Leading in such a way that God is pleased (1 Peter 5:2)

SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 5:2 (TM) – larger reading I Peter 5:1-11

Here's my concern: that you care for God's flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously.

STORY:

Peter Drucker offers insightful guidance to the church when he calls leadership a peak performance by one who is "the trumpet that sounds a clear sound of the organizations' goals." His five requirements for this task are amazingly reliable and useful for those who dare to lead churches:

(1) a leader works;

(2) a leader sees his assignment as responsibility rather than rank or privilege;

(3) a leader wants strong, capable, self-assured, independent associates;

(4) a leader creates human energies and vision;

(5) a leader develops followers' trust by his own consistency and integrity.

OBSERVATION:

Over lunch the conversation came around to a senior pastor that both of us have worked with. Sadly we both agreed… he is more in love with the church than with Christ. He talks a good game, but is easily threatened by suggestions that are not his or might require him to think/act outside the box. We said a quick prayer and moved on to talk about other things.

Back in the car driving to my next event my thoughts tried to bring up Peter Drucker’s requirements on leadership. Couldn’t dig them out of my gray matter.  Had to wait until I got home. I then read the preselected scripture lesson for today’s blog. Words from 1 Peter to church leaders. Integrity, vision, strong people, and responsibility, great qualities. Imagine my surprise.

Sadly the one of whom we spoke is only years away from retirement and the assumption is that he won’t be willing to change. Hoping that his church doesn’t suffer in the process… it has suffered enough.

BUT WAIT… the message here is not for someone else stupid! IT’S FOR ME!!! I’m still serving a church -- albeit very part-time. Yes, I can point a finger in his direction, but three fingers are pointing back at me. OUCH!

Time to evaluate. Time to contemplate. Time to take stock. Time to print out Peter Drucker’s list and post it where it will be seen daily. And while printing stuff out might as well print out the 1 Peter passage.

Set the needle squarely on “pleasing God” … In these later years pleasing God has been easier to do because what is the worse thing that a congregation can do to me – fire me? – Shoot fire, I was retired before I was called back into duty. I’ve found it easier to please God and not play the “chasing the carrot” game that so often happens between preacher and people.

BUT AM I PLEASING GOD? Well, it looks like I need to take time to think through the ramifications to that question… and reset the rudder on my ship.

PRAYER:

Help me to have the qualities of an effective leader: Integrity, vision, strong people, and responsibility. Help me to seek to please God and do his bidding. Help me to be a solid spiritual leader.

Being judged by the same standards we use in judging others (Matthew 7:1)

SCRIPTURE: Matthew 7:1 (NIV) – larger reading Matthew 7:1-12

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.

STORY:

In his little book Illustrations of Bible Truth, H.A. Ironside pointed out the folly of judging others. He related an incident in the life of a man called Bishop Potter. "He was sailing for Europe on one of the great transatlantic ocean liners. When he went on board, he found that another passenger was to share the cabin with him. After going to see the accommodations, he came up to the purser's desk and inquired if he could leave his gold watch and other valuables in the ship's safe. He explained that ordinarily he never availed himself of that privilege, but he had been to his cabin and had met the man who was to occupy the other berth. Judging from his appearance, he was afraid that he might not be a very trustworthy person. The purser accepted the responsibility for the valuables and remarked, 'It's all right, bishop, I'll be very glad to take care of them for you. The other man has been up here and left his for the same reason!'"

OBSERVATION:

The borders are crossed by unaccompanied children and teenagers… and we judge. The abortion clinic doors open and a pregnant young woman walks out… and we judge. A politician from the “other” party makes a statement… and we judge. A smelly person sleeps on a park bench… and we judge. A mother yells at her child… and we judge.

Some try to justify the act of judgment (as they did several weeks ago when I posted a different blog on judging) based on appearance and yet it is still judgment. Both ways is the desire… we want the privilege to judge others, but we don’t want to be judged.

Evidently God is trying to tell me something. I follow a devotional source in which scripture to use. The scripture chooses me not the other way around. It was a surprise when this scripture appeared as the scripture of choice. It was as if God was saying: “Martin, pay attention on the judging others side of your personality.” Okay, I’m starting to get the message… I think.

The second portion of today’s scripture reading talks about ask, seek, knock. What stands in our way is this judging tendency. Got to get rid of the hindrances before there can be any finding… or at least that is the way with me. My spiritual longings lay bloodied on the devotional floor because of the tendency to quickly pass judgment… looking at the outward appearance without taking the time to discover the real person.

Bishop Potter story brings me up short every time. It is humbling to be judged by the same standard that others might use. I’m wondering: Will Old Peter pull out my past standards of judgment and use them against me to determine if I get to pass go and collect $250 (ie eternity)? I know better, but it humbles the cheese grits out of me every time I think about it. It stops me in my tracks every time and sends me directly to jail.

PRAYER:

Judging others God actually can be kind of fun (at times), but this judge not stuff takes the wind out of my sails. I really need help not to justify my actions, but to clarify my spiritual desires… and lots of help getting there.

A type-A personality and the providence of God - a difficult mix at best (Genesis 22:2)

SCRIPTURE: Genesis 22:2 (CEB) – larger reading Genesis 22:1-14

God said, "Take your son, your only son whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah. Offer him up as an entirely burned offering there on one of the mountains that I will show you."

STORY:

Charles Spurgeon: You know that, in a wheel there is one portion that never turns round, that stands steadfast; and that is the axle. So in God's Providence, there is an axle which never moves. Christian, here is a sweet thought for thee! Thy state is ever changing; sometimes thou art exalted, and sometimes depressed; yet there is an unmoving point in thy state. What is that axle? What is the pivot upon which all the machinery revolves? It is the axle of God's everlasting love toward his covenant people. The exterior of the wheel is changing, but the center stands forever fixed. Other things may move; but God's love never moves: it is the axle of the wheel; and this is another reason why Providence should be compared to a wheel.

