attitude

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.

“You Won…”

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We recently directed some guests of ours from overseas to Kings Cross station London as they wanted to see platform 9 ¾, I wondered what they wanted, 9 ¾ never heard of such a platform, cannot be really?  I had no idea what they were talking about, never heard of it, thought they are not from UK.    However I found out that they knew better than me, the platform was made famous through Harry Potter’s book, you go to the platform quite simply to get your photo opportunity… just in case you wish to see it take the Underground to Kings Cross / St. Pancras, (two main line stations that share the same Underground Station).        Follow the signs into Kings Cross Station when you get to the surface walk along Platform 8 (it’s totally free access).     When you see a sign directing you left to Platforms 9 to 11 keep going on along Platform 8 and the Platform 9 3/4 photo opportunity is a few yards further along on your left. There is normally a conspicuous sign on the platform pointing to the small alcove and out of the wall projects half a baggage trolley.   You have arrived at your destination.

I had no idea of how to get there or how to help others arrive there then the thought came to me, it is a real challenge for us all to answer the question   “where are we going and how can we help each other get there?”.    It is a timely question in the hour we live, with so many changes in society, politics and the economic world , in the business world and in the world of faith, the church change is coming at us as a fast speeding train, whether we want it or not.    Where is it taking us and how can we help each other get  there?

It  is a day for the prophetic people of God to come to the out from under the covers, a day in the midst of much noise and debate, to take hold of the word of God.     Gods’ words when uttered in the past created, they also sustained people who took them up.    These spoken words gave direction and knowledge to those who listen and heard them, those who listened  did not find themselves with out understanding.

Clearly we are in a day of discovering a deeper trust of the Father a new listening and obedience that will lead us into freedom and to the land of promise.    We have to grasp the idea that we are on journey,  that in itself  will empower, challenge and  mature all who embark.

Today as people of God in the west, we find ourselves so much part of societies thinking at large, that it has invaded the church and they way we think, becoming consumers in every way.   Seeking ever-increasing experiences for our emotions, listening to the word of God to consume that which we believe that will give us a quick advance, an edge on life or even fix?    Making decisions on that which we can get hold of immediately, the NOW rules us.    Yet the Journey men and women of old, the pictures of lives of people between the covers of the scriptures walked a journey, not a quick dash with immediate consumer gratification.    Consider the lesson of one of these journey men, Abraham, here is a man who had promise upon promise spoken to him, of peoples, fathering, sons, nation and land, God promises to bless all nations through Abraham, yet Abraham received none of these in his day, but  even 1000’s of years on the promises are still coming to pass.

Even more than that Abraham had a 644 Kilometer journey, once he was willing to entertain the promise.   A 644 Kilometer journey and a 4000+ year, time frame, to get the promises.   Now that is a challenge once he become obedient to the promise words of God it was a long haul walk and a massive time frame to content with.    Now don’t get me wrong on the journey there where evidences, victories of the promise but its fullness took walking on investing time, he become wealthy in his day, he had influence and did finally get a true son of promise, but certainly one son does not constitute a nation!   Once Abraham believed and entered the journey it was counted as righteousness to him, that is keeping in right line with the journey, and keeping it foundational to life’s actions and decisions.   The words of God are living, but how living are they ?  They require movement, obedience, a change of vicinity, a change of surroundings, a departure and a step in front of you.    Actually the words of promise to us all are to bring about sons of God who are led by the Spirit, to bring maturity in light of eternal promise.

I think its time to discover not only the joy of the immediate but the eternal will of the Father, knowing that we have been called to an eternal purpose, to depart from the tent of  the immediate and become the tent of meeting for our life and then our world around us.     We are, the people of God, the ecclesia, the church are to be the place where people will meet the love of God along with a people who are a prophetic journeying people.

Let me encourage you to find others people who will also ask the question, where is all this taking us?  where are we going and how can I help you get there rather than making sure I can get there.

Traveling in a plane has its challenges, but no more for me than the initial film or safety demonstration, we are all shown, there is one difficult line there to listen  to, it goes something like this …make sure your mask when it drops from the roof goes on you first before you see to children or others… that is so against the journey of prophetic people,  firstly seeing to ourselves before others, so that we can all arrive together.    Many years ago  we were taught to play croquet by a great Godly man called Arthur Wallis some 15 or so of us, in a retreat centre in Sheffield.   As we came to the end of our game and our instruction Arthur being the master crossed the line, won the game and a shout of “…you have won Arthur…” went up from all,  with this he turned and said “…no I only cross the line when all my brothers cross…” and with that he fell with his head at the foot of an old wooden cross in the gardens becoming one of the host of witnesses who now continues to cheer on this seen world to ultimate intention of the Father.   What a line to enter eternity with, to depart this expression of life with, what a way to live, asking more how can I help you get to the destination of the will of God rather than consuming, to get there myself.

So find journey men and women, young people, children sojourners who are pursuing the will of the Father in eternal promise and plan and seek to help each other fulfill the prophetic purpose of God.

