Leadership Thought: Sharing the Bad News Before Sharing the Good News

Dear Friend,

The late pastor and author  Tim Keller writes: "We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared to believe, yet at the same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope."

Sharing the gospel with people who fail to accept their flawed and sinful nature is often a challenge. Such people feel little need for a Savior because they perceive themselves to be basically good. They are managing their lives just fine on their own, and they have no need for any outside help.

Such people find it hard to be open, honest, and vulnerable because for them such admission is  a sign of weakness, and acknowledging weakness or admitting need is unacceptable.

For them the gospel is bad news because it reminds them of who they really are-flawed and floundering sinners in need of a Savior.

To witness to them often makes them angry and puts them on the defensive. "Who are you to suggest I might need  someone or something to change my life?". 

Too often I have made the mistake of pressuring persons like this to make a decision when the soil of their heart was still hard and they were not yet ready to receive the Savior, and in doing so  I only made it harder for the next person who would witness to them.

In such cases, we  need to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and step back and trust that the seed of faith will be planted by someone else at some distant time and place.

We must remember the words of Paul who writes, "The Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted a seed, Apollos watered it, But God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor, for we are God's fellow workers; You are God's field." 1 Corinthians. 3. 2-9.

Below is a message by Jim Denison  reminding us that the gospel is bad news before it ever becomes good news. I hope it will be a helpful reminder to each of us as we share the gospel with others.

 

“The Gospel is Bad News Before it is Good News by Dr. Jim Denison

 Our problem with love is its source: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus described our “heart condition” this way: “from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness” (Mark 7:21–22).

 As a result, we need a spiritual heart transplant. We need the “new heart” only God can give us (Ezekiel 36:26) when we are “born again” as his children through faith in his Son (John 1:12; 3:3). Frederick Buechner said of this reality:

The gospel is bad news before it is good news. It is the news that man is a sinner, to use the old word, that he is evil in the imagination of his heart, that when he looks in the mirror all in a lather what he sees is at least eight parts chicken, phony, slob. That is the tragedy. But it is also the news that he is loved anyway, cherished, forgiven, bleeding to be sure, but also bled for. That is the comedy.

According to Tim Keller, “The gospel is this: we are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”

 Here’s the catch: We must experience the risen Lord Jesus personally to experience the transformation he can make in our lives. He alone can forgive our sins, save our souls, transform our character, and manifest himself in and through us.

 “Love wins” when it is his love. 

 God’s word assures us: “The Lᴏʀᴅ your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs” (Zephaniah 3:17 NLT). Commenting on this promise, First15, our devotional ministry, quotes Brennan Manning:

 “My deepest awareness of myself is that I am deeply loved by Jesus Christ and I have done nothing to earn it or deserve it.”

Will you make his “awareness” yours today?”

Quote for the day:

“We should be astonished at the goodness of God, stunned that he should bother to call us by name, our mouths wide open at his love, bewildered that at this very moment we are standing on holy ground.” —Brennan Manning

Leadership Thought: What Will You Do to Remember This Special Day?

Dear Friends.

Today is Veterans Day. We celebrate this special day every November 11^th.

It is different from Memorial Day in that today we celebrate anyone who has served or is serving in the armed forces as opposed to Memorial Day when we reflect and remember those who have lost their lives in the  service of our nation.

It seems to me that with each passing year these two holidays lose more and more of their significance, and this is unfortunate as both days are important reasons to stop and  celebrate.

As a child I grew up going to Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day parades. It was Roy Rogers who said, “We can’t all be heroes; someone has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by,” and I am grateful that I have done my share of clapping.

While I never served in the military, I have great respect for those who have. My dad was a colonel in the army and my brother-in-law was a career Marine, and I have a number of close friends who have served our country in different branches of the military, and I seldom waste an opportunity to express my gratitude to them for their service.

Today whenever I see someone wearing something that identifies them as having served our country, I am quick to say thanks. These men and women must never be forgotten, and our expression of appreciation is an important way of affirming them and the contribution they have made in protecting our freedom.

