Tag Archives: Jesus

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Comfort or Conform – Which Is God’s Focus?

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Even though I have been a Christian since I was 10 years old, I am still learning some lessons that amaze me. You would think that after more than 30 years of learning about God and His purposes for us, I would have a better grasp on this Christian life. Unfortunately, that is not how it works. As a result, I am still learning how God is more interested in conforming me than He is in my comfort!

conform

C.S. Lewis’ Thoughts

While I enjoy writing and think I have improved at it over the past couple of years, I know a really good writer when I read one. Rather than trying to communicate on my own my thoughts on comfort vs. conform, I figured I would let you read from a fantastic writer. Here are some thoughts from C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity:

…we must not be surprised if we are in for a rough time. When a man turns to Christ and seems to be getting on pretty well (in the sense that some of his bad habits are now corrected) he often feels that it would now be natural if things went fairly smoothly. When troubles come along–illnesses, money troubles, new kinds of temptation–he is disappointed. These things, he feels, might have been necessary to rouse him and make him repent in his bad old days; but why now?

Because God is forcing him on, or up, to a higher level: putting him into situations where he will have to be very much braver, or more patient, or more loving, than he ever dreamed of being before. It seems to us all unnecessary: but that is because we have not yet had the slightest notion of the tremendous thing He means to make of us.

I don’t know about you, but I think C.S. Lewis really nails the issues in this “comfort vs. conform” question. If you need to, read his words again and let them sink in.

Christianity = Smooth Life?

First, Lewis addresses the root problem in his opening lines above. He describes how we, as Christians, have this misconception that being a Christian is all about reaching a sort of “smooth” picture. In this picture, we seem to think that with a couple of tweaks or corrections, our lives can reach a balance or norm.

In this picture, we imagine our business running on a sort of auto-pilot, or at least in the right direction for a considerable period of time. The only issues we imagine in this picture may be helping others with their issues or overcoming some minor hiccups in the economy.

Maybe we even toss in an extended recession, but of course, we imagine that we are able to manage this interruption without too much damage. Maybe the interruption is a minor health issue or a couple of years of dealing with challenging teenagers. Who knows what little ripples you have included in your picture – that’s not the point.

God Did Not Call Us To Comfort

The point is that God did not call us to follow the example of His Son so that we could achieve a position of comfort here on earth. He is not interested in having us fall in love with our current home (earth). He IS interested in using us to achieve His glory and preparing us for an eternal life with Him.

So what does this mean? It means that Jesus was not kidding when he said we would have trouble in this world. It means that while Romans 8:28 is a great verse, we cannot forget verse 29. In Romans 8:28, we are told that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Sure, this sounds good. Many Christians quote it often. However, they fail to keep going and quote verse 29. In Romans 8:29, we are told that He is working to conform us to the likeness of His Son. Maybe this is not a scary thought, but it certainly adds a twist to the picture.

Answer To “Comfort Or Conform?”

You may see this differently than I do, but I see this to be a definitive answer to the “comfort vs. conform” debate. To me, this says that God will certainly work all things together for my good. At the same time, what God considers to be the best for me is not my comfort.

Instead, He sees the best for me to be His conforming me to the likeness of Jesus. The more I look like Jesus the better, as far as God is concerned. Unfortunately, I do not become more like Jesus in the absence of struggle or challenge.

Challenges Required

No, I become more like Jesus when I am challenged. When I face struggle that is bigger than me, I begin to look more like Jesus because I then submit to God and His will. I begin to seek Him and His wisdom for every step of the path through the struggle. I quit trying to do it on my own and rely completely on Him.

Folks, God is not interested in simply putting you on the right path in business and then letting you coast. You might think that would be great, but He is more interested in molding you into the man or woman He created you to be. Like C.S. Lewis says above, there is a “tremendous thing He means to make of us!”

Have you been guilty of expecting God to make you comfortable?

Can you see how this “conform” perspective can help with trials?

What is God trying to do in your life right now?

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Are You Afraid Of Loss?

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Recently I wrote a post in which (tongue in cheek) I called myself a practical atheist and challenged readers to ask themselves some tough questions. Good or bad, that post generated more controversial comments and discussion than any other I have published. In an effort to clarify my intent, and hopefully clear my name, I thought it would be good to do a follow up post on the intended subject of true faith and how fear of loss can affect it.

loss

Walk vs. Talk

Let’s start by reading from James 2. To get the full effect, you should read James 2:14-26, but in the interest of space, here is the core of what I want to discuss:

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?…faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
James 2:14,16

In reading this entire passage, some people think that James is contradicting Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:8-9 when he says we are saved by grace through faith and not by works. Actually, James’ message does not contradict Paul’s, but complements it. James is simply adding that it takes deeds or actions to validate faith. In other words, like I said in my prior post, we can talk all we want to about faith, but the true test is in our actions.

Do They Match?

Do our actions bear out the faith we claim? If we profess to BELIEVE in an all-powerful God, then why do so many of our actions only reflect the confidence we have in ourselves or our team?

Why are we not taking bolder steps in our faith? Why do we not pray throughout the day and trust God’s wisdom to answer the challenges we encounter? Why do we pray quickly in the morning and then go out the door to face the day alone, hoping we have what it takes to overcome and emerge in victory?

Why is it so difficult for us to have those tough conversations with friends, family, or co-workers that we believe are living without a relationship with God? If we BELIEVE God is real and Jesus is truly the only path to Him, then why don’t our daily actions reflect this belief?

Why The Gap?

The more I think about this, the more I believe it comes down to one word: LOSS.

We fear loss.

