Maintaining Margin in Life and Ministry

Richard Swenson has been so helpful to many in his proclamation that all people should maintain a margin in their life.  What is margin?  Margin is the space on the outside of the pages.  It is the area not written upon.

Swenson, who is a medical doctor, argues that giving 100% of our energy and resources is pure foolishness.  It is like writing on every square inch of a page!  Unfortunately, life without margin is the new normal.  As Swenson states,

As a result, like in modern-day America is essentially devoid of time and space.  Not the Star Trek kind- the sanity kind.  Overload is the new normal.  We have too many choices and decisions, too many activities and commitments, too much change creating too much stress.  We have too much speed and hurry.  We have too much technology, complexity, traffic, information, possessions, debt, expectations, advertisements, and media.  And we have too little margin.

But if overload is the disease, then margin is the antidote.  To balance today's lifestyles, restoring our margin is a needed first step.  The vast majority of us are healthier if we draw a line somewhere short of overload, i.e., if we preserve some margin.

In Search of Balance, 90-91.

So how do we know if we struggle with not keeping margin in our life?  I find it is always easier to see how others struggle with this concept than it is to see it in ourselves!  Swenson gives us a great test to help us gain an accurate diagnosis.

When our margin is depleted and our reserves are gone, we shift emphasis.  Instead of being compassionate and caring in our attitude, we become apathetic or rude.  Instead of being outwardly focused in our service, we become self-protective.  Instead of pursuing innovation and productivity in our job, we become irritable and fatigued. (91)

I know at times in my life, I have really struggled maintaining proper margin.  In my life, one of the big causes of my lack of margin was my health.  I had always been a fairly healthy dude.  At least until I entered my mid-30s.  At that time, I struggled with a host of issues.  Thankfully, I figured out all of them were caused by some strange gluten allergy.  This untreated allergy caused my physical health to suffer, which impacted every area of my life including my spiritual fervor and devotion.  In my experience, it is hard to hear from God when you are too tired to stay awake!

I share this because many people confuse how their spirituality works.  As humans in a fallen world, we are so interconnected between our physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional dimensions.  I meet so many who struggle with their faith, but I think the reason for this struggle is a physical, mental, or emotional problem.  In my case, the physical issue robbed me of margin and left me without the energy to engage as I would wish.  No amount of spiritual, mental or emotional fixing was going to change my physical problem!

So, as we pursue margin in our lives and as we seek a deeper walk with God, check your physical, mental and emotional resources!  If you struggle with depression for chemical reasons, seek to fix the physical problem.  If you have emotional scars from past abuse, find a pastor or counselor to help you work through these emotional and mental bottlenecks!  Having issues in any area of life is not a sign of inability or laziness or lack of spiritual depth.  It is a mark of living in a fallen world.

I will conclude with Swenson's world about regaining margin.

Margin, rightly conceived, is not about laziness, mediocrity, and noninvolvement.  It is about focus, discipline, and self-control.  But mostly is it a prioritizing space where we concentrate on the things that matter most (balance!).

Restoring margin to overloaded lives is possible if we are willing to think creatively, live differently, act intentionally, and stop following the crowds to the malls.  Hundreds of practical margin suggestions have been written elsewhere to assist in such a lifestyle direction.  But the first step, as always, resides within each human heart. (93-94)

Pray for the grace to see if you need to regain margin.  Pray for the grace to see what is robbing you of your margin.  May the Lord bless you as you regain capacity to love others well!

The Week of The Stomach Virus

"So we do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, 

our inner self is being renewed day by day.

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us

an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,…"

2 Cor. 4: 16-18

One of the best parts of ministry is that there is always something different.  This past week was no exception!

A week ago, the first of my children came down with a stomach flu.  He spent a day miserable on the floor of the bathroom so he was close to the facilities.  This child catches stomach bugs easily, so we hoped for the best.

Then Wednesday night, another child proceeded to not only catch the bug, but spread the germs from his bed all the way to the bathroom through a huge river of vomit.  I cannot say I enjoyed the clean up disaster, but I did make do!

Thursday, another victim went down.  Friday claimed the fourth.  Saturday was my wife's turn.  The world is close to ending when the wife goes down with a stomach flu!

