Tag Archives: God is faithful

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Sin In The Camp – 6 Steps To Deal With It

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You are a Christian business owner or leader and you are suddenly confronted with an ugly truth about your business. It appears there is “sin in the camp” and you are not sure how to deal with it. You want to do the right thing, but that is not always easy to determine. How do you deal with it?

sin in the camp

Sin In The Camp

In the book of Joshua, chapters 6-7, we read about Joshua leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. First, there is the miraculous defeat of the mighty city of Jericho. Spirits among the Israelites are high until they are subsequently defeated by a much weaker city of Ai. What happened? Why the reversal of fortune?

It turns out someone among the Israelites had broken the covenant God had made with them during the attack on Jericho. As a result, God left them to their own against Ai and they were sorely defeated. Now, the morale of the people has fallen and they are scared to death.

Learning From Joshua

Joshua is the (fortunate?) one that God has given the task of replacing Moses as leader of the Israelites – a TOUGH job! How does he handle this similar situation? What can we learn from him?

I encourage you to read the whole account on your own, beginning with Joshua 6:1 and ending with Joshua 7:26. There is much more to learn from this passage, but I have broken Joshua’s actions into the following 6 steps that I believe we can apply to our current business challenges.

Step 1 – Set Clear Guidelines

There is no grey area in Joshua’s instructions to the Israelites prior to the attack on Jericho. In Joshua 6:17-19, he clearly tells them what is to be done with the city, its inhabitants, and and everything in it once the city is in their hands. The sin that followed was not due to misunderstanding!

We must do the same in our businesses. It is our responsibility as the leaders to make sure the rules and expectations are clear to everyone. New hires must receive clear instruction regarding your policies or they cannot be held accountable to them. Everyone must know our guidelines if we expect them to comply!

Step 2 – Stay Close to God

Joshua did not receive instruction from God and then run off on his own to carry it out. He remained close to God. As soon as he learned of the defeat at Ai, Joshua fell before God in submission (Joshua 7:6-10). He did not know the reason for the defeat, but he knew he had to seek God first. God answered by telling Joshua there was sin in the camp.

Our response must be similar. Don’t get caught up in the fact that Joshua had such an obvious defeat that clued him in to the trouble. Instead, recognize that Joshua had remained so close in his walk with God that his very first reaction was to seek God’s face.

Joshua did not question his general about strategy or even question his own decision to send a smaller force of 3,000 men. He went straight to God as an instinctive reaction. If we are in close communion with God, our instincts will be similar.

Step 3 – Trust God’s Provision

In Joshua 7:10-12, God tells Joshua about the sin in the camp. He makes it clear that He will no longer be with the Israelites unless the sin is removed. At this point, Joshua does not hesitate. He does not look for other options. He acts decisively when he delivers the instructions to the Israelites (vv. 13-15).

I don’t know what Joshua could have feared when making this decision, but I know how these kinds of decisions have affected me. When I have caught wind of impropriety in our business, fear has often flooded my mind. Will an investigation lead to a top performer? Will I be forced to terminate someone that is critical to our success?

Joshua may have had similar fears, but he acted anyway. He trusted that his provision was only from God. We must have the same trust in God. If the removal of sin in the camp causes the loss of a top performer, then we have to trust that God will make up the difference. He is faithful.

Stay Tuned!

In my next post, we will cover the final 3 steps for dealing with sin in the camp. I hope that you can see the business application of this passage. Again, I encourage you to read it on your own and see how it speaks to you. I think you might be surprised at what you find!

Have you experienced sin in the camp with your business?

How did you deal with it?

What would you do differently next time?

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God Is Silent – Why?

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There have been many times in my career when I sought God for answers. I needed wisdom for choices I faced. Sometimes, He seemed to answer me in a very clear way. Other times were not as clear and it took much prayer for me to discern the direction He was giving me. And then there are those times when God is silent. I used to hate those times!

God is silent

God Is Silent?