Maybe it is loss of esteem among our friends, family, or co-workers. It could be loss of wealth or other gain due to being alienated for our beliefs. It might even be that we fear loss of our lives in certain circumstances.

As Christian business owners, we might fear loss of customers, revenue, or even the business itself. Regardless, I believe it is the fear of loss that drives most, if not all, of our actions.

What Does Scripture Say?

The problem with this is that this thinking is in direct opposition to what the Bible teaches us as Christians. We are told, very clearly, that God already owns it ALL (Psalm 50:10-12). We own nothing.

Did you get that? We own nothing therefore there is nothing for us to lose.

We do not even own our very lives…we are not our own; we are bought at a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Why Fear Loss?

If all of this is true (and we SAY we BELIEVE it), then why the fear of loss? Why do we act like “practical” atheists while professing a belief in an amazing God? What will it take to shake us out of this pattern of behavior?

Maybe my last post did not hit the mark that I intended. I take responsibility for that. However, I encourage you on your own to read the Scripture listed below. There will not be much confusion in it! Then take a long look in the mirror and ask yourself two questions:

1.) Do I TRULY BELIEVE what I am reading?
2.) Is there clear, consistent evidence of this belief in my actions?

For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will reward each according to what he has done.
Matthew 16:27

And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother,[l] children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.
Matthew 19:29

Whoever exalts himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23:12

Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58

You are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
1 Peter 1:5

And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children, or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.
Matthew 19:29

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Confessions Of A Practical Atheist

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If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, then you probably have the impression that I am a Christian, a disciple of Jesus. You probably think that I believe in Jesus as the Son of God and that I see Him as all powerful, able to work miracles in any situation. Unfortunately, that is not completely true. In fact, I am a practical atheist.

atheist

Atheist Defined

For the sake of today’s discussion, I want us to define the word “atheist” as anyone who does not believe God exists. Based on this definition, I have determined that I am in fact a practical atheist. See if you can follow my logic here.

First of all, let’s look at this from the opposite perspective, that of a believer. If I was truly a believer, it would stand to reason that I would act differently than those around me. While my morality as a believer should be a main driver of my behavior, that is not what I am talking about today.

Faith Drives Behavior

What I want to focus on is true faith. If I was truly a believer and not an atheist, then I would truly believe in the power of God to overcome anything I could throw at Him. I would see Him as bigger than my problems and I would completely trust His promises to be the truth. My behavior, regardless of whether in the workplace, home, or in the community, would reflect this belief.

My faith in an all-powerful God would cause me to act in faith, taking risks where I felt He was leading me. I would not “play it safe”, but would be bold in my actions, especially those relating to what I knew to be His will.

Not only would I act in faith, but I would also pray in faith. A true believer in Jesus would surely pray to Him and call Him on His promise to give wisdom when asked. Regardless of the challenges faced in the workplace, home, or in social situations, a true believer would certainly trust the guidance of an all-powerful God rather than “going it alone,” right?

What About You?

You know we could go on, but let’s just pause right here. Are you getting the picture? Are you seeing some of your behaviors in this description? Do they fit with those of a believer or are they closer to what you might think would be those of an atheist?

Now that we have described the actions of a true believer, let’s contrast them with those of a practical atheist. To be clear, I am not really trying to characterize a full-blown atheist here. Instead, I am saying “practical atheist” because I want to focus on our behaviors that reflect a lack of faith in practical matters.

Practical Atheist

A practical atheist might be someone like you or me that professes our faith and talks about how much God has done for us. At the same time, if we look closely enough, it is unlikely we will see any history of taking huge risks for the kingdom.

A practical atheist talks about faith, but never really exercises it. Instead of huge risks or taking on extreme challenges that would only succeed with intervention from God, they are more likely to shy away from anything they cannot imagine achieving on their own. If they think they can do it, they will. If they think it would require a miracle, they pass.

Is This Familiar?

Is this you? Are you able to look back in your walk and see times when you took on a challenge or risk that could only be accomplished with help from God? If you can, then good for you! If not,…why not? Isn’t your God all-powerful and able to accomplish anything? Why aren’t you living like this is the truth?

Enough about risks and challenges. What about prayer? A practical atheist may believe there is a God, but there is little to no evidence of it in their prayer life. Sure, they may tell people they will pray for them. They may even do it, but you won’t find much faith in that prayer.

No Expectation Or Hope

Moving into the workplace, a practical atheist makes decisions on their own. Because they do not have true faith that God is there and will absolutely answer their prayers, they really don’t put much faith in them. Maybe they pray daily, but it is not done with expectation and hope in an answer.

At home, they wish things were different, but they only focus on what they themselves can change (or not) rather than going to God in earnest prayer for revelation and change. Instead of placing their burdens before an all-knowing God, they carry them around in worry. They hope for a day when they are big enough to overcome the challenges, but they ignore the promises of a God that already is.

I Am A Practical Atheist

A practical atheist lives and acts as if there is no God when it comes to the practical situations in life. In the interest of transparency, I believe I am one of these people. Sure, I believe in Jesus and have a relationship with Him. However, when I examine my life, I find very little evidence of a REAL faith in Who He is and what He can do.

I encourage you to look in the mirror and ask yourself some tough questions. Are you a practical atheist or are you acting with a faith that can move mountains? I am asking myself these very questions.

Are you guilty of atheist behavior?

Where do you need to exercise more faith?

How could your life look with behavior based on total faith?