On Sunday, I felt fine but I figured with this kind of record, my days were numbered.  Worked through Sunday morning without difficulties.  Got ready for Sunday evening and took my customary 30 minute Sunday afternoon nap.  All appeared to be well.

Then I got up from the nap with a strange stomach pain and bloating.  O no!  Got ready for Sunday evening service.  My wife suggested I take a bucket.  My kids laughed about how I could be the preacher who goes viral on the internet by puking during the service and then continuing to preach.  I did not find this comforting or encouraging!

Got to church and did not feel well.  Did not feel awful, but not well.  Perhaps I could make it another hour?  Then during the prayer time, I was struck by a huge wave of nausea.  I have never had that happen before.  I hope never to have it again.  I hastily apologized for not being able to finish, I walked straight out of the service, I got home, ran straight to the bathroom, and I assumed the position.

It only took 12 hours to stop.  Another 12 of sleep to feel O.K.  New experiences abound!

Now that I am ready to return to the office, I do wonder what people thought.  I know there was absolutely nothing I could do except go viral on the internet, which was my greatest fear!  (thanks kids) 

Alas, God chooses to use such frail, cracked jars of clay. (2 Cor. 4:7)  I am sure He was and will be glorified even through my incredible weakness.  I was felled by a virus so small you cannot even see it!

My hope and prayer is that now that I have had this new experience, I don't ever need to have it again.

Church Revolution Needed

I have been thinking about this unsolicited advertisement since I read it.  The ad was for a book called Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore by Thom and Joani Schultz.  I am re-posting their post because I could not have said it better myself.  Love to know what you think. Premise: If the church does not change the way it does things, it will become the next Kodak company. Proof: Read on The Church’s Frightful Kodak Moment From author Thom Schultz We walked through the nearly empty, formerly flourishing space of the Kodak manufacturing plant near our home. The plant manager, a friend from church, sadly described how Kodak plants had been downsizing and closing ever since the advent of digital photography. “We have a wish here,” he said. “We just want to be the last one standing.” Kodak since abandoned most of its space on this campus. This week, the company announced the latest job eliminations. My friend from church is gone. And I wonder...Is the church the next to go the way of Kodak? I see some chilling parallels. Kodak dominated the photographic scene for more than 100 years. It commanded an 89 percent market share of photographic film sales in the United States. Almost everyone used the brand. And the company’s advertising language of a “Kodak moment” became part of the common lexicon. What happened since then has become a colossal story of failure and missed opportunities. A gigantic casualty in the wake of digital photography–a technology that Kodak invented. That’s right. Kodak engineer Steve Sasson invented the first digital camera in 1975. He later said, “But it was filmless photography, so management’s reaction was, ‘That’s cute, but don’t tell anyone about it.’” And the company entered into decades of agonizing decline, unable to perceive and respond to the advancing digital revolution. In 2012, this American icon filed for bankruptcy. How could this happen? Where did the leaders of this once-proud organization go wrong? And how might the American church, which has also entered a time of decline, resemble this story?   Signs of Demise 1. A misunderstanding of mission. Kodak’s leaders thought they were in the film business–instead of the imaging business. Their clutching of the traditional methodology clouded their ability to think about the real objective and outcome of their work. The same is happening in churches that confuse their methodologies and legacies with the real mission. Many church leaders believe they’re in the traditional preaching business, the teaching business, the Sunday morning formula business. Clinging to the ways these things have been done diverts the focus from the real mission of helping people today develop an authentic and growing relationship with the real Jesus. 2. Failure to read the times. Kodak’s leaders didn’t recognize the pace and character of change in the culture. They thought people would never part with hard prints. They derided the new technology. They assumed that people, even if they wandered off to try digital photography, would return to film-based photos for the perceived higher quality. People did not return. Similarly, church leaders who assume that the current church decline is just a cyclical blip will be left to sweep out the empty factories of 20th century religion. 3. Fear of loss. A central reason Kodak chose not to pursue digital photography in 1992 was the fear of cannibalizing their lucrative sales of film. Kodak had become a hostage of its own success, clinging to what worked in the past at the expense of embracing the future. The same tendency befalls churches. A pastor in our upcoming documentary, When God Left the Building, said his church will not make any changes to become more effective because someone will inevitably object and get upset. “We abdicate every time,” he said. “We just can’t lose any more members.” That congregation is already dead. They just don’t know it. Turning Around The Kodak story didn’t need to take such a dismal turn. And neither does the story of the American church. The times call for proactive steps for a brighter future if we’re willing to learn from others’ mistakes. Some thoughts to consider: 1. Accept and understand reality. Even though some of the decline is slow, it’s real. The American church is fading. (See the cold facts in our new book Why Nobody Wants to Go to Church Anymore.) Work through the data and the realities with your staff and lay leaders. Do not be misled by anecdotal glimmers of numerical growth in isolated examples. Examine the overall trends in the country. And look past the easy measures of butts in seats, and ask deeper questions about true spiritual vitality. And resist the temptation to defend the status quo. 2. Don’t just tweak. Revolutionize. Once digital photography began to take off, Kodak tried tweaking their old models. It was a case of too little too late. Many churches today are tweaking with cosmetic changes–in music, church names, and pastoral facial hair. A church leader in our documentary said if his traditional church would just install screens, the people will come. They won’t. It’s too late for tweaking. It’s time to re-examine everything we’re doing and re-evaluate. Ask big questions. Is the old Sunday morning formula of half sing-along and half lecture what works anymore? Is that performance on Sunday morning really how we want to define the sum total of the church anyway? 3. Take some risks. Experiment. Act now. At Group Publishing and Lifetree Cafe, we talk with hundreds of pastors and church leaders every week, many of whom are discouraged. As we brainstorm with them about changes they might try to enhance their ministries, some sink into paralysis. “People may not like the change,” they say. “What if it doesn’t work?” And we ask, “What are you afraid of?” It’s time to have some faith–faith that God will walk with the faithful who are willing to step out and risk a little love on his behalf. Try something. Experiment. Let your people experiment. Be bold. Don’t delay. Kodak failed and squandered tremendous opportunities because its leaders chose to defend the status quo. We can learn from their mistakes. And we have an additional resource on our side–God. He’s not giving up on his church. He’s already moving into the future. We need to muster the courage to move with him.

