ARTICLE

Breaking The Sound Barriers – The Barrier of a Closed Heart

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The last time we looked at what my fingers typed we considered how a closed mind could be a barrier to the sound of God’s voice. The same is true of a closed heart. What are some signs that a heart attitude might be hindering us from hearing God?

Look what will happen – “We might die!”

In contrast to Gideon, who doubted that God would speak to him, in another account the Israelites gathered around Mount Sinai.   They had been on a journey and came to a mountain that visually turned them away, smoke, clouds, and lightening – “…very, very frightening…” was line in a Queen song called Bohemian Rhapsody and the same words came to mind and hit home here.  The nation is challenged convinced that God had something to say. But they were terrified by the prospect!    As God spoke from the mountain, the people “trembled with fear” and pleaded with Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die” Ex. 20:18–19.

Sometimes we too shut out the voice of God because we fear what God might say.    We may not worry, as the Israelites did, that God’s words could kill us.    But fear shuts out what God has to say.    We may say never me but when has the fear of the situation held us up, caused us to run away and not take up the moment?   The Father as something to say and we have wince at the possibility that He could make uncomfortable demands.

What if God were to command us to change our ways?     What if God were to call us to some great sacrifice?

That’s precisely what the Father often does.    Read the word of the Lord to the believers in the seven churches of Asia, recorded in the opening chapters of Revelation.    God praised their virtues and good works, but then there was the warning to them that the sufferings ahead would require great sacrifices, the change your ways, the come up here.       The Lord punctuated each message with the same command: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says” Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22. Nevertheless, the words always concluded with words of hope and a promise of salvation “to him who overcomes” 3:21.

If what will it mean is deafening us to God’s voice, we should bear in mind that the rewards of heeding are priceless and eternal. No matter what God calls us to, we can take courage, “for our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” 2 Cor. 4:17.

All that I need I have – “We’ve got horses!”

Another heart issue that hinders hearing is that God’s people sometimes have trouble hearing because of pride.    One form of pride leads us to assume that we have things under control and have no need for a conversation with God.    The Old Testament prophets often warned against this. Zephaniah, for example, rebukes those who “neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him” Zeph. 1:6.

God has a cure for misplaced confidence in ourselves: the allowing of difficult circumstances to overwhelm us and remind us how desperately we need God’s guidance.

During Isaiah writing his account, as the nations where bearing down, the on coming of the physical threat to Judah by Assyria.    Leadership should have been asking God for protection and direction, but they lost their bearings and made a logical and calculated decision and made an alliance with Egypt, with Egypt?    What did God think of that arrangement?    “Woe to the obstinate children…to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit. Is. 30:1

Through Isaiah, the Lord called the people to trust in God’s protection. But they responded, “No, if trouble comes we’ve got horses for a getaway!”     “So be it,” God replied. “You’ll take to your horses, and your enemies will pursue and overtake you” see vv. 16–17.

God’s mercy reaches great heights, its is great. “How gracious he will be when you cry for help!” Isaiah reminded the prideful people. “As soon as he hears, he will answer you” v 19.

And how will God show compassion once we have abandoned our self-sufficiency?   By speaking to us. “Whether you turn to the right or to the left,” He promises, “your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’” v. 21.

It should have come through Mr.& Mrs? – “I’m not listening to a donkey!”       Pride can also lead us to presumptions about the kind of messenger God should use.     We can close our hearts and ears to God’s voice if we consider the courier unfit for the job.     Remember the blind beggar Jesus healed?      When the Pharisees examined him, he tried to tell them that Jesus was a prophet sent from God to whom they should listen John 9.    But they had already concluded that Jesus was just a troublemaker, so they rejected the message and the messenger. “‘You were steeped in sin at birth,” they told the man who had been healed. “How dare you lecture us!” V 34

There seems to be a continuous way of God woven here that God speaks to us through people we might never, better said definitely would not have chosen?    An unacceptable person, different in culture, a fringe person to their society speaks out for Gods case.     A child makes a profound statement of spiritual wisdom beyond her years.      A so-called enemy, which can be physical enemy or emotional enemy, brings to us with an uncomfortable truth.     A stranger makes a passing remark that opens a door of direction for us.     God spoke through Balaam’s donkey Num. 22:21–34.      That means God can speak through anybody!