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One Thing You Cannot Do In Heaven

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Over the years, as I have grown from childhood, through adolescence and young adulthood, and into a full-fledged adult, my thoughts and dreams about heaven have progressed as well. As my understanding of heaven has matured, I have come to realize that there is at least one thing we will not be able to do there – reach the lost. Evangelism will not exist in heaven.

Evangelism

Hopes For Heaven

Have you thought about this? As a kid, I dreamed of flying around with wings. Later, I began to hope for amazing golf courses and the freedom to drive without speed limits. Recently, I have thought about whether or not we will have adventures in heaven…hang gliding, sky diving, deep sea diving and mountain climbing…will these be options for us?

What I have not thought about much is what I will not be able to do when I get to heaven. I know there will not be tears or pain, but I welcome that! However, when I stopped to realize that there will not be a single friend or family member in heaven that has not submitted to Jesus as Lord and Savior, I realized what else would be missing – evangelism.

No Evangelism

Folks, when we die, we are forever released from the responsibility of sharing our faith with others. We will no longer have to listen to messages about evangelism or witnessing because we will only be surrounded by believers. We will only, for the rest of eternity, be able to interact with others who made the decision to accept Jesus’ blood as payment for their sin.

If you are one who does not enjoy the idea of sharing your faith with another, then maybe this idea brings you a little relief. At least it might until you begin to look around you and count the people you know (or are related to) that are not followers of Jesus.

[Note: I recognize none of us knows anyone else’s heart and therefore we cannot know with certainty their eternal status (unless they have told us). I simply want you to think about those without any visible fruit of faith in Jesus and make the assumption, for the purpose of this exercise, that someone needs to share their faith with them.]

There Is Urgency!

When you begin to think of all the people around you whose eternity is not certain in your mind, do you begin to see the urgency? Do you begin to realize that SOMEONE has to share with them now, here on earth, or they will suffer an eternity separated from God (and you)?

If you are not already living in such a way as to intentionally point people toward God, are you willing to continue on that path, ignoring the clear problem that exists right in front of you?

What about your job or business? Are you intentionally carrying out your duties at work in a way that points others to Jesus? Are you using the leverage and resources of your business to advance the kingdom? Have you done this in the past, but the urgency has faded?

Huge Problem!

I have to tell you, this problem is a big one. The lack of evangelism in heaven means we only have a limited time to reach those who do not yet know God in a personal way. Maybe we are not all good at preaching from a pulpit, but we all have gifts that can be used for evangelism.

Through this blog, I am trying to convince people that their business is a tool that can and should be used for evangelism. If you are not the owner of the business, I want you to see that there are still infinite ways you can impact others in the workplace for Christ. You just have to be intentional about it.

Taking Action?

Hopefully, you have already thought about this whole idea and you are already on the path to take action. If not, I encourage you to stop and read this verse below. Think about what Jesus is saying and how it applies to you. Evangelism may not be your first love, but maybe you need to pray for a heart change.

We must do the works of Him who sent Me while it is day. Night is coming when no one can work.
John 9:4

Are you already engaged in evangelism?

Do you treat your workplace the same as other locations?

Do you need to rethink your position on evangelism?

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How To Handle Frustration In Prayer

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In my last post, I talked about our 3 responsibilities in asking things of God. While I do believe these 3 responsibilities are very real and effective, I also know (from experience) that they do not constitute a formula for getting what we want from God. In fact, sometimes we meet frustration in prayer despite following these steps!

frustration in prayer

Frustration In Prayer?

See if these questions from my last post resonate with you. If you have prayed for anything for an extended period of time, you have likely asked these questions in some form or another.

So what is the deal? Why is it so different when we are asking of God? Why do we often get no answer (or one we don’t like!) even after praying for such a long time? Why does He seem to delay or withhold what is good from us?

Because He Loves Us!

The first answer to these questions? Because He loves us. The world puts on a show at times, but it does not love us! In fact, it hates us (John 15:18-19). So what the world will give us is often exactly what we want, but not what is good for us. God may not always give us what we want, but He WILL give us what is good for us.

This very point is made in the passage we looked at in my last post. Take another look…

9 What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Matthew 7:9-11

His One Condition

Most of us miss the one condition that Jesus places in this passage about praying and receiving. He says that our Father will give us GOOD gifts. The condition for receiving is that the gift (what we are asking for) must be good for us. Let’s word the passage a different way to help make this point.

What if it read this way…What man among you, if his son asks him for a stone would give it to him? No, you would give him bread. Or if he asks for a snake, would you give that to him? No, you would give him fish!

Nothing Bad For Us!

Clearly, our Father is not going to give us something that is bad for us. He loves us too much for that. His purpose is to conform us to the likeness of His Son Jesus. Anything that would delay or reverse His progress in this purpose, He will withhold from us!

So, if this is true (and I am convinced based on Scripture that it is), then how should we move forward in prayer for those ideas, things, etc. that we have been praying for over a period of years? Do we quit asking despite the encouragement in this passage to “keep on asking”? How do we know what to do to eliminate this frustration in prayer?

Try These 3 Steps

I believe the following three steps can help. Again, please do not take these steps as a formula to get what you want. Take them as a guide to better ask for God’s will for you while learning exactly what that is. I hope you find these steps useful.

Step #1 – Keep Praying With Faith

As we read in my last post, there are plenty of references in Scripture that point us in this direction. We are NOT to give up praying just because we have not yet received an answer. We are NOT to give up praying simply because our request MIGHT not be good for us.

No, keep praying. Be persistent. Remain diligent and seek His face for whatever it is you want. This part is not unclear.

