Forget About Being Holy

May 30, 2011 in Faith, Leadership, Life with 0 Comments

Holiness (qodes) in the Greek “denotes the essential nature of that which belongs to the sphere of the sacred and is distinct from the common or profane.” Mounce’s Expository Dictionary helped me figure that one out. I am not a very “religious” kind of guy, but I do walk with God. It’s been my tradition to view my morning time exactly like the definition of holiness describes. It is, for me, my holy part of the day as I read my bible, reflect and pray.

However, all that ended today as I felt like God urging me to break my decade long tradition and follow my heart. This morning it felt as if God said something like, forget about your holy kind of ritual; I want to meet you where you are at.

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Reflections

May 27, 2011 in Faith, Life with 4 Comments

Bigstockphoto.comI have observed that the Bible was never meant to be a check list of “To –Do’s” coordinated together in order to help us figure out how to be a good person. I used to think that way – and avoided it altogether. Now, that I have read it, I can see that it’s completely relational in nature. I think that’s why Jesus kept asking that we “have ears to hear.” (Matthew 11:15, Mark 4: 9, 33, Luke 8: 8, 14:35) He wasn’t requesting a change to the original design of mankind – rather, he was desperately trying to convey that relationships matter to God.

As I reflected on the first Psalm the other day, I was encouraged. I was encouraged because God speaks clearly about being blessed. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that God’s ultimate purpose is to bless me. It’s just that when I understand God from a relational standpoint it increases my ability to see past pain towards heaven and live “blessed” in that knowledge.

Thinking about this, I figured that my job as a leader can be easier if I can learn to walk, stand and sit with God just like the Psalm mentioned.

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Addicted to Busyness

May 24, 2011 in Faith, Leadership, Life, Production with 3 Comments

Many well-intentioned leaders have made “busyness the substitute for meaning.” John Eldredge about stopped my heart when he said it on a podcast. Dang it, I thought, he is right. Most of my personal, professional and emotional life has been clouded by the fog of busyness. At a very strange cognitive level busyness, to me, has been a merit badge of success. It looks like cell phones, laptops, meetings, business trips, board meetings, parenting, marriage, ministry, teaching, writing, encouraging others…

I had been running but noticing that my endurance was faltering, and my accomplishments diminishing. Somewhere along the way I lost vitality. I needed God to help me gain a clearer perspective on life. I faced the mirror and asked, some difficult questions regarding my personal leadership.

We all say that next to God, family is the most important, but in reality, I wasn’t living that way. I wonder today how many really do. Do I even know how? If I can be transparent, I found that I am a bit addicted to the rush of being busy. Success was for me the process of being engaged and needed. The more the merrier.

While I understood that my walk with God was strong and fruitful the outcome of my exaggerated pace, began to show signs of disease. (Diminishment, confusion, doubt and struggle) While all the “stuff” that was filling my time was “good”, I felt like “great” meant I needed to narrow my scope and sharpen my focus. For me, it was time to take my role as dad more seriously.

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American Idol

May 16, 2011 in Life with 0 Comments

I am not a huge fan of television. I like to read. I really can’t stand using the television as white noise. It’s distracting and has the tendency to make my son sit in one spot and drool. For me, it’s almost impossible hold a conversation over it. As a child, every room in my parents’ home had a television. I am not sure why I am this way. However, while the television is certainly not an idol in my home, I have gotten sucked into watching, American Idol.

Even the title of the show used to offend me. Something about the word “idol” freaks me out. I figure it’s because the Israelites were always getting into trouble creating them. You know a cow idol of some sort. But now that I am watching American Idol, I like it and am growing as a leader.

What I like most about the show, American Idol is that it encourages people to dream big and make bold moves. Many times, leaders have a tendency to put a cap on potential in an effort to preserve the status quo. I like to dream and inspire others to dream big.

What this season of America Idol has taught me is that you must lead differently if you’re trying to encourage people to reach their full potential in life. There really is a difference when you’re leading people in a competitive type environment with big stakes involved. To me, if you think about life, we are all kind of living in this type of environment, especially if you’re a Christian leader concerned about spiritual matters.

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