Have you ever experienced times when God is silent in responding to your prayers? Maybe you were facing a huge business decision with enormous consequences and you needed His wisdom more than anything. You could have been mulling a difficult choice between career moves or candidates to hire.

Your decision might have been as simple as choosing office locations or the wording on your resume. Whatever the case, we have all likely experienced times when we felt we really needed to hear from God, but He did not respond. This is especially tough for those who have received clear answers from Him at other times!

Have You Wondered Why?

Have you ever wondered WHY God is silent? Have you experienced periods of self-doubt when you wondered if He even cared about you? Have you questioned whether He was interested in your struggle anymore? Have you fought these thoughts until you could no longer fight, giving up in the process?

Well, I have been here and lived to tell about it. If you are like me, you answered yes to at least one of the questions above. If that is the case, I have some good news for you…God loves you! He IS interested in you! He loves you more than you can imagine! He wants you to stop fighting and relax.

He Has His Reasons

God is not sitting on His throne laughing at your struggle. He is not too busy to help. He has not forgotten you or your struggle. Instead, there are other, legitimate reasons that might explain why God is silent in response to some of your prayers. Knowing these possible reasons has made it so much easier for me to handle it when God is silent.

However, the following five reasons are not exclusive. There are likely more reasons God is silent, but these should cover the majority of your situations. I do not promise that your specific situation falls into one of these categories, but I encourage you to pray through them to see if it does.

1. The Timing Is Not Yet Right

There are many times in the Bible when one of God’s people was facing circumstances that drove them to prayer. In some of these cases, God is silent for a time. It might be years later before He answers and gives them direction in their specific situation.

In these cases, His answer was simply delayed because circumstances were not yet ready for His perfect timing. It is not our place to question His timing. We are only to trust Him in this. If we are faithful to wait, He will answer when the time is right.

2. He Has Already Given You The Answer

There are two different ways that this reason can apply. First, if you are asking Him to help you with a question that He has already answered in His Word, then you should not be surprised at His silence.

Too often, we want to skip reading the directions and jump immediately to the help line! We should read and study His Word to the extent that we are not constantly asking for help He has already provided.

Other times, we actually go back to God for answers that He has already shown us on previous occasions. Maybe we have forgotten these answers or maybe we are hoping for a different answer! Whatever the case, He might remain silent until we realize His answer will not change.

3. He Is Pushing You To Mature

This is one that I really struggled with. There was a time in my walk when I felt God was giving me step-by-step directions for the path I was to take. I followed in faith and expected those clear directions to continue.

When I faced new choices, I expected more step-by-step directions. When they did not come, I got very frustrated. Then I read how Paul described those Christians that were still feeding on milk when they should be maturing to eat solid food (Hebrews 5:12-13).

It could be that God is silent in your current situation because He is helping you to develop your decision-making muscles. He is trying to help you along in the maturing process.

Don’t fight it! Consider all He has shown you along the way and make the best choice you can. He is faithful to walk with you through the process and give you strength as needed.

4. Sin Is In The Way

This reason is difficult as well. It is hard because we are so often blind to our own sin. Unfortunately, God is not. He has provided a way for us to get rid of it (through forgiveness based on Christ’s blood and our repentance).

However, if we are blind to the sin or enamored with it to the point of clinging to it, then we are not going to be heard in our prayer. If God is silent with you, pray instead that He would reveal to you any sin that is between you and Him. Then repent of this and move forward in relationship with Him!

5. He Doesn’t Care

Before you jump, hear me out! Clearly, this reason is not what it seems at first. Sure, God cares about you and the decision you are facing! What I mean instead is that maybe He is giving YOU the choice.

God has given us free will and an unbelievable life to experience. In some cases, I believe He simply wants you and me to decide for ourselves which way we would rather go. Either choice is fine with Him!

If both choices line up with Scripture and pass THIS TEST from my previous post, then you might just be free to take either path with God’s blessing! Don’t let the freedom scare you – embrace it!

Have you experienced His silence?

How did you react? What were your thoughts?

