As a pastor for almost 30 years, I’ve frequently heard phrases in prayers and songs that tend to bother me.  I do not question the sincerity of the expressions, just the biblical accuracy of the content.  So, here are five of my pet peeves.  These are not any kind of mountain to die on – just little irritations I need to address.

Inviting God

So often, I hear people pray something like this: “Lord, we invite You here today.  Please come among us.”  Huh? I do not get this one.  First, God is always there before we show up.  He is already among us.  In my view, we are there by His invitation of grace.  He does not come because we decided to get together, and then granted Him verbal permission to join us.  It is an odd view of God to me.  It is as if He is peeking in the window waiting for the right time to step into the service and bless us. 

Granted, Revelation 3:20 does speak of Christ knocking on the door of hearts (or the church gathered), desiring that we would fellowship in intimacy with Him.  However, even in this passage, the “opening of the door” is more than a trite verbal formula at the beginning of the service.  This “invitation” involves a recognition of our lukewarm condition, a rejection of our self-sufficiency, and a collective desire for transforming intimacy – expressed through repentance.  

For what it’s worth, my feeling is that we should pray, “Lord, thank You for calling us by Your grace to this place today as we gather in Your name.  Let us hear Your invitation to our hearts to worship in Spirit and in truth, with hearts of complete surrender.”  That seems more accurate to me.

The Falling Spirit

People who know me know my discomfort with the traditional rendering of the song “Spirit of the Living God.” To sing, “Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me” is an earnest and sincere plea.  However, after Pentecost the Spirit is not hanging out in the clouds waiting to jump down on us.  He is in our hearts.  He is in our midst.  He seals us until the day of redemption.  This song always makes me wonder about our view of the Holy Spirit.  It is as if we think He is hiding in the rafters waiting to pounce at the right moment of emotional fervor.

Every time I lead this song, I change the words to “Spirit of the living God, work afresh in me.”  Better yet, we should sing, “Spirit of the living God, work afresh in us” (I’ll explain this later).  The heart of this song is a desire for the Spirit to “melt us, mold us, fill us, and use us.”  From a New Testament standpoint, He does this work from within us as we surrender completely to Him.  So, the key is not that we coerce Him down from somewhere “above” but that we give Him complete control through the surrender of our will to His dwelling within.

The House of the Lord

When we stand and greet the people with these words, “Welcome to the house of the Lord!” it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up (thin as it is).  I know I am probably being too harsh, but the building is not the house of the Lord.  It is a building.  There is nothing holy about the bricks, cement, or metal.  Usually, when someone says this, they are referring to the church building, which is Old Testament theology.

The people are “the building” and our hearts are His temple (1 Corinthians 3:17; 2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:21).  The church flourished for centuries without buildings.  The building is not a “church” (literally – an “assembly”) until people show up.  In fact, a focus on brick and mortar can potentially undermine a proper emphasis on the priesthood of every believer and the importance of implementing life and mission beyond the walls of a building.

Laymen!

Over the years, I have avoided this word.  Most people seem to interpret it as a command.  When they hear “Lay, men!” – that’s what they do – just lay around.  In truth, the primary New Testament word for Christians is “saints,” which means “holy ones.”  That is the right idea of who we are! 

The term “lay” comes from the Greek “laos” – or the “people of God”, which is ALL of us.  The clergy/lay dichotomy is more a leftover from Catholic tradition.  The downside is that we get the idea that some people are called to minister and the rest are sitting on the sidelines cheering them on and tossing a tip in the offering plate.  The fact is that every member is a minister.  We are all called to full-time ministry.  Or, as I often say, our jobs are our vocation; our calling is our avocation.

I, Me, and My!

In my book Fresh Encounters, I write about the fact that “rugged individualism” has robbed us of the biblical understanding of community, especially when it comes to our calling to pray together.  This same individualistic spirit shows up in our songs.  Take time to notice how many songs use the personal pronouns of “I, me, and my” rather than “we, us, and our.”  No doubt, the Lord works mightily in individual hearts surrendered to Him.  However, when we are together in community, it seems odd to sing songs as if they were solos – or with the feeling that no one else is in the room with us. 

Frequently, I change the individualistic words to plural pronouns, reflecting the fact that we are together, singing among a fellowship of other saints.  This adds a wonderful dimension of community to our worship and helps me appreciate the joy of belonging to the body of Christ.

Comments Welcomed!

Americans have a reputation for being very generous people.  Whenever there is a tragedy, either globally or domestically, we respond with massive amounts of aid and supplies.  Believers in the U.S. fund international mission efforts, local church building programs, and other Christian efforts to the tune of billions each year.

However, like anything we do in Jesus’ name, it is important to ask, “Why?” With penetrating insight, Jesus pressed the issue of our motives in Matthew chapter six as he spoke of our giving, our praying, and our fasting.  Jesus knew, and we soon learn, that we can do many “right” things for many “wrong” reasons.

As a Senior Pastor for over two decades, I did not think about this as often as I do now.  In the local church, I taught periodically on the biblical truths about giving and we called the ushers forward each Sunday to collect the tithes and offerings of the faithful. 

Now, fundraising is a completely different animal.  I have been exposed to a completely new world of methodologies and motivations that cause me to do a regular gut-check as I watch others raise money and seek to do the same thing for my own ministry.  It is a different world, requiring prayer, care, and evaluation at every turn.