Whenever you or I have done the very thing of dismissing God due to the massagers, if it’s the style or what is said, as we have realized we have dismissed God and have become unable to hear the Father, we realize its really is the voice of God speaking through the vessel.    A vessel that in our mind perhaps we thought unworthy or not up to whom we wanted, or not who we wanted to hear from.    Stop for a moment, just tell the Father, confess our pride he will hear us although we could not hear God.    Without judgment or put down the Father hears you and me, just admit it and watch out as the Father speaks again.    Go the next step and thank the person, the one you said, “…never could be too…” the one God used.     This act of humility can help prevent future presumption.

Another way to swallow our pride is to habitually and humbly seek good counsel from.     Become a constant learner looking to learn from the youngest to oldest the most to the least, what ever lines you have drawn regarding whom you can learn from rub them out, learn from whom ever and where ever, “EVERYTHING IS SPIRIRUAL” remember, that is seeing God in all things constantly communicating to us, hearing God every where.   Don’t miss God and wait for a repeat God is ever speaking to us.

“You’re not the God of me!”

When we turn our backs on God, preferring to do things our way, our ears grow deaf to Gods voice. This is no new phenomenon. When God instructed the nation of Judah how to live righteously,

They turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit.  Zech. 7:11–12

The result? “The Lord Almighty was very angry”v.12. A hardened heart is at enmity with God, and in the end, those who oppose God will suffer calamity. “Listen!” says the Lord to rebels. “I am going to bring a disaster…that will make the ears of everyone who hears of it tingle” Jer. 19:3. One way or another, we will end up listening.

So what do I do turn back to the Lord, seeking God’s forgiveness and recognizing His sovereignty. He can give us a new heart, so that we can say with the prophet: “The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back” Is. 50:5.

For me I have found helpful is discovering a view of God that the bible shows us not what we are told God is like but discovering God as God.   Learning that God constantly is bringing us to see God as God is, not what religious or Christian culture, sometimes paints.   I suppose we could say “…as God is so are we…” so we better discover a right view so we can “be”.   Our judgmental, no generous way will define for us what we do and what we don’t do and is harmful to us and others.  It paints an incorrect picture/view first for our selves next for the world around us.   Is this not what has happened and people don’t want anything to do with the church due to the view painted we better get a correct view here.   This view of Gods magnificence, Gods greatness reflect upon it and consider my smallness and be overwhelmed with God.

Consider God working in discipline different from often times  “God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.   Heb. 12:10–11

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.  Lam. 3:21–25

When I need to recover my sense of dependency on God, I find help here:

What have you that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if it were not a gift? 1 Cor. 4:7, RSV

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.  Jas. 1:17

If I’m struggling with submission to God’s sovereignty, I consider God’s words to Job.

Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!…Have you ever given orders to the morning, or shown the dawn its place?…Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this. Job 38:4–5, 12, 18

Moses’ song to God in Exodus 15 is another passage that helps me adopt a submissive spirit:

Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? . . . In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.  vv. 11, 13

After reflecting on such passages that remind me of the nature of our God, I’ll find my heart opening to Gods will—and my ears opening to Gods voice.

 

Breaking The Sound Barriers

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Why we may not hear God – and what to do about it

Have you ever been in a situation when you are desperately looking for a lost item and some one speaks out and says “let’s ask God”, you first reaction could be “O, Yes but we have lost something”, even “Ok pray” but we never believe that God will speak.

I heard this story a little while ago when a four-year-old daughter, and her mother and father were raking the grass after a hot day mowing the lawn when mum shouted, “My engagement ring! its gone!”