Do any of these reasons for His silence help to ease your mind?

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What Do You Do For A Living?

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If you do much traveling or meet new people frequently (outside of work), then you likely hear this question on a regular basis. “What do you do for a living?” You have heard it asked. You have asked it yourself. Whether we like it or not, people associate us with our occupation. We do the same thing.

living

Common Question

So, what is wrong with this? I am sure there are psychological reasons that we should not necessarily do this. I would even agree that associating people with what they do for a living could cause us to jump to conclusions about them, their preferences, their lifestyle, etc.

You don’t think people often get the wrong idea about me when they find out I am in the car business?!? Of course they do!

Regardless of what you think about this question, we would all agree that it will continue to be asked into the foreseeable future. We are not likely to get this question eliminated from the habits of millions of people today.

Opportunity?

So, how can we use this question to our benefit?

Have you ever thought about how you could turn this question into a perfect opportunity to tell the inquisitor something special about you and what you do? If you know people are going to ask you, “What do you do for a living?” then why not plan ahead to take advantage of it?

Here is what I am thinking…I think this is the perfect opportunity to break the ice about our faith without being offensive or pushy. I think we should take this chance to share what it is we do, but from the spiritual side of things.

Example Response

Let me give you an example and see how you would respond. When someone asks me this question, my prepared answer is this:

I work for a very unusual company. It is a car dealership group that is a Christian company. We are trying to learn, and to show, how Jesus would run a business if He were the boss.

Lead In To More Conversation

Hopefully, I have said this in such a way that they are not uncomfortable with my answer. Likely, I have had a moment or two for them to get an idea of my sincerity before I toss this out there.

Assuming this, what kind of response do you think I will get? Where do you see the conversation going from here? Is it possible that I have offended them or more likely that I have intrigued them? Will they probably follow up with more questions?

Salt And Light

I guess my whole point here is that we are called to be salt and light in the world. I am a huge proponent of doing this by taking your Christian faith to your work or business. At the same time, there are opportunities outside of work that we can use to our advantage.

Our whole goal is to point people toward God. If we can take a few moments and do that with someone that is curious about our work, then why not do that?

Simple Response, Deep Conversation

In many cases, this kind of response will open the door to a spiritual conversation where you can witness to them without using a bullhorn! You may be surprised at how God can use a simple response like this to initiate a deep conversation very quickly.

While possible, this response is probably not going to offend the other person and cause them to react negatively. Granted, where I live (Southern U.S. – Bible belt!), this response is less likely to offend. It is more probable that the person asking the question is also a believer or associates themselves with the Christian faith. Great!

That just means I now have an opportunity to talk to them about why they should be taking THEIR faith to the workplace! Either way, I have a chance to have a spiritual conversation with someone that God can touch through it.

Unexpected Blessing

A final, sometimes unexpected benefit, is that YOU may be the one more blessed by the resulting conversation. So often, I have thought I was going to minister to someone else, only to find them ministering to me! I love it when that happens!

Try this idea for yourself. First, take the time to prepare a response that fits what you do. Wordsmith it, but make sure it is comfortable for you. You don’t want to appear like you are giving a robotic answer! Pray first, and God will give you the words you need!

Now go and look for opportunities to use it!

How could you explain how you make a living this way?

Do you feel uncomfortable with this? If so, why?

Have you tried this before? What were the results?

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Where Is Your Happy Place?

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I got a text from my wife recently. The first line, “At my happy place!” let me know exactly where she was. I knew she had left town with one of our daughters and was going out to eat. When I got her text, I knew exactly which restaurant they (she) had chosen!

happy place

Her Happy Place

I knew this because this particular restaurant is the one she and I visit the most often when we are in that area. I knew if she was within a few miles, that was where she was going. The food is healthy, but very tasty. The atmosphere is clean, energetic, and bright. The service is great and the prices are good.

All of the right conditions exist in this restaurant. That is why it is her happy place!

Your Happy Place?