The Real Difficulties in Witnessing about Jesus

We want to see people come to know Jesus.  We want to see people in heaven with God forever.  We want to see people become devoted followers of Jesus Christ.  That's what you and I long for.  That's way you're reading this book.  You and I won't be satisfied until God's hand is stretched out and we're seeing more fruitfulness.

This chapter is about identifying and taking down barriers- old ways of viewing and doing evangelism. If we don't first understand what's holding us back, we won't be ready to embrace important new ideas.

Often when we start to make witness a passion and a priority, we run into a major barrier: our "boxes," mental models of ministry and evangelism that keep us from pouring our passion into new ways of witness.  If we are growing in our passion for witness but pouring our efforts and energy into the same structures and strategies we've always had, we will see little increase in fruitfulness.  After a time we will get discouraged and our passion will disappear.

Rick Richardson, Evangelism Outside the Box, 17.

Sharing your faith.  Evangelism.  Outreach to the lost.

So many people talk about these issues, but so few do them with regularity.

How could I say such a thing?  Are not most bible believing Christians interested in evangelism?  Yes, as a concept we are interested.  Unfortunately, it is like the old saying that we love the poor and the homeless in general, but having them around us makes us uncomfortable when faced with a specific person.

We know we should engage in active outreach.  We know and memorized the great commands of scripture (Matt. 28:19-20).  We know and have heard of the heroes of the faith who began and encouraged movements of grace by the power of the Holy Spirit (I think of Jonathan Edwards or the Wesleys).  Yet, I find most of us are more interested in the concept of outreach than we are in doing anything about it.

Why?

I think many of us are scared to death of witnessing for Jesus.

I think others are so self-consumed that they figure once they get their life in order they will begin witnessing (unfortunately this will never happen).

I think that many of us have false and misleading views of evangelism and outreach.  We think of a method or a knowledge base that we must know and understand so we can be effective witnesses.  We know what worked (sort of?) in the past, and we hold to this method as the best way to move forward in outreach.  Yet, the conditions never appear to be just right.  In time, we talk about evangelism and outreach, but we do very little to make it happen.

The beginning of Richardson's book helps us identify the "boxes" or categories we have firmly in mind when we think about "proper evangelism."  I say proper, because most of us have some notion of how it should be done.