O really the devils is in the Detail

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“The Devils in the detail” ever heard that quoted to you?   I am not sure why the statement is such perhaps this is where we miss out, or is it that where we get caught out in the work necessary involved in detail?     By what I can tell, it actually means that small things in plans and schemes are often overlooked and they are the things that can cause serious problems later?  Like many proverbs which involve the devil, it is meant to sound a note of caution. It may also be used to excuse or explain the obfuscation of an otherwise very simple project or task, now that’s a new word to look up!.

In one sense, one might say “the devil’s in the details” to refer to small but ultimately important components of a larger task.  For example, performing a scientific experiment in a laboratory is a hugely involved task which can sometimes be highly dangerous. A small error at the beginning can translate into a useless experiment at the end, so experimenters are reminded that the devil’s in the details. This reminder is intended to encourage the scientists to check their work, and to be thorough and careful in the lab.

But really I would suggest to you that this is far from the truth and it’s not the devil there, but “God is in the detail”, that all life is detailed through a wonderful and marvelous Father and not some other.     It is rather a miss statement that is a distraction,  it is actually quoted incorrectly, there is a great in the detail of your life, from time to time we have to be reminded of this fact that so easily gets away from us.

The Psalmist reminds us of the very fact that  GOD IS IN THE DETAIL and none other, some times we just end up not seeing God but I can assure you God is.   It is a wonderful truth  that we need  to be reminded of, especially in our society today.     We are reminded loudly and clearly that our Father, God is in the detail.    It is so simple yet we forget, if we could grasp it and live by this simple truth,  it would be transformational.

God is there, God made us wonderfully and we cannot ignore him,  this is the Psalmist in Psalm 139:13-18 he wants everyone to know that God is in your intimate moments, in your beginning, in every detail and continues throughout your life. To be able to see and realise that God is in every detail brings great security and challenges us to step out into great adventures.

This is one of the greatest passages of literature about the miracle of human conception and birth, Eugene Peterson once said “in the presence of birth we don’t calculate – we marvel.”     This small thought is here to trigger you to discover God in the detail of your life.  There is no devil there but there is a God who is intimately interested in every bone formed, every bend of every artery intrinsically weaving, embroidering each one of us and each one of our lives. What a tragedy to miss this truth that God is there, embroidering the pathways of our life before we even walk, God is in the detail!

He planned and determined our days (V16)  which includes the length of our lives (Job 14:5)  and the tasks that God wants us to perform (Eph 2:20; Phil 2:12-13).    These plans coming from a loving God with a loving heart planning all the very best for us (Rom 12:2).   Let us fix in mind and settle on the security of this confession of God is in the detail!

This simple confession, God is in the detail, displays that the Psalmist has the most mature individual faith in the Old Testament, it also indicates that the writer has the clearest anticipation of the life to come. God is in the detail means unbroken companionship, intimacy, detailed knowledge and understanding, we can’t go anywhere to hide from God.

You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.

The security of “…you know…” is wonderful and life without it would be all to pot I think.    The knowledge of you knowing is a gift to you and me, a gift of God that he knows, that there is intimacy in his knowledge that there is detail, there is minute inspection in Fathers knowledge.   This is too wonderful for me the Psalmist says and it how great that a great mighty God can have such detail intimate working in you.

You know me inside and out

You know every bone in my body

You know exactly how I was made

You know me – every – exactly  its marvelous, what and who you are with this insight, more than that onward interest.   Great God I want to shout, wonderful  Father, I want to cry  help me as i throw my self back on you  every moment of every day.

God saw every detail.    God pre-recorded all the days of the psalmist before he was even born. This statement may mean that God determined how long he would live, but in view of verses 1-4, it more likely refers to everyday details. God marvelously planned out his life.

Okay where do we go to from here, daily confession that God is in the detail. As we awake, as we journey to work, as we start every day, as we deal with the detail of life we discover God is in the detail and it will change the way we look, change the way we work, change the way we treat life, in the small  things, realise God is there, God is working, and this is his way of displaying his intimacy.

How to Start A Day

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How to start a day on the right footing, ever wondered that?   Before you put your foot on planet earth from your floating haven above the ground by 150 mm or more, before you step out of your cocooned security, the warm blankets.    As you decide to make that first small step that giant leap stirred by an alarm call, the sound of creation stirring or just your own body clock, how to start the day comes to mind in various ways.

Whether a fog over your eyes or clear thought “what does today hold?” moves through peoples mind, a day much like yesterday? a red letter day or for some the weight of the day is so heavy a reluctant awaking comes, having to face the riggers of the day.   How do I start my day?

Here’s a thought “God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand” this is not about finding my mistakes or looking for my failure, the Psalmist asks God to search him twice at the start and end of the Psalm 139:15-22, investigate me.   The picture painted is of a gold digger going to a deep mine, or panning for gold at a rivers edge, knowing that there is treasure in this stream, to search knowing the treasure is here.   God search for the treasure you put into me earlier before the foundation of the world.   It is  a wonderful secure search, investigate me to bring to light the treasure in side of me, the treasure you put there.   Starting the day with a search for the treasure that God put in side of you will remind you of his works each morning – a good way to start the day!

There is a popular action in many today of going to the streets and conducting a Treasure Hunt in peoples lives, as they go about their daily life, an exiting adventure.   Taking the gifts of God to the street and awakening people to the treasure of God.   Well to see it flow more so, I would suggest start the day with a God treasure search in you, the hand of God in you each day, the eye of the Lord each morning, from there you will deliver treasure more effectively.    Let God pan, dig deep to bring your treasure out to the light of day, that you might see you accordingly to heavens investment in you.

“…Investigate my life…”

“…An open book…” nothing closed – is this not the aim of our redemption which is a deliverance on ward going that nothing can be closed or shut off from Father God rather than just being open to people.    Its about having an open book life before God

“…Never out of sight…”

“…You’re there…”  Fathers companionship, never without God, always with God.

“…Too much…”

“…Too wonderful…”

“…I can’t take it all in…” –  what if life was like this, what a way to work with God at all times.   This  would bring us to a place of overwhelming, an amazing way of life “too much” one would cry, I can take it any more, not that I can’t cope, but its overwhelming me “too much” the God of too much.

May we discover God as the Father of “…Too Much…”

This is a very personal psalm (139) (notice the pronouns ‘I’, ‘me’, ‘my’, and ‘mine’) it is attributed to David and has been called ‘the crown of the psalms’. It is certainly safe to say it is one of the best loved of all the psalms and of all Scripture passages.

A day started with the attitudes of  “openness” “thankfulness” these are all good ways to commence a day, the writer tells us be thankful to God. Praise him, but how, not as we are inclined to praise God, for blessings we have received, but David praised God for who God is. Our praise will never be what it should be until we ascend to this level.      David starts the day by praising God for his perfect knowledge of him. Nothing about us is hidden from God.

He knows when we sit down and rise up (v. 2). He knows our thoughts before they ever come into our heads (v. 2). He knows all about our ways (v. 3).

‘… God knows what rule we walk by, what end we walk towards, what company we walk with…‘    Furthermore, he knows every word we speak before we speak (v. 4).

The psalmist stood in awe of God’s knowledge.

The things I know for each day :

“…Investigate my life…” “…An open book…”  “…Never out of sight…” “…You’re there…”  

The response I make:

“…Too much…” “…Too wonderful…” “…I can’t take it all in…”

To have this relationship is wonderful, to see the God of ‘too much’ to you at the start of every day, this is too wonderful, I cannot take it in, it is so high and lofty in my experience.

It is the only way to start the day what ever awaits the first touch down of my foot from my slumber!

Leadership – discovering again its SERVANT nature.

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There are so many Leadership styles along with books urging us to discover style would be the best to lead making your mark amongst people and society.    We some times get confused how we who are followers of Christ should reflect the Christ in our work.    Jesus said in John 1:18 (NASB) “…came to explain the Father.” he has invited us to continue what he started, explaining the Father.    I have repeatedly stated and asked the challenging question of my self “do I  explain the Father” as I live my life, do we explain him.

My interaction with people, my work ethic, my conduct, character, the way I live life, are people gaining an explanation?     You and I have to admit we will through word and deed explain something of to others, I wonder what.     I wonder how I conduct myself in a supermarket line, the way I drive the car, my conduct towards those older, younger, or of any difference to me, what do I explain?   Do people walking away from me depart with an explanation of God or is it something else?

We have been called through our own temperament, they way we are cut our character and life not be like the leadership style in our own way but one that explains what God if like.   Leadership is clearly to be rediscover, is in urgent need to be seen as a SERVANT style, one that pours out for others, one that is more interested in establishing an inheritance for the next generation that building for our selves, that serves the society around giving away to build and establish through a servant leadership.   Let us rediscover in world govern by business, getting more and more, amassing wealth, gaining control a servant leadership that flows from being a son of God rather than endorsing an orphan spirit of protection of me and mine, working to make secure my provision rather than trusting the Father and being a Servant Leader.    the people of God would be different in itself if we could driver our delve storm celebrities to servant ministries and taking that model to our world.    Sometime we are so caught on making a mark we have forgotten the desired Christ like style to do so and fall to become “Christian X-factor” leaders rather than poured out Servant Leaders, Christ will triumph and we will become the Servant Bride- a Challenge to be different but explaining God!

‘Leadership is an opportunity to serve. It is not a trumpet call to self-importance.’

J. Donald Walters

‘You don’t have to hold a position in order to be a leader.’

Anthony J D’Angelo

‘Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.’

St. Augustine

‘Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.’

Winston Churchill

‘But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must become your slave.’

Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage.”( Matt 20:27, 28)

Jesus the Christ

Good read to consider further – Leadership, Greatness & Servanthood Phillip Greenslade