Step #2 – Acknowledge Possible Conflict

WHILE you are praying for whatever it is that has been on your heart, begin acknowledging to God that what you are praying for may not be good for you. Don’t stop praying for it, but let Him know you are willing to let go of it if He shows you it is His will for you to do so.

Maybe He will show you right then that your request is in conflict with His will for you. Maybe it takes time for this to happen. Maybe He will eventually grant your request when His timing is right. The Holy Spirit will guide you in this if you are attentive.

The point here is to keep asking until you receive the request or you learn it is not in His will for you. Either way, the prayer for that particular request should not end until one of these two results has occurred.

Step #3 – Listen More Closely

Finally, AS you continue to pray, also commit yourself to spending more time with God. You can do this through a combination of prayer, Bible study, fasting, and listening to His voice. The goal here is to draw closer to Him and to become more familiar with His heart and His voice.

As you do this (otherwise known as “delighting yourself in the Lord” Psalm 37:4), you will begin to see several things happen. One result will be that you will begin to know more about what God’s purposes are for your life. You will also begin to understand His heart more. His voice will become more familiar to you as well.

The result of this could be that you get clarity on whether your requests are in His will for you or not. You will also find that your desires begin to change. No longer will you want to have as much to do with what the world offers because you will find yourself drawn more to what God’s will offers, especially as this will comes more into focus.

No Downside!

Rather than stew in the frustration that comes with unanswered or apparently declined prayer (talking to myself here!), begin taking the above steps to dive deeper into the relationship with your Father. I promise, there is no downside to this!

How long have you experienced frustration in prayer?

Do you see how these steps can help?

Which is the toughest for you?

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3 Responsibilities In Asking Of God

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In our culture today, if we want something, we just ask for it. And usually, we get it and we get it fast. We can literally pull into a drive-thru and have a hot meal, made to order, in less than 5 minutes. When we are asking of God, however, things are different…sometimes very different.

asking of God

Asking Of God For Years?

I have read about people (mostly mothers) that have prayed for years and years for family members or others to come to Christ. Others have been praying for what seems like forever to be able to have children. I have several prayers myself that have been going on over ten years!

So what is the deal? Why is it so different when we are asking of God? Why do we often get no answer (or one we don’t like!) even after praying for such a long time? Why does He seem to delay or withhold what is good from us?

Answers In Scripture

These are very good questions and ones that I think we can answer from Scripture. At the same time, I think it is important that we first answer another question. This other question needs to be answered first because it will help us better understand the answers to the first questions. Make sense?

Good! So let’s tackle the first question in today’s post and the other questions in the following post. The first question is this:

What is our responsibility in asking of God?

While this may seem like a simple question, I would like to turn to a part of the Sermon on the Mount for the foundation to the answer to this question. Let’s look at Matthew 7:7-11 and see what we find.

7 “Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 What man among you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
Matthew 7:7-11

If you read this passage quickly, you could get quickly frustrated. It sounds like God is a vending machine. It sounds like asking of God is a quick way to get anything we want! Fortunately, this is not true. Fortunately for us, He loves us more than that, but we will get to that later!

God Does Not Work Like That!

If you have been a believer in Jesus long enough to pray for something, then you know this is not how it works. You know, likely from experience, that God is not a vending machine. Simply asking of God does not give us whatever we want the way it works in our culture.

However, there is good news! We have some responsibility in the asking and if we will follow what Scripture tells us to do, then we will get what we want (with just a little twist).

Step #1 – Go To God First

This sounds like a simple statement, but there is more to it than it seems. We cannot simply go to Him when we cannot get what we want elsewhere. We are to go to Him alone.

This means we should not be going to the world to get what we want. We should not expect our businesses, our employees, or our co-workers to give us what we want. Instead, we should be relying on God Himself to supply us with our needs.

To back this up, look at Matthew 6:33 where it says to seek Him first. Take a look at Psalm 37:4 where it says we are to delight ourselves in Him. In both verses, it follows that the rest will be given to us. The desires of our hearts will be provided by Him.

Step #2 – Go To God Continuously

The actual verb tense and mood from the original Greek in verse 7 above (ask, seek, knock) means that we are to continually do these things. We are not to ask, seek, or knock once. We are to do so repeatedly, over a period of time, with no sense of an end to these actions.

Look at the parable of the persistent widow from Luke 18:1-8. She continuously asks the local judge for justice against her adversary. She does not simply make a single request, but pesters him over time. He finally relents and grants her request, just to get rid of her!

Immediately after teaching this parable, Jesus says that God will certainly hear the cry of his children for justice and grant it swiftly! Like the widow, we need to make our requests known to God and do so with persistence. Better phrased, Matthew 7:7 might say, “the one who continues to ask as a habitual, ongoing requesting will receive.”

Step #3 – Believe It will Happen

Again looking at the original Greek tells us something interesting about the phrases, “it will be given” and “you will find” and “the door will be opened.” It tells us that these actions are believed by the author to be certain future events, not potential or possible results.

Jesus, the Son of the Living God, used language to say that He believed with certainty that these events (given, find, opened) would absolutely happen! That should be enough for us. For one more exclamation point, look at James 1:5-8.

5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.
James 1:5-8

In my next post, we will look at a key condition Jesus puts in this passage about asking of God and getting what we ask for. We will also look at 3 ways to apply this Scripture to our business and personal lives.

Have you made a habit of asking of God first?

Do you ask continuously or once and done?

How strong is your faith when it comes to answered prayer?