Do you have a happy place? Can you picture it right now? Describe this happy place and why it makes you feel so good. What are the conditions like there? Is it sunny, breezy, warm, but not hot? Are the sounds soothing?

Most of us know what we mean when we talk about a happy place. It might be an actual place (this restaurant) or it might be something in our mind. Regardless, it is a place where the worries of the world fade. Conditions which make us happy are at the forefront.

So, what happens when we return from our happy place? When normal comes roaring back into the picture, what happens to our disposition? Do we change? Does our countenance darken? Are we a little on edge? More than a little?

Does Joy Remain?

Let me ask this from a different perspective. Is your happiness (or better said, joy) attached to, or dependent upon, where you are or the circumstances you are in?

Unfortunately, I think too many of us would have to answer, “yes” to this question. Too often, we allow our joy to be dictated by circumstances rather than coming from within, from our relationship with God.

We stop looking at our reasons for being “here”. We begin to focus on the circumstances that are characteristic of “here”. If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that there is a serious problem with this line of thinking.

Go Back To Your “Why”

So, how do we change it? How do we fight back against the disappearance of the joy in our happy place?

I think the key is to go back to our “Why”. We have to return, in our minds, to our reasons for being where we are. This is true even when “here” includes circumstances and conditions that we would prefer to avoid.

God Is In Control

That’s because we know that God is still in control. We know that He has a plan for us and that our current “here” is not our final destination. It is only a way station on a much bigger journey.

We must remind ourselves that He has us here and it is for good reason. Until He moves us on, we must find our joy in knowing He loves us and is taking care of us.

Joy Despite Circumstances

We must also make the most of every opportunity while we are “here”. There are people around us watching. They want to know if the faith we claim is any better than going without it. They need to see us full of joy, regardless of the circumstances.

This does not mean we are without grief or anger or frustration. It simply means that they can see something else in us that they do not have. The joy that fills us regardless of conditions around us – that is what they want.

Pray To Find It!

Do we have it?

If not, I encourage you to pray that God would show you how to find it again. He is faithful and will show you where you left it. Try Him. You won’t be disappointed!

Do you have joy in all circumstances – happy place or not?

What typically causes you to lose it most often?

When you lose this joy, how do you normally regain it?

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9 Simple Hacks For Better Leadership Perspective, Part 2

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As Christian business owners and leaders, we need to have a clear perspective on what is going on around us. If we do not know where we are personally strong or weak, then we will not be able to effectively lead our team or company. The question is how to best gain that perspective!

perspective

Improved Perspective

In my last post, I went through the first four simple “hacks” that will help you gain the perspective you need on your own leadership style, strengths, and weaknesses. Today I want to go through the last five. My prayer is that you are inspired to implement at least a few of these hacks so you can continue to improve as the leader God called you to be.

As I did in my last post, I will warn you! When anyone tells you something is simple, don’t assume it is easy! There is a big difference! I have these 9 “simple” (not easy) hacks for anyone that is committed to seeing themselves more clearly for the purpose of being a better leader. Gaining perspective in these ways is not complicated, but neither is it easy. You are warned!

Not Easy Or Fool-Proof

I will also remind you that none of these “hacks” are fool-proof. None give the entire picture. None can be relied on by themselves. We need a minimum of two or three of these views if we want any semblance of the truth! Take a look at each and determine which will work best for you.

Keep in mind, you may not like what you hear from some of them. In some cases, you will need to face feedback that is difficult to hear. In other cases, you may need to exclude feedback that may be contaminated with less-than-pure motives. You have to be the judge of which is which…or you could get some help with that as well!

#5 – 360 degree survey

A 360 degree survey is one completed by those who answer to you, those who you answer to, and those on your same level. If you are at the top of your org chart, then you can go outside of your organization to those you feel have enough information to answer in a helpful way.

Setting this one up is the key. Those who answer to you (or think they might one day) are not inclined to give you criticism if they fear retribution or damage to the relationship. They MUST be in a safe position with you before you will get any honest feedback from them.