They all looked together at the numerous massive garden bags stuffed with grass and everything else, bags that would have to be opened and dumped out one by one. Then would they find the ring.

The 4-year-old came up with a suggestion suggested, “Let’s ask God to show us where to start,” The temptation was to dismiss the notion as impractical. But what if the Holy Spirit were leading her?

“All right,” they agreed, “let’s ask the Lord to show us where the ring is.” So having sat on the grass, prayed for help, and remained quiet for a moment.

Suddenly the 4-year-old cried out, “God told me!” Then she pointed to one of the bags. “Open that one, Dad!” the Fathered turned the bag on its side and opened it. The ring tumbled out.

That day, Dad and Mum were shown that the 4-year-old had “ears to hear” what the Lord was saying (Mt. 11:15, NASB). And her parents learned a valuable lesson about the unexpected ways God might speak—if only we’ll listen.

Granted, having ears to hear may not always be as easy as it was for the 4-year-old that day. At times, God is silent. At other times, He may speak, but we’re hindered from hearing. What are the most common reasons for that spiritual deafness?

Three stand out to me: closed minds, closed hearts, and closed lifestyles.

The Barrier of a Closed Mind

Sometimes we close our minds against the possibility of hearing God. That close-mindedness can take a number of forms.

“Who, me?” When the Lord called Gideon to leadership, Gideon reacted in disbelief. As he saw it, he was an unimportant member of a minor family in the weakest of clans (Jdg. 6:15). “Give me a sign,” he insisted, “that it is really you talking to me” (v. 17).

Gideon doubted not that God would speak, but that God would speak to him. Why would the Lord of the universe converse with a nobody?

A number of years ago I was asked a question while on the phone to a car supplied who wanted to put right another breakdown of my car and said “Ask what ever you want” and I heard God saying “you have not as you don’t ask”.   So asked, I did from a new car and amazingly within 3 days a new vehicle was delivered.  It just taught me a lesson in life on asking, Jesus’ invitation should encourage us: “Ask and it will be given to you” (Lk. 11:9), I am not using it to asks for stuff what ever your need may be I am juts encouraging you to ask in the will of God and see what happens.

Jesus follows that invitation with the reminder that if even sinful human fathers care about their children, how much more will their Father in heaven do so (v. 13). This is the same Father by whom “the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Lk. 12:7). This Father cares about the details of our lives; the things that matter to us matter to Him—and He cares enough to speak to us about them.

Let’s not allow doubt to deafen us to God’s voice. No matter how small we may be in our own eyes, we can have faith that if we seek to hear from God, He will speak, for “he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Heb. 11:6).

Be careful in our asking and listening as sometimes we just miss God’s communication with us is because it doesn’t come in the way we expect.

Think of the people standing around Jesus on the day God spoke from heaven. Jesus understood clearly what His heavenly Father said. But “the crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered” (Jn. 12:29). How many times has God spoken and we heard thunder then?   Apparently, their expectations about how God might speak did not include an audible voice from heaven. So when the word of the Lord came to them, all they heard was noise.

Open minds stay alert to both the ordinary and the extraordinary and surprising ways God may choose to speak. I think most of us get lost in the surprising ways or extraordinary ways that we miss the ordinary in our lives.   I would suggest to you that God more often speaks in the ordinary than any other way.    We can miss it as it can be too ordinary.   Lets hear God in all ways and let God be God shall we?

The story of Augustine may encourage us as saint of old and his experience, he is regarded a s senior father in our faith and his encounter with God.  One day in his youth, Augustine of Hippo wept alone in a garden, plagued by the knowledge that his life was not consecrated to God. He begged for divine help to break decisively from his sinful past.

Suddenly, he heard a child nearby, chanting a refrain: “Take up and read, take up and read!”

Was it simply part of a child’s game? Augustine wasn’t sure. But he was alert to the possibility that the Lord was speaking through that child. So Augustine found a copy of the Scriptures, opened it, and read the first words he saw:

Let us behave decently…not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery.…Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

—Ro. 13:13–14

The text struck him like a thunderbolt. Of that moment, Augustine later said to God, “You converted me to Yourself.”