Yet further. You observe, when the wheel moves very rapidly you can discern nothing but the circumference—nothing but the exterior circle. So, if you look back to history, and read the story of a thousand years, you just set the wheel of Providence revolving rapidly; you lose sight of all the little things that are within the circle; you see only one great thing, and that is, that God is working through the world his everlasting purposes. You sit down and take a book of history—say the History of England—and you will say of one event, "Now that seems to be out of place;" of another, "That seems to be out of time;" of another, "That seems to be adverse to the cause of liberty;" but look through a thousand years, and those things which seemed as if they would crush liberty in her germ; those things which seemed as if they would destroy this our commonwealth in our very rising, have been those which have caused the sturdy oak of liberty to take deeper root. Take the whole together, instead of the things one by one; look at a thousand years, and you will see nothing but one round ring of symmetry, teaching you that God is wise, and God is just. So let it be with you in your lives. Here you are fretting about troubles today. Think also of the past; put all your troubles together, and they are no troubles at all. You will see that one counteracts the other. If you take your life—not today, but look back on forty years of it—you will be obliged, instead of lamenting and mourning, to bless God for his mercies toward you. Let the wheel go round, and you will see nothing but a ring of everlasting wisdom revolving.

OBSERVATION:

Providence. God’s providence. God’s provision for the future. My desire is to understand, but I live in America. The old “Protestant Work Ethic” is alive and well in my life. I learned that lesson well … too well, it would appear. My heart hurts with all the trying.

The head-tapes won’t stop. Dad though long dead still speaks – “Jimmy, if it is worth doing it is worthy doing well.” Oldest brother though long dead still speaks – “Jimmy, the only way you are going to make it in this world is by your own efforts.” My head hurts. Shouting: “Make it stop! Make it all go away” doesn’t work. The tapes just keep on running and running and running…

You’ve guess it… I am type-A. Yikes, that’s hard to admit. Bought into the “work hard” and then continued to work even harder. Approval is important. God knows the desire. God’s approval really doesn’t count. It’s a “in the flesh” kind of thing. Work hard and long for that approval. The craving is strong.

God’s providence, don’t be ridiculous. Abraham, Isaac and Mount Moriah is just a hard pill to swallow… and please don’t ask me to explain it… especially in the light of being a good Protestant Work Ethic type-A guy.  And yet… there was that ram.

There is that axle. My life might be spinning… and by my effort, spinning very fast… but what about the axle? What about Abraham’s ram? That cannot be easily explained now can it? Did Abraham understand the axle? Or did he just trust God to provide? Does God provide even when I don’t understand how it happens or why? Does the wheel know that there is an axle?

Providence. God’s providence. God’s provision for the future… my future … oh, glorious axle!

PRAYER:

The tapes won’t stop running, so give me patience to live with them running. Thank you for providing even when I don’t understand how it works.

Running away from God's pursuit (Mark 5:41)

SCRIPTURE: Mark 5:41 (TM) – larger reading Mark 5:21-43

He clasped the girl's hand and said, "Talitha - koum," which means, "Little girl, get up."

STORY:

In the mid 1800’s Francis Thompson was in the throes of battle with truth. Ravished by alcohol and drug abuse, He had begun to sense the relentless pursuit of the Holy Spirit, and the harder he ran, the more he felt the hot breath (so to speak) of what he called “The Hound of Heaven” on his heels. He found there was no speed fast enough to outrun God; no place to hide from God; no safe haven, no place of rest, no armor or weapon that would serve to help him against the One he was striving so desperately to avoid.

Here are just a couple of short excerpts from his poem, “The Hound of Heaven”

“So my pursuer persisted; never rushed or agitated, always steady,

constantly in control. And, continually I heard the accompanying Voice that

spoke above the sound of the footfalls, now saying, ‘There is nothing which will hide you...you who will not hide Me in your heart’.”

Then, later:

“The chase continues, the Pursuer coming closer to the one pursued;

never rushed or agitated, constantly in control. And, always

the Voice - if anything, faster than the Feet - ‘Listen! Nothing

will ever bring contentment to you; you who resist contenting Me’.”

Finally, at the end of his poem, having given up and surrendered to the One who would not let him get away, he says:

“Now the One who was always pursuing from behind is alongside.

The chase is ended. I sense a darkness. Is it danger?

No, it is rather the shadow of His hand of affection reaching out to me. And, this

One who has chased so relentlessly after me says, ‘You who were so foolish, so blind to

the truth, so utterly weak; I am the One whom you have always sought in all of

your furious searches for security, well-being, and wholeness.

You find all you want and need when you walk with Me’.”

OBSERVATION:

How long do I run away from God? To what end be the results of such foolishness? I am asleep to spiritual reality. The truth is within my grasp and yet it still escapes me. The closer God gets the faster I run. Please don’t catch me today. I cannot handle it. Must I face you God, but please allow it be another day.

I am tired, weary, worn out, spent. My spiritual legs no longer work. My conviction to be my own person becomes transparent. Yes, transparent. God sees through my arguments. My protests are but a smoke screen.

God is there… at the very threshold of my heart. The thought is overpowering and then the unthinkable happens. He takes ahold of my heart and declares for all to hear – “get up” – I remain paralyzed – “get up” – it is more emphatic – “get up” – I protest – I am spoiled – I too can be emphatic – “I don’t want to!” – “get up” – it doesn’t seem to be optional – “get up” … and so, I get up – the pursuit has ended. The Almighty has won, but alas so have I.

PRAYER:

Help me to be not so much wrapped up within my self that I fail to see and appreciate the life offered in the command to “get up”.