As a history teacher for several years, I always  showed my classes the first twenty minutes of “Saving Private Ryan” to help impress upon them the significant sacrifice made by those who have fought to preserve our freedom.

I love to fly Old Glory, so much that I have flags flying in the front and the back of my cottage, and I plan on flying a third on a flagpole I hope to install next year.

It was always a special Sunday for me to stand in the pulpit and honor those who are serving or who have served by asking them to stand and be recognized and then to  be able to personally thank and pray for them.

No, I am not some crazed super patriot, but I am extremely proud and grateful for our country and for those who have served and who continue to serve to help preserve our freedoms, and I want to do whatever  I can to insure their contributions are never forgotten.

As we celebrate this today, let me suggest a few ways you might keep this day’s spirit alive.

1.Fly a flag, and if you don’t have one, go and purchase one and proudly and conspicuously display it .

2.Write, e-mail or call and thank someone you know who has or is serving in the military. Let them know that their service is or was appreciated and not forgotten. I try to do this on either Memorial Day or Veteran’s Day, and it is a simple way to say thanks.

3.Express your appreciation to those you see who are wearing something that indicates they have served-a simple “Thank you for serving,” will not only be appreciated, but many times will often lead to an interesting conversation.

4. Donate your time and resources to military endeavors and support those organizations involved in highlighting military causes. I have friends in a former church who recently traveled to Washington to clean the walls of the Viet Nam War Memorial. If you are unsure what you can do, call your local American Legion for suggestions on how you can help.

5. Find out where parades are being held and show up and support them.

6. Take a moment to pray and give thanks for those you know who have served or who are presently serving our nation in some branch of the military.

And in closing may you always remember “America without soldiers would be like God without His angels.” Claudia Pemberton.

Yours faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: The Four Words Every Team Needs to Hear from Its Leader

Dear Friends,

Those who receive my daily Leadership Thoughts know how much I appreciate the wisdom of author and teacher John Maxwell. Next to the Bible, there is no one who has so impacted and influenced my life as he has. Through his books, he has now written over 100 of them and his online teaching, John, continues to be my favorite mentor.

I frequently transcribe his messages,  hopefully extracting leadership lessons that will improve my own personal leadership.

John is also a pastor who frequently preaches in his home church in West Palm Beach, Florida, and I transcribed this recent message on "Becoming a Transformational Leader." It was one of the most memorable messages I have heard  on the subject of Christ minded leadership, and  I would like to share a part of his message with you. 

Much of what I  share will be John's own words, and I trust that his words will be as transformative for you as they were for me.

One of the greatest mistakes leaders make is assuming the team is completely on board with their leadership. He refers to this as the "assumption mess up." which is the gap between what a leader assumes to be true and what is really true,

As the late businessman and writer Max De Pree comments "the responsibility of a leader is "to define reality." Often times leaders think they know the mind and heart of their workers, and this is one of a leader's greatest "mess-ups."   Leaders mistakenly  think they know how their people feel about them and their leadership when in reality this is seldom true.

Maxwell mentions a large survey conducted among  leaders on strengthening team leadership. The majority of leaders felt that the way to improve one's leadership is by making better use of technology and finances. However, workers  responded that leadership improvement best  comes with greater development of the leaders' "emotional intelligence" -by answering such  questions as  "where are you taking me," and "how are you treating me."  Consciously or unconsciously, workers want to know if they are truly valued, and if they can trust their leader to help them and care for them.

Maxwell states that leadership does not depend on popularity polls, but on respect that is earned on difficult ground.  Workers today are looking for leaders who value them, inspire them and empower them. When people are hired, they are hired by the company, but when they leave, they most often leave the leader and not the company. The late great basketball coach John Wooden reminds us that "it's wonderful when the coach believes in his players, but it is a greater thing when the players  believe in the coach.” If a worker doesn't feel loved and valued, inspired and empowered, he/she will soon be looking for a  leader who will provide these qualities. 

Maya Angelou is right when she states that "People will forget what you said, but they will never forget how they made you feel." 