“It might get weird!” Another consideration may cause us to close our minds to God’s voice: How many religious cults have begun with an individual claiming “God told me…”? How many unbalanced people have engaged in strange, even criminal, behavior that they thought was inspired by God? How many otherwise normal people, for that matter, have made poor decisions because they thought they were acting under God’s private, specific instructions?

Understandably, we don’t want to make the same mistake: to ascribe to the Lord our own silly notions or defame His reputation by claiming He’s told us something that proves untrue. Such caution is admirable. But listening to God is not an all-or-nothing proposition. It’s possible, even common, for Christians sometimes to hear the Lord accurately and to be mistaken at other times. Learning to listen with discernment is a form of spiritual growth. To help us in this process, God has provided ways of correcting us—or of confirming what He has said.

If we believe that God has spoken to us about a matter of doctrine or morals, we can compare what we believe we’ve heard with the teaching of Scripture. If what we heard involves a personal decision, we can seek the counsel of wise Christian friends. If we believe we heard a call to action that requires God’s provision, the arrival of that provision can be a form of confirmation.   We also have each other so learn to seek counsel and submit to each other so we can be confirmed.    Do not go looking for the ways you want and the answers that come in line with your thinking, let people be honest and even if you don’t see it.

I know Gods grace to us is not to have any aspects of our lives closed in any such ways but to be those who have come into freedom that we might have a liberated mind.   A mind that can fly into the experiences and encounter of God in every way God comes to us to give all to us all so that we can be given to the will of God as well.

Next time we can move on to the other two hearts and lifestyle

 

Leadership while sitting Continued – lessons from a cyclists seat.

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Heralded as the greatest cycling Olympics ever, the London 2012 velodrome has become a golden event at least 7 golds and a few other silver and bronze medals for the UK, from speed trials, team sprint, omnium producing Gold medals.   Cycling lessons will be written and debated for many years in team strategies and life’s forums I am sure.   Watching the interviews of the team trainer works and how his strategies shave produced such a golden team.   His comments of breaking down each event and dealing with the little things, then all the little changes amalgamate to make big advances.  In their own right these little changes are insignificant yet together in the overall achievement great advance.  Changes such as even down to how a cyclist would wash their hands.

Even before the golden advance in the velodrome we began in the last blog to enjoy some of the benefits in lessons from a bicycle seat, looking at Lance Armstrong’s‘ advice  in building team.    We will now continue without any more introduction looking at some noteworthy thinking and how it affects the life of a Christ follower.

Lance Armstrong outlines practical insights to gain advance for our consideration.

  • No matter what the cards are that life deals you, you have to make the most of it.   

For all of Lance’s athletic prowess, one thing that he could not control was the fact that he developed testicular cancer. This cancer later spread to his brain and he developed a brain tumour. For a while, it looked as though Lance was losing the battle against cancer. Yet he kept fighting. At the same time, he kept winning. Many people would have given up in those circumstances. Yet, not only did he not give up, he triumphed against adversity, winning races while suffering from cancer.

The bible teaches us that our lives are not about amassing but much more about producing the character of the Son in our lives becoming like the Christ and being sons of God this is our goal, that He might fill all in all.   In other words life is about producing what the scriptures call ‘Overcomers’ that we are to overcome rather than duck and avoid life.   So many people duck responsibility avoid accountability and even rebuke the challenges, bind them in prayer and cast them out when they have been presented with overcoming opportunities.

We hear many say that they are a transitional generation for example they are  a  bridge to the generations or racial gaps, what ever gaps really, yet so often when we are presented with the gifts of transition we tend to think that they are evil and from satan, but they are actually gifts to bring transition and cause us to overcome.

  • Every race starts with a single rotation of the wheel.

