us to remember if we’re genuinely going to be able to understand, help, and love other people. If we buy their packaging, we’ll miss and never be able to help them in their area of greatest need. Though sometimes, in the rare person, what you see is what you get. Usually, this isn’t the case.

In order to get to know people for who they really are, we need to discipline ourselves to stop automatically believing what we see them to be. If we don’t, we’ll continue to walk by those who have some of the greatest needs.

So remember, the packaging people put on is not always representative of the product of their real lives.

When you think about those people in your circle of influence, can you think of anyone who might be like “The Dragon Slayer?” You know…putting on a front that keeps you from seeing how much they long for and need your love, attention, encouragement, support, and help? If so, what are you going to do about it?

Categorized: Christian Living, Leadership |

 
 

March 4th, 2010

Revolutionizing the Church (Part 2)

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In both the Old and New Testaments, there were seasons when the majority of those who claimed allegiance to God and His truth had actually replaced Him with other things. This was clearly seen by the rejection of God’s prophets and ultimately Jesus Himself. They were rejected, not just by outsiders, but by insiders. And, as Jesus promised, this happened to those seeking to genuinely follow Him in the early days of the church and it continues to happen today.

This happens because people, without realizing it, slowly begin to commit themselves to the forms of faith rather than the life changing reality of faith. Though far more subtle and less dramatic, it’s no different in its consequence than those who rejected Jesus while He was on earth. This is why Paul warned us about this danger and to stay away from people like this in 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

It’s important to note that the terrible days are not the result of people having these selfish characteristics. This is what unredeemed people have always been like by nature. The warning Paul is giving is that these characteristics will become representative of those who profess to be followers of Christ and His truth. They will have a “form of godliness” but will be “denying its power.”

How does this happen? The same way it’s always happened. While declaring allegiance to Him and His truth, they shut Him out of their lives. They make a commitment to…

-Their traditions over His truth (Matthew 15:1-3)

-Past experiences of Him over present experiences with Him (Philippians 3:12-14)

-Trying to defend what they have over trying to take new ground (Matthew 16:18)

-Living for duty rather than for love and desire (2 Corinthians 5:14)

-The church as a place rather than as God’s people following Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10)

-Their church culture, structure and strategy over God’s mission (Matthew 28:19-20)

-Talking the talk rather than walking the walk (1 Corinthians 4:20)

Here’s the reality of our world today: most of our churches aren’t creating a revolution of light and love because they’ve replaced Jesus for their routines. They have chosen the “form of godliness” over “it’s power.”  Of course, this was the problem in many of the seven churches of the Revelation. So, Jesus shouted out in Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

I believe He’s shouting the same thing today to His Church. The questions is: will we hear His knock and open the door…or NOT?  How about you?

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March 2nd, 2010

Revolutionizing the Church

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If we’re going to fulfill the mission that Jesus gave us as the church, we must become revolutionaries and start a worldwide revolution by revolutionizing the church.

The world is changing…exponentially. It’s moving further and further away from what it really needs…God, truth, forgiveness, purpose, and hope. In a word, it needs redemption. But, in order for the people in and of this world to find what they need, those who have it must wake them up to it. And, therein lies the problem.

A world that is going through revolutionary changes can’t be reached, convinced, or woken up by a church where everything remains the same. Of course, I’m not talking about the truth itself. Truth never changes. But, I am talking about the way the church engages the world with the truth. To wake up a world going through revolutionary changes requires that the church is revolutionary itself.

While I know this sounds foreign to a lot of Christians and church leaders, the reality is that this is exactly what God has called us to be and do. In fact, it should come naturally for genuine Christ followers because…Jesus was a revolutionary.

A simple reading of the Sermon on the Mount makes this clear. He entered a world that was turned inward and focused on keeping God and His promises for the few. He started a revolution that turned God’s people outward and focused on sharing God and His promises with the many. He entered a world that viewed power and prosperity as a means of being served. He started a revolution that viewed them as a means of serving others.

Of course, the early church followed in Jesus’ footsteps. It became a revolutionary force focused outward and bent on serving others. This picture is beautifully painted in Acts 2:41-47.

Sadly, the majority of those who claimed to be “God’s people” rejected the revolution of Jesus and the early church. They preferred keeping God and His promises to themselves. They chose to see God as being in the world to serve them rather than them in the world to serve Him and those He loved. As a result, they put Jesus on a cross and persecuted His Church.  They did this because they had lost God in the predictability of their practices. Over time, their traditions had replaced God and His truth. Jesus made this clear in Matthew 15:1-3.

Though we are 2000 years removed from these events, we have to realize that the same thing is going on today. Many of those who claim to be “Christ followers” have lost Jesus in the predictability of their practices. They have turned inward and see their faith as being for the few. They are seeking to keep the church serving their interests and preferences rather than making sure that it is serving God’s purposes.

What the church today needs is what Jesus came to bring…a revolution. (In my next post, I’ll address more of what this looks like.)