Maxwell states there are four important words that every leader needs to continually express to his team if he wants them to feel valued, and they are: "You matter to me.'". Maxwell states, "I put a 10 on the forehead of every worker, and I tell them that the only way that the 10 can ever be removed is if they remove it themselves."

Yes, it is a wonderful thing when the worker believes in their leader, but it is even more wonderful when the leader believes in his people. And how does a leader show he believes in his people? The leader does so by constantly showing appreciation for those working for him. Maxwell says "when you have shown appreciation to the worker, then double it.”

Good words to remember from the lips of a leader who knows a lot about leadership. To be continued. 

Yours in faith and friendship

Tom

Leadership Thought: A Revolutionary Cure for Discouragement Is Just a Few Words Away

Dear Friends

A group of frogs we're walking through a forest. and two of the frogs fell into a pit. All the other frogs looked down and said, "You're as good as dead. You'll never get out of that hole."

The two little frogs didn't want to stay there, and they kept jumping and jumping and jumping, but they couldn't make their way out. One of the frogs who was watching said. "You're going to die. You're going to die. There is no way out."

His words were so discouraging that one of the frogs just gave up and died, but the other frog would not give up. He kept jumping and jumping and finally, much to everyone's surprise, he jumped completely out of the pit. 

The other frog said, "Didn't you hear us? We told you that you couldn't get out of the pit." And the little frog said, "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm hard of hearing I thought you were cheering me on." 

We live in a culture where there is an epidemic of discouragement. Turn on the news, and no matter what station you listen to the broadcaster will probably be sharing bad news-war in Ukraine, lack of baby formula, gas prices, inflation recession-no wonder our nation's suicide rate has doubled in a decade, and depression is at an all-time high.

According to one survey I read, depression among 14-17 years old rose 60 percent in a decade, and more than half of Americans in general feel left out and unappreciated. 

Because there is so much bad news circulating, there exists a desperate longing for good news. I think most all of us are eager to hear some hopeful, positive, and encouraging news that will lift our spirits and give us something to cheer about. 

As believers you and I are those "Good News People in a Bad News World." We can use our tongues to encourage and lift up those who are discouraged and ready to give up. We can be those cheerleaders that everyone loves to have around.

We can be encouragers. Encouragement starts with doing the small things-just saying "thank you," "I appreciate you," "You did a great job."

The other day after church I had breakfast with some friends. As we were eating, I was noticing this one server who was going out of his way to perform his responsibilities. I never saw anyone clear tables so quickly, or sweep the floor with such determination, or move with such haste.

After our bill was paid, I went back and found him, and I told him how impressed I was with how hard he worked. I told him that I had spoken to his employer and told him that if I was hiring someone, I would want a person like that on my team. You should have seen the beaming smile that marked my new friend's face. He acted like he had never heard such words before, and unfortunately, maybe he hadn't.

Mother Theresa was fond of saying, "Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are endless."

Proverb 25:11 reminds us that "A right word at the right time is like precious gold set in silver."

Paul writes, "We are to encourage one another and build others up." 1 Thess. 5:11

"How curious that we spend more time congratulating people who have succeeded than encouraging people who have not." Neil deGrasse Tyson

Let's all be careful to take time to speak the kind of words that lift others up.  If we do, we might just discover a revolutionary cure for discouragement.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: I Hate to Be Critical but...

Dear Friends,

I hate to be critical but...Don't you ever wonder how odd it is for a person to do something he or she hates so much. 

As leaders, whether in the home, church, school, or the world, there are going to be plenty of times when we have to deal with criticism. Just ask any politician who probably deals with more criticism than any of us could ever imagine. 

There is a fabled story about the famous 19th century preacher Philip Brooks. One day Brooks received a letter in the mail. Opening it, he found a clean sheet of paper with only one word written on it: "Fool." 

The next Sunday, Brooks carried the letter into his pulpit in Boston. Holding it up, he announced, "I have received many letters from people who wrote the letter but forgot to sign their name. However, this is the first time I received a letter from someone who signed his name and forgot to write his letter." Now, that is one way of dealing with criticism, but I don't recommend it, unless you are very secure in your position, or you are already looking for a new job. 