To achieve great things, you have to first achieve the little things.  A long-distance race victory doesn’t just happen instantly, it has to begin somewhere and from those many rotations of the wheel, victory followed.    Every little press down of the foot to create another rotation of the wheel counts, or you could say every small event makes the big picture work.    Someone once said ‘the sea is made of water droplets’, for you and I we only see the sea and push aside the little drops that make it up as we only want or value the big, great, yet the small pushed aside are where life is at really.

  • Preparation.

For a race that would last days, he would spend all year round training hard and competing in other events. He was known to push himself to extremes in training, more-so than most endurance athletes.

We are encouraged through the scripture to be shrewd and wise taking a view of the culmination of Gods purpose and not to live in the shallows of now only.   Is this not the encouragement of “without a vision people are unrestrained (perish)” it is about having a view which demands a long-range.   To be expectant of the return of Christ yet plan for the long-term future, it’s the tension of living the ‘now and not yet’ making provision for the long haul and the immediate.

  •  Do not doubt yourself when others doubt you.

For a large portion of his career, Lance had to put up with doping allegations made against him, many of them made by former team-mates. Some of these allegations could perhaps be attributed to jealously.     Being accused of something, particularly by former friends, can be quite upsetting. Much speculation remains on whether or not Lance took performance enhancing drugs, and it’s likely to follow him the rest of his life.

Believe that God has chosen you, empowered you equipped you don’t let others hold you back or their insecurity or control pull down what God has promised.   See through Gods view on your life.   ‘Enduring for the joy set before’ was the Jesus style of life that  is distracting challenge our wills, some times challenges makes us wonder yet there was a joy in Christ of knowing what God wanted of Him the Christ.   Don’t take on other people’s feelings, live in the inner life of God.

  • Family is important.

Winning is important. But it’s not everything. Despite his hectic training schedule, Lance Armstrong still found time to father five children.

A Family is what  God is after, the church is the family of God we must see this as important beyond anything else, to be a family and model a family at every level.    To prevent the church becoming organisational and remain as a family that the influence, leadership and stability of the community of God, the church comes from mothers, brothers, fathers and sisters.  For this is the governments of the church, there will be the functional apostles, prophets etc., reproducing the very same in a people,  yet these functions are fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers but certainly not positional but relationship in a family.   It’s a challenge in our day as we cross to business models, which there is nothing wrong with business in its sphere yet the church crosses and finds little true relationships, as we take on cooperate models and realise we are about filling the earth with a person not business strategies we are FAMILY, the FAMILY OF GOD together, the Christ like corporate body, the image and likeness of the Father.

  • The determination to succeed.

His drive to become the best was phenomenal. It is all the more incredible to have succeeded so often in an endurance sport. Unlike many other sports, endurance sports are not won with one play, or a short period of maximum effort. They require maximum effort over a long period of time.    To win one Tour de France title is incredible, to win it seven times is something else.

Jesus set his ‘face like flint’ he determined his direction, he asked can ‘this cup be taken away’ then concluded ‘not my will but yours be done’ he determined to finish.   Paul said ‘I have run the race…I have finished the race‘ determination to get to the end, the old idiom that goes ‘the measure of a person is in how they finish, finishing well’

  • Do not get complacent.

Once you have achieved your goals, there’s always the temptation to sit back, relax and enjoy your success. After the first few Tour de France wins, you would forgive Lance for slacking-off training a little. After all, he had accomplished great feats. Yet Lance wasn’t happy with just one or two wins, he wanted more. Even as he was rapidly approaching middle-age and suffering from a terrible disease, he kept going.

You could say of Lance ‘He put the same amount of determination into his last victory as he did his first one’.    Don’t let your world become small and just survive, it seems some times that life throws all at us to produce this,  but we must not be complacent.     Knowing if God who started something ‘will complete it’ as Paul put it can we join in with that same essence and life to complete what we start and not get complacent?

  • If you have succeeded at anything, there’s always more to do.