Check Your Heart as You Write that Check

In Matthew 6:1-4, Jesus taught, "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward from your Father in heaven.  Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”

Jesus is not condemning charitable deeds in this text.  In fact, we know from other Bible passages that He commanded us to give – regularly and sacrificially.  He is challenging our motives in doing so, for the sake of the eternal reward He wants us to enjoy in connection with our humble service in His name.

His powerful financial advice continues later in this chapter when He says, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (6:19–21).  He then adds these words: "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (6:24).

Perhaps we could summarize His wisdom in this way:

1. Give for an audience of one – God.  To do otherwise is man-centered and negates your eternal reward.

2. Stay fully focused on the treasure of eternity’s reward, investing the bulk of your treasure in things of eternal significance, lest the attraction of earthly values capture your heart.

3. Recognize the constant battle for the love and loyalty of your heart.  If you do not pursue and honor God with your finances, your money will master you.

Investment Options

Not all giving is created equal when it comes to the rewards of eternity.  I am learning that my heart can be motivated and manipulated by a variety of stimuli.  Each must be evaluated and monitored for the sake of wise decisions and eternal rewards.

Recognition Giving - As we have seen, Jesus addressed this issue in the Bible.  Of course, it is not wrong if some organization or ministry leader decides to say thank you in some tangible way in gratitude for our giving.  It is wrong to give for that reason.

“Return on Investment” Giving - In our American society, it is easy to manage our giving with a business mind-set that contradicts the truths of the Bible.  Many of us want to give so that we can “see” the results.  On one hand, this might just be a pure motivation of good stewardship.  On the other hand, it can still be a very man-centered idea of wanting personal gratification of knowing that others will notice what we have done through the “accomplishments” of our giving.  Again, the reminder is needed that our investments are for God’s glory, His kingdom, and for eternal purposes that may or may not impress anyone here on earth.  As Paul said, “We do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Generous but Non-Sacrificial Giving - A number of years ago I heard the principle, “Not equal gifts, but equal sacrifice.”  Studies have proven that the poorest people give the highest percentage of their income.  Conversely, the more someone makes, the less sacrificial their giving typically becomes, even though the amounts may increase significantly.  We are familiar with the story of the poor widow who gave her two mites (about 1/8 of one cent) to the temple treasury.  Her gift was insignificant compared to the large gifts others were making.  However, Jesus said that she gave more than all the wealthy people combined because she gave with great sacrifice while the wealthy gave out of their abundance, representing little sacrifice (Mark 12:41–44). This speaks to my heart about the fact that the more we have, the more sacrificial we must become if our giving is going to matter in eternity.

Christ-Honoring and Christ-Honored Giving

My prayer for my own heart – and yours – is that we will engage in Christ-honoring giving, as outlined in the Scriptures.  It must be God-centered, eternally focused, humble, and very sacrificial.  If we can keep our hearts in the right place and our giving conducted in the right way, the Lord promises to reward these sacrifices in eternity.  

This reward will encompass our capacity to bring Him glory throughout eternity as we cast our crowns at His feet, recognizing Christ as the source and goal of all that we ever “owned” – or ever gave.  Ultimately, the eternal scoreboard is the only one that matters, and eternal values the only ones that will last.

For more practical ideas about giving (How much? Tithing? Where do I give?) please click here: http://www.danielhenderson.org/2010/04/practical-ideas-about-giving.html.

Copyright © 2010 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.

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This e-devotion was adapted from Chapter 11 of the book Defying Gravity – How to Survive the Storms of Pastoral Ministry  by Moody Publishers.  To order your copy, or a copy for a spiritual leader you know, click here or order it here at our website.

Several times I’ve read about a leader who was losing altitude like a wounded duck. He was honest and sincere, but he was also wounded. He even doubted the value of his spiritual walk, and he questioned the goodness of God. He had observed the prosperity of godless people around him and had become bitter. Meanwhile, the incessant difficulties of people of faith disturbed him. His thoughts became so volatile that, had he given verbal expression to them, he would have been branded as a traitor to the faith.

Filled with negative emotion and deep questions, this leader knew he was in deep trouble. But one day he experienced the presence of God. Everything changed. Clarity returned. Gratitude filled his heart again. He fell in love once more with his Creator and rebounded with powerful, practical hope.

I relate to this guy’s story and have read it dozens of times. But, I do not know his name. He is only described as one of the “sons of Asaph” and his journey is captured in Psalm 73. In the midst of a serious downward spiritual spiral, the psalmist’s game-changer is found in verse 17: “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood….”

This experience of God’s presence turned his doubt into delight and his heartache into hunger. He concludes the psalm by declaring, “Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever…. It is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works” (Psalm 73:25-28).

Like this son of Asaph, twenty-first-century leaders can lose perspective and passion when they get their eyes off the “spiritual intimacy” gauge and look instead at the superficial circumstances of their life. We were made to enjoy God’s presence and find our strength, peace, and perspective in the intimate connection available to us in Christ through prayer.

Powered by His Presence

I have read dozens of leadership books, yet I remain deeply impressed with pure biblical descriptions of every notable leader. Scripture presents a radically different idea about leadership compared to the ideas of many of our modern leadership gurus. Biblically, the common denominator of excellent leadership is found, not in personality, organizational technique, or refined people skills, but in the idea that “the Lord was with” each leader.

Certainly, every leader in Scripture had a mix of natural attributes and developed skills. However, the primary secret to their excellence was a genuine and manifest sense of the presence and power of God. From Abraham to John the Baptist, this sense distinguished their impact. Today this factor sustains leaders who have a humble, enduring, and prayerful walk with God. (For more biblical examples of this factor, click here: http://www.danielhenderson.org/2010/04/supernatural-leadership.html.)

