If nothing else will distract a leader, discouragement will.
And if nothing else will discourage a leader, comparing himself with others will.
Envy is the great disabler. And sometimes it disables me. Here I am, constantly going for God while the stress and the pressure of ministry seems never to go away. When I dwell on this, I’m in a turmoil that feels like it just won’t end.
Read MoreBy now you’ve probably seen the “We Believe” ad Gillette launched January 14. If not, please take 48 seconds and watch it HERE.
The ad, with at least 20 million views so far, encourages men to hold other men accountable against behavior caused by “toxic masculinity” such as sexual harassment, bullying, and disrespect for others, especially women. About 1.5 million have rated the ad at YouTube. And almost two-thirds of those comments were negative.
“RIP Gillette,” one man wrote. “You were my go-to brand, but now I’m never buying any of your products again. Not a good way to appeal to men by calling us all creepy perverts.”
And women objected too. One wrote, “Despite this ad and the climate we live in, women will always pick the Jerk over the Nice Guy.”
Most Christian leaders agree their main priority—maybe their top priority—is seeing lost people saved.
And too many Christian leaders think the inadequacies of others—immature leaders, uncommitted church members—are the main reason their congregations aren’t reaching that goal.
But in my study of scripture this week I was struck with a truth that should have been obvious to me. I was reading 1 Corinthians and meditating on Paul’s claim, quoted above: “I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” And here’s what hit me: The first step toward seeing others saved rests with me and how I view myself. When I am selfless, many will be saved. Others finding salvation begins with my selflessness. And that’s something I can fix without waiting for or depending on anyone else.
Read MoreIn a post a few weeks ago, I included a list I had shared with our elders: five commitments I need from them as we lead our church together. I promised then I’d say more about each of those items. Let me here explain a bit more about each one.
Read Morein 2018 I dove back into the blogging and writing sphere. The coaxing of a good friend caused me to reflect and dive back into this space. Last year was a good year. In fact, for the most part it was a great year. Like most years though, looking back there were some themes in my life and ministry. I also found that there are themes that many of you resonated with in 2018 and I am sure that they would be beneficial to revisit as we hit the ground running in 2019.
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