No matter what life throws at you, with the right frame of mind you can overcome. Even when life is cruel. And when all others doubt you, you can go that extra mile and become the best in the world.

We are OVERCOMERS in Christ, who can separate us from the love of God, all these are there so we know and experience that we can be those who get through and accomplish the goal of God for all creation.

Leadership Lessons while sitting down, leading from a bike!

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Olympic fever has hit the Uk having had the most successful day ever in the competitive day at London 2012 yesterday, Thursday 3rd August so the news casters report.    I wonder how many people will take up some kind of sport from all that’s going on shooting, rowing judo and of course cycling.   Cycling has captured people’s imagination with Sir Chris Hoy, Bradley Wiggins and co.

A number of years ago a friend introduced me to another great cyclist who put pen to paper regarding his own experience of the sport, bringing lessons to leadership, team involvement and many other aspects, his name being Lance Armstrong.   Let me see if I can simply put some lasting thoughts together from his penning.   Armstrong paints a picture of team, of corporate riding which is most powerful.   Rather than painting a picture of captains and leaders he paints a way of constant movement, empowerment, honouring the gifts/talents, strengths along with personal ability for the corporate.   In essence I would sum it up with “the terrain determines the leadership”.       That is the best hill climber, downhill rider, flat, or what the terrain determines,  takes the lead.   That the one who has the best ability to meet the coming terrain comes through the team and takes the lead seamlessly and intuitively without competition or jostling or wanting the accolade to be seen the terrain determines who takes the advance and the whole benefits.

We live in a world where those with a title take the lead, or where hierarchy determines the lead, with a top down mentality ruling and making  decisions, rather than the best suited person, or allowing the empowerment or the gifted, the grace gift, to shine through.  It shows a picture where advance is determined by grace, skill, along with who is the best to meet the terrain and circumstances in front.

I fully understand I may be in danger of making more of Armstrong’s’ thoughts than he meant,  yet it has opened up my imagination, it has become a wonderful picture of how the body at every level, and in every area of general life should function within leadership and within any corporate expression.   To have a corporate people who with intuitive procession move constantly, enabling the other to move through all as they  recognise the one with the skill to meet the rigours to advance, rather that all waiting to be asked, told or appointed and titled to do something.   When space is made for the terrain it enables and graces the person with the right skill to come though and takes us ALL on to  achieving the most we can corporately.    We require a new day,  a new way, and a new people to come through, to move corporately, preferring and honouring one another, not stepping back and waiting but moving forward to take on the riggers that are set for us.    It demands us to be mature and not allow any defence, or insecurity to overwhelm us but rather be excited to see the whole breaking through and making advance without loss of face or anything else, allowing  my identity to come through the whole.

Over the years, believe it or not I admit I enjoyed the “Star Trek” series and realised how each series addressed the issues of their era, such as in the first series, the issues of the 1960‘s  with each following spin-off reflecting  their decade.   They displayed and spoke into such topics  as war, peace, value of personal loyalty, imperialism, class, human rights, racism ( it exposed the first cross racial kiss on TV), along with other  important issues.   All its manifestations of leadership styles were cleverly woven in and were there for all to see as the series advanced and the spin off’s came, e.g. Captain James T. Kirk and his interaction with his team, Spock “Bones” as the top dog, he had the only seat in the centre of the ship, then came Captain Jean-Luc Picard who displayed more of a team but he still “made it so”, set the direction and sat in the middle of a row of seats, although he created much more of a team than the first.   The next step is seen through Commander Sisko (DSN), Captain Kate Janeway  (Voyager), now a woman took on the captain’s chair which was now no longer in the centre, but every discipline had their seat and every expert had a place at the centre of the ship, taking responsibility for their disciple, answering what ever the need in front of them demanded.    It was empowering, the multiple people to be corporate befit.

