A good friend of mine was recently telling me about a ministry he is working to build. Part of this ministry is a retreat that caters to ministry and church leaders, giving them much needed rest and refreshing of the minds and vision. I have heard of other retreats and programs seeking to meet the same need. Evidently, Christian ministry is hard, often frustrating, work for God and can wear us out, right? I think there may be a good reason for part of this problem.
I do not have the national polling data to support this, but I would bet heavily that the one obstacle keeping most non-believers from being open to a relationship with Jesus is the hypocrisy of those calling themselves Christians. Even more critical is the hypocrisy of Christians that hold leadership positions. Fortunately, Jesus spoke many times about hypocrisy, giving us clear instructions on how to avoid these obnoxious behaviors associated with it.
Look around at the business world today and take note of those who claim to be Christians. Include yourself in this assessment. Some are easy to identify because their business practices clearly align with what they believe the Bible says. The rest are more difficult to identify because their practices are no different than the non-Christians around them. Why is this? Are these business people guilty of paying lip service to God or is there more to it?
I enjoy talking to older people, especially those who have experiences they are willing to share for the purpose of teaching others. I often make intentional decisions in group meetings or gatherings to sit near someone I know to be older and wiser so I can learn something from them. If you are like me in this, then you will love the following 7 crucial business principles.
If you are high-performing leader who has a track record for success, you still know what it feels like to get in a rut. Call it a slump, fog, funk, whatever – we have all seen them and they are not fun to experience. The rut drains our energy and takes away any motivation we have for moving forward. We know we are in it, but often have trouble getting out of it!
We can all remember famous people, or just someone significant to us, who have done something to forever ruin their good name. I will not list the names of politicians, sports heroes, and religious leaders that have disappointed us all with their fall. You can come up with your own list in your head. Unfortunately, it seems that a good name is tough to get these days, and even tougher to maintain.
As an employer, I have a unique ability to change the tone of the room, or the behavior of those in the room, just by walking in! Whether I like it or not, I have come to realize that my presence, as the boss, changes people’s behavior. I think it is human nature to act differently when the boss is not looking.
If you have been following this series on the command to Christian business leaders to be teachers, then you have probably been waiting to hear exactly HOW we are to do this. While I cannot adequately cover ALL of the HOW of teaching in one post, I believe I can get you started on the right path. You can figure out the rest with God’s leading!
[This is the fourth post in a series about how Christian leaders are commanded to be teachers as well. In the first post, we looked at the actual command to be teachers. In the next post, we discussed what it means to be a skilled worker, correctly handling God’s Word. In the most recent post, we looked at being a godly example. In this post, we will determine our GOAL for teaching.]
[This is the third post in a series about how Christian leaders are commanded to be teachers as well. In the first post, we looked at the actual command to be teachers. In the next post, we discussed what it means to be a skilled worker, correctly handling God’s Word. Today, we will look at being a godly example.]