Thoughts?

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February 2nd, 2010

Facing Disappointments

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The reality is that we all face disappointments…in our personal lives and our professional leadership. It was true for Moses, David, Jesus, and Paul. It will be true for us. This we can’t control. But, we can control their impact on us.

The following are some keys I have found for minimizing or controlling the negative impact of disappointments in my life and leadership. Maybe they can help you as well.

First: Seek to avoid experiencing avoidable disappointments.

While we can’t avoid all disappointments, we can seek to steer clear of those disappointments which are of our own making.

Here are some examples:

  • Bad choices often lead to some of our bigger disappointments and regrets.

I know this has certainly been true for me. And, what kills me is that these were completely avoidable. Though we’ll make some bad choices, no matter how hard we try to avoid them, there are some helpful roadblocks we can put up. The best for me is found in James 1:5…asking God for wisdom. This simple action forces me to slow down, acknowledge my limitations, analyze the choice, seek others counsel, and wait on God, (at least for a second), for an answer.

  • Procrastination

Check out Proverbs 13:4. Sometimes our unfulfilled desires are the simple result of procrastinating. We certainly have control over these kinds of disappointments. We just have to get up and diligently invest towards our God-given dreams and desires.

  • Failing to give our best

In Col.3:23-25, Paul makes it clear that some of our disappointments stem from not giving our best. Think about it. Though giving our best doesn’t always lead to the fulfillment of our desires, it never leaves us with the dark regrets of failing to seize an opportunity. We can avoid some disappointments by simply giving our all and best.

Second: Don’t allow your disappointments to become discouragement. This will only lead to more disappointments. Paul gave us some great advice on this in Philippians 3:13-14. He tells us to forget what’s behind and keep pressing forward.

Third: Readjust to overcome the disappointment as soon as you experience it. Don’t wait until a new year or new season. Waiting prolongs and magnifies the disappointment and allows it to take root in our lives.

Fourth: Don’t allow the disappointment to defeat or deter you…even if it’s the result of your own stupidity. (This is a big one for me. Because I really like to do things right, I have the tendency to beat myself up over my mess-ups and bad choices. It doesn’t help. It only hurts. So, remember…failure isn’t final and get on with living or leading.

Finally: Create a plan for putting the disappointment behind you and replacing it with that which will encourage you and help to move you forward.

We will face disappointments. We just can’t let them define our lives or leadership.

Make sense?

Categorized: Leadership |

 
 

January 28th, 2010

No Surprises

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In leadership, as in life, there really aren’t any surprises. As God makes clear in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”

Yes, there are surprises in the details. We can be surprised by the specifics of who, when, where, what, and how of what happens. But, if we understand people and the reality of life and leadership from a big picture perspective, we will never be surprised that certain things happen with regularity. In fact, we should always be living and leading in full expectation that these predictable things will happen.

For example, Jesus made it clear that “trouble” will happen in our lives and leadership, (John 16:33). It’s a predictable certainty, and we can and should expect it. However, He also told us that we could be “of good cheer” when it does because He has overcome it and, in Him, so can we. Through Paul and James, He also made it clear that God uses the predictable “trouble” we’ll face to shape our lives and to bring about ultimate good.

Now, for the “so what?!” From my experience, I’ve learned that there are three things we can always expect in life and leadership. In reality, I’ve found that they form the template for what we should expect.

  • Crisis – events or circumstances will erupt that have the potential to deter, damage, or even destroy us
  • Challenge – we will face new obstacles and roadblocks to our vision, purpose, values, and goals
  • Change – successfully dealing with crisis and challenge demands, not only embracing change, but that we intentionally create appropriate change

When we understand the predictable certainty that these three things will play in both our lives and leadership, it gives us a huge advantage. We will be ready and prepared for them. We won’t be thrown off course or stride but we will be able to adjust appropriately in order to stay on mission. Though the specifics involved in these areas have the potential to cause pain and grief, knowing that they are inevitable realities can help us to live and lead well through them.

I’m curious, what would you add to my thoughts and/or list of predictable certainties?

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January 26th, 2010

Leadership Lessons from 2009

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I strongly believe the following life and leadership maxim. When we stop growing, we stop genuinely living and leading. So, this year, as with every year, I’m trying to grow forward by taking the time to learn from last year.

Here are some of the lessons that I’ve drawn out of my leadership failures and successes in 2009.

  • We can do all the same things in all the same ways but, if we lose our passion, they’re not the same things being done in the same ways. They lose their impact.
  • Because people, circumstances, and the world around me are dynamic, I need to keep changing if my leadership is going to remain effective and impacting.
  • I need to stay fully engaged in my leadership or the tide of need and change will get ahead of my ability to see and effectively lead through it.
  • If there is no change, there is no leadership. Therefore, no matter how much change I’ve already led through, as long as I am privileged to lead, I must keep doing the hard work of leading change.
  • To lead a continually growing and impacting ministry demands that I develop more and more leaders to do what I was once able to do alone.