#6 – 3rd Party Assessments

These assessments (personality, strengths, emotional iq, etc.) are worth their weight in gold! They can give you insights into what makes you tick and why you behave the way you do. Prepare to be wowed as you are trained in how to read and interpret these assessments.

Tip: don’t do them all at once. Take one at a time and learn about that one. Implement the changes recommended over time before you move on to the next one. If you ignore this advice, prepare to be overwhelmed.

#7 – Your Spouse

You had to know I would include your spouse! For many, this one can be the toughest. Unfortunately, the reason for this is the dangerous lack of transparency most people experience with their spouse.

If you can handle it, ask your spouse for his or her honest opinion about a struggle you are having with someone at work. See if they can tell you what it is about you that might be contributing to the problem. There is gold in this source of perspective as well, but there may need to be some serious time spent in prep work first!

#8 – Your Children

Obviously, this source of perspective has its limitations. Depending on the age of your children, it may not yet be possible for them to offer you leadership perspective. At the same time, you may be surprised at what they can offer.

Build a relationship with them that gives them the freedom to be honest with you. The way they see things may shock you with its wisdom. Give it a shot! What do you have to lose?

#9 – Bible Study & Intimate Prayer Time

I saved this one for last because it may be the most difficult to execute. If you are great at studying the Bible and diving right into intense prayer about what you have read, then you are already experiencing the perspective gained here. If not, this is a practice you will have to work at over a period of time.

While it may not come quickly, when you do get the hang of it, you will be blown away at the effectiveness of this method. God is faithful and will teach you as much as you are willing yo learn about yourself. You are the only limiting factor in this method!

What else do you do to gain perspective?

Which of these have you used? Share your experience!

Which of these would be the toughest for you?

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Two Trustworthy Tools For Decision Making

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In the business world, we are faced daily with decisions. Some decisions come with huge consequences. Others are so small that they will be forgotten within the week. In the big decisions, we want to make sure we apply wisdom and make the right choices. I have two questions, given to me by a friend, that you can ask to help you with these decisions.

decision

Touch Decisions

I was recently approached by another close friend. He is wrestling with a major decision that could impact his career, family life, and even his walk as a disciple of Christ. As he described his dilemma, I was reminded of the two questions I mentioned earlier. Immediately, I shared these questions with him and left him to answer them on his own.

Regardless of the decision you need to make, these two questions can help you make the right choice. They may not immediately clarify the right choice every time. You really need to pray through these questions when you face the really complex questions. However, over time, I believe the answers will become clear.

Decision-Making Tool #1

The first question is this:

    Will this choice draw me closer to God or further away from Him?

As you think and pray through the choice you are considering, ask yourself how it will impact your relationship with God. Will this particular choice draw you closer to Him? Will another choice draw you even closer?

If we look at a couple of verses from the Bible, it is clear that we are to be drawing closer to Him. In James 4:8, we are told: “draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” In Hebrews 10:22, it says, “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart…”

I won’t tell you that you always have to pick the choice that draws you the nearest to Him. However, if given a choice between one option that draws you closer and one that takes you further away…that answer should be clear to you!

Decision-Making Tool #2

The second question is this:

    Will this choice make me more dependent on God or less so?

We are independent creatures and we desire to be self-sufficient. This is especially true for business leaders and owners. It is in our DNA and we rarely fight it. This quality is a significant part of what makes us successful in business.

Unfortunately, when it comes to spiritual “success”, last is first and first is last. What works for us in the business world can work against us in our Christian walk. Our independence is exactly what God does NOT want from us in our relationship with Him.

We see this idea of God desiring our dependence on Him in many places in the Bible. Here are a couple of examples:

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.
2 Corinthians 12:9

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.Are you not much more valuable than they?
Matthew 6:25-26

As we are making decisions in life, we need to be mindful of whether we are seeking independence from God or dependence on Him. As I said before, this answer may not be perfectly obvious at first glance. If we will pray and sincerely seek His heart, God will show us the truth.

Give These A Try!

