How to spot a good leader

When looking for a leader for our country, one of the hallmarks of a great "find" in a leader is this idea of the pursuit of justice - the ability and willingness to adhere to strong ethical and moral principles.  As I look around, listen to TV ads, and get phone surveyed to death, it is quite possible we have veered from this a little in how it is we have come to judge those who will fulfill positions of leadership within our country, companies, or even our community.  The position of leadership in any venue - church, state, or even over a country - should not be pursued with haste, or without careful preparation and what some may call "soul-searching". Why?  Where the leader goes, so goes those they lead. 

Whoever pursues justice and treats others with kindness discovers true life marked by integrity and respect.  One wise person can rise against a city of mighty men and cause the citadel they trust to collapse. (Proverbs 21:21-22 VOICE)

It is often an overlooked fact that we all follow someone - even if we think we are kind of independent and have it all "figured out" for ourselves.  We all have either seen or are seeing some example in this life of ours, good or bad, which we somehow pattern our actions after in one way or another. We may not think this to be the case, but I challenge you to even consider how you learned to add two numbers together. Most of us don't come out of the womb able to add two numbers and come up with the correct sum. It takes some work on someone's part to help us understand two apples and two oranges equal four pieces of fruit.  Eat one and we are left with three.  Blend them together and we still have four pieces of fruit - just in a different form!  We can see this example and the next - but if we aren't "selective" about which ones we follow, we will be like the blended fruit - a conglomeration of all of what we see and hear!

Pursue the right examples and we are more likely to pursue the right actions on our part later on.  Why?  We model behavior - like it or not.  What media outlets everywhere hope for is that we will see an ad, like what we see (or at least be a little curious about it), then get it or try it out.  They are selling a product - a line of goods, an image, etc.  They "market" what they have created.  If a man or woman of God realizes it, they are "marketing" what God has created. The grace-transformed life you live as a result of having said "yes" to Jesus is simply a canvas upon which God is able to display his beauty, mercy, and love.  If we want to be positive examples in this world - positive leaders others will follow - we begin by pursuing justice (right moral conduct guiding our decisions) and kindness (right actions from a gentle spirit). Even if we don't consider ourselves as "leaders" in the sense some may define as being in a "leadership role", we ALL lead someone - we may not even recognize who it is that eyes us with the intention of following our example!

One one wise person - one person willing to submit his or her life to the influence of Jesus - is capable of setting a city right. That may not seem possible, but I believe it to be so - it takes but one good leader to rise up, live above what others may tolerate, and look beyond one's own self to see the needs of those around them.  Leaders are not elevated to places of greatness - they humbly serve others and find their place of greatness not in position or power, but in extending justice and kindness in the everyday circumstances of life lived out with others.  Just sayin!

I need x-ray vision!

Samuel was a great prophet in the land of Israel, sent to Jerusalem one day to anoint the next King of Israel.  The only problem - he didn't know who he was to anoint until he got there and God told him who it was to be.  So, despite knowing "where" he was to go to find the one he was to anoint, and the fact he knew "how" to anoint someone, he didn't know the "who" yet.  This might just be the case with some of us - we have some of the facts, but just don't have all of them yet.  We know part of the plan, but just not the full plan.  We must still take steps in the right direction, just as Samuel did.  He headed to where he knew to go - Jerusalem.  He was prepared with what he planned to do - anointing the next King.  He even had a general idea of what he was looking for in the next King.  Therein is the rub...we sometimes "read into" God's plan a little more than what is really there!  

