Leadership Thought: An Exercise for Leadership Discussion and Development

Dear Friends,

Several months ago I shared some leadership quotes that I used with my basketball team while I was coaching at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Over the years I have collected many such leadership quotations, a few of which I share below. Most of these I have sought to commit to memory with the hope that they might consciously or unconsciously impact and influence my leadership. 

I would suggest that leaders meet with their team members and personally discuss them. Participants might select three of their favorites and then express why they picked them. Mutual sharing of  these leadership principles can result in valuable discussions as participants share how they might impact their own personal leadership styles.

Participants should be reminded that wisdom is only wisdom if you use it. 

1. Relationships are forged, not formed. They require time and common experience.

2. If you want to go up, there must be things you must be willing to give up.

3. Everyone wants to feel that he counts for something and is important to someone. Invariably, people will give their love, respect, and attention to the person who fills that need.

4. What happens in you is more important than what happens to you.

5. We can do anything, but we can't do everything. 

6. You cannot push anyone up the ladder unless he is willing to climb himself.

7. Pass credit when the sweat is still on the brow.

8. The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.

9. Example is not the main thing in influencing others; it's the only thing.

10. When opportunity comes: it's too late to prepare.

11. Brains are like hearts; They go where they are appreciated.

12. Never take a journey alone; always take someone with you.

13. People do what gets praised.

14. Catch people doing something good and praise them.

15. Treat a man as he appears to be and you will make him worse; But treat a man as if he is already what he potentially could be, and you make him what he should be.

16. Everyone wants progress, but they don't want change.

17. Do the most important thing first each day, and you will never have an unproductive day.

18. Some people say something and some people have something to say. 

19. Truth presented as law hardens hearts, but truth presented with grace changes hearts.

20. The heart of the problem is a problem of the heart.

Unfortunately, I did not retain the source of these quotes when recording them.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: How to Become a Trustworthy Person

Dear Friends,

The explorer named Ernest Shackleton set out with 27 men on his crew to cross Antarctica, but before they got very far, their ship that was called Endurance, was trapped in ice and for 10 months they drifted on the frozen seas.   Eventually the ice crushed the ship, and that ship would sink. The men were stranded on shifting ice in subzero temperatures with no rescue in sight for nearly two years.

But here's what's remarkable. Shackleton didn't lose a single man. Not even one. Why? Because his crew trusted him. He ate the same rations they did. He took the worst shifts, and he lived the same way his crew did. When morale was the lowest, he never asked his men to do something that he wasn't willing to do himself. The men didn't follow Shackleton because of his  title, but because of his faithful testimony, one which was built on the foundation of trust. People don’t follow leaders because of a title. They follow a leader because of trust.  And that is always earned in  small and little increments performed day after day.  

Trust develops the way you build your house, one brick at a time. Every time you do something that is honest, every time you do what you say you are going to do, or show up on time, or fulfill a commitment, you  put another brick in the house that will eventually become your home

Being trustworthy is a tremendous responsibility, and one that must constantly be guarded, for it can be lost in a moment by some small failure.

Trust develops over time and building it is one of the most valuable resources a leader can possess.

When someone approaches you to be a part of your team there are three things they will have in mind. “Can you help me?” Will you care for me?” And most importantly, “Can I trust you?” Trustworthiness will become one of a leader's most important assets.

“Many people claim to be loyal, but it is hard to find a trustworthy person.” (Proverbs 20:6)

Jesus taught “That whoever can be trusted with very little can be trusted with much" (Luke 16::10). Today, people want to serve God in obvious and showy ways. But God says you build your trust by doing little, even insignificant things, and doing them faithfully again and again. You do them even when no one is watching you. And God reminds us, "If you are faithful in doing those little things, He will give you greater and greater responsibility."

Do you want people to trust you? You can build that trust by always being  honest, sincere, faithful and reliable.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

 P.S. "The best way you can find out if you can trust a person is to trust him" Ernest Hemingway 

Leadership Thought: What Do You Want Carved on Your Tombstone?