The next time you have a decision that carries significant consequences, try these two questions. Pray through them and ask for a clear mind and heart as to the answers. I believe the right choice will become evident to you!

What decision are you facing now that would benefit from these questions?

Can you recall a decision that would have been better made with these tools?

What other questions do you use in your decision making process?

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Are You In The People Business?

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I don’t know about you, but I am in the people business. In fact, I will bet that you are, too. I personally think that with very few exceptions, we are all in the people business. By that, I mean that our success rises and falls according to the quality of people we have working with us.

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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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4 Little Known Qualities Of Godly Leaders

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Anywhere you look these days, you can find a book (or a dozen) on leadership. Everyone feels they know what it takes to be a leader. I am not going to pretend that I have some secret sauce or silver bullet on what it takes to be a great leader. If you are looking for that, keep looking. It may be even tougher to find the same for godly leaders. I personally do not think you will ever find it.

godly leaders

Courtesy of Flickr/Simoes

Qualities Of Godly Leaders

At the same time, I believe it can be very helpful for us to find many true and healthy perspectives on the characteristics and qualities of godly leaders. I believe the more we can learn about what great and godly leaders look like, the better we can hope to mimic them.

It is for this reason that I take notes anytime I hear a description of godly leaders, either as individuals or as a group. I then take what I learn and pass it on through this blog. Today, I would like to share what I learned about great, godly leaders from Dr. Crawford Loritts, a pastor in Atlanta, GA.

Loritts talked about four qualities or characteristics of great, godly leaders during his segment in Dennis Rainey’s Stepping Up video series. Even these are not commonly found in leadership books, I believe we all need to seek these qualities. If we do, I believe God can better use us to point others to Him. I will tackle the first of these qualities today.

Quality #1 – Brokenness

The first little known quality of great, godly leaders as described by Dr. Loritts is brokenness. There are not many leadership books that mention brokenness as a quality of a great leader. In fact, I think very few of us would come up with this quality at first glance.

At the same time, after considering what Dr. Loritts had to say, I would have to agree with him! Before I go further into what he said about brokenness, let’s talk about what the opposite would mean.

Opposite View?

When I think of someone who is NOT broken, the characteristics I come up with are whole, strong, confident…they have it all together. These characteristics may actually be the ones you would find in a leadership book. This actually sounds more like a leader than one that is broken, right?

So let’s take a look at what Dr. Loritts said. First, he said that one who is broken has come to the realization that life is not about him, but is instead about God.

Think about that.

Broken Leader

A broken leader is one that is fully aware that alone, he is not whole or strong. Alone, this leader is not confident. Nor does he have it all together. This leader has come to the place where he acknowledges that he alone cannot be a leader after God’s own heart. He realizes that leadership is about much more than him!

As a result, Dr. Loritts continues, this leader has a healthy reliance on God. He knows that he cannot accomplish God’s plan on his own. He is not capable on his own and therefore relies on God for everything.

Cracked Leaders?

Some of us have partially come to this point. Call us cracked (but not yet broken)! We rely on God for the tough stuff. We rely on Him when we don’t know what to do. We rely on him when we face a situation that confuses or scares us.

But the rest of the time, we do our own thing. We are NOT yet broken.

Fully Broken

The great, godly leader has seen missed opportunities and failed endeavors when he tried it on his own in the past. These cause him to break down and cry. He has even mourned over good results that could have been miraculous if he had relied on God and not himself.

This leader is fully broken because his experience has shown him the futility of leading on his own. He knows there are possibilities that he cannot even imagine IF he will rely on God. He is broken because he is no longer willing to settle for less than miraculous results. He is wholly and fully committed to relying on God.

What About You And Me?

How much of this describes you and your leadership?

If you are like me, this is convicting. I know I understand this because it resonated with me. At the same time, I am completely guilty of trying to do it on my own too often. My prayer is that we will stop seeing ourselves as needing to be so strong. Instead, may we heed God’s words to Paul in 2 Corinthians.