When I think of dealing with criticism, I'm reminded of the words of Jesus who said, "Blessed are you when men revile you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on  account of me. Rejoice, and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:10-12)

One of the signs that a person is living a high quality of life is the criticism he receives. The more dedicated one is, the more intense the criticism will be. Remember, monuments are never erected for critics. Like the poor, critics will always be with us, so we had best learn how to deal with them.

Television journalist David Brinkley once remarked that "a successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that have been thrown at him." I like that. Build on the criticism. Use the bricks of criticism to make you a better person, not a bitter person. If there is some truth in the criticism, take that bit of truth, but throw the rest away, and don't dwell on it, for it will eat at you and will eventually destroy your soul.

Abraham Lincoln might have broken under the strain of the Civil War if he hadn't learned the folly of trying to answer all the condemnations hurled at him. His description of how he handled his critics has become a literary gem. General Douglas Macarthur had a copy of it hanging above his headquarters desk, and Winston Churchill had a framed copy of it on the wall of his study. It reads, "If I were to try to read, much less to answer all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how- the very best I can, and I mean to keep on doing so until the end. If the end brings me out alright, then what is said against me won't matter. If the end brings me out wrong, then ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference." 
Sometimes it is just best to remain silent when criticized. Jesus remained silent in the face of the accusations made against him by the chief priest and other Jewish leaders who were demanding answers to their charges (Matthew 27:12 -14). There are times when the wisest thing we can do is to remain silent in the face of criticism and false accusations. Just keep your mouth closed and listen. Don't speak or try to be defensive. Don't point the finger of blame in some other direction, just remain quiet in the face of the one who criticizes you, and in so doing you become that bright and shining star that this dark world so desperately needs to see.

Yes, I know all of what I have said is much easier said than done, but keep in mind that you have a force and power within you that enables you to say, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."  Philippians 4:13). Give it to Him in prayer and let him deal with it. He is much better equipped to fight those kinds of battles than you are."

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

P.S. It was Henry Ironside, a well-known preacher of the last century, who said when facing criticism, "if what they are saying about you is true, mend your ways. If it isn't true, forget it and go on and serve the Lord."

 

Leadership Thought: The School That Was Named After Its Janitor

Dear Friends,

What’s in the name?  Well, let’s ask Steve Hartman, American broadcast journalist who tells the following story. When folks in Swedeborg, Mo. decided to name their elementary school building, everyone knew it had to be named after someone truly special.

When you have your name on a building that’s huge. The name would have to be named after someone who was significant, right?

Throughout history there’ve been many national figures who fit that bill. Also, there are lots of famous Missourians who would have been great choices to have their names inscribed over the front door of the school. But in the end, they went with Claudine Wilson.

Who is that, you might ask?  Meet school custodian, Claudine Wilson.

One of the school students said of her, “You can get her a vacuum cleaner, and she’ll appreciate it because she really likes cleaning.”

Another student commented, “Yeah, she’s like in the zone. She focuses, and she just really dedicates herself to the school.”

Her principal said, “She has given so much to the school, and over the past 30 years, she has taken on a busload of additional responsibilities from transportation coordination, often driving a bus when needed, to filling in for absent secretarial staff.”

From lunch duty to landscaping, from facility operations to fill in operator, she is always doing something to make the school better.

Claudine, Swedeborg’s school janitor does it all. Her “How  can I help you,” is a constant reminder that she is always seeking to help make things better for others.

She says, "I just keeps finding ways to serve others and the next thing I know, I was leaving at 6 in the morning and getting home about 7:30 at night.”

And what’s your motivation for doing all that?” she was asked.

“The kids, the kids; they are always in your heart.”

That’s what makes Claudine who she is, a servant of others.

School board president Chuck Boren says, “When these kids get sick, you think they go to the nurse to start with? No, they go to her. If they’ve had a bad night they go to her. I mean, she’s there for each and every one of them."

And after all, that’s why the school board voted unanimously for the new name of the school to be the Claudine Wilson School.