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Eliab is tall and handsome, but don’t judge by things like that. God doesn’t look at what people see. People judge by what is on the outside, but the Lord looks at the heart." (I Samuel 16:7 ERV)

You see, Samuel saw the most strapping young man being brought before him and thought immediately this must be the one he was to anoint.  From the outside, he looked the part.  He was tall - a man of stature.  He was handsome - a man who could gain the attention of those around him.  He might even have been a well educated man - but this wasn't the one God had in mind.  We sometimes think we have things all figured out just by the appearance of what it is we see.  The pieces seem to "fall into place" for us and we think this must be God's plan.  The issue with this is when we simply judge the next step we are to take by the lack of resistance we might receive in doing so.  Stop to consider this for just a moment - does Satan resist us when we are about to take a step AWAY from the plan God has for us?  Not likely!  In fact, he would rather we do that than anything else!  Resistance often comes when we are taking too many steps in the right direction!  Why?  Satan is threatened by our forward progress!

All of us have a tendency to rely upon what we feel or see just a little bit too much on occasion.  We think things are going pretty well, so we believe we must be on the right track.  If we are truthful with ourselves, we may be just drifting, not really on track, but also not caught up in any really "rapids" which spin us out of control.  We interpret this lack of resistance as being on the right path because we think all things will be rosy if we are obeying Jesus, right? Um, not necessarily.  As I indicated, Satan doesn't like us getting too far down that road of obedience - he will do all he can to detour us from it because he knows the strength of character it builds, the might of faith which is cemented in our hearts, and the determination of will which will keep us on track when we draw close to Jesus.

Man looks at so many of the "outward" symbols to see what he can see and then makes "interpretations" of what he sees by what he has experienced in the past.  As a nurse, I have seen (and sometimes smelled) some pretty interesting things.  There are just some infections which emanate a particular odor to them, allowing us to immediately be very suspicious we are dealing with that particular microorganism as the culprit for the person's infection or symptoms.  We are observers of "symptoms" because the human body doesn't come with an on-board computer we can hook up to a diagnostics machine and find out which parts are wearing out or giving us trouble!  We observe with our senses - because that is all we really had for the longest of times and it gives us the best "suspicion" of where to start with the other diagnostics we may decide to pursue.

We move onto the more focused assessment or diagnostic testing AFTER we have finished observing what we can through our senses.  The CT scan may reveal an abscess deep within the tissue extending to bone, but the smell and color of the wound exudate gave us a reasonable suspicion infection existed. The more complex testing confirms the diagnosis - because it can see on the inside what we cannot!  In much the same way, God sees what we cannot.  He knows the problematic areas of a man's life long before they become evident to those looking at the "outside" of that man.  Outer appearances are often masking what is deeper within - something God knows without any specialized testing equipment!  God often expects us to act upon what we know, then allow him to reveal the rest.  This is how he works - not because he likes to control all the strings - but because he wants to develop our trust.  As we come to appreciate this, we find ourselves jumping "ahead" of God much less.  Just sayin!

You one of the herd?

When I was a young girl in grade school you would have probably called me a "follower" - I went along with the crowd, but was too shy to actually take the lead myself.  Anyone who knows me now would say just the opposite.  In looking back at the difference which Christ made in my life, I would have to say one of the clearest things is this transition from being a "follower" of others.  In fact, if you were to look back, "going along" with the crowd got me into more pickles than I really want to give an accounting of right now!  Trying to win the attention and approval of others, striving to have some degree of "popularity", etc. all ended up in some pretty bad decisions in my life.  You may have been one of the "crowd followers", as well, so you know what I am saying here.  It doesn't pay to follow the crowd - we need good role models to follow, not just popular ones!  

Friend, don’t go along with evil. Model the good. The person who does good does God’s work. The person who does evil falsifies God, doesn’t know the first thing about God. (3 John 1:11 MSG)

Caution is necessary in determining who we will "get behind" in this life - the wrong leader makes for some pretty rocky journeys indeed.  Alexander Pope was a poet of days gone by, but I like one of the things he penned: "A person who is too nice an observer of the business of the crowd, like one who is too curious in observing the labor of bees, will often be stung by his curiosity." Let that one sink in a bit and it will hit home for those of us who have been "crowd observers" at some point in our lives.  We get "stung" by our curiosity and our pursuits for their approval, don't we?  Clearly, we need to become savvy in following the "right crowd" - not just in following!

Unfortunately, too many times the crowd really has not idea where they are going!  They just have this "herd mentality" - kind of just all mulling together and following whoever seems to be in front of them.  Put your head down long enough and you lose sight of who is actually leading.  Maybe this is why we are frequently warned about being "oblivious" to our surroundings, "unaware" of the leaders we align with, and "impressed" with all the charisma of some while discounting the silent example of others.  If the truth were known, most of us would admit to being a little caught up in the "herd mentality" more than we'd truly like to admit.  Why?  We don't consider our steps - we just "go along" because we are pushed, or feel pulled.

This is why it is so important to consider the behavior modeled - does it line up with the values proclaimed?  So many agree with the adage of actions speaking louder than words - I think this may even be biblical!  When we have good models, it is easy to get behind their actions.  When we hear one thing, and then see something quite different modeled, it may leave us wondering who we can trust.  This is probably why so many "big names" in TV evangelism, big church movements, etc. find themselves totally undone when a scandal of sorts reaches the media.  Their lives are scrutinized by many and the behavior they model has to match up with the words they preach - otherwise their lack of congruent behavior/words will become fodder for the masses.

We all model behavior - some to huge crowds, some to smaller ones - but all model some type of behavior which is under the scrutiny of someone who is looking to them to be a leader in their lives.  Even when you don't think this to be the case, you might be surprise who is "on the outside looking in".  As we walk through this life, we need not only to be aware of who it is we are following, but what impact we may be making on those who are somehow following us.  Truly, we must guard against the "herd mentality" as it comes to our spiritual lives - we cannot believe just because someone else believes that way.  We have to be students of the Word - testing and trying every teaching to ensure it is aligned with the "whole" of scripture.  By this I mean we cannot take one passage, hanging our hats on it in "exclusion" of all other scripture.  We have to see ALL God says - then formulate the practices which align with the "whole" of what is taught.

We also have to guard against this "herd mentality" when it comes to our norms or values.  Crowds are not the best at "defining" what should be the "norm" for our lives.  We need to allow the wisdom of scripture, the safety of the Holy Spirit's internal "monitoring system", and the integrity of Christ's example to help us formulate the set of "norms" or values we will adhere to in our lives.  These will hold up to the scrutiny of onlookers and the passage of time.  These will assist us in developing a keen awareness of the "imposters" in our midst - those things and individuals who appear one way, but really act another.  We need a vantage point from which to view the direction of the crowd's wandering - the one in the herd only sees the "rear" in front of them!  

As we begin to model good in our own lives, others will notice.  This is what God has in mind - for us to become excellent examples of behaviors consistent with his teachings, modeled after the example we see in Christ, and aligned with the values he concentrated so much time and effort in getting us to learn.  This "modeled" life is truly one we can "get behind" - but never take your eyes off the true "leader" - for our focus really needs to remain on Christ.  The model we see in those who have chosen to live above the crowd is really just a means of us getting to see "God with a bod".  Just sayin!

Love - the loudest testimony

There is one character trait which is evidence of being born of God - love.  It is impossible for a man or woman to be a child of God and not love, for where God dwells, there is love.  There is something we can glean from examining God's love for us - his sacrificial, pursuing, and purposeful love.  If we are honest, if God had not pursued us, we'd probably still be doing our own thing! Love pursues what it sets its heart on - God set his heart upon us and therefore, he has pursued us since he made us!  His love is also sacrificial and purposeful - there is nothing quite like the sacrifice he paid for our sins - his dear Son.  There is an "aim" to his love - us.  Therefore, his love is purposeful, for purpose suggests intent and aim.  So, these three characteristics of God's love bespeak of some elements of heart response, choices of the mind, and actions of the spirit, don't they?  Maybe this is what love is really like when we come to understanding it - there is involvement of the heart, mind and spirit, not just emotions!

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn’t know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can’t know him if you don’t love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God.  My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!  (I John 4:7-12 MSG)

Look at what love "does" - it sets about to set right what has been damaged through sin's influence.  Now, maybe this doesn't seem significant at first - after all, none of us is God's only Son, so we really aren't called upon to "set things right" or "bring order" to what sin has destroyed, are we?  Well, contrary to what we might initially think, we are!  Throughout scripture, we are told to remedy rifts in relationships, forgiving one another their faults, even when they don't "deserve" it or "seek" it.  We are told to be peace-keepers, guarding our tongues so we don't speak rashly - constantly being aware of the power in our words.  Even in our own lives, we are told to turn from what has pulled us down and left us empty, then to turn toward the only thing which can keep us standing and fill us to overflowing.  So, we are called to be engaged in this work of "setting things right" which have damaged each of us in some respect.

There are some principles to love which I think we all need to understand:

- It exhibits loyalty.  There is a faithfulness to love - not only in our words, but in our actions, as well.  There is an allegiance which is inherent in love - the pledging of oneself to another.  God did this as he pledged himself (and his Son) to pursuing us.  The same should be true of each of us - we are to pursue not just those who give love in return, but those who have no idea what it is like to experience the level of commitment and allegiance which are characteristic of those who call themselves Christian.  Loyalty is exhibited in actions - not in our words alone.  There is a willingness to be there for the long haul.  Nothing bespeaks love more than standing alongside someone even when they aren't at their "lovable best".

- It is liberal.  Love is generous to a fault - it thinks outside of self and considers the needs of others first.  Sometimes I think we consider living a "simple" life as kind of boring or lacking in excitement.  The simpler my life becomes, the more I find I am able to be liberal in my love.  Generous hearts are liberal in their love because they know by giving out, they get more than they'd ever be able to contain anyway!  Liberality is not "on impulse" - it is a lifestyle.  This lifestyle is born in the times of fellowship with Christ - enjoying his liberality in our lives first makes us more able to share with liberality in the end.

- It listens to the Holy Spirit's leading.  There is something foundational to love - truth.  We only come into truth through the actions of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  As we are led by the Holy Spirit INTO truth, it changes the way we interact with others - there is a consideration and compassion which are evident because his leading has created a changed heart.

- It is lowly in its actions.  We don't use this word too much today in "conversation", but it really is another word for humble.  Love is evident in a lowly heart, not because it thinks "low thoughts" about self, but because a humble heart is a changed heart - humility produces actions contrary to selfishness.  When people begin to behave without selfish intent, love comes through.

Love is indeed a trait we all need to have evident in our lives.  Don't lose sight of what I said to begin with - it is the evidence we have Christ in our lives - nothing speaks louder or more consistently to those who need lives set right than the love of God in action in a believer's life.  Just sayin!

Radical Root Excavation

I like the straight-forward way Paul teaches.  In his letter to the Roman church, he really gets down-and-dirty with the believers, dealing with their misunderstanding of God's grace.  As he opens the letter, he lays out the plain truth - you cannot somehow deny God exists just by giving another explanation for how things came to be.  In fact, he points out the silliness of trying to make God anything less than God.  In response to mankind refusing to acknowledge God, Paul tells us God sets man free to follow their own devices.  Oh, what a dangerous place to be!  Mankind usually messes things up pretty well when they are left to their own ways of doing things.  Then, he turns our attention to the idea of comparing ourselves with others.  When he opens the second chapter, he tells us we cannot have the warped thinking that we are "better" than another just because we don't do some of the things they do.  The telling words, "Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself," is simply the old adage, "It takes one to know one".  If we really begin to pay attention to what he says in this second chapter, we might just have our eyes opened a little to some behavior on our part which really only serves to deny our need for a Savior.

You didn’t think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because he’s such a nice God, he’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.  (Romans 2:3-4 MSG)

As he opens this chapter, he reminds us:  Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. But God isn’t so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you’ve done. (vs. 2 MSG)  When we want to "escape detection" for our own wrong-doing, don't we try to turn the attention to another's short-comings?  It is an age-old "trick" to attempt to avoid discovery on our part.  The truth - God is not "tricked" by our "diversionary" actions!  Smoke screens don't limit his ability to see - they just make us feel better because we think we have things concealed!

Why do we "point fingers" or "come down hard" on the behavior of others which we see in ourselves?  Probably one of the most common reasons is it takes the attention away from us, but I also think it is because we really know the behavior we see in them doesn't "belong" in either of us!  Paul's purpose in writing to the Roman church is to point them toward the grace of God - taking the focus off of what we do or don't do, turning it squarely on what God does when we give him free access to our hearts, minds, and spirits.  The truth is, we can go about "covering up" by all kinds of means, but nothing will "deal" with the problem like grace.

The point I want to focus on this morning is the final words of the passage above:  In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.  Let's break this down a little:

* It is God's kindness which motivates him to act on our behalf.  His compassion moves his heart.  There is nothing "good" in us which plays upon his heart -- he is moved because he knows the condition of our heart without him!

* He has to take us firmly by the hand.  Now, if you have ever had children just chatting at the bit to go one way when you wanted them to go the opposite direction, you probably have a pretty good handle on what this means.  You have to be quite firm with them, don't you?  As a parent, you don't get down on your knees and beg the child to go the direction you want them to go.  You take them by the hand and you "usher" them, don't you?  You "lead" them - not by pushing, but by being "directive" in your touch.  Most of us need a "firm grip" to get us moving in the right direction, don't we?  We'd be content to just muddle in our mess a little longer, but God knows when it is time to move out of the mire and into the freshness of his care.  We often need a little "firm" directive in order to get us going - but it is his touch, so it will not hurt us!

* He is the one doing the leading.  Ever try to dance with someone and not understand the principle of what it means to lead?  I am not a stellar dancer, but I understand the idea of being with someone who can "lead" in the dance.  There is a fluidity which is produced when one leads and the other follows.  Even the fastest, most complex dance becomes a thing of beauty when there is one leading and the other gracefully following!

* His leading is designed to bring about change.  This is the sticking point for most of us.  We declare we want change, but when it comes down the the "radical" action of change, we often resist a little.  Paul nails it - change is not worth anything unless it is "radical".  When a surgeon cuts out a cancerous growth, he takes it back to "healthy" margins.  Why?  If he leaves some of the cancerous tissue, it will regrow.  To some, the amount of tissue removed seems like it is too "radical", but it is this very "radical" cutting which ensures our best chance of survival.  So it is with God's work in our lives - it is radical. We want change, we just don't want it to be "radical".  In the simplest terms, radical simply implies God goes for the root!  Why?  Fruit comes from the root.  We cannot change what our life "yields" without getting at the root!

We cannot mask our sin by criticizing another's sin.  We cannot paint a rosy picture of ourselves by pointing out the failures of others.  What we need is radical life change -- the only way to realize this is by the "firm" touch of the Master's hand.  Know this - his touch is ALWAYS filled with grace.  His touch may seem a little "radical" to us at first, but if we allow this "radical" touch to do its work of being "directive" over our life, we will find we might just finally overcome the very things we criticize in others so much!  Just sayin!

Leave the driving to him

^24-26"Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?

(Matthew 16:24-26)

I remember driving with a friend of the family when I was about twelve.  The gentleman drove like none other that I have driven with since!  I was in the backseat, hanging on for dear life, and just hoping that we made it to his home sooner than later!  Not only did he drive a little faster than I'd been accustomed to, but he was kind of a "hopper" in his driving.  I don't really know how to describe it, but what he was doing was pushing down on the gas, lurching forward, then pulling back on the gas just as quickly.  It was like we were zooming, slowing, zooming, slowing, repeatedly!  If I had of known about whiplash at that age, I think I was a good candidate it for it!