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Danger Zone In Continuous Learning

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I have talked a lot in my posts about being mentored and learning from others. I think continuous learning is a critical part of being a leader and anyone who has stopped learning will not be leading much longer. However, there can be an easily overlooked danger in this that I want to address.

danger

Endless Supply Of Material

If you have access to the internet, then you literally have access to more leaders than you can count. You can read books and blogs or watch videos and webinars on virtually any subject or topic you choose. There is a virtually endless supply of wisdom out there to be gleaned.

Even if you narrow your search down to Christian business leaders, it would not be very difficult to find more material than you can absorb in a year. Quite simply, there is not a shortage of opportunities for learning or gaining wisdom in the world today.

I have been overwhelmed at times with the abundance of godly wisdom that is available. In fact, there have been times where I have been reading two or three different books or blogs at one time. While it can sometimes get confusing, I have enjoyed the variety.

So what exactly is the danger that we need to avoid?

How can continuous learning cause us trouble?

Danger Example In Scripture

These are good questions, but before I answer them I want to take a look at an example from Scripture. In the following passage, Peter steps into a danger zone. It is this area that I want to discuss.

After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves to be alone. He was transformed in front of them, and His clothes became dazzling—extremely white as no launderer on earth could whiten them. Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good for us to be here! Let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”— because he did not know what he should say, since they were terrified.

A cloud appeared, overshadowing them, and a voice came from the cloud:

    This is My beloved Son;
    listen to Him!

Then suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus alone.
Mark 9:2-8

Three Tabernacles?

Did you catch the danger area for Peter? Look back at what Peter said about building three tabernacles for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. What was wrong with that? Why should we consider this a danger zone?

I am not sure it is really clear until you read further and see how God responded. Read again what He says to them – “This is My beloved Son; listen to Him!”

Starstruck?

I believe that Peter was in awe over seeing Moses and Elijah. As a Jew, Peter saw these two guys as legendary men of faith. God worked incredible miracles through them and their lives were studied in depth by Jewish children as they came up in the synagogue.

For Americans, this would be like suddenly meeting George Washington and Ben Franklin. For students of business, the equivalent might be Henry Ford and John D. Rockefeller. Athletes might compare this to meeting Babe Ruth and Jim Thorpe.

I think you get the idea, but maybe the danger is still unclear.

God Interrupts

Think about it. Peter is clearly enamored with meeting these two legends and immediately wants to do something to show his excitement. Rather than thinking it through, he blurts out the first thing that comes to mind – to build three tabernacles or shelters for the tow of them and Jesus.

This is when God steps in and speaks. It is not often that God does this so we need to pay attention when He does. We should immediately realize that there is something important for us to learn here.

When God speaks, He makes it known that Jesus is His Son and that Peter (and the others) should listen to Him. Why did He do this?

Wrong Star!

What Peter did not realize was that while Moses and Elijah were great men, they were not great enough to be put on par with Jesus! Even though Peter should have been in awe of their presence, he should have been that much more in awe over being in the presence of Jesus, the Son of God! I don’t think it is coincidental that as soon as God said this, Jesus is the only one still standing there.

Too often, like Peter, we get caught up in who is the latest leader or guru in our industry. We want to read the latest book on business by the most recent author to rise to the top of his area of expertise. We even take pride in telling people what we have read and who we are learning from.

Jesus Stands Alone

Unfortunately, the danger is in the possibility of putting these people on par with Jesus. Even worse, we might be putting them ahead of Jesus! And while God is not using his booming voice to shock us back into the right mindset, passages like the one above should make it obvious that we are out of line.

Peter got caught up in the moment and went too far in showing honor to Moses and Elijah. We often do the same when we stop seeking our wisdom from Jesus, replacing Him with whoever it is that intrigues us at the moment.

Jesus As Foundation

To avoid this danger, we all need to make sure we build a foundation of learning from Jesus through consistent Bible study and prayer. We need to allow the wisdom from God’s Word to be our first and most important source of wisdom – whether it is for our business, job, or family. He should be first.

From there, there is no danger in adding godly wisdom from other sources as well. We just need to remember to keep this other wisdom in perspective, comparing it to Scripture and only applying that which matches what we read there.

Have you been guilty of putting others on par with Jesus?

Can you see the danger of doing this?

How do you make sure Jesus is your foundation first?

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How Did Jesus Use Incentives?

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The following post is courtesy of Bill Higgins. You have probably read a couple of his posts here before. This post is the third of a three-part series about leadership and motivation through the use of incentives. There is more information about Bill at the end of this post.

Coming from a Christian perspective you have to ask – are incentives just a human engineering invention or did Christ demonstrate the principles when He walked the earth? Did Christ treat people differently as individuals, or was His a cookie cutter incentive plan? Did He also use tangible incentives to help motivate people to believe, follow Him, and commit to His way of life?

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Valuing Individuals

The first post in this series focused on the need to value and empower individuals; to encourage them to make their unique contribution to the team. These few examples show how Jesus valued people:

  • Christ and Peter: Peter, the one with foot in mouth disease, yet the one the Lord said would be the foundation of the church (Matthew 16:18). Peter, the one who denied the Lord shortly before His death, yet the one whose name Christ changed from Simon (meaning little stone) to Peter (meaning unmovable rock)(John 1:42). Peter, the one that did not want the Lord to wash his feet, yet the one Christ had walk on water and lead the ministry to the Jews.
  • Christ and Mary: In John 12:1-8 Mary bathed Jesus’ feet with costly perfume and was criticized because it was not sold and the money given to the poor, but Jesus affirms her choice as a tribute to His time on earth. In Luke 10:38-42 Jesus is visiting Mary and Martha’s home and Mary chose to worship Jesus while Martha criticizes her for not helping serve, but again Jesus affirms Mary’s choice as the one thing that’s really important.
  • Christ and Zaccheus: Zaccheus was a small man as recorded in Luke 19:1-10, not only in stature but also by cultural standards. He was a Jewish tax collector, and an outcast from society because of his occupation, where most tax collectors were known to be thieves as well, and from his Jewish heritage because he worked for the Roman government to extort taxes from his fellow Jews.