While this is true for individuals, it is particularly true in churches.  As Richardson states,

It is my belief that most churches do not engage in effective evangelism and outreach because we corporately have invented, maintained, and enforced methods of thought and ministry that actually work against effective outreach.  

This is quite a mouthful and it could be taken as quite accusative.  I do not intend it to be!  I work as a church revitalizer.  I love the Church.  I wish to see each local body of Christ moving forward in effective ministry.  I believe following the NT pattern, a healthy church will be constantly growing deeper in the gospel and outward in ministry.  Such a church will be marked by at least 5-10% growth in new converts per year, and it will have many young believers who need to be discipled.

The problem is I work in a denomination where this is seldom the case with our established churches.  I also find that my denomination is not alone in our struggles for healthy growth!

So, what do we do?  We talk about outreach.  We spend money on programs.  We look for and reward those individuals and churches who have effective ministry.  Yet, nothing seems to change.  In fact, our churches grow older, we find less children in the pews, and we can see strange and scary handwriting on the wall that says something has to be done.

So, we talk more about outreach, we get a new leader/pastor, we spend money on programs, and often still nothing changes.

Is it hopeless?  Is growth and outreach into this culture impossible?

Perhaps it is if we expect that God will and must work through the same means as He did generations ago.  Perhaps the problem is not our passion for the lost, but our way of thinking about how to "do church" and "do outreach."  

I honestly do not believe that individual and corporate evangelism is particularly hard in today's world.  I find that people are open to talking and very needy!  The problem is that our methods of operating need to "fit" with the way people dialogue and think.  Notice I did not say our theology should adapt!  Most of the time this is not true.  If we lose the gospel, we have no real purpose and no real message.  

What needs to change is our methods of ministry.

Some individuals and churches will change easily while others just cannot make the transition.  In 20 years, those that change will still be going strong while those that refuse to address their ministry "boxes" will be ineffective and possibly closed.  Thankfully God in His sovereign love will raise up other churches and other denominations to reach this generation!

May our sovereign Lord raise up such leaders because the next generation needs to hear a fresh and anew the song of the gospel!

Learning the Gospel Truth

The remedy for our sin, whether scandalous or acceptable, is the gospel in its widest scope.  The gospel is actually a message: here I am using the word gospel as a shorthand expression for the entire work of Christ in His historic life, death, and resurrection for us, and His present work in us through the Holy Spirit.  When I say the gospel in its widest scope, I am referring to the fact that Christ, in His work for us and in us, saves us not only from the penalty of sin, but also from its dominion or reigning power in our lives.  This twofold aspect of Christ's great work is beautifully captured in Augustus Toplady's great hymn "Rock of Ages," with the words,

Let the water and the blood,

From thy riven side which flowed,

Be of sin the double cure,

Cleanse me from its guilt and power.

Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, 33.

It promises to be a very busy day in the midst of a very busy week.  Yesterday I began the theme of the gospel.  Today I wish to continue by borrowing heavily from a post from over a year ago.

What is the gospel?  It is the entire work of Christ!  Amen and amen.  So, why is this message not enough for many of us?

What a wonderful summary of the Gospel's content and action.  Bridges has been writing on this theme for almost thirty years.  In Respectable Sins, he is dealing with those sins that we as Christians often live with as acceptable and normal.

What sins might these be?  He argues that they are the modern expressions of those sins mentioned in scripture such as anxiety and frustration, discontent, unthankfulness, impatience and irritability, judgmentalism, and a lack of self-control.  I have not finished the book, but it has been good so far!

What particularly strikes me today is how the gospel is Christ-centered and Christ-focused.  The gospel is secure and powerful because Christ's work was finished and perfected with His resurrection.  There is absolutely nothing we can do to add to His finished work!  

Yet, how many of us live our Christian life as if His finished work is not enough?

In our mind, we affirm He is the answer; but in our real life, we labor to fix ourselves and our circumstances.  Somehow we have not learned how to appropriate His finished work into our life.

Does this mean that we are completely passive in the process of growth?  No, no, no.

The question is how are we active?  How does the Holy Spirit work to transform?

Here is where we often miss the Christian growth boat.  We buy into our cultural self-help and positive attitude ideas.