Throughout the Old Testament, the secret to high-impact leadership was the supernatural blessing of God. “The Lord was with” each one. This blessing was always directly linked to the heart attitudes of humility, obedience, and prayerfulness on the part of the leader. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9).

In His final words to His disciples, after telling them of their coming task to make disciples of all nations, Jesus gave one statement to empower and reassure His listeners. Jesus said, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20, italics added). Such power permeated the early church through the presence of the Holy Spirit, often in direct connection to prayer lives maintained by the spiritual leaders.

Weapons of Mass Distraction

One particular Sunday as I finished preaching at a Virginia church, the senior pastor came to the pulpit to share his personal response to the message. He noted his ongoing battle with distraction. He called distraction a primary ploy of the Devil to make Christian leaders ineffective, particularly in reference to a vital prayer life. He described Satan’s effort as “weapons of mass distraction.”

In pondering that description, I have concluded that the Enemy does not have to destroy us but simply distract us. Little distractions tolerated over a long period of time result in big disasters. I often tell Christian leaders that “the power of no is in a stronger yes.”

The ability to discard distractions is grounded in knowing — and choosing — the best priorities. We must embrace these priorities with a passionate yes in our hearts. And when distractions come, no becomes a positive Christian word — positive because it is rooted in strong convictions about the best and highest commitments.

Martha, Mary, Moses, and the Apostles

Choosing one’s priorities is a recurring theme in the Scriptures. The classic story, of course, involves the choices of Martha and Mary when Jesus came to visit. Busy and distracted, Martha became frustrated and critical in the moment. Her sister, Mary, embraced a clear yes as she prioritized seeking Christ over serving Christ. Jesus commended her for her focus as being the better choice and the one that would ultimately matter in eternity (Luke 10:38-42).

In Exodus 18 we see an overwhelmed Moses. This great leader has become weary from judging the people. Now his astute father-in-law offers him some life-saving wisdom, recommending three priorities: Stand before God in prayer, teach the people the statutes and the laws, and delegate to other capable men the authority to judge the people at all times (vv. 19-21).

In Acts 6:1-7 the early apostles refused to get distracted with the broken program for feeding the widows. They directed a process of finding qualified and godly servants to solve the problem, but they would not compromise their own commitment to “prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

As a result, God blessed their focus with an unleashing of His power. The Word of God spread, the disciples multiplied greatly, and great numbers of hard-line Jewish priests were miraculously converted. There was no mass distraction among them.

In both Acts 6 and Exodus 18, the first priority for unencumbered leadership was prayer. It is clear that this is a simple but profound defense against the Devil’s weapons of mass distraction. This issue of intimacy with God is core to spiritual health and leadership survival.

Praying for Greater Intimacy with Christ

Jim Cymbala has said that the greatest answer to prayer is “more prayer.” This is true for our leaders. Please pray for more prayer in their lives and ministries. Prayer increases intimacy. Intimacy ignites fresh perspective and power. Jesus is displayed in His glory, not man’s, through the lives of dependent and fruitful disciples. Revival is cultivated and the world is changed by the Gospel.

America’s great hope is Jesus Christ living through a revived church. The conditions for revival are obvious. May we meet them as we pursue a pure and passionate intimacy with Christ.

Copyright © 2010 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.

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This e-devotion was adapted from Chapter Four of the book Defying Gravity – How to Survive the Storms of Pastoral Ministry  by Moody Publishers.  To order your copy, or a copy for a spiritual leader you know, click here or order it here at our website.

In my book Defying Gravity, I describe nine gauges on the “leadership instrument panel” that can keep leaders from losing perspective and spiritual altitude as they encounter life’s storms.  These gauges are helpful to any believer encountering difficulties.  Last time I checked, that’s all of us. 

Wisdom for the Wounded

One of the gauges that surprises readers, and has been the subject of interesting conversations during recent radio interviews, is the topic of “Indispensable Pain.”  At first, this does not seem to be an essential or positive idea for leadership survival.  Yet, on further consideration, we should all see that pain and wounds are crucial to our maturity and longevity.

C. S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” Pain is God’s way of awakening and shaping leaders as well.  Seasoned and enduring leaders always have stories of pain and loss that have powerfully shaped their character, approach, and longings.

I’ve heard it said that before God can use a man greatly, He must first wound him deeply.  Oswald Chambers was right when he taught, “If we are ever going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed — you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed.” Charles Spurgeon understood this when he wrote, “I am certain that I never did grow in grace one-half so much anywhere as I have upon the bed of pain.”

That Strange Flight Gauge Called Pain

Of the nine gauges of the leadership instrument panel, none may be more paradoxical than pain.  It may be indispensable, but it is rarely welcome.  Yet God uses it for good. Consider these paradoxical truths about the role of pain in our lives:

• Wounds are the preface to true greatness.
• Before God can remake us, He must first break us.
• Leaders tested by adversity are able to understand and minister to those they serve.
• Authentic, high-impact ministry results from an honest admission of the hard-earned lessons of life.
• Before you bless, you must bleed; before you can help, you must first hurt.
• Our wounds become tender scabs; but later, empowering scars.
• Through our wounds God notarizes our leadership as true and authoritative.