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9

Have you considered brokenness as a godly leader quality?

Do you see yourself as possessing the quality of brokenness?

What do you think are Dr. Loritts’ other three qualities of godly leaders?

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Why Are You Feeling Stuck In Your Job?

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When you wake up in the morning, are you truly excited to go to work? Why? Be honest, does your mind jump to all of the thrilling opportunities you have in front of you for that day? Do you start thinking about how fortunate you are to be able to do what you do for a living?

why

Not Too Excited

If you are like too many people in this world, you could not answer “yes” to any of these questions. In fact, you possibly felt that a “yes” answer was not even a remote possibility. If anything, you may could think of a handful of days over too long a period of time when you were excited to go to work, but they probably were not normal days.

If this is true of you, it may also be true to say that you have drifted into a kind of survival mode at work. Maybe you are on some kind of cruise control in your job. You are just doing your best to keep things going as they have been. You may not necessarily be falling behind or slacking on your job, but you are not really gaining ground either.

Know Why You Are Stuck?

Does any of this describe you? Are you tired of being stuck? Do you wish there was a way to get out of this rut? Have you thought about it on occasion but you don’t really know what to do to change things? Hopefully, you CAN answer “yes” to some or all of these questions.

I say that because I think I might have your answer.

Please know up front that I am not the expert here. I do not claim to be able to fix everything about your job. I may not even be able to completely resolve this specific situation I am describing right now.

Why I Can Help

At the same time, I do believe I can help. I believe I can help you get your passion back. I think I can show you something you might be missing. In doing so, I think you can quickly move into a position where you are eager to go to work again!

Does this sound too good to be true?

Based on my experience, it is not.

Why Is The Secret!

It is my belief that too many people struggle with their work for one simple reason….

Either they have forgotten their true “Why” or they have the wrong “Why”.

If you ask the majority of people why they do the work they do, they likely have a hard time answering you. Some will say they do this work because its what they know how to do. Or it is what they (or their family) have always done.

Others will point to their income and say that no other work would pay them as well. You might hear someone answer that they do the work they do because it used to excite them. They used to love it, but it has now gotten old or no longer thrills them the way it did before.

What About You?

What is your answer to this question? Why do you do the work you do? Why do you have the job you have? Why do you go to work every day?

If you have not thought about this, I encourage you to take some time and think about it. In fact, if you are serious about improving your situation, then I suggest you actually take the time to write out an answer to these questions. Act as if you must turn in this answer for a grade…an important one.

The Why Is The Root

Here is the root problem – you cannot get fulfillment from a job (and the fulfillment is what is missing) when you are not there for a clear reason that gets to the core of who you are.

More simply put, you cannot enjoy your job if you don’t know why you are there.

More Than A Paycheck

And this “Why” has to be more than just a paycheck or an entry on a resume. It has to resonate with your soul. The “Why” must connect directly with the person you want to be. It needs to bring goosebumps or cause a chill to go down your spine.

It has to be that significant.

Anything less will fade over time and put you right back where you are now.

Too Much To Ask?

So, the first thing you are probably thinking is that this is asking too much. Maybe someone like Dr. Ben Carson can have this kind of a “Why” when he surgically separates conjoined twins and enables them to have fully separate and productive lives.

Or you might think that kind of a feeling is possible for someone like Mother Teresa or Billy Graham. Maybe you think that these are the kinds of people that get chills when they think about the impact they can have on others, but for you to hope for this kind of “Why” is just not reasonable.

I disagree.

Different, But Still Impactful

It is true that your “Why”, and especially your “How”, can be different from theirs. At the same time, your “Why” can and SHOULD have the same impact on you that theirs has on them! No joke!

In my next post, we will go a little deeper into what your “Why” should be. Before I do that, I am charging you with taking some time to think about this on your own. Pray about it. Ask for wisdom and insight into this idea. God is faithful and He will answer you. I will be praying for you as well.

Have you thought about your “Why” before?

What are some of your reasons to do what you do?

Does your “Why” reach to your core?