King Me

We wrapped up our series for men, "Man Up" this morning at Northridge by challenging men to be kings. It should be the one of the final stages of being a godly man and yet it is often abused. Being a king isn't about being in authority over others and demanding elite rights & privileges. Genuine godly leadership is focused on providing benefit to the people that we have been entrusted to guide. An attitude of servant leadership best defines the way a king should lead and yet it rarely does in today's model. It's difficult for us as we battle our own selfish ambitions, the examples (both good & bad) that influence us, and the cultural call to succeed at all costs. 

It's an interesting paradox in which we see that a successful leader isn't the all-powerful, commanding, dynamo that causes people to fall at their feet. A respected leader will instead be marked by their willingness to submit to their followers and will work tirelessly for the greatest good for the people they lead. It's the way that the upside-down leadership model of the Kingdom of God has always operated.

Completely Content

I had a revelation while sitting in Starbucks this morning. My mind has been focused on ministering to men lately-how to develop community, how to empower them to lead, and to lead men to Christ. As I was reading I came across the phrase, "completely content." I immediately thought to myself--the lack of contentment is the root of the sin of man. It's why men are trapped in lust-filled fantasies through porn addictions, why we abandon our families in the name of furthering our careers, why we pour resources into maintaining appearances, and why we allow infidelity to destroy our relationships.

Complete contentment is only found in Christ. I know this to be true and yet struggle with the concept just the same. I'm always looking for what is next, how to grow more, and to find another level. There is nothing inherently wrong with that attitude as long as it based in Christ's development of us. Finding satisfaction in the grace of Christ and in the work of the Holy Spirit in us will be what enables us to be truly great men of God.

Ministry in Motion

I blogged yesterday about leaving my job teaching high school and moving into ministry full time. I ended up working in youth ministry for the next 8 years before transitioning into my current role. Similarly to my
departure from academia, I didn't leave youth ministry because I was tired of teenagers. I transitioned to another phase of my development at God's leading. Even as I love what I am doing now there are still some things that I miss about youth ministry. Fortunately, I am blessed to be at a church that highly values summer camp and allows me to continue to lead a week for middle schoolers each summer.

There was one night in particular that encapsulated all that is good about camp & ministry. It was after our Monday night Celebration experience. We had a night swim activity with some of our campers playing games & sports in the field. One of our campers (who had a broken arm) was sitting off to the side and asked if I would play Frisbee with him. We hit the field together and soon ended up with another ten campers joining us with only a few of them actually any good at Frisbee. The best part is that it didn't matter how good they were at it. We were all in community encouraging each other and making sure that everyone had an opportunity to take part in it.

Soon we were all in line for our nighttime canteen and I ended up at the back of the line with a group of guys. These were the same guys who were falling asleep and acting very disinterested in our nighttime worship. We talked about basketball, the golf cart, and the cool trick with flash paper that I had done that night. All of a sudden I had a captive audience of 5-6 young men as I shared how essential it was to be cautious with who you chose to follow. It was the most engaged they had been all night & was the best part of my night in my opinion.

These small things reinforced why I am in ministry. It's the unique times of teaching, the bond forged in simple community, and the opportunity to influence people in small ways. Those are motivating principles regardless of the age group you are called to serve.

Golden Opportunities

As I have previously written here, I began my professional career as a high school teacher and athletic trainer at The Mainland High School in my hometown. I worked there for nine years before being called into ministry. I will readily admit that this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make, in fact, it took me three days to decide. I didn't end up choosing to leave because I no longer wanted to work at MHS when actually I still miss it. I left because I needed to be obedient to God's calling on my life. He was leading me to the next stage of growth for my family and our future. In this opportunity God was asking me, "Do you trust that my plan is better than yours?" 

I believe God presents frequent opportunities for us to make significant decisions to follow Him. Each time we have a chance to step out in faith and believe in His plan for our lives--even when it doesn't seem logical to others around us. Our confidence in God's leading will grow when we sacrifice what is personally important for what is eternally relevant.

Downpour

I grew up in Florida and it was simply understood that every summer afternoon we would have a thunderstorm that would send you scurrying inside. It would last for 30 to 60 minutes and then the sun would come back out and you could go venture out again into the 200% humidity.

I remember one nasty storm in particular. I was driving towards our local mall and the rain seemed to collapse on me out of nowhere. I was trying to see the road, but the deluge was so intense that my windshield wipers couldn't keep up with it. I literally could not see the end of the hood of my car and since I didn't have air conditioning my windows quickly fogged over. While I did not always make the smartest of decisions as a young man, in this instance I chose to pull over and wait for the downpour to abate before continuing. 

Sometimes it seems like this in our life as well. We are rolling along and then it feels like everything is falling down around us. Our vision becomes obscured, we are unable to process what is next, and we become afraid of what could be a potentially catastrophic collision. Even though the general consensus might be to forge ahead and push through the disturbance this might not necessarily be the best advice. There is often wisdom in pulling over to the side of road and resting as God clears the storm around you and gives you the vision to see what is next.

Life Span

We often have no idea how our lives are affecting others and how God will use things for great impact. As I have learned to spend more time in reflection, I can clearly see even the small personal interactions that have made a difference in who I am today. Some of those influences have been intentional and some were "coincidental" (not that I believe in that concept to begin with.) With the increase in social networking we are able to carry those relationships on over longer distances than was previously possible. While this can carry a potential for a negative influence the capacity for positive interaction makes the effort very rewarding. I'm grateful that God continues to show me those that have had an impact on me while giving me glimpses of the ripple effect of my life as well.

Tough Questions

I am preparing to preach this coming Sunday as we wrap up our "Man Up" series at Northridge. I am teaching on David as King and the example that he sets for us in how to lead the right way. In the midst of my preparation I wrote down two important questions for leaders--queries that made me carefully evaluate my own leadership. 

1. Why are you leading?

• What is your motivation?
• Are you self-serving or selfless

This answer will influence all of your decisions--especially the tough ones.

2. What is life like for those under your leadership?

• How would others describe the way you lead?
• What words would your spouse use to describe how you lead in your home?
• How is your attitude influencing your children? It is impacting them regardless of your intentions.

Caring leaders give thought to how those they lead are affected by their efforts. It's an honest assessment that is necessary for growth.