Wounded Heroes of the Faith

Eventually leaders learn from experience that before God can remake us, He must first break us.  The truly lasting lessons are learned through suffering.  Wounds are the preface to true greatness.  Just a few of the many biblical examples convince us:

• Job lost his family and fortunes and endured painful misunderstanding from friends before he was blessed with a deeper knowledge of God and the restoration of his life.
• Joseph was rejected by family and forgotten in a prison he did not deserve before he saved the day for Egypt.
• Moses endured the desert in forty years of obscurity and bewilderment before he became the great leader of Israel’s deliverance.
• David ran for his life many years, facing painful rejection and perplexing delays, before he became Israel’s king.
• Hosea endured the pain of repeated infidelity after marrying a prostitute before he became a powerful prophet.
• Peter felt the regret and brokenness of his own failed loyalty before he preached with power at Pentecost.
• Paul was blind, broken, and banished on the backside of a desert in preparation for his world-changing ministry of church planting and inspired biblical writing.  He became even stronger through the weakness of a nagging thorn in his flesh.

I’ve always loved Paul’s undisputed statement of his credibility as a leader in reply to his critics.  Facing the recurring pain of criticism and personal attack, he wrote, “From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus” (Galatians 6:17).  The marks of pain are a crucial component of every leadership instrument panel.  Remember them.  Trust them.  They are your friends through the turbulent seasons of life.

Embracing our Wounds

Years ago, when my wife and I were going through a terribly painful season of ministry, our elders sent us to a retreat center designed for ministry couples.  While there for 10 days, the Lord healed our hearts and restored our hope through the wisdom of biblical counselors and time to pray and think together about the Lord’s calling on our lives.

One afternoon, I experienced a breakthrough as I sought to write out the deep reflections and truths the Lord was pouring into my heart.  I wrote the following poem.  It has been a great help to my heart on many occasions since then and has blessed many other leaders over the years.  Perhaps it will provide the encouragement you need today as you receive God’s grace in your pain, and His wisdom to “defy gravity” in the midst of life’s storms.

The Wound

They didn’t warn me about the wound in seminary

So it has come as quite a shock to my unsuspecting heart.

At times it seems so deep — beyond the repair of stitches.

Even divine sutures seem insufficient and vain;

The breadth of the wound overwhelms me at moments:

All consuming — defeating — debilitating.

Then, some days the wound is inconsequential.

I busy myself with administrivia to anesthetize its presence.

I try to enjoy my family and hope it doesn’t surface.

After the well-delivered Sunday sermon, I forget it is there.

But by Monday, its stench and pain has reappeared,

Creating a noticeable limp in my ministerial gait

And a dullness to my vision and faith.

I would like to ignore it: just pretend it’s not true.

But its dull, sometimes sharp prompting won’t leave me alone.

It goes with me — following me everywhere —

Within me at all times, reminding me constantly.

It has become the unwelcome mirror of my weakness and vulnerability.

The wound is a grinding present memory of my failures;

Its reality shoots through the nervous system of my inner-man,

Calling out for attention, at least a fair estimation.

So now, in these quiet moments, I sit —

face to face with my woundedness.

Oh, my wound — my horrible wound — you unwelcomed intruder.

Why have you come? Why won’t you go?

Perhaps I have no recourse but to make you my friend.

You must know that I would not have chosen you as a companion,

For in so many ways you are ugly and troublesome to me.

But now, I must love you, embrace you —

integrate you gladly into the very fabric of my being.

What? What is that you say?

You are the intimate friend of my Savior Jesus?

You found your discriminating way into His life?

His hands, His feet, His brow, His side are marked by your presence?

His heart, too, wears your brand?

Oh wound — precious wound. Forgive me, for I did not understand.

It is you that gave my Master the privilege of suffering for me.

By you I was forgiven and healed, in Him.

So I must welcome you, beloved wound.

Yes, make yourself a part of me.

Offer your touch to the hurting world around me,

that they too may see your wonder —

and know your healing grace.

Oh wound, you are my enigma.

But you are my friend.

Without warning you came.

Now, without question — please, please — stay.

© 1999, 2010 by Daniel Henderson

(This devotion was adapted from Chapter Three of the book Defying Gravity – How to Survive the Storms of Pastoral Ministry.  We think you will find it encouraging and applicable to your life as you seek to embrace the value of God’s Word in providing fresh perspective and practical help in the midst of life’s storms.  To order a copy of this book, CLICK HERE).

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In the course of daily living, all of us experience deep disappointments, hurts, and setbacks.  Some eventually lose altitude and crash for lack of the powerful and objective guidance and strength of God’s Word.  Others learn to trust in the things that are true, reliable, and authoritative as revealed in the Bible.  They tend to “soar” through the power of applied truth.  

The Hope and Help of the Scriptures

Biblical leaders boldly affirm the powerful encouragement and endurance they receive from the truth of God’s Word – in both Old and New Testaments.

We are all familiar with the incredible trials and perplexities Job encountered.  In the midst of his pain, Job affirmed his source of strength: “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12).  Jeremiah, “the weeping prophet” who carried many burdens and endured incredible afflictions, still declared, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O LORD God of hosts” (Jeremiah 15:16).  Treasure.  Nourishment.  Joy.  Affirmation of our calling.  These are only a few of the powerful benefits of the truth.