Dear Friends,

“The only thing that walks back with the mourners from the grave and refuses to be buried is the legacy of a man." I don’t know who said this, but years ago I memorized it as a continual reminder that when I leave this earth, I want to leave something of value behind that will outlive me.

Steve Saint, the martyred missionary to the Auca Indians writes, “Your story is the greatest legacy that you will leave to your friends. It’s the longest-lasting legacy you will leave to your heirs.”

I have been thinking a lot more about legacy of late as I watch the sand in my hourglass emptying fast, and when that final grain has passed, what will remain will only be the memory of what I was.

It has been said the power of a person’s life is in the stories they leave behind. What are the stories people will remember when they talk about you? What are the values they extoll and speak about at your funeral?

I think of Bill Roberts, a member of our church who died a number of years ago. I will always remember the terrific bear hug he would give everyone who entered the church. His love for people still permeates through our family of faith.

Throughout our lives other people have shaped and influenced us. We are different because of these people. How will those people be different spirally because they have been around us?

What kind of spiritual impact will you leave behind that will continue to live on in the lives of your children and your grandchildren after you are gone?

“Legacy is not leaving something for people. It’s leaving something in people.” says Peter Strople

John Maxwell talks about a trip that he once took to visit Mother Teresa’s tomb. He says that when he got there, he found out that the room where the tomb was located was being used for a special ceremony.

Maxwell writes, “We could see a group of about 40 to 50 nuns seated, all dressed in a familiar habit that Mother Teresa had worn.”

“What’s going on in there,” I asked a nun passing by.

“She smiled.”

 “Today we are taking 45 new members into our order.” she said. And then she hurried away into another part of the building.

“Mother Teresa was gone, but her legacy was continuing. She had made an impact on the world, and she had developed leaders who were carrying on her vision.”

Whether it’s Bill Roberts or Mother Teresa, every one of us has a mission in life, and that is to make our world a better place in which to live. And we can do that by the spiritual footprints we leave behind, as we continue follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

Your commitment to live for Jesus, and your unwillingness to compromise His values will leave a mark on the hearts of those you leave behind.

Someday people will summarize your life in a single sentence. What would you want that sentence to be?

Why not take a moment to write out that sentence and then commit to doing whatever you can to make it a reality in your life.

A godly legacy is a legacy that lasts.

In closing, I remind you that “A righteous man will be remembered forever.” (Ps 112:6 NIV).

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

P.S. "Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing."

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

 

Leadership Thought: The Priceless Gift of Jesus' Laughter

Dear Friend,

This picture of Jesus was a special gift that I will treasure for the rest of my life.

It was given to me by a friend who was a member of a church I once pastored in the 80's. 

This past Friday, I visited this church again to participate in a celebration of their 200th anniversary. The visit was a memorable occasion as I participated in their worship service and then enjoyed a wonderful meal with the whole church family. I also spent some time with pastors who served with and before me. 

While there, I saw Don Thomas, a gifted artist who was a long-time member of the church. Don had graciously presented Jean and me with a beautiful oil painting, which I proudly displayed in my office. 

While in his home, Don, who is in his 90s, led me upstairs to his studio, which was full of his paintings. He asked me to pick out one of his paintings as a gift, which I did, but then I saw a picture of Jesus hanging on the wall, and it completely captured my attention. It was the above picture of Jesus who appeared to be laughing. I asked him about the picture, and he told me he painted it because he always wanted people to see the human side of Jesus, who like us, could laugh and smile and express great joy. 

He said over the years he had so many inquiries about the picture that he made a large number of copies, and he wanted me to have one. This picture is now one of my proudest possessions.  

Sometimes we forget the human side of Jesus. Like us He laughed, cried, got tired and yes, at times even got angry, calling religious leaders whitewashed tombs.

We forget that Jesus was in every way like us, except for sin. 

It has been said that there is no more effective testimony of a changed life than a winsome spirit

Such winsome people are just plain fun to  be around. They exude joy, and their laughter is contagious.