So where does that leave us?    Let me suggest in looking at the Jesus way, I would have to conclude the “you feed” of the feeding of the 5000, although the scripture says that Jesus “knowing what he would do” was seeking to bring through a cooperate environment.   The sending of the 70 out by two’s is yet another way of bringing everyone through.   The “it is better that I leave you that the Spirit may come” is this not again the establishment of the many rather than just the “ONE”, that the  corporate body meets its terrain and allows those fitted by their grace gift to take the advance.   The lead would change in every challenge and joy.

Paul’s encouragement of “as every joint supplies” here the emphasis of supply is important, along with the ‘every”  the corporate body is after maturity,it is not about who controls, or who is the line manager, even or who is the greatest leader?   The greatest is the servant of all, the greatest is the one given to the whole, laying down his/her life for the whole?   The great love of laying down your life for your bother!

Just thoughts may be or some real truth of direction in the advance of leadership.   A family, for is this not what we are, a family needs a sacrificial people laying down for the right people to do the next thing.     We do not want to see the family simply becoming an organisation,  we have enough examples of what happens when that takes place, rather let us see a dynamic advance, new team and corporate influence happening,  determined by the task, the terrain of advance.   In the day of the body, the ‘ekklesia’ of God come.

Next time we will look at more insights from the cycling seat

 

From your WHY’s to where next.

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The last time I wrote my blog it was a little tongue in cheek regarding our parenting experience suggesting it is a common experience to every parent. The child’s propensity to ask the eternal question of “why”, “why” o for  a respite from “why’s” some times, this question  has had parents thinking for all time. I began in this way only to present to you the question that we should not lose or perhaps better said, an attitude we should not lose that of asking questions to stay as a continual learner and a growing learner.

Before anyone contacts me and takes up the issues of Questions & Questioning, I am not asking you to become a “Questioning person”. There is a hugely different approach to having a learning attitude, to becoming a person who is constantly learning, thriving on gleaning new insights and experiences, different to someone who is just plainly questioning everything.

We live in a world, certainly in the UK with cynicism all around, at present it is at its height, I am finding more and more as we live in a world of growing loss of TRUST.  Why, with the great erosion of trust in old institutions,  corners of our society that have always been there such as banks, health services, church denominations and every other institution, it produces a person to ask “…who can we trust?   It is fundamentally producing a greater questioning and unfortunately it is reproducing  a growing lack of trust in our society with the possibility of creating even bigger cynics?

Questioning constantly unfortunately brings about destructive elements,  it can bring momentum to a full-stop, bind and prevent initiatives even before they are  out of the starting blocks. Questioning could keep you second-guessing, wondering and grasping for a way forward, it makes you wonder sometimes if anything is acceptable. Be careful of questioning, it can even be the means for some people to take control or to establish higher ground and  win control or dictate an environment just by continually questioning every one and everything, meet people like this?

Developing a learning way of life on the other hand is a must, discover a way of asking questions without being questioning. Questions must be formed, must be asked in an attitude of learning in-oder to progress. In the light of this I will continue in listing questions, adding to the 3 already asked in my last blog, I trust they become not only an interesting reading but points of learning for each one of us.

Do I empower and take people to a higher place?

Here is a wonderful line “my success is determined by the seeds I sow, not the harvest I reap”, that is, do I  sow seeds into others to empower them, seeds that will continue and produce a harvest in their lives? Can I make my life’s aim to add value to others so that others might add value to an ever-expanding circle of more people. One of the challenges for all who are influencers/leaders is to add value to people and steer away from adding value to themselves. The servant leadership style of Jesus certainly added value to other people. In Eph 4:11 cf. we are told that the living ministries of the body of Christ, the church, should be equipping others, that is adding value to others rather than amassing to themselves. In the history of movements in our world one of the greatest orators of one movement  in regard to issues of colour and race was Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Who said it well “life’s most important urgent question is: what are you doing for others?”

  • This question provokes my understanding and my given-ness to mission

Do I stop and think?