Hope and healing always flow from the power of God’s Word to the heart of a leader.  Over and over in Psalm 119 the writer affirms the practical help of scriptural guidance with words like, “You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Your word” (Psalm 119:114) and “I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word” (Psalm 119:14).  Psalm 130:5 echoes the same conviction: “I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope.” Psalm 107:20 speaks of the sinful rebellion of Israel in the desert but then declares, “He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” 

The New Testament speaks often of the effectiveness of the Scriptures to work powerfully in our lives (1 Thessalonians 2:13) by transforming our minds (Romans 12:2), revealing our deepest issues (Hebrews 4:12), correcting wrong thoughts (Titus 1:9), causing us to grow (1 Peter 2:2), and keeping us strong (1 John 2:14).  Romans 15:4 offers encouragement to leaders about the helpfulness of the Word: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

Getting Out of the Truthless Tailspin

Yet, we have to be honest and admit that most Christian leaders who have experienced a disastrous crash have not lacked Bible knowledge.  Some of the nation’s greatest preachers have produced the most disconcerting scandals.  Clearly, it is not mere Bible knowledge that produces the power to stay on course and in flight.  Rather, it is a consistent and authentic application of the knowledge to the mind, heart, and life.  Even Christian leaders can become “hearers” rather than “doers” and deceive their own hearts as they sit among the commentaries and study guides of their Christian library.

As a pastor for over 25 years, I have experienced countless moments when the truth has infused my life with hope, wisdom, and resolve.  I’ve also had my share of “dry” seasons where I am going through the motions – staring at the gauge of truth and feeling like it is not helping me in my leadership flight.  What do we do to keep our interaction with God’s revelation to our hearts fresh and vibrant?

Evaluating the Soil - All four Gospels present Jesus telling the story of the sower and the soil.   Without getting into all of the meanings and application, we can agree on the basic principle that quality soil is essential to spiritual fruit, springing from the seed of God’s Word.  What was once fruitful, and had the potential of bearing fruit thirty-fold, becomes unfruitful because of a misguided focus of the heart.  I believe that for a Christian leader, the “cares,” “deceitfulness,” and “desires” that damage the fertile soil of the soul are issues like busyness, distraction, fatigue, overwork, and hurry.  Soon these manifest in neglect and superficiality as we interact with the truth.  We are losing altitude but the gauge of truth has been clouded over by a driven, disheveled life.

Recalibrating Spiritual Hunger - If our soil inspection reveals these troubles, I have found there is great need for a recalibration of hunger.  One of my great regrets in ministry is that I have never taken a true sabbatical (which is especially crazy when I look back at the unusual and intense assignments God has placed upon me).  But I have found the value of periodic retreats that included several days of solitude, silence, fasting, prayer, and massive doses of reading.

I have found that spiritual hunger and physical hunger are opposites.  Physically, when you are hungry and you eat – you become satisfied or “full” as we say it.  When you are hungry and you do not eat, you become hungrier (and probably grumpy).  Spiritually, it works in reverse.  When you are hungry and you eat, your appetite increases.  When you are hungry and you don’t eat, you become satisfied and your passion for the Word wanes.  That is why we sometimes need a recalibration – where we get away and just “feast.”

Beyond a “Tool of the Trade” - Those in full-time vocational service can easily be “in the Word” without the Word being in them.  The Bible simply becomes a means to the end of saying something witty and insightful at the next event or church service.

As I speak to Christian leaders across the nation I remind them that the easiest thing to do these days is to preach a clever sermon or present a compelling lesson.  All we need in today’s world is the right downloads, memberships to on-line resources, and a couple video clips tailor-made by some company for our subject of the day.  But I warn that, in the long run, the PROCESS is much more important than the PRODUCT.  It is the process of “laboring in word and doctrine” (1 Timothy 5:17) that shapes character, out of which a life-changing message flows.  

God’s Word must work in us before it can work in others.  We’ve heard the adage many times: “A sermon prepared in the mind reaches minds.  A sermon prepared in the heart reaches hearts.  A sermon prepared in the life reaches lives.”

Welcoming Evaluation - During a conversation on this subject, mission leader Hans Finzel noted that the honest and consistent inquiry of a few close friends helps him to stay on track in his engagement with God’s Word.  He notes, “We all need some friends who will question, prod, and encourage us in our consistency in staying in God’s Word.  Sometimes it is hard for a wife to rebuke a husband for his waning godliness – but some loving and strong friends can get in our face.  I have even found that my grown children inspire me with their love for God’s Word and are free to ask me about mine."

Whatever it takes, may we each act today to rekindle our hunger and renew our hope as we receive the powerful help provide by God’s unchanging truth.

Copyright © 2010 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.
 

Many Christian leaders are “losing altitude” in ways that most of us do not see or understand.  When we “suddenly” hear of a respected executive in our church whose marriage has disintegrated, or a well-known pastor caught in moral indiscretion, we should remember these “crashes” are usually the result of numerous bad decisions made during a long, downward emotional, mental, and spiritual spiral.  Sometimes the leader was seeking help during his descent toward disaster.  Often it was concealed to everyone.

Biblical Leaders in Downward Drift

The Old Testament does not disguise the emotional struggles of Israel’s great leaders.  We read about Moses losing altitude when he became overwhelmed with the monumental task of leading God’s complaining people.  He asked God to kill him and put him out of his misery (Numbers 11:15).

The first king of Israel, the strong and impressive King Saul, lost altitude when he became jealous toward the young and popular David (1 Samuel 18:9–12).

More than once, David, the anointed future king, lost altitude from weariness over running from Saul.  On one occasion, he fled to a Philistine city.  Afraid for his life, he pretended to be insane, slobbering on himself and scratching the walls in a ploy to survive.  On another occasion, he fled again to a Philistine city where he made an alliance with these enemy armies, which led to deeper complexity and disaster (1 Samuel 27:1).  Leaders losing altitude can behave strangely and irrationally.