I would suggest that true Christian activity is found in applying the gospel.  Are we growing in active repentance and faith?  Do we daily and even more constantly remind ourselves of Christ's finished work and claim it as our own? Are we growing in dependence upon Jesus in every area of life?  These are the marks and areas of authentic Christian activity.

Why is it so hard to find folks whose life is so marked by such a lifestyle and its resulting grace?

I know all too often my life is marked more by worry and anxiety than repentance, rest, quietness and trust (Isaiah 30:15).  How can I tell?  My inner dialogue runs through my concerns, questions, fears, and doubts more than it turns to constant reflection upon the beauty and grace of Christ.  The irony is that people often tell me that I am marked less with worry and anxiety than most!  Am I just good at hiding it or is this an epidemic among modern folks?

What is the answer to this modern epidemic?

We must repent and believe the gospel.  Our worry and concern will not change a thing.  At least if it does change anything, it probably will be for the worse!

Lord Jesus, help us to learn how to trust.  Help us to never take your finished work for granted.  Lord Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner.  Have mercy on us a people who are often marked more by unbelief than by repentance and rest!

For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,

"In repentance and rest you shall be saved;

in quietness and in trust shall be your strength."

Isaiah 30:15

The Gospel is the Message of Christ

"The word evangelion ("the gospel") or evangelizdomai ("to declare the gospel") occurs so often in the New Testament that "clearly the term gospel is a kind of code word for many New Testament writers that summarizes something very basic regarding what the early Christians thought the Christian faith was all about.""

Darrin Patrick, Church Planter, 110.

Quoting James V. Brownson, Speaking the Truth in Love: New Testament Resources for a Missional Hermeneutic, 31.

I could not agree more with either Darrin Patrick or James Brownson.  The gospel is used so often that it surely was a code word, a loaded word, a pregnant word, that encapsulates the essence of the Christian message.

Yet, so many folks in the pulpit and in the pew do not give the term gospel proper respect.  For many, the gospel is the entry way into a relationship with God.  It is a message for non-believers.  It is something they already know and now it is time to get to deeper teaching.

There is no deeper teaching than the full implications of the gospel!

The gospel is the heart and soul of the Christian faith.  It is valid and needed in the life of both the seasoned saint and the not-yet believer.  It is the starting point for our spiritual journey, as well as the means of growth in grace.

The gospel, the declaration that Jesus' birth, life, death, and resurrection, is the key to understanding all meaning and purpose in life.  It is the message of Jesus.

Why did he have to be born and live a perfect life?

Because God loves the world- a world that is fallen into sin, death, and decay.

Why did Jesus have to die a death he did not deserve?

Because holiness demands payment/justice for sin, death, and decay.  His death paid the debt of sin against a holy God and His resurrection began the final defeat of sin, death, and decay.

What does this have to do with me?

It is all about direction.  Apart from Christ, we participate and grow in sin, death, and decay.  Apart from Christ means apart from faith/trust in His grace.  As we walk in self-effort, we wander deeper into sin, death, and decay.

On the other side, while walking in faith/trust in Christ, we participate and grow in holiness, life, and renewal.  The promise is that at death, the final vestiges of sin, death, and decay will be set aside; but until then, we struggle to grow in faith and trust.  As we reject self-effort for faith, God transforms our hearts so the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5) flows from the inside out.

Transformation occurs as we apply Christ's work to our life.  This application is made through repenting of our sin, which includes our religious self-effort, and resting in Christ's unending love and grace for us.

Again, until death this transformation is not complete.  Thus, the gospel is central in the life of the most seasoned saint as well as the not-yet believer.  It is True Truth.  

May this week be blessed with a growing recognition of our need for Christ's grace and mercy.  May we grow in repentance and faith so that we can participate and grow in holiness, life, and renewal.

Causes of Ministry Burnout

Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.  But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways.  We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

2 Corinthians 4: 1-2

As I was finishing my seminary training 15 years ago, I remember clearly being told that 10% of those who graduate with me will not make it past one year of ministry.  In other words, after tasting what ministry is all about, they will quit and do something, no anything else.  I remember clearly praying silently at that time, "Lord help me not to be one of those 10%!"