    The one thing he probably wanted more than anything was acceptance. Then this Jewish celebrity named Jesus comes into town, and the road He travelled was packed by those wanting to see Him. So Zaccheus climbs a tree for a better view and Jesus calls out that He wants to have lunch with him. That was probably the most valuing thing He could have done for Zaccheus; include him in a very public way when others shut him out.

Yes, Jesus valued people for who they were and for who they could become. We need to catch some of that vision for the people we work with.

Individual Treatment

The second post focused on the need for incentives that were designed for the individual. But did Jesus incent individuals differently, or did He treat them pretty much all the same? While we have only a very small part of the dialog Christ actually had with individuals, what we do have will provide insight on this question.

  • Christ and Peter: The dialog Christ had with Peter was blunt, bottom-line, and straight forward. With the exception of the dialog Christ had with religious teachers, He had no more forceful exchange than with Peter. When he says to Peter, “Get thee behind me, Satan,” in Matthew 16:23 He wasn’t just saying that for effect. He communicated with Peter in a way he would hear and understand.

    When He also said to Peter, “Upon this rock I will build my church,” it was for the same reason. Peter had tons of potential, but he also had a lot of rough edges. Peter wasn’t sophisticated, so Christ’s communication with him wasn’t sophisticated, and yet He showed him true love and a vision for what he could be.

  • Christ and the rich young ruler: Here was sophisticated businessman, used to being rewarded for his effort and energy. He recognized his spiritual need, but approached it as a business transaction. In Matthew 19:16-22 Christ met him where he was, but moved the transaction from a business dealing to a relationship.

    When He said, “Go sell all you have and come and follow Me,” these two commands got to the young man’s essence. He had great wealth, and he was used to being his own boss. Christ spoke to him in his language, business, and reached him in his need, a relationship with Himself.

  • Christ and James and John: While they were referred to as the “sons of thunder” because of their fiery temperament, they must also have been somewhat lacking in self-esteem and assertiveness. It was their mother that asked that for her sons to sit on Christ’s right hand (Matthew 20:20-23).
    And how did Christ relate to them? James and John were fishermen like Peter, but their father was a wealthy fishermen. They would inherit the business but Jesus called them to serve, and related to them as a father.

    John especially had a greater capacity to love and be loved, and Christ responded to Him in love. The Bible repeatedly refers to John as the one Christ loved. He asks John to care for His mother when He’s dying. John reclines on Jesus at the last supper. There was intimacy there.

Each of these individuals was treated as an individual. Christ addressed them at their point of need, and in began building them into what He saw they could be. That is repeated throughout the New Testament. Thankfully He still does that today. He relates to each one of us individually, where we are, who we are, and builds us into what He alone sees that we can be.

That is true incentivizing; giving a vision for what a person can be and then providing the resources for them to be able to pursue that. We need to catch the same vision for the ones we work with.

Christ’s Tangible Incentives

When it comes to tangible incentives, He did promise to start a new ‘kingdom’ and that the disciples would play a significant role. That could be seen as a tangible incentive, even though what they understood and what He promised were worlds apart.

He did say that if they had even a little faith they could do more than He did. Then he went on to feed crowds with small lunches, pluck money from a fish to pay His taxes, and turn ordinary water into fine wine. Those could be seen as tangible incentives, but He had so much more in mind.
The true incentives He used targeted people’s deeper needs, and in so doing He won their loyalty and their trust:

  • The woman at the well: Jesus incented her with respect and acceptance. – John 4:7ff
  • Nicodemus: Jesus incented him with fulfilling his quest for truth. – John 3:1ff
  • The royal official: Jesus incented him by healing his son from while a ways off. – John 4:46ff
  • The woman in adultery: Jesus incented her with recognition, acceptance, and a vision for her life. – John 8:1ff

And the list could go on. Wherever He went, He touched people’s lives and changed them forever by incenting them in ways to spur them to greater things.

While Christ did not use tangible incentives as we think of them, His focus on meeting the deeper needs of people would imply that incentives can touch something deeper in an individual’s inner being. Yet, He also demonstrated the place of tangible incentives by feeding the hungry, providing for the poor, and contributing to a festive wedding celebration. In these He shows us that emotional needs satisfied by tangible incentives inspire greater motivation.

Bottom line, Christ met needs in a manner appropriate to the situation, and related to individuals in a manner consistent with their personality and the way God made them. Can we do any less with the people we work with?

SMART Incentives

To be practical, and for incentives to be most effective, they need to be:

  • Specific – the incentive should be tied to specific acts of behavior so that the recipient knows what it is being given for.
  • Meaningful – incentives need to be tailored to the individual, reflect company/program values and the cost of the reward should be relative to size of the act for which recognition is being given.
  • Achievable – the incentive should be something that each individual has the capability of achieving, and not awarded on a competitive basis.
  • Reliable – the measures and decision criteria by which the incentives are given need to be clear and specific so that individuals know why something is being incented and what they have to do to achieve the incentive.
  • Timely – the incentive should be given close in time to the specific act for which reward is given.

About the Author:

BILL HIGGINS is currently the Managing Director of MindWare Incorporated, an independent training and career coaching consulting firm. He previously served on the pastoral staff of churches in the U.S. and Canada, and worked in a managerial capacity for industry leading organizations.