Even the prophet Elijah, the recipient of God’s direct revelation, lost altitude after an intense confrontation with the prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel.  Alone in the wilderness, deeply fatigued and coping with the threats on his life by Queen Jezebel, he prayed that God would let him just die (1 Kings 19:4).

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul at one point gave up hope of survival in the face of the severe trials in the province of Asia (2 Corinthians 1:8).  Similarly, the young leader Timothy lost altitude when he was overtaken by fear amid the spiritual challenges of leading the church at Ephesus (2 Timothy 1:7).  Demas, a trusted associate of the apostle Paul, lost altitude when he began to fall in love with the things of the world.  Eventually he completely self-destructed, abandoning his ministry (2 Timothy 4:10).

These are just a few of the many stories that remind us of the vulnerability great leaders can experience during the storms of ministry and the pressures of responsibility.  This kind of spiritual vertigo is nothing new to human leadership.  Everyone in leadership, modern and ancient, proves faulty and susceptible to the downward spiral.

Trained to Trust

When pilots are preparing for their instrument rating, instructors go to great lengths to train them to thoroughly understand and trust the instruments.  Textbooks for flight students and aspiring pilots address the physical challenges of flight with great detail and candor.  They call these the “human factors” of flight and note that human factors account for over 80 percent of all accidents.  One textbook published by the Federal Aviation Administration warns that flying in poor conditions can “result in sensations that are misleading to the body’s sensory system. A safe pilot needs to understand these sensations and effectively counteract them."

Textbooks on flying typically address three of the body’s sensory systems: the visual (eyes), the vestibular (ears), and the postural (nerves).  The effectiveness and complexity of these systems are a testament to God’s profound creative work.  Each is essential to safe flight.  Yet the three systems are fallible.  This unreliability leads to disaster if a pilot is not keenly aware of aviation physiology and resolute in managing each physical system with great care.

Disorientation That Can Lead to Disaster

During flight in “visual meteorological conditions” (clear visibility), the pilot’s eyes are a primary orientation source that usually provide accurate and reliable input.  As one training manual states, “When these visual cues are taken away, false sensations can cause the pilot to become disoriented."

The pilot’s inner ear and nerves can send confusing signals.  When the sense of balance is off, it is called vestibular disorientation.  When the nervous system becomes confused, it is known as spatial disorientation.  This disorientation can cause a pilot to overcompensate for perceived plane-control problems in ways that can endanger the pilot and passengers.

The worst of these confused attempts leads to “graveyard spiral,” where the plane dives rapidly in a circular pattern.  The pilot is usually completely confused about what is going on prior to the resulting crash.

Pilots actually practice controlled maneuvers during their flight training to gain a comprehensive understanding of this danger of disorientation.  They must learn through these training experiences about their own susceptibility to disorientation – and that their subjective judgments about the direction, pitch, and turn of their aircraft based on bodily sensations are frequently false.  All of this leads to a greater confidence in relying on the flight instruments rather than their own subjective sensations.

In What Do We Trust?

The task of leadership has several fascinating parallels to the task of flying a plane.  Just as a pilot’s vision can be restricted by poor weather or unusual conditions, so a leader’s perception of a given situation can be limited and flawed.  Just as the physiology of the inner ear can become confused, so a leader’s inner voice can give input that is confusing and erroneous.  And just as a pilot’s nervous system can misinterpret the environment, so a leader’s emotions can create subjective scenarios that lead to bad decisions.

Trusting our flawed perceptions, our confused internal conversations, and our wide range of emotions feels natural, but is ultimately perilous.

Choosing to Trust the Instruments

One popular textbook for pilots tells of the early airmail planes with limited navigation equipment, flown during an era when weather information often was unavailable.  Of the first forty aviators hired to fly the mail, thirty-one were killed while flying.  The reason:  Their planes were not equipped with the proper instruments and navigation equipment to allow pilots to safely fly in the clouds or in low visibility conditions.

So what instruments do we need to lift off and climb above the storms when they come? In my book, Defying Gravity – How to Survive the Storms of Pastoral Ministry, I describe a “leadership instrument panel” that presents nine vital areas of concern for the enduring leader.

1.  Applied Truth

2. Spiritual Intimacy

3. Personal Integrity

4. Biblical Identity

5. Genuine Accountability

6. Eternal Significance

7. Healthy Family Life

8. Indispensable Pain

9. A Captivating Call

Your gauges may be different – but I pray you identify them and trust them as you look intently into the unchanging and life-giving Word of God.  Proverbs 3:5 reminds us, “Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.” (AMP)

In life and leadership, storms are inevitable.  Survival is optional.  Victory and endurance are possible – and promised – as we trust the things we know to be true, available to us in the person, presence, and promises of Jesus Christ.

As president of a national renewal organization, I visit and interact with hundreds of leaders each year, the vast majority of whom are faithful and skilled servants of God. Yet many of these leaders open up to me about their personal and private challenges. The pain is deep. The struggles are real.  They are called to leadership, and want to remain faithful, but many are losing their way and hanging on for dear life. One of my great desires is helping leaders who are “losing altitude."

Leaders Taking Flight

I am a self-professing “leadership-aholic.” I love leading. I love reading about leadership and studying other leaders.

When Paul wrote his final letter to his “son in the faith” Timothy, he used three analogies to help his disciple understand the task of leadership.  He spoke of a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer (2 Timothy 2:3-7).  In similar fashion, in my most recent book, I liken the leadership assignment to a flight assignment; leaders and coleaders as pilots and copilots.  The similarities are fascinating.