Why would folks go through all the pain of three plus years of graduate work, field training, and all the rest to quit soon after starting?  Why do an estimated 50% of those who finish their training and work in ministry quit sometime before celebrating 10 years in ministry?

The obvious answer is that ministry is hard work.  It has its own unique challenges.  It is often demanding labor where obvious results are expected but little authority or power is given to make it happen.  While it can be very rewarding, much of what happens in ministry goes unnoticed and is not appreciated.   It is also an occupation without great financial reward.  Most pastors and their families struggle at various times, particularly early in their career, to make ends meet.  With a qualified pastor's skill set, they can make much more in a much easier fashion in other occupations.  Furthermore, the work of ministry is never finished!  After a successful Sunday, the next Sunday is always coming.

I know these pressures are not unique to those who are in paid ministry.  I think many professional occupations share at least some of these characteristics.  Yet, few share all of them.

I also think many of these characteristics (with the exception of being paid) mark all of ministry.  If you are volunteering at a local church or mission, you will experience many of the same pressures.  I would also argue you will have the same destructive tendencies that mark many in paid ministry.

What are these tendencies?

First, most people in ministry are intense people-pleasers.  We love the passages of scripture that tell us to deny ourselves and serve.  We love the appreciation of those we help.  We long to be loved.  In fact, we are more than happy to give up power and authority as long as we are loved!

Second, most people in ministry live busy lives.  We like it that way!  In fact, if we are not responsible for something, we feel like we are letting God, ourselves, and others down.  Most people I know in ministry are in a constant struggle against the cultural tide of laziness and sloth.  We do not want to be marked by laziness.  We will often take on more responsibilities than we can handle because the tasks just need to be done.  Tying into the first mark of those in ministry, we are busy and driven to achieve by our desire to be loved and appreciated by others.

Finally, most people in ministry talk about God all the time.  What else would we talk about?  We meet with people, prepare bible studies, preparing for preaching, and pray in public all the time.  This is what is expected of us, and we are more than happy to do what is expected.  After all, it might get us more love, it helps feed our busyness, and it just seems right (thus enhancing our reputation!).

I am sure there are other tendencies that mark those in ministry, but I think these big three will do for now.  Are these tendencies bad?  Of course not!  Look at the other side of each tendency: we would be marked by careless disregard for the thoughts and opinions of others; we would be lazy, slow, and irresponsible; and we would not talk about God much.  Obviously such a person should not last long in any ministry situation!

The problem is that these tendencies can and often do lead to a spiritual dryness that eats us away from the inside out.  Not only is the job hard, but the natural direction of our soul is not toward wholeness and health.  Our natural direction is away from finding our rest and strength in the Lord.  Instead, we find it in the love and appreciation of others, in what we do and achieve, and in our outward reputation as a ministry leader.  If we are not careful, we become a shell of ministry performance wrapped around a desert of spiritual life and vitality.

What happens then?  We burn out.  We find creative ways to "sin out" so we can be fired.  We fake it until retirement.  Or we experience revival and renewal by the Spirit to transform our hard hearts and our ministries that lack passion. 

Alignment According to Mission

"Can you even imagine a quarterback fumbling and a lineman not jumping on the ball and instead saying something stupid like, "That isn't my job"?  Companies all over America are failing because they have allowed a culture of leaders and teams who don't care about the goal, but just about themselves.  When the team care only about themselves, they are by definition no longer a team, they are just employees.  As soon as that happens, the germ of failure has entered the organization.  When failure occurs like that it is leadership and the team's fault.  There was no clearly communicated shared goal that created buy-in from all parties."

Dave Ramsey, EntreLeadership, 41.

I love reading leadership books.  This past Christmas, a new attendee at First gave me Dave Ramsey's EntreLeadership.  I have known of Dave's financial teaching since our time in Nashville, which is the Ramsey empire's home base.  I had heard of this book, but I had never read it.

Let me say, I think it is fantastic!  I would recommend it for anyone who is looking for either the foundations and vision for a successful business or for some tips and techniques that can make leadership easier.  It is in my top five of leadership books.

The above quote comes from a section on leadership of a business.  Of course, I also work to apply this to the leadership of a church.  While the Church is the bride of Christ and She is beautiful in spiritual power, the local church and denominations are systems functioning in a fallen world.