As Christians we talk a lot about love, and faith and hope-fruits of the spirit- but we often forget that second on that list known as the fruit of the spirit is joy.

As someone has said, "joy is the flag flying high above the castle of the heart announcing that God is in residence there."

Fun and laughter should be regular ingredients in a Christian's life. These qualities can make us more relatable. As believers, we should be joyful, playful, fun loving, and even whimsical and those possessing these qualities are generally the most attractive people to be around. Who wants to hang with stern, somber, humorless, lemon sucking killjoys who have no appreciation for a few laughs and a little bit of whimsy? 

As Christians, we should be fun to be with. Our personality should pave the way for the building of relationships,  relationships that often open the door for the communication of the gospel.

 So, followers of Christ, let's lighten up a bit and put a little more laughter into our lives. Let's laugh a little more and show the world that those who bear the name of Christ are the happiest people alive. And why shouldn't we be, for we are the possessors of abundant and eternal life. 

And don't  forget that "a joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.  (Proverbs 17: 22).

Martin Luther wrote, "If you're not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there," and neither do I.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom

Leadership Thought: Recovery and Evangelism Takes Time - Are We Prepared to Take the Time?

Dear Friends,

If you have ever been involved with those struggling with addiction, you know the road to recovery can be a series of successes and failures.

I well remember a testimony I heard several years ago from a speaker at an addiction ministry that we offered at our church.

The person shared her story of recovery which involved one relapse after another.  For her it was one start after another, and each start ended the same-a return to her addictive behavior.

Throughout her many failures, the speaker testified that there were always people in her life who supported her and encouraged her on her journey to recovery.  They didn't give up on her, and they kept reminding her that the power of Christ could break the bondage of her addiction.

Like finding Christ, finding the road to recovery is not always a onetime event. Recovery can be a lengthy process that takes place over a  period of time.  

Seeds that are planted don't sprout up overnight. You can't rush the process. Each seed has a certain timetable before its flower is produced. Think about your own life. How many people did God send into your life before you received Jesus and experienced life change? If you were lucky, you had people around you who were persistent in loving and praying for you, and it was their persistence that encouraged you, especially during those times when you were ready to give up.

Fortunately, our speaker had friends who were committed to her recovery and who were with her for the long haul. Even when they failed to see the changes in her life for which they  hoped, they never gave up on her. Because of their patience and persistent love and their constant and continued encouragement in the face of her many failures, she now enjoys seven years of sobriety, and like last night, she is now sharing the story of her faith-based recovery journey to help others find hope.

Often in our efforts to see evangelize someone saved,  we feel we must give them the whole gospel, and when they don't immediately pray the sinner's prayer, we feel like we have failed, and are tempted to give up on them. However, if we assume responsibility for the success of our evangelistic efforts, we assume something that is not ours to assume. 

The same is true for the recovering addict. They may need to fail a number of times before they experience and embrace the change in their lives we hope to see. During their recovery process they need people around them who will continue to love and encourage them as they seek lasting recovery. 

As believers we are called to be witnesses. Those were our Savior's marching orders. We are reminded in1 Peter 3:15 that we are “to always be prepared to give an account to everyone who asks us for the hope that we have within us,” but we are never the ones ultimately responsible for the person's decision. 

Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru) has a wonderful definition for evangelism: "Evangelism is sharing Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results up to God." We are not the ones responsible for the person's salvation. We may deliver the message, but it is God who opens the door to a person's heart. When we understand this, we will never feel a sense of failure, regardless of the person's response to our message.

Whether you are witnessing to someone about Christ, or patiently witnessing to them about recovery, we need to be patient and persistent in offering our love and encouragement. Don't ever give up on them and continue to let them know that you will always be there for them, even when they fail to demonstrate the change you desire to see in their life.

Proverbs remind us that "The righteous falls seven times and rises again" (Prov.24:6), and it just may be that it is that seventh time that he/she discovers Christ or experiences recovery.

Whether witnessing to Christ or encouraging someone on the road to sobriety, patient and persistent love are the keys to success.

Yours in faith and friendship,

Tom