The metaphor fits for most pastors and business leaders: Most of our lives are composed of numerous leadership flights.  Some business executives may stay with the same company for decades; others have numerous shorter leadership assignments in various locations and settings.  An experienced educator, civic leader, government official, or business manager may piece together an array of leadership flights that have made up a career.

For pastors, the average tenure in Protestant churches has declined to just four years, according to George Barna.  So most pastors will have numerous leadership flights in their ministry career.  Some have fewer, longer flights.  I followed one pastor in Sacramento, California whose leadership flight in one church lasted forty years.

Flight and Leadership

In brief, I see numerous parallels between flying and leading:

Training and Qualification – Just as pilots must be trained, be equipped, and earn a license and certification, so leaders must be equipped and qualified to lead effectively. Formal education can be a part of this preparation, though not always.  Mentoring, proven service, and faithful character are essential for the growing leader.  We find these biblical specifics in 1 Timothy 3:1–8 and Titus 1, given for those who take on the primary leadership roles in the church.  These traits are good qualifiers for Christian leaders in any realm of service.

Passion and Perseverance – Most pilots learn to fly because of a passion for the skies.  Experienced pilots have persevered, logging hours and increasing their certification in order to excel in the skills of flying larger and more sophisticated aircraft.  Leaders also have a God-given desire for influencing other people and making a significant difference in the world.  Great leaders remain faithful, develop their understanding of leadership principles, and maintain noble character and winning habits.

Risk and Reward – At times flying can be risky.  Although commercial flights are statistically the safest way to travel, we all know that the consequences of a mechanical failure or pilot error can be disastrous.  Quite literally, lives hang in the balance.  Yet the effectiveness and exhilaration of flight makes it worth it.  For commercial pilots, helping people travel efficiently, whether to conduct vital business, share holidays with family, or enjoy a much-needed vacation, has to be fulfilling.

Leadership is also risky.  Decisions affect many people.  And like pilots, pastors can affect the lives of those in their care.  Setbacks, even failure, are possible.  Yet, the thrill of leading people to the achievement of a great cause, especially one of eternal significance, is a joy beyond human expression.

Responsibility and Accountability – Of course, experienced pilots carry a serious responsibility for human lives.  The bigger the plane, the greater the volume of precious human cargo.  As a result, pilots are accountable to strict standards of flight protocol, personal discipline, and compliance with regulations.  Pastors are accountable also.  Spiritual leaders influence people and, according to James 3:1, have a greater accountability for how they lead and what they teach.  There are no solo flights in leadership.

Objectivity and Trust – The best pilots learn to trust their instruments, the information from ground control, and the proven technology necessary for safe and trouble-free flight.  Good leaders must also learn to trust objective indicators, including God’s authoritative, holy Word, for their leadership flight.  When self-trust and emotional justifications outweigh the proven realities for effective leadership, destructive behavior and disaster happen.  Leaders lose altitude.  People are at risk.

Staying in Flight: Keeping Perspective

Too often, a crash occurs and the human casualties are devastating.  Using the flight analogy, I’ve written my book to help pastors and other leaders maintain their leadership altitude in a world that wants to bring us down.  I believe the biggest challenges to an effective and enduring leadership flight are our own flawed perceptions, subjective emotions, and misjudgments that can put us in real danger.

Paul’s final words of advice to Timothy reflected this same concern.  He wrote in 2 Timothy 4:5, “But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”  The Amplified version says it this way: “As for you, be calm and cool and steady, accept and suffer unflinchingly every hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fully perform all the duties of your ministry."

God wants us to soar through the storms of life and has provided an indispensable instrument panel of biblical truth for our success and endurance as leaders.  It’s time, with God’s help and our commitment, to defy gravity.

Pray for the pastoral leaders in your life today, asking God to give them the grace to keep perspective and soar in their leadership assignments, for the glory of Christ.  Much is at stake.

Copyright © 2010 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.

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These tumultuous times are pushing many believers toward a necessary redefinition of the meaning of life.  Things we counted on in previous years (a home, a job, a vacation, a retirement) are threatened by a very uncertain economy.  Others may be skating thorough these storms of financial insecurity but might be facing a battle with terminal illness or family breakup.  Whatever the nature of life’s problems, they clearly provide an opportunity for a deeper understanding of the nature of the Christian life.

In part one of this devotion (which you can read below), we considered the meaning of Colossians 3:4, where we read of “Christ, who is our life.”  In an effort to embrace this truth, we looked at two key commitments:

Remember Your Status - We are “raised with Christ” (Colossians 3:1) and must fully embrace the implications of this truth.

Refocus Your Pursuit - We must “seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).

Three additional commitments, found in Colossians chapter three, are vital to a core redefinition of our life.

Recalibrate Your Thoughts - When a computer fails to function properly, the user is commonly instructed to reboot, or restart, the computer.  Our cluttered and distracted minds often need a similar intervention – usually many times throughout each day.

Colossians 3:2 states, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”  Literally, this is the idea of a continual commitment to “fix the attention” or “give serious consideration” to something.  “Things above” speaks of matters of eternal significance.  These should become the dominating focus of our mind and its considerations.

Our thoughts determine our behavior and future.  In light of the constant bombardment of needless information, tempting images, and carnal input from people around us, we must re-engage our disciplines of thought on a daily basis.

Our minds naturally drift to temporal and worldly concerns.  They become polluted by the influence of the media and culture.  We must embrace a proactive and purposeful pursuit of things that are noble, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

Reaffirm Your Death - Dead people do not respond to any external stimuli, no matter how enticing it may be.  Colossians 3:3 tells us, “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”  As Galatians 2:20 says, “I am crucified with Christ.”  In writing to the Christians in Rome Paul reiterates that believers are dead to sin (6:2, 7 & 11).  Previously in Colossians, Paul has told these Christians that they are not subject to religious regulations because they died to the power of rules and legalisms (2:20).