Of course, identifying these lessons was the easy part. Now, it’s time to apply them. My prayer is that I learn and apply this year’s lessons so well that next year I’ll have to learn all new lessons. Now that would be a great year.

I’d love your thoughts and comments on my lessons, but, even more, I’d love to hear yours.

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January 14th, 2010

Haiti

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I am sure by now you have heard about the Earthquake that recently hit Haiti. An estimated 3 million people have been impacted, tens of thousands have been killed or injured, and many remain trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings. Traumatized and grief-stricken, people wander the streets in a daze. On Tuesday night, many slept out in the debris-filled streets.

Even before this earthquake Haiti was said to be the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Most of Haiti’s population lives on less than $2 a day.  In the United States, a cup of coffee typically costs more than $2 a day.  In many ways we are a world apart.

So what is our response?  At NorthRidge Church there are seven values that guide our vision and our actions.  The sixth value states our belief that “The Church most visibly evidences the love of Christ by ministering with compassion and care to the poor, sick, hurting, lonely, rejected and forgotten people of the world.”  Haiti’s poverty has merged with this natural disaster and a catastrophe is in process. These people matter to God and must matter to us.

As the first response teams wade into the rubble, there are some critical action steps that we can begin to take.

Each of us can begin to pray for the people of Haiti and their immediate needs for medical help, shelter, clean water, and supplies.  We can also pray for the relief and emergency response organizations as they send in their teams. Travel and communication are proving difficult, and the earthquake has destroyed or damaged much of the critical infrastructure where the population is greatest. We need to pray, over the next day and weeks, for God’s hand to provide help, resources, access, wisdom, and protection.

We can act. Crisis deserves and requires a response. This weekend I am going to share the initial response of the NorthRidge family. I would encourage every pastor and church to respond in some way. The church is the hope of the world when it’s working right. Right now, the people of Haiti and the world need hope. The church needs to be working right.

Though we hate the suffering that exists in our world, we unshakably believe in and remain thankful for a sovereign God who is in control and can work good even in the midst of this world’s chaos.  We believe His love, light, and goodness is being seen and shared by all those who are praying, giving, and going to help the Haitian people in this time of incalculable loss, pain, and crisis.

As we have in the past with the devastation of Katrina and other world disasters, we at NorthRidge will join in this effort to bring light, love, and hope into the darkness by reaching out to Haiti with care and compassion in any way we can. This will involve combining any way we’re able to provide for their physical needs along with seeking to open their eyes to their spiritual needs…their need for God’s love and hope through faith in Jesus Christ.

If you’re interested in responding individually, I would encourage you to do so through an organization that is capable and committed to genuinely helping the people of Haiti in the name and love of Christ.

If you’re part of the NorthRidge family, we are extending our “Make It Yours” Christmas offering, which was dedicated to compassion outreach, in order to expand our capacity as a church to help in Haiti and around the world. So, you can give above and beyond towards this effort by designating to the “Make It Yours” fund any time for the foreseeable future. The easiest way to do this is at northridgechurch.com via online giving.

If you’re not a part of NorthRidge or would just prefer giving individually to a specific Haiti relief project, I would encourage you to give through an organization such as Samaritan’s Purse.

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January 12th, 2010

Review & Refocus

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As we begin a new year, if you’re a leader, I want to encourage you to review last year and refocus your leadership this year in two ways… not just one.

First, in your personal life. Effective leadership requires effective living, which requires good SELF-leadership. To realize our full potential, we have to discover, develop, and discipline ourselves to live out the right vision, purpose, values, and strategy for our lives. No easy task. (As a believer, I thank God that He has given us everything we need for this process in His Word and by His Spirit.) Practice good self-leadership.

Second, in your leadership of others.  Effective leadership is all about moving a group of individuals forward toward a worthwhile vision. Of course, the difference is found in its increased difficulty. As we all know from our personal experiences and failures, good self-leadership is VERY difficult. When you add a group of people together, it multiplies the difficulties. This helps to  explain why leadership is so hard and so few are truly effective at it. It also sheds light on the  old saying “speed of the leader, speed of the team.” After all, if an individual isn’t effectively practicing self-leadership, there is no way that they will be able to effectively lead others over the long haul.

First, practice good self-leadership. Then, focus on your leadership of others. Because without the first, the second will always fall short.

I’d love to hear any thoughts or expanded ideas you have on my line of thinking. I’d also love to know if and how you approached these two practices this year.

Happy New Year!

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November 6th, 2009

Broke

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I’m really looking forward to a new series that I’m kicking off this weekend at NorthRidge called “Broke.” Though I’ve been teaching God’s Word for years, I still marvel at it’s relevance to today’s experiences and how excited I get about teaching it. I pray I never lose the sense of awe and wonder that comes with knowing and serving God. The following is a video we sent out highlighting the series.

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