Sometimes that is how we are in our walk - we mash down on the gas, zooming full-speed ahead, then almost without warning, pull back, cutting off all source of "energy" for the road ahead.  We make lunges forward, then almost stop on a dime without any warning.  Can you imagine how that must frustrate those that are along on this ride with us?  Not to mention, how much it must drive Jesus nuts to see us make a start, halt, make a start, halt, over and over again!

Jesus gives his disciples some advice here:  He is in the driver's seat - let him drive!  We try to do all the driving and wonder why we end up injured, off course, and in a mess of "traffic" in our lives.  Jesus makes it quite clear - he's not driving!  The driver controls the speed at which one travels, the course one takes, and the safety of all those in his vehicle.  When Jesus is in the driver's seat, there is not a whole lot of room for error!

Think about it - we go through all kinds of "self-help" adventures in our lifetime.  We commit to a diet, then blow it.  We join a gym, then "forget" to go.  We promise ourselves we won't get angry the next time somebody "does us wrong", then we fly off the handle at the slightest infraction.  We are just not good at helping ourselves!  We need a "driver" to get us to our destination.  

Jesus points out that it is in embracing where he is leading us that we realize the beauty of the journey.  When we embrace something, we are taking it gladly - there is an eagerness to our taking.  Willingness is all Jesus is asking for - the ability to avail ourselves of his leading is something that we struggle with because we struggle with willingly allowing anyone else to "lead" in our lives.  What God works with the most is a cheerful readiness for whatever he asks and wherever he takes us.  What we struggle with the most is the framework of our minds (the cheerfulness) and the fear of the unknown (being taken where we have not gone before)!

Here's what Jesus promises:

If he leads, we get there in one piece.

If he leads, we get to enjoy the journey along the way.

If he leads, we get to our destination not one minute too early or too late.

If he leads, we avoid the "traffic" jams of worry.

If he leads, we might even have the enjoyment of other traveling companions along the way to keep us company in our journey.

So, who is in the driver's seat?  You might be able to determine that by how many starts and stops you've been making along the way!  Running out of gas is a sure sign we are not being "driven", but are attempting to "drive"!

Groping for light

⁴ Show me how you work, God; school me in your ways.
 ⁵ Take me by the hand; lead me down the path of truth. 

(Psalm 25:4-5)

There is nothing that God delights in more than hearing his child ask to be schooled in HIS ways.  When I was in school, one of the things my teachers soon learned about me was that I was a visual learner - if I could see it, I grasped the truth much quicker than if it was something more ethereal.  I am a "show me" kind of person.  When I was a kid, I took things apart - just to see how they were made.  I would dissect a flower to see the various "pieces" - learning that stem, petal, and leaf all had their own function.

God NEVER turns away a person who comes to him with a "show me" or "school me" desire.  In fact, he uses that for his glory.  There are two different things that David is asking God here.  One is to be shown how God works - the other is to understand God's ways (his plans).  When we understand God's plans, it may be easier to see how he works.  

When I took apart the flower, it was not because I wanted to destroy the flower.  In fact, I wanted to understand about what gave life to that flower - how did it gain the nutrients it needed to grow.  When we come to God with a heart open to understand what he plans for his children, we are also asking him to show us how it is that we will "grow into" those plans.  

God's "ways" are those things that add discipline and order to our life - they create a framework for how we are to live, act, and react.  His "work" is what gives our lives blessing and satisfaction.  His ways add structure, while his work in our life brings revelation and reward.  

Look at how David asks God to "show" him and "school" him - it by being "hand-led" down the path with God.  I have found myself coming into a dark house at night, groping around in the darkness for a light switch, avoiding the sharp edges of end tables.  It is a little scary to "be in the dark" groping for the light.  God knows that about our spiritual, emotional, and thought life, as well.  We have times when we are "groping around in the dark" hoping to find some "light" to give us direction.  His delight is in being that light for us!

When I am "hand-led" through dark places, I don't fear the "sharp edges"!  I know that someone who already knows the way has me in their hand.