Bill is a graduate of Biola University and Talbot Theological Seminary and his book; Your Road to Damascus: 6 Biblical Secrets for an Effective Job Search is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and MindWare Publishing websites.

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Strategic Use Of Incentives To Motivate

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The following post is courtesy of Bill Higgins. You have probably read a couple of his posts here before. This post is the second of a three-part series about leadership and motivation. There is more information about Bill at the end of this post.

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Leadership First!

Of the two factors vital to motivating employees, Part 1 on motivating through leadership that values them is by far the most important. Regardless of what other extrinsic motivation incentives may be in place, if the leadership isn’t one that values and empowers workers, employees won’t give all they are capable of giving.

Incentives Also!

By the same token, tangible incentives are important. Salary is one incentive, and as Christ Himself indicates, “The laborer is worthy of his hire (or wage).” While important, salary isn’t the only incentive.

Salary, to be an incentive, needs to be adequate to start with, but then have room for including incentive pay on top of that. Unfortunately, many organizations are boxed in with organizational pay scales, steps, or levels of some kind where the employee tops out and cannot increase their base pay without a promotion or moving into management. The challenge to that is that some people excel where they are as technical subject-matter-experts and to promote them into management would be to invoke the Peter Principle.

Wise managers devise a way to create a two-tier pay scale. One tier is for those technically oriented folks to be able to stay where they can do the most good and continue to receive pay increases, while the other is an equivalent management tier which promotes those that can be effective with management responsibility. This was becoming popular a few years ago, and some organizations need to resurrect it to fit their system.

Not One Size Fits All

Beyond salary however, incentive programs are not a one size fits all kind of thing. It’s much more fluid. What one person considers an incentive another won’t see any value in. A Tully’s coffee gift card to one is a great incentive, while to another it’s meaningless. Company branded apparel to one will be something they proudly wear and cherish, while another could not care less without this implying they are any less dedicated to either the company or the job.

So what’s the answer? How do you decide how to incent workers who give of themselves and earn this extra motivational boost? Some answers can be found in the biblical text.

Check Scripture

Spiritual Gifts insights: The three passages found in 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Peter 4, and Romans 12 deal with the concept of spiritual gifts. Each passage stresses that the Lord gives different gifts to different individuals. As a result of this, particular ministries that excite one person with one gift won’t excite a person with a different gift to the same degree. What is true of ministries is also true of incentives.

In the original language the concept of spiritual gifts does not have the same connotations as it does in English. The term gift (charismata) has more of the concept of motivation, as well as source of joy or delight. It is God’s infusion of a particular drive and passion in a particular direction. The basic idea of charisma, a person having a dynamic personality and attraction, is true but with a much more technical orientation.

Incentives According To Gifting

This explanation is in part why you will find some people in your church really concerned about missions, others about finances, and others about serving the sick and elderly.

Incentives based on giftedness for example would provide the person with something that fits their drive or passion. The person concerned about missions would love a trip to a mission field. The person concerned with finances would love to have a gift given in their name to a favorite charity or ministry. While the person concerned with serving the sick or elderly would love to have numerous people volunteer to go with them to visit those that are fit that description.

What is true in the church is true in the workplace. Tap into what drives a person and you will find what incents them as well.

Individual Makeup

Another popular passage that addresses raising children applies here as well. Proverbs 22:6 literally says, “Train up a child according to the way he is made,” implying different children are made differently.

For parents to apply this verse, they must observe, listen to, and study each child to see how each is made. What is true of parents in the home is also true of managers/employers in the workplace. They must pay attention to each employee to see what is important to each.

They must listen to, observe, and study what is important to each individual employee. This will enable the manager to use each person most effectively, but also to tailor incentives to them personally.

Workplace Incentive Examples

Here are some examples where both the giftedness and makeup come together in the workplace:

  • The person who contributes more than others verbally in the form of questions or comments in team meetings may have need for verbal recognition. Write and read their awards in team meetings.
  • The person who tackles writing projects, or finds 800 needed revisions in a written project where others average 350, may have a strong need for written recognition. Write up the reward in a document they can save, and read and present it to them in a meeting.
  • The person who reads all the memos, manuals, job aids, and extra material sent along by subject-matter-experts may have a need to see their achievements documented for the team. Have different team members contribute to their recognition by identifying what they have done well.
  • The person that likes to discuss the latest gadget they purchased for their home may really appreciate being given the chance to use the latest technology as it applies to their job.
  • The person who spends what others might call an inordinate amount of time making documents, emails, reports, training materials, etc. look aesthetically pleasing to the eye would really appreciate an artistically designed certificate they can hang in their cube or home.
  • The person who would much rather meet face-to-face than virtually whenever possible might appreciate time with the manager or leader in a lunch or private meeting type of setting.

If you spend time considering what is important to each individual in your work group, you can probably identify these same types of things. Once you have done that, it’s simply a matter of matching a corresponding incentive to fit each individual in particular. Takes time. Takes effort. But is worth so much more than generic incentive programs.

Tangible incentives

In addition to these individualized incentives, don’t discount tangible incentives. Such things as time off, mouse pads, books, gift certificates (e.g., coffee, movie tickets, bus passes), business trips, participation in invitation-only corporate events will appeal to different folks. Letting people choose takes the guess work out of trying to personalize this type of incentive.

Contests to drive production, sales, service and more can also have tremendous impact, especially when done as teams and for desirable awards. Done as teams and with the opportunity for all to achieve some award can be very motivating.