In other words, the local church system is in need of advice and improvement because every major issue that can happen in business can happen in the church.  In fact, it is often much more difficult because "the employees" are mostly volunteers.  Without volunteers, no church can survive.  We love our volunteers!

Yet, what happens when a volunteer or a group of volunteers care only/primarily about themselves?

At that time, as Dave says, "The germ of failure has entered the organization."

In other words, just like a business, a church has to be constantly reminded and realigned according to its mission.  What holds the volunteers together and fosters proper discussion and debate about the day-to-day is a commitment to a common vision/mission.

Aw!  Here is the rub!

Jesus gave us the Great Commission.  He gave us the greatest commandments.  He modeled and told us that the call of the Church is for the World, not for itself.

Yet, often we fall into the same traps that every business struggles against.  How do we play like a team?  How do we get volunteers to buy into the team concept?  What happens to those who choose not to play on the team, but instead follow their own rules and play their own game?

These questions are the joy of leadership!  Answering them biblically and decisively are the essence of what it means to be leader in the Church.  May the Lord raise up more leaders who are willing to accept this difficult but rewarding task.

All that Pertains to Life and Godliness

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire."

2 Peter 1: 3-4

It amazes me how quickly we can move from a position of walking in faith to walking in our own strength and resources.  At least, I know I can make this move so quickly it makes my head spin!

God has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness.  How?  Where?

Through the knowledge of him who called us.

In other words, through the grace and mercy and power and love of Jesus.

It is all about growing in the knowledge of our loving Lord.  Such a relationship grants us access and assurance us of all the promises of God.  Such a relationship changes us from the inside out.  It transforms our heart.  It changes our relationship to the world.  

The knowledge of Christ is everything in the Christian life.  

In other words, true faith is central to all we do.  It is the mark of a transformed heart.  It works from the heart outward to transform every aspect of our life.  Faith gives us life and godliness.  It gives power to escape the corruption of this anti-gospel world.

Do you enjoy and live in this place of faith?  Do you know the power and grace of the Lord?

I just shared that often I do not!  What can we do?

Repent of our silly and ineffective self-effort.  Turn from these fruitless paths and look upon Jesus.  Ask Him to make the promises real.  Ask Him to change your heart.

Lord, have mercy on me a sinner.  This is a prayer He always answers!

To do lists and Walking with God

"Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Mat. 4: 17

I love my Monday morning to do list.  Having time to reflect upon the last week and plan for the new week gets me excited.  I always look forward to what the Lord will do next!

This week, as I am preparing for "what's next" I am amazed at how my life can get caught up in the urgent, but not important things.  Last week, I attempted to tear my ankle off my body while playing basketball.  The result was an entire week with a swollen and painful ankle that needed ice and elevation to keep the swelling down.

What a distraction!

This was coupled with a fast hitting cold that appeared suddenly at the end of week.  It was nothing major, and a box of tissues later I am on the mend.

Still, last week I did not get everyone done that I planned to do last Monday.  The week did not go as I planned!

This Monday, I am making a new list.  I am also reflecting upon the truth that true life is found in the midst of distractions.  In other words, our lives were never meant to be a "to do" list.  In the daily rhythm of life, including all the distractions, we are to discover and enjoy the presence of the Lord.   A mark of maturity is learning to walk with God in the midst of all that life is about.

I must confess that I have been slow to learn these lessons.  I can easily be a driven man- a man who gets many things done.  In fact, I grow in frustration as I find I am not getting done all that I wished to complete.  When I find my frustration growing, I must make a list of all I need to finish, with how long I think it will take to do each activity, and then I make a plan to complete the list.  

The question comes, where does God fit into my often-driven, often-distracted life?  Where does God fit into my to-do lists?

By the Lord's grace, He has gently lead me to grow in several ways.  First, He is the one who has made me to be how I am.  My ability to get much done because of planning is a gift from Him.  It is not sin, but part of my created good.  I must remind myself to make my lists so I keep on track!

Second, even though I do get much completed and I am organized, I am not measured by God according to what I do or accomplish.  This has been the toughest lesson of all!  Jesus loves me even on days I struggle to get anything done on my "to do" list!  I now find that my biggest struggle is believing this truth.

How do I do it?  I have learned that life is not about what I do or don't do, but it is about walking in repentance and faith with my Father.  So even as I complete the many tasks on my radar, I must repent of my heart's desire to use the completion of tasks as the measurement of my life.

I believe that part of my frustration (otherwise known as anger!) with distractions and not completing tasks is my core heart belief that I am measured by what I do.  I need to repent of this idol!  I so much need the love and mercy of Christ poured out within my soul by faith.  When I find my satisfaction in Christ's love, I know joy and love that transforms my day.  It is found when I walk in a state of constant repentance and faith.

Repentance and faith.  There are those words again!  I need them so much.  So do you.  So does the Church.  So does all who live on this fallen earth!

Why have we made our Christian walk about so much else other than repentance and faith?  Why have we made worship of the Living God about everything but repentance and faith?

The first words of Jesus' ministry should give us a clue as to what he was about.  His first message was "Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near."  Repent!  Confess the reality of your sin and your need for God's mercy.  This is a message that all of us need to internalize and believe.  It is a message that rings true to the life of a long-time disciple of Jesus as well as the life of the most seasoned pagan.  Repent and believe in Jesus for in Him is the Kingdom of heaven.

Is this message the centerpiece of your life?  If not, why?  What else do you see as bringing you closer to God and thus closer to the person He has made you to be?  Ask the Holy Spirit to search you and point out anything that you trust in apart from Jesus to bring you life and joy.  

Repent and walk in faith so you can keep the Main thing, the Main thing.

Dry Spirituality, Illness, Depression and Hope

"Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation and my God."

Ps. 42: 5

Psalm 42 begins with the affirmation and cry, "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.  My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.  When shall I come and appear before God?"

Today this Psalm brings to mind some other questions.  If I belong to Jesus, the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who reigns forevermore at the right hand of the Father, why don't I always feel like it?  Why are some days and even seasons of life so spiritually dry?

In other words, I sometimes find that reading Ps 42 and others like it makes me feel like God and the scriptures are mocking me.  Why?  My heart does not thirst for the living God!  My soul is downcast, and I don't want to praise Him.

What am I to do?  What are you to do if you find yourself in the same place?

I firmly believe that all of us end up in this place.  If our vision of spirituality does not have a place for these feelings, we won't know how to process where we are and why we find ourselves so down.  As a pastor, this place is where I find many honest, sincere, and scared believers.

There is hope!  Jesus does reign and He is Lord.  He loves you.  We must hold to these truths even if we don't feel like it.

The problem is that we live in a fallen world where is victory is already here, but not yet complete.  Have no fear.  In fact, have faith and claim the reality that God is working through it all.  Our struggles, fears, and doubts can purify and perfect our very imperfect faith.

So why do we feel this way?  There are many reasons.  Let me give one.

As I wrote in my journal many moons ago, "It is amazing the tie between our spirituality and our health.  I feel this is so often forgotten or ignored.  When I do not feel well, it is hard to feel Your presence and love.  You might be carrying me (think of the poem Footprints in the Sand), but I do not feel the embrace."

Every week I have the privilege and calling to deal with folks who struggle with depression and anxiety.  I find these folks feel the same way I do when I am sick!  Their physical issues cause a spirit of dryness.

In Psalm 42, the Psalmist confesses that he has been crying and he feels taunted by those who ask, "Where is your God?"  I do not think these folks are mocking him, but saying, "Where is your faith?  Don't you know that God is faithful?"  How often as believers do we do the same to those who are struggling!  How often do we as believers beat ourselves up when we are struggling!

The Psalmist answers his doubts and struggles with an affirmation of the gospel.  He confesses where he is: struggling for his very life and faith!  He then reminds himself over and over again of God's faithfulness in the past.  He also affirms that this present reality of struggle will not last forever.  In fact, he affirms God's faithfulness by repeating the same verse twice in this Psalm.

Why are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation and my God.

Ps 42: 5 and 11

Please remember there is a direct tie between our health (physical and mental) and our spirituality.  Such a tie is a result of being embodied spiritual beings!  Jesus understands as he also was at times tired, emotionally drained, hungry, and deeply saddened.  Illness is not weakness.  It is a result of the Fall, but it is common to us all.

When struggling confess you are struggling and look to the gospel!  Remind yourself of God's past work and His promise of a good future.  I encourage you to use Psalm 42 as a guide.