Every day, because Christ is my life, I must reaffirm that I do not have to respond to the values, demands, and expectations of a fallen world.  I can live as one “dead” to these allurements and one fully alive and defined by Christ.

Relish Your Destiny - Ultimately, we must keep our hearts fixed on the hope that “Christ who is our life” will appear, and that we will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4).  Eternity, along with its reward and ultimate worship, is just around the corner.  Any definition of life, other than Christ, is going to evaporate into irrelevance.  All that we currently see with our physical eyes will be gone.  The real scoreboard of life will triumph and we will receive everlasting reward for a life dedicated to the Lordship and centrality of Christ.  It will be worth it all – and that will be glory for us.

Copyright © 2010 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.

What defines your life?  Good Christians know the “right” answer – but what is our real answer?  In truth, the things that dominate our thinking and consistently spark our interests are what define our life.  The real definition of our life can often be reduced to those things that we rely on for security, acceptance, and hope in this life.

The bad news for many people in today’s unsteady world is that their core definition is being threatened by the stripping away of possessions, position, and pleasures.  Like a dead bouquet of flowers, no life remains in what used to be a colorful and carefree existence.

For the true Christ-follower, these present days force a decision upon us.  Will we redefine our brief appearance on this planet in the terms of biblical truth, leading to a fresh discovery of true meaning and fulfillment?  Conversely, will we prolong the pain by clinging unnecessarily to those phantom trappings that cannot be preserved and will not provide purpose?

The Truth about Life

Colossians 3:4 speaks of “Christ who is our life.”  Christ is the definition of life itself.  The Scriptures affirm this powerful truth.  For example:

• John 10:10 – “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
• John 14:6 – "Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.'"
• John 20:31 –  “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."
• Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
• 1 John 5:12 – “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life."

When we actually embrace this powerful truth of Christ as our very life, we can enjoy the freedom of a redefined existence.  Practically, we experience a transition in focus and a transformation in heart:

• From a life obsessed with accumulation to a life embracing simplicity
  
• From a life controlled by busyness to a life that cherishes relationships
  
• From a life worried about reputation to a life pursuing integrity
  
• From a life consumed by ambition to a life discovering contentment
  
• From a life sustained by success to a life resting in significance
  
• From a life ruled by competition to a life rejoicing in brokenness
  
• From a life enamored with status to a life in pursuit of humility
  
• From a life marked by drivenness to a life existing in peace
  
• From a life concerned about winning to a life poured out in love
  
• From a life preoccupied with earthly recognition to a life pursuing eternal reward
  
• From a life fearing earthly loss to a life delighting in eternal gain
  
• From a life of frenzied effort to a life of fulfilling purpose
  
• From a life of debilitating insecurity to a life of mature identity

Yes, But How?

So how do we embrace this core definition? This necessarily involves a daily redefinition in our thoughts and affections because our flesh constantly seeks to glom on to the false realities of this temporal world.  From the first four verses of Colossians chapter three, let me offer a few practical steps.

Remember Your Status!

Because I fly so much these days, I enjoy “elite” status on several airlines.  This simply means that I get to board early, avoid luggage fees, and enjoy occasional first-class upgrades at no charge.  I earned this status by the number of miles I have accumulated in flight.  I only maintain this status by continuing to fly in excessive amounts.

Because of Christ, every believer has a supernatural status.  Yet, we did not earn it nor do we need to maintain it.

Colossians 3:1 says, “If then you were raised with Christ.”  This is a bedrock truth for a redefined life.  Ephesians 2:5-6 describes our status: “Even when we were dead in trespasses, (God) made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”  We are literally “co-resurrected” with Christ.  This is our status, because of His death and resurrection.

I remember the old Gospel song that said, “This world is not my home.  I am just passing through.“ Hebrews 11:13 describes people of faith as “strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”  Paul reminds us that our “citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). After saving us by His grace, God left us here “on assignment” to share His life with others.  Yet, our actual status is already Heaven – and we should live accordingly.

We do not move our living room furniture into the Holiday Inn when we check in for a one-night stay.  We do not install an expensive stereo in a rental car.  Neither should we pretend that this world is a permanent reality for us.  Because of grace, our status is secure and settled in Heaven.

Refocus Your Pursuit!

Living in the reality of this truth requires a daily commitment to “seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God” (Colossians 3:1).  Literally, this means to “keep seeking.” It is a continual choice and commitment.

Most of us go where we look.  When we drive, we gaze at the road ahead – and tend to go there.  When we walk, we focus on the things in front of us and usually move ahead safely.  Conversely, when we get distracted and focus on something other than our desired destination, havoc occurs.  We wreck.  We trip.  We get hurt – and often hurt others.

Therefore, we must presently and actively seek the things of eternity.  Literally, this is a command to “desire”, to “set the heart” – even to ”worship”.  In spite of the many enticing distractions of the lusts and attractions of this world, we can refocus our passion moment-by-moment on the greatest reality of Christ, at the throne of God – calling us to Himself in worship and reinforcing us with holy passions for the best life possible.

Today, let us remember our status and intentionally refocus our pursuit.  A better definition of life will burn within our souls and we will find the strength we need to live righteously and godly in this present age.

Copyright © 2010 Daniel Henderson. All rights reserved.

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