To be most effective these should not pit one team against another, but the program should have set goals that each team is striving for and more than one team can win if they meet the goal.

Right Behavior

Ken Blanchard at one time promoted an incentive program for customer service reps that was a little different and called something like, “Caught You Doing Something Right.” This program gave award presentation capability to every member of the team.

It was based on defined criteria and the entire team kept their eyes open to watch for those that were achieving the types of behaviors designated for incentivizing. When that happened, when someone saw them, they presented them with the “CYDSR” award; a button to signify they were noticed, and any other incentives the organization wanted to link to the program.

This form of incentivizing positive, right behavior, instead of watching for people not complying with rules, regulations, and desired behaviors, can be very empowering and motivating, and create a more positive atmosphere and team atmosphere.

Bottom Line

The bottom line, incentives take on a different form and meaning to different people. You can’t incent everyone the same and expect the incentives to have the desired impact. Beyond the generic incentives of salary raises and performance bonuses, incentive programs must be tailored to the individual.

The final part of this series will examine how Christ incented the men closest to Him as He walked with them and enlisted them to follow Him and to promote His kingdom.

About the Author:
BILL HIGGINS is currently the Managing Director of MindWare Incorporated, an independent training and career coaching consulting firm. He previously served on the pastoral staff of churches in the U.S. and Canada, and worked in a managerial capacity for industry leading organizations.

Bill is a graduate of Biola University and Talbot Theological Seminary and his book; Your Road to Damascus: 6 Biblical Secrets for an Effective Job Search is now available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and MindWare Publishing websites.

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5 Steps To Eliminate Anxiety, Part 2

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[This is a the second half of my post on the 5 Steps To Eliminate Anxiety. If you have not read the first post, please take a moment to do that before reading this one. It will make much more sense!]

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Praying For Patience?

Have you ever prayed for patience? If you have or you know someone that has, you know that is just asking for trouble, right? With training for patience come trials. I have news for you…the same is true for writing about anxiety! Before my last post, I felt I had very little to “worry” about. In the last couple of days the reasons for anxiety have flooded in!

So far, I have attempted to practice my own advice! I am excited to say that it is working at the moment. I may have to come back to you later with some modifications or further instructions, but for now I will stick with my 5 Steps.

Eliminating Anxiety!

In my last post, I talked about the root of anxiety being a simple uncertainty of the future. I described how this uncertainty is not a problem until consequences are added. It is usually the size of the consequences that creates the anxiety that is so difficult for us to handle.

In that post, I gave the first two of these 5 Steps To Eliminate Anxiety. Following is a summary of the first two steps and then the details of the final three steps. I suggest you take these and pray through them. I truly believe you will find that, with practice, they are effective.

Step #1 – Bible Is Truth

We must recognize and believe that the Bible is absolutely and totally the Word of God AND that it is without error or fluff. This step is non-negotiable and is the foundation for Step #2.

Step #2 – Read About Your Future

The next step is to read about our ultimate future as described, and promised, in the Bible. We are told there that Jesus died for us. If we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives, we are promised an eternity with Him. Therefore, what happens to us between now and then is in His hands and unworthy of worry or anxiety.

Step #3 – Pray For Faith

Because it is easier to read and understand the truth in Step #2 than it is to fully accept it and internalize it, our next step is to pray for the faith we need. We need to be just like the father (whose son was dying) who said to Jesus, “I do believe! Help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:14-27)

Many professing Christians believe the Bible is true and that it gives us a picture of our ultimate future, but when life comes at them, their faith fails them. Anxiety takes over and faith seems like a distant memory. We simply cannot allow this to continue!

Cry out to God for the faith needed to believe what He tells you in His Word. Do not relent until He grants you this faith. Just remember that much of our faith comes from going through these trials and coming out on the other side. Looking back builds our faith for the next one!

Step #4 – Repeat Steps #2 & #3 As Needed

Unlike learning not to put your hand on a hot stove, this lesson about anxiety is not a once-and-done kind of lesson. This is something many people will struggle to defeat over a period of time. While this may be true, do NOT accept that it cannot be defeated. Anxiety is not something you just have to learn how to live with – unless you cannot get past Step #1!

Because it may take time, you need to keep doubling back to Step #2 and then Step #3. Repeat these steps over and over. Write them on labels and put them on your monitor at work and the dash of your car. Put them on your refrigerator at home. Memorize the Scriptures that speak to you the most.

As you do this, keep praying for God to help your unbelief. You may believe that He saved you, but you have trouble believing that He will provide a job for you. Maybe you can trust Him with your soul, but cannot seem to place your teenager in His hands. As you pray through this, you will begin to see the fallacy of your logic and your faith will grow to meet the challenges you are facing.

Step #5 – Enjoy The Peace

Oh yeah, Step #5 is the goal! If you will follow the first four steps listed above, then you will be treated to what is probably the greatest gift God has given us after our salvation – peace. If you have had it, you know what I mean!

If you look at the beginning of all of Paul’s letters in the New Testament, he starts with a mention of peace. Jesus talks many times about the peace he brings us, despite the trouble of this world. This is clearly our goal as it is the total absence of anxiety. Not only is it promised to us, but it is within our reach every day!

Practice Makes Perfect

You will not be fully successful with these five steps on your first try. You absolutely must commit to practicing them if you expect to be good at them. If you want this to work, you must work through these steps over time. Each time you will get stronger and stronger. Eventually, you will see that the truth of Steps #1 & #2 are enough to vanquish the anxiety at your door. Until then, keep practicing!

Now that you have the 5 steps, what do you think?

Are you willing to try following these steps?

What part of this process is new to you?