There’s really only one person in this whole community who remains unconvinced that Claudine deserves this honor: it’s Claudine!

She says, “It touches your heart, but I don’t think my name needs to be up on a building somewhere.”

 So, we’ll add humility to one of the reasons why her name needs to be up there.

In America, names on buildings often inspire greatness. The Swedeborg educational leaders define greatness a little differently than most people do.

“Would you want to be like her,” a student was asked?

“Yeah, that’s what everybody should want to be, you know, that’s what I would want to be, also.”

Claudine is an example of a servant leader, who like Jesus, came to serve and help others,

Claudine is more than just a successful person with a building named after her; she is significant, notable, and unforgettable.

It has been said “a leader serves by leading and leads by serving,” and a leader she is. She is the kind of servant leader who places others’ agendas above her own. Servant leaders always give more than they take, and they are always looking to serve and add value to others. They make others better.

An English, nobleman Sir Bartell Fere, served as governor of Bombay, India, in the 1860’s. He was known by both family and acquaintances as the ‘helpful man.’ On one occasion when he was returning from a long trip, his wife sent a newly hired servant to meet him and help him with his baggage. "How shall I know Sir Bartell?” asked the servant. The governor’s wife responded, “Look for a tall gentleman helping somebody.”

Let us never forget that, like Claudine, serving and helping others is always the best preparation for leading others.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Some Thoughts on the Dangers of Witnessing

Dear Friends.

God's timing is always perfect. One always needs to be aware of that when sharing Christ with another person.

I was recently reminded of that when I walked into a hospital room last week and met an 88-year-old man who was recovering from surgery. His neighbor, a church member, had been talking with him about spiritual things, and she asked if I would visit him. I walked into his room and introduced myself, and as I was getting to know him, he interrupted me and  blurted out,  "I need Jesus.” Of course I was quick to oblige, and  I began sharing God's plan of salvation with him. He listened intently and after a few minutes he invited Jesus into his life. After receiving Jesus into his life, he said he wanted to do something that he had never done in 40 years. He told me he wanted to pray, and he immediately proceeded to pray for one of the most sincere and heartfelt prayers I have ever heard. 

Not everyone comes to Christ as quickly and so dramatically as my hospital friend. Often witnessing takes a long time of patient waiting, and  sometimes the one witnessing is tempted to try and hurry up the process by pressuring the hearer to receive Him before he/she is fully ready to make a genuine commitment. The one hearing the gospel may feel pressured into making a premature decision, one made with their lips and not with their heart. When this happens, we wonder why there is no discernible change in their life. The reason is that they are still born, spiritually lifeless, without any fruit in their life to show forth a genuine conversion. In our haste for them to receive Jesus, we may be guilty of pressuring them to receive Christ before they are really ready, and as a result we make it  harder for the next person who witnesses to them for they now become  gun shy to the process while wondering if they are going to be pressured again as they did before. Always beware of trying to pick unripen fruit

One who witnesses must always be sensitive to the person and to the Holy Spirit’s leading to know the appropriate time to ask for a commitment.

Witnessing, it has been said, “is simply sharing Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results up to Him.” When we witness, the results are always His and never ours. We may be one person in a long line of many witnesses who impact the life of the non-believer, and while it is exciting to personally witness the birthing of a new soul, we must always be sensitive to the fact that we are not the only agents in the evangelism process. Conversion always takes place according to His timetable, not ours, and pressuring someone who is not yet ready can be detrimental to the evangelism process. It may make a person more hesitant to the next person's witness.

I confess that I have sometimes been guilty of trying to hurry the commitment process, and when doing so I have always regretted my actions. Like many, I need to be continually reminded of the apostle Paul’s wisdom who writes, “I planted, Apollo’s watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3: 5-8)

This is not to say that we must always err on the side of caution when witnessing for fear we might turn someone off to the gospel. Every witnessing situation is different, and we must be sensitive to the Spirit's leading, always reminding ourselves that it is He who saves, not us, and that He can do so in many and varied ways.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom