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Chris Patton

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Do You Require The Show?

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I had an interesting experience recently and it got me thinking about our culture today. Whether we are talking about church or business or even our schools, it seems more and more that members of the audience require “The Show” before they will engage. Have you seen this to be the case?

the show

Perfectly Clear Message?

I was in church recently and listened to one of the clearest and most detailed explanations of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus. This was one of those rare instances in my experience when the actual meaning of discipleship was being presented in a way that even a 4th grade student could fully understand.

I was so excited because I think this topic is not discussed frequently enough these days. As I looked around to check the engagement of the audience, I was shocked to see so many that looked like they had checked out! I could not believe it!

No Engagement?

Before I go any further, please know that I KNOW I cannot read everyone’s minds. I KNOW I am only making some assumptions here, but believe you will agree with me if you think about it.

The more I tried to figure out the reason for the many blank stares, the more I became convinced that the problem was the lack of “The Show”. What I mean is that this particular message did not use pictures, lasers or lights, smoke, or music. In this case, the pastor was simply teaching.

Is Something Wrong?

What’s wrong with that? Well, in my opinion, there is nothing at all wrong with that. But my opinion is not the one that mattered in this situation. It was the opinion of the audience members that seemed to say, “You are not entertaining me right now, therefore I am checking out on you.”

I attend a contemporary service at our church. I like it and enjoy the atmosphere. At the same time, I have watched over time how this kind of service continues to evolve.

This is not bad necessarily, but it seems it is becoming more and more difficult to “entertain” the church members in such a way as to hold their attention and teach them. This is the part that I believe is a problem.

Is “The Show” Required?

Am I wrong for thinking this? Maybe. Is this the only setting where this seems to be a problem? I don’t think so.

Take our kids for example. From the time kids are old enough to hold a cell phone or tablet, most are being entertained by something virtually every hour they are awake.

This pattern holds true in the classrooms today as teachers must get more and more creative with “The Show” in order to hold the attention of their students past a handful of minutes. Don’t believe me? Ask a teacher!

Training, Too?

I have seen the same dynamic when training in our business. Unless there is constant changing of the scenery or some sort of electronic gadgetry holding their attention, many employees begin to mentally check out.

Don’t believe this? Next time you are sitting in a training session, count how many are peeking at their cell phones!

So what is my point?

What About Us?

Rather than ranting about how our society is turning into a bunch of mindless entertainment-seekers, I actually want to bring the spotlight back to you and me.

Do WE require “The Show”?

Do we have to go to a conference or hear a dynamic speaker to be convinced that our lives should follow the pattern given to us in Scripture? Do we need flashing lights and loud music to get our attention before we will accept truth and apply it to our lives and businesses?

This Is A Problem

Folks, if we do, then I think we are in pretty bad shape. I am not an expert in human behavior, but I can recognize that this is a problem.

I do not believe that “The Show” is all bad. There is some good to it, in moderation. However, given our current path, it IS my opinion that “The Show” will eventually take over and there will be no more room for the truth.

Instead of requiring the show, I believe we should be willing and able to sit down with the Bible, learn truth from it, and apply that truth to the way we live our lives and run our businesses. Does it really need to be more complicated than this?

Reflection

Think back to the last time that you were able to learn from a simple transfer of information – minus the hooplah. Can you remember it? If so, congratulations. If this is common for you, then that is fantastic! Teach someone else how you do it!

On the other hand, if you cannot remember situations when you have learned without “The Show”, then I encourage you to begin trying to reverse this path. As I have said before, you can start small. But start.

Do you agree that “The Show” is becoming a problem?

Do you require “The Show” or can you learn without it?

Do you think “The Show” could eventually replace the truth?

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Entitlement – Whose Problem Is It?

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You give and give and give. You do your best to say, “Yes” to any reasonable request from them. Then one day, you have to say, “No.” That’s when things go south quickly. While it may sound like I am describing my experience as the parent of teenagers, I am actually talking about entitlement among employees and coworkers!

entitlement

Entitlement In The Workplace

Have you ever experienced this kind of situation before? Maybe your experience with entitlement is limited to one or two employees or coworkers over your career. Maybe it is something you learned how to correct long ago. It might be something you are dealing with right now.

Whatever the case, entitlement is an attitude or mindset that is prevalent in our culture these days. Most likely, you have had to deal with this disease at one time or another in your career. While I wish I could say our society has improved in this area, I actually think it has become more of a problem than ever before.

In fact, I have heard multiple conference speakers talk about how the new generation of young adults (Gen Y) coming up has this problem worse than any other generation in memory. I know we have seen our share of entitlement show itself in our business. I am betting you have as well.

Answer This Question

Now that I have you worked up and thinking about the specific employees or coworkers that you think have the most extreme cases of entitlement, I want you to answer one question…

When did YOU last get frustrated when something did not go your way?

Wait a minute! Weren’t we just talking about all of those other people who have the problem with entitlement? Weren’t we all agreeing how bad our society is and how tough it is to deal with entitlement in the workplace? How did the focus turn back to us?

Remove The Log

Well, I guess those are fair questions. My answer is that we must first eliminate entitlement in ourselves before we attempt to address it in others. If I recall, Jesus said something about removing the log in our own eye first (Matthew 7:5). I think that applies here as well, don’t you think?

In case you need a refresher, entitlement is defined as the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment. At first glance, you may not see this behavior in yourself. That’s understandable. However, I would like to linger here a moment and let you think on a deeper level.

Taken For Granted?

Think about the daily conveniences that you (might) take for granted. When you flip the light switch, the light should come on. When you go to shower, there should be hot water. At least, there should be water, right? Your “fast” food should be fast…and hot…and available. I could go on…

To be fair, I must admit that I just returned from a 5 day mission trip to Haiti.

On this trip, I witnessed the worst poverty I have ever seen. I was not only shocked at the depth of it. I was completely and totally overwhelmed at the breadth of it. I saw almost nothing but extreme poverty. If you have never experienced it, you will not truly grasp what I am saying. I thought I knew what poverty looked like, but I had significantly underestimated it.

Joy In Harsh Conditions

You want to know what else I saw? I got to spend four days with 34 orphans that lived in the toughest conditions but exhibited more joy and gratitude than those who live in the luxury of the US. I cannot adequately describe to you the distinct difference between their mindset and that of American children their age – even American adults of ANY age.

In fact, their attitudes would blow your mind.

As I said, I cannot possibly describe my experience in a way that completely communicates the experience. Instead of attempting it, I will simply move on to my main point for this post.

Self Assessment

We are all spoiled and, to some degree, guilty of entitlement ourselves. Forget the employees or coworkers that frustrate us with this behavior. There is more than enough opportunity for improvement right here in the mirror to last for a while. If this is not true for you, then I congratulate you. You are better than me.

However, if you have a sneaky feeling that you might be guilty of entitlement, then I encourage you to stop and take an inventory of your feelings. Pray about it and ask God to reveal the truth to you…slowly, so you can handle it. If He dumps it on you all at once, it can be difficult!

Where do you see entitlement in your own life?

Do you see the need to remove it?

What do you see as the antidote to entitlement?

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7 Reasons Your Eternal Goals Are Short Sighted, Part 2

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[This is the third post in a series about setting goals that have an underlying eternal purpose.]

In the first post, I explained eternal goals – what they are and why they are important. In my last post, we began looking at the 7 reasons why most people neglect to set eternal goals. We used one of my personal goals for 2015 to illustrate these reasons.

eternal goals 2

Today, I want to jump right in and go through the rest of the 7 reasons. Let’s do it!

Reason #4 – I Can’t Know For Sure If I Have Hit Them

A critical part of an effective goal-setting process is having a very clear way to know when you have achieved the goals. When you first start talking about eternal goals and the results you want, it does seem like it would be impossible to know if you have achieved them or not.

That is another reason for us to base our eternal goals on activities that we believe will best LEAD to the eternal results. We must trust God for the actual eternal results, but we can certainly do what is within our control to give us the best odds at eternal impact.

Using my example of wanting to impact more people for eternity through my blog, the measurement I chose was email subscriber count. Like I said before, it is not perfect. However, it is measurable and I can know if I hit the goal. I have to rely on God to turn that count into eternal impact.

Reason #5 – These Goals Cause Abnormal Behavior!

This is a tough one. It is tough because it is true. Seeking to set and achieve eternal goals will absolutely drive you toward behaviors that are not common or normal in today’s culture.

At the same time, Jesus called us to be salt and light. We are going to stand out from the crowd if we follow His calling. The sooner we get comfortable with this idea, the greater the impact we will have!

Reason #6 – Eternal Goals Conflict With My Current Goals

Much like Reason #5, this is also potentially true. Many people set goals to save a certain amount of money by the end of the year. Or maybe their goal is to buy a new house. These goals are not bad in and of themselves.

Unfortunately, there CAN be conflict when we begin to think about giving and other similar ways to achieve eternal impact. For me, I have a goal for our family to give a certain percentage of our income to faith-based efforts. The money we want to give could make other large ticket purchases difficult or impossible.

Conflict like this is best resolved by seeking godly advice and counsel from accountability partners and trusted advisers as well as prayer and study of the Bible. This conflict is greatly reduced when your goal-setting process begins with prayer and includes an eternal perspective from the start.

Reason #7 – I Cannot Fully Control The Results

For those of us who are “Type-A” personalities, this can be one of the toughest reasons to overcome. We want our goals to be based on our own performance. We do not want to rely on someone else to help us hit our goals.

Maybe that mindset works in individual sports, but it absolutely will not work when it comes to spiritual matters – even goal setting. We are designed by God to need Him. We are incomplete and cannot achieve anything meaningful or of lasting value without Him. We must accept this and set our goals accordingly.

While I cannot control the eternal impact He creates with my writing, I CAN control the activities that LEAD to that impact. I set my goals based on controllable activities and leave the rest to Him. I am usually surprised at the results!

Summary

Like I said earlier, most people have never set eternal goals. After going through the most common reasons for this and explaining how to set these goals, I hope you are more comfortable with attempting it going forward.

I have also given you this advice before: start small and feel free to contact me with questions! Try this with one goal and see how it goes. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the results!

Have you started with an eternal goal yet?

What is holding you back from jumping in?

Who are you getting to hold you accountable?

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7 Reasons Your Goals Are Short Sighted

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I do not argue that the timing of talking in March about setting goals is a little off. Anyone that sets annual goals likely did so in December. By now, they have either made great progress toward them or have given up on them altogether. Hopefully you are in the first group. Either way, very few have actually set eternal goals and that is what I want to discuss!

goals

In my last post, I talked about eternal goals and what they are. I also gave you a list of the most likely reasons why most people have never set them. I told you we would try to respond to those reasons, using some examples from my own 2015 goals in the process.

Let’s just take one reason at a time from the list and respond to it:

Reason #1 – I have never thought about it.

Okay, so this is probably the number one reason most people have never set eternal goals. It is a legitimate reason in that I don’t think I have ever heard of a book, webinar, or other learning tool that mentions setting eternal goals.

At the same time, since you have read my post you can no longer use this reason! Therefore, I will not spend a lot of time on this one.

Reason #2 – I don’t know how to set eternal goals.

Even if you have thought about setting eternal goals before, it is likely that your next thought was that you had no idea where to start. The funny thing is that you actually do know how to set them, but you don’t even realize it.

Setting an eternal goal is not really that different from setting a normal (shorter-term) goal. In fact, they often look exactly like normal goals, but there is an underlying eternal purpose to the goal.

For example, one of my 2015 goals is to triple the number of people subscribing to this blog. While this looks like a normal goal, the main point of this goal is not actually increasing subscribers. The point is that the more subscribers there are, the greater the opportunities for impact!

In setting this goal, here are the steps I took:

  • I determined my purpose: I want to help Christian business owners leverage their business for eternal return.
  • I decided how to achieve that purpose: I want to reach more business owners with continuously improving content.
  • I chose the most effective and simplest way to measure my path to that impact: I decided that increasing my subscriber count is the best measurement for my goal of eternal impact.
  • I established a stretch goal for this measurement: This part is the same as for a normal goal.
  • I put it in writing and enlisted accountability partners: I have shared my goals with my wife and a small group of peers that are pushing me hard!

Reason #3 – Eternal goals are too tough to measure.

As I showed you in my example above, I realize I cannot actually measure the eternal impact I am having with my blog. I can only tell you stories and point to actual events that we would all agree reflect eternal impact. The problem is physically measuring this impact.

If we are going to move past this problem, we must accept that measurement for these goals will not be perfect. Once we are willing to agree to this, the task becomes easier.

The next step is to focus on activities that will LEAD to the impact you desire. For me, increasing my subscriber count is not the perfect measurement. At the same time, the activities that are necessary for me to achieve this increase in subscriber count will certainly lead me to greater impact.

Remaining Reasons Next Time

I have run out of room for this post, but I will pick up where I left off next time. I hope you are seeing that eternal goals are not that difficult. In fact, I really hope you take a look at your current goals and see where you might be able to modify them for your own eternal impact! If you have not set goals for 2015, now is the time to start!

Which of these reasons have caused you not to set eternal goals?

Can you see some ways to modify your current goals for eternal impact?

What needs to be your next action?

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Have You Set Your Eternal Goals?

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I am sure your first thought is to ask why I am talking about goals when we are so far past the first of the year! Isn’t that a topic for January? Haven’t most people given up on their goals for the year already? You may also be asking what I mean by eternal goals. Good questions! Let’s see if we can answer them!

eternal goals

Goals In March?

First of all, I am talking about goals in March because some of you have already given up on your goals for the year. Maybe you have not completely given up on them, but you are likely getting into the messy middle in some of them. In others, you never got out of the starting blocks.

Whatever the case, we are going to talk about goals because you need to talk about them. If you are stuck, then this is the perfect time to jump back in with a renewed energy! I am hereby holding you accountable to those goals and encouraging you to get back in the game.

Eternal Goals?

At the same time, I want to know – how many of your goals for this year are eternal goals? To be more clear, how many of your goals for 2015 have an eternal consequence as the motivation for the goal? Still not tracking with me? Let me explain.

I am assuming you are in business and you have a strong desire to integrate your Christian faith into your business. That is great, but WHY do you desire that? Hopefully, you recognize that God is the true owner of your business or job and that you are simply a steward for a time.

Purpose Of Business

Sure, your business has the purpose of providing for your family’s food, shelter, clothing, education, etc. It can also provide for your enjoyment of this life God has given you, right? But that is not where it stops. He gave you this business for a bigger purpose. He wants a return on His investment (Matthew 25:14-30)

Hopefully, you want to bring Him an eternal return because you realize that He does not need a material or financial return. He already owns it all! Therefore, you know that the only way to bring God the return that He does not already possess is to impact other souls for eternity by pointing them to Him.

Goal Alignment?

If all of this makes sense to you, then how well are your 2015 goals aligned with this ultimate measure of your work here on earth? Which of your annual goals can also be labeled eternal goals? Which of your goals, if achieved, will have an eternal impact on those around you now and those to come after you are gone?

If some of your goals are easily categorized as eternal goals, then congratulations! You are certainly on track to have the eternal impact God has in mind for you. If not, please do not get frustrated or lose heart. You are not alone!

Reasons For Lack Of Eternal Goals

In fact, there are many reasons why many of us have not already set eternal goals. Below is a list of some of these reasons. See if any of these apply to you and your situation.

    1. I have never thought about it.
    2. I really don’t know how to set eternal goals.
    3. Eternal goals are too tough to measure.
    4. I can’t know for sure if I have hit them.
    5. These goals are not normal or cause abnormal behavior.
    6. Eternal goals conflict with my current goals.
    7. I cannot fully control the results of these goals.

What Will You Do About It?

I am sure you can think of additional reasons, but I think this list is a good start. So now that we know why we have not set eternal goals, what are we going to do about it? Surely we won’t just stop here and say, “Oh well. Maybe next year.” It’s not too late to take action, is it?

I am so glad you asked! In my next post, I will try to respond to the above list of reasons by using examples from my 2015 goals. I will walk you through my thought processes and see if you can gain some perspective that will help you set your own eternal goals!

Do you already set your own eternal goals every year?

What process do you go through to do this?

If you have never thought about eternal goals, what is your next step?

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Is Your Life Like Your Closet?

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I recently had to clean out my closet at home. After ten years without doing it, the accumulation of stuff and clothes that no longer fit had finally gotten out of hand. I finally recognized the need and set aside the time to clean it. In the process, I was reminded of a truth about life that all Christians need to learn. If you cannot see the connection between a clothes closet and a life truth, then read on!

closet

Organizing My Closet

Obviously, I first had to go through everything in my closet and determine whether I would keep it, give it away, or trash it. I went through work clothes, play clothes, socks, shoes, etc. I think you get the idea.

Once I did that, I figured I would take the opportunity to reorganize the entire closet. I know, that may be a little OCD, but I liked the idea and ran with it. I went to WalMart and bought a couple of cheap cloth baskets for socks, tshirts, etc. I placed these in line on my shelves.

I moved my work clothes to one side and put my casual clothes to the other side. I made sure my work shoes were easily accessed while the others were off to the side. My ties (fewer now because I got rid of those with stains or those too wide!) were placed on the tie rack in the corner and my belts moved to the other corner.

Each Had Its Place

When I was done, I stepped back in pride. I had found a nice, neat area for each type of clothing and accessory. While my closet may not win any HGTV awards for creativity or design, I had achieved what I had set out to do. I had compartmentalized the area and each part had its place.

As I stood there, I remembered the life truth I mentioned at the beginning of this post. If given the opportunity, many Christians will do the exact same thing with their faith as I did with my socks. Stick with me and I think you will see what I mean.

Separate Life Compartments

Too often, we as Christians compartmentalize our lives. We have time for our family. We allocate time for our work. We may prioritize some time with friends and/or hobbies. We also make sure we give time to our faith. Each area of our lives has its own time allotment.

Some of these areas overlap at times (friends and faith, family and hobbies, etc.), but for the most part they are each kept within their own compartment. This is especially true of our faith.

Maybe we have friends at church, but it is unlikely we are regularly and intentionally meeting with them to grow in our faith together. We don’t talk much about our faith with some of our other friends or family because they might get offended.

Faith And Workplace Separate?

We don’t allow our faith to enter our workplace for the same reason. Or it might be that we feel our faith will limit our ability to do business profitably. Surely God would not want that, right? Work is for Monday through Friday, family on Saturday, and we give God our Sundays. That is the way it has always been.

Unfortunately, the way it has always been is wrong. God does not want our Sundays (only). He wants our Mondays through Saturdays as well. He wants our time with family and our time with friends.

God Wants Our ALL!

God wants to be a part of our hobbies and our social lives. He wants to live in our workplace and direct our business decisions. There is not a single part of our lives that God does not want. He wants it all. Want proof?

Let’s just ask Jesus. He should know the answer, right? Jesus, what is the most important truth for us to remember in life?

Love the Lord your God with ALL of your heart, with ALL of your mind, and with ALL of your soul. This is the first and greatest commandment (emphasis mine).
Matthew 22:37-38

God IS Our Closet

Folks, we may need to compartmentalize our closets, garages, or work desk. Separate areas for separate items can be helpful for an organized mind. However, this is not true for our lives when it comes to our faith and our relationship with God.

In life, our faith in and relationship with God IS our closet. It IS our life. Everything else can have its separate place WITHIN our faith, but nothing we have or do should be separate from this faith. Our relationship with God permeates every aspect of our lives.

There is no other way to live out the Greatest Commandment.

What About Your Business Life?

Take a look at your business or work life. Reflect on how God is a part of this area of your life. If He is, what can you do to allow Him to be more involved. If He has not yet been allowed into this part of your life, then pray about how you can turn it over to Him.

The ultimate goal is for Him to fully control this area (along with all other areas) of your life, with you as the passenger and Him as the driver. That is a tough position to reach, but the more you prepare for it, the easier it becomes.

Is your life compartmentalized like your closet?

If you changed it at one time, has it drifted back?

What action do you need to take next?

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What I Learned From My Reader Survey

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Last month, I completed my very first Reader Survey. I have been writing this blog for 3.5 years now and I am ready to take it up a level. In order to do this, I felt it was critical to get your feedback about what you like best, what could improve, and any other ideas that might come from a survey.

survey

Reader Survey Results

I had 71 responses overall. This represents just over 15% of the number of email subscribers currently receiving my posts. My goal was to exceed 20%, but I think 15% was acceptable for a first effort. I know I got enough consistent feedback to give me the direction I need moving forward.

I have heard from the results that some of you are interested in the results, so I thought I would summarize them in this post. First I will give you a profile of the typical reader. Then I will tell you the five conclusions I reached based on the comments and suggestions offered.

Reader Profile

Let’s start with the profile:

  • My typical reader is male (72%) and falls between the ages of 45 to 64 (also 72%).
  • He is a business owner, entrepreneur, or a leader/employee in a business (65%).
  • He lives in the U.S. (86%) and his household income is over $75,000 (62%).
  • He has been integrating his faith and his work for years (64%).
  • His favorite topics have been Personal Growth (63%), Leadership (59%), and Business Practices (51%).
  • He has recommended my blog to others (58%).
  • He is most active on LinkedIn (86%) and Facebook (71%).
  • He prefers to read my blog via email (57%).

Since this is my first survey, I will be interested to watch how these demographics change over time. I will keep you updated as I complete future surveys.

My Conclusions

Now, let me share what I have learned from this survey. While I took lots of notes and learned more than this, I will share the main 5 lessons I gleaned from your feedback. The following five conclusions stood out above the rest.

1. Keep focusing on application!

    I heard loud and clear that you like that I most often focus on content that is easily applied to what you do. Like me, I understand that you are interested in reading about topics that you can take and apply to your own situation. This is cool to me because this was my number one goal from the beginning! I will commit to maintaining this focus.

2. Keep it real!

    I am so thankful that the way I write seems to resonate with you. I am not fancy or scholarly. I simply write the way I think – real, honest, and to the point. Your feedback told me to keep it this way. Evidently, most of you are as busy as I am and don’t have time for eloquent, fluffy posts about theory. Good thing – I can’t write any other way!

3. Keep the mix as/is!

    Your two favorite topics are also my top two most-frequent categories as well (Personal Growth & Leadership). For the most part, my mix of topics matches very well with your preferences. Since this mix has not been something I consciously determine, I will continue taking my own advice (and yours): I will continue to let God lead the content!

4. Keep it short(er)!

    Another clear message from the survey results – you prefer posts that are short and to the point. You do not have time to read lengthy posts. In fact, there were a few that would like to see my posts a little shorter. My focus going forward will be to work harder to keep the length down without sacrificing the message. When it makes sense, I will break a longer post into two or three to help with this.

5. Add some variety!

    I received many good ideas about what I could add to the blog to make it more useful to you. These ideas included doing more book reviews and adding video content. There was also the idea of taking time to go through Proverbs and apply it to business. I love the ideas and have already started working on some of them. Give me some time, but you will see some of these implemented in the not-too-distant future.

Thank You!

Overall, this survey was a great experience for me. I have received many new ideas from your comments and suggestions. I promise to take your feedback to heart and I hope you will see the benefits moving forward. Thank you for taking the time to give me your thoughts. I am grateful!

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Obedience Can Be Bad For You!

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When my children were not yet adolescents, I struggled to teach them about our fourth quality of godly leaders. Before you think I am some super-dad that started them that young on this kind of teaching, think again. I wish I was that good! Sure, I was trying to teach them about radical, immediate obedience, but not necessarily in the context of godly leadership.

obedience

Obedience Needed

Picture our family, my wife and I and our three kids (all under 10 years old), trying to cross the road to head into church on a Sunday morning. My son notices a friend across the street and breaks into a run to go talk with them. At the same time, a truck is 30 feet away and heading quickly toward him. Got the picture?

Now, as a responsible and protective dad, I yell out for my son to stop running.

Kinds Of Obedience

What happens if he obeys, but not immediately? Maybe he takes another couple of steps toward his friend. Now walking, he turns his head back toward me to see if I am serious. What happens to him?

What if he obeys by stopping, but he waits and stops in the middle of the street. He then turns to question me about why he should have to stop. What happens then?

I think you get the idea. If my son does anything other than radically and immediately obeying my command, then his life is endangered. This very same idea applies to our discussion on godly leadership.

Underlying Truths

See, there are truths underlying my instructions to my son. One truth is that blindly running out into a street can put him in the path of an oncoming vehicle. Another truth is that there are cars on the road with drivers that are not alert or expecting kids to run into the street. There is also a truth that says a 10 year old is not like to survive a collision with a moving truck.

These are not arguable truths. They are absolute. They are also truths that I understand as a parent, but truths that my son may not fully comprehend at 10 years old. As a result, he and I must have an understanding that he will radically and immediately obey me when I yell to him.

He must understand that partial obedience is not acceptable. Delayed obedience does not work either. He cannot choose to be selective and obey only when my instructions match up with his desires. No, a radical and immediate obedience is the only way I can truly protect him in this situation. These other kinds of obedience are bad for him!

Radical, Immediate Obedience

In his segment in Dennis Rainey’s Stepping Up Video Series, Dr. Crawford Loritts detailed his four qualities of godly leaders. I have covered the first three of these qualities in previous posts. Today, in case you have not been paying attention, I want to continue discussing the fourth quality – radical, immediate obedience.

I think you understand the application of this kind of obedience in the context of my family above. It applies the same way in our efforts to be godly leaders, only on a bigger scale.

The parallel is that God knows truths that we simply do not yet grasp. He understands things about our world and our own minds that we don’t comprehend. Based on these truths, he lays out guidelines and boundaries for us as godly leaders. He expects radical, immediate obedience to these guidelines.

Obedience For Leaders

God does not ask for this type obedience because He is ruthless. He asks for this obedience because that is what is best for us. He loves us and wants us to live life to the fullest. Partial, delayed, or selective obedience will limit (or even destroy) this opportunity for us. But the picture is actually even worse than that!

The picture is worse because you and I are leading others!

Go back to the image of my son running into the street. It would be horrible to see him hit by the truck. It would be worse if my twin daughters, two years younger than him, were following his lead. Disaster!

The same is true of us and our leadership. We can lead others into life or disaster (even death), depending on how we respond to God’s truths. Which are you going to choose?

Truths Worth Dying For

I will close with a quote from Dr. Loritts regarding this truth:

If you are called to lead, there is a sacred assignment that God has given you. And there is truth that you need to steward. And that truth is not arbitrary. I’s not a bunch of opinions and traditions. These are truths that are worth dying for. […] And that’s what we need to be called back to.
Dr. Crawford Loritts

Do you recognize that God knows truths beyond your understanding?

Is your obedience typically radical and immediate?

Where do you need to alter your obedience from being partial, delayed, or selective?

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What Superman And Godly Leaders Have In Common

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When I think about the third quality of godly leaders, the image of Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent (in the 1978 movie, Superman) comes to my mind. If you saw the movie, you will probably follow my line of thinking. See if my thinking makes sense to you.

godly leaders

Qualities Of Godly Leaders

In my last two posts, I introduced you to Dr. Crawford Loritts and his 4 little known qualities of godly leaders. Dr. Loritts cited these qualities in his segment in Dennis Rainey’s Stepping Up Video Series.

In the first post, we tackled the first quality – brokenness. In the next post, we discussed the second quality – uncommon communion. Today, we will talk about his third quality – servanthood as an identity – and how it relates to Superman!

Superman vs. Clark Kent

Let’s start with Superman and his cover identity, Clark Kent. Kent was really Superman, but did not want anyone to know it. He attempted to develop this “identity” as a bumbling newspaper reporter so that no one would catch on to his real identity as that of Superman. For all of us watching the movie, he was not very convincing. We could not understand why people didn’t catch on (a tribute to Reeve’s acting ability!).

Lois Lane, his coworker, eventually figured out he was faking the clumsy act, but many others were still clueless.

So what does this have to do with qualities of godly leaders? Everything!

Servanthood, As An Identity

In his description of servanthood as the third quality of godly leaders, Dr. Loritts made sure to emphasize the fact that this quality has to be a part of the leader’s identity. He said, “Written into the hearts of great leaders is a love and a care for the people they serve and lead…Its part of who they are, part of their identity.”

He went on to say how critical it is for this idea of servanthood to actually be a part of the godly leaders’ identity, not just something they do for show. That is when Clark Kent popped into my mind.

Just An Act

As I watched Reeve as Kent in the movie, I loved his body language and facial expressions. He was masterful in his portrayal of Kent. Unfortunately, I don’t see his act playing out in real life. No matter how good he was at the act, it was clearly not who he actually was. The real identity showed itself when the pressure was on.

The same is true for those of us striving to be godly leaders. If we want to be the real deal, then servanthood cannot be an act for us. We cannot just say we love those we are leading and serving.

We actually have to love them!

The Truth Will Show

Anything else will eventually show through. Our real identity will come out. This will most likely happen when the pressure on us increases. Choices will present themselves and our real identity will choose. If we have just been acting like we love those we lead, then our choices will reflect who or what we really love.

Jesus was not acting when he washed the feet of the disciples. He was showing His true love for them. Don’t believe me, then just look at the cross. He proved it there.

We likely won’t be tested with a cross, but know this – we will be tested. And know that when we are tested, our true identity will show. When this happens, whether we are even aware of it or not, others will take note. They will see the acting for what it is and they will no longer follow.

Pray For Help!

Folks, if we are serious about being godly leaders, then we simply must ask God to love those we lead and to do it through us. We must sincerely seek to love them as He does. We must determine to serve them as a way to convey this love to them.

If, instead, you attempt to “act” your way through it, your audience will know it. They will wonder how anyone could fall for it!

On a scale of one to ten, where is your love for those you serve and lead?

If your rating is low, are you aware that people around you already know it?

What is God leading you to do differently?

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4 Little Known Qualities Of Godly Leaders, Part 2

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The Bible says that the Lord “spoke with Moses face to face, just as a man speaks with his friend” (Exodus 33:11). Wow…if we could all attain that sort of relationship with God, I believe we could be the godly leaders we want to be. The problem is that this kind of relationship is not really attainable, is it? Or is it?

uncommon communion

Quality #2 – Uncommon Communion

In my last post, I introduced you to Dr. Crawford Loritts and his 4 little known qualities of godly leaders. In that post, we tackled the first quality – brokenness. In today’s post, I want to discuss the second quality Dr. Loritts cites in his segment in Dennis Rainey’s Stepping Up video series.

In his segment on godly leaders, Dr. Loritts describes how godly leaders must have a second quality – an uncommon communion with God. Before he describes what he means by this, he goes on to say, “God gives us assignments that are greater than our capacity to meet. There is always a gap in leadership – it is always beyond where you are. God fills in that gap.”

The Gap

This idea of a gap fits perfectly with the idea of brokenness from the last post, but uncommon communion takes this a step further. When we are broken, we see that we alone cannot accomplish the mission God has for us. We see this gap he mentions.

The uncommon communion is our response to this gap.

For most of us, this may not be an easy quality to grasp at first. What exactly does he mean by having an uncommon communion with God? How do I do that? What does it look like? How will I know when I have that quality?

Communion Defined

Before I go any further, let me first define “communion” in this context for you.

Communion:
the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings with God

Scripture’s Answers

Now, as we have done before on multiple occasions, let’s take a look at Scripture to find our answers to the questions above. I think Dr. Loritts picked a great example in Moses, so we will stick with him.

As I mentioned above, God spoke with Moses as we would a friend. I think that is the perfect example of uncommon communion. I don’t think there was anyone else in the Israelite camp that had that kind of relationship with God.

Moses’ Part

So what exactly did Moses do that, for his part, caused that relationship? First, he made it perfectly clear on a number of occasions that alone, he did not have what it took to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Moses was clearly broken as it related to his leadership.

But Moses did not only acknowledge that he was broken and unable to lead God’s people. He also acted on this brokenness. Moses pressed into God to make sure He gave him what he needed. This included asking for a mouthpiece (Aaron) and the words to say to Pharaoh (Exodus 3:1-4:31).

Pressing In

Whatever the case, Moses recognized that he was not able to do it on his own and he was determined to make sure God met his needs. Moses pleaded with God, even to the point of aggravating Him (Exodus 4:14). While God did get angry with Moses, I this free and open relationship is exactly what He wants from us.

Even later, Moses continued to plead with and push God to maintain His presence with the Israelite people as they moved. He also pushed God for a glimpse of His glory! Moses was broken, but he was also bold in his relationship with God!

Imitate Moses

The more I look at Moses and his uncommon communion, the more I believe we actually are able to imitate him. In general, Moses did not (normally) make a move without consulting God. Through his frequent interaction with God in the tent of meeting, Moses sought God’s wisdom and direction in everything he did.

For us, uncommon communion looks the same. We recognize our brokenness and see the gap between who we are and the godly leaders God has called us to be. Once we see this gap, we press into God to make up the difference.

We will know we have this quality when we simply cannot imagine making a significant decision without seeking God’s face about it. We will be models of this level of godly leadership when others watch us enter our own “tent of meeting” before making any important decisions.

Do you have an uncommon communion with God?

What action is God leading you to take toward this relationship with Him?

Who are you asking to hold you accountable to taking these steps?

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