Take time to think, one of the greatest lacks I’m told in all industry and in regard to developing any initiative is the lack of thinking that is done. Everything is action, doing, its pragmatic to really advance we need thinking along side doing.  This is not a day-dreaming exercise I am highlighting it is taking time to think, to consider the plan to work a way through. I read once  “a minute of thought is greater than an hour of talk”, its taking time to think. Thinking will help you and I to live life more purposefully, to take hold of life that sometimes just constantly comes at you and not allow those circumstances to dictate, not allowing the expectation of others to determine, or allowing status quo to dominate having you to conform. Take up the pen of your own life and author your own life, write on the page of heart and motive how by first clearing your diary and taking time to think.

  • This question provokes influencing/leadership

Who do I give my time to?

You cannot deny that the crowd you run with, the people you associate with will have a major influence on your perception, and of course your actions.   People can even trace back their achievements or failures to the crowd they run with, that is the people they connect to.   This is not an exercise on who to blame but we can certain trace failures and achievements to the relationships we have in our lives. Therefore make deliberate choices with who you spend your time with, be selected with whom you join to on your journey of life especially if you have influence or direct and lead anything. Choose companions that are those with a commitment to personal growth, those with potential for the now and future, people who will pour themselves out from others and carry a healthy attitude.   Making a difference will always come down to the choice of relationships as its “…as every joint supplies…” growth occurs scripture says.

  •  This is a question of relationship

Do I know your strength and therefore stay in your strength area?

I’ve had so many people pass comment about working on their weaknesses while they take no notice or even disregard their strengths, this has become part of management training even working on your weaknesses. However effective people are diligently in developing their strengths. To be effective each one of us have to learn to partner with others, the reason for your weakness is to find other people to walk with.   Learn to ask for assistance to delegate so that you can focus on that which only what you can offer to every environment. Its enabling you to offer your uniqueness while allowing others to offer their uniqueness to you. It’s not necessary for anyone of us to do all the work and certainly not to have an all-knowing attitude, it’s such a disappointment to find people who think they know it all our goal must be in staying effective while staying in our strength area then need others around us to add their strengths!

  • This question brings to mind how effective I am

Am I caring for today?

The secret of achieving anything is determining what is required today, the daily schedule “I chose” the everyday focus I have.  Realizing if i do not focus on today my time will be lost and will flitter away. Most people have heard or have been taught about writing a to-do list which is good and necessary,  however I think  a more powerful list which needs a an understanding is a simply action of writing a “not-to-do list”. A list that keeps you away from the little things that drain your time, your thinking and energy. This is not a blog to outline a “not-to-do list” may be it should appear in another blog but for now its sufficient just to pass comment. Asking this question are my daily routines, habits of life steering me towards a goal or simply filtering away my time. Psalm 90 tells us to “…number our days…”, the writer of the Psalm firstly encourages to realize the time is fleeting followed by its time to be serious about making each day count.

  • This is an achieving and

Do I develop others?

“The ultimate test for a leader is not whether he or she makes smart decisions and takes decisive action, but whether he or she teaches others to be leaders and builds up a people who can sustain an advance the goal they set when they are not around. True leadership strives to create successors who will go beyond them”

Lorin Woolfe

  • This makes you consider legacy

Am I investing myself?

In traveling several continents involving in different organizations, church families etc., wherever people are throw together with a purpose to achieve I have noted common characteristics in life-long learners.    I believe this final question is hugely important and will be the foundation to all the others, it’s a question on personal growth. Listed is a simple list of my findings asking a question of each of us to look inside ourselves and make an investment to your own growth and learning.

Life-long learners are:

  • People who possess a teachable attitude
  • People investing in growth orientated resources and relationships
  • People capture what they learn by applying the knowledge gained
  • People who are reflective
  • People who turn experience into insight
  • People who pass on to others
  • People who are willing to choose to leave their comfort zone
  • People who develop personal growth

Finally develop the art of questions and help others to ask questions of themselves and their environment with an aim to find a learning attitude, enlarging this attitude, developing and being inspired through your learning attitude.