Wrong question.

Consider asking these 2 questions instead:

1) What am I doing to contribute to the bad things that happen?

It may be something you’re doing to trip yourself up. It may be beyond your control.

2) What is my response when bad things happen?

Regardless of the reason for bad things, your response is a huge part of serving strong. Read John 15 and ask yourself if you have the kind of “intimate and organic” relationship with Jesus Christ that causes your knee-jerk reaction to be one of:

Reality

Trust

Hopefulness

Bad things happen. Be above them. Stop being a victim of them.

How do you handle bad things that happen on your journey?

I was creeping on Facebook last night. You know how they put those birthday announcements to the right (“Hey! So-and-so has a birthday. Why not wish them a happy birthday on their wall“)? Well an old friend from my childhood showed up. So I went to his page.

Lo, and behold, he was BALD! Can you believe that?! You would be as amazed as I was if you knew who this was.

He was an athlete.

He was a star.

Girls liked him.

Nerds avoided him.

He attracted cool, know what I’m sayin’?

But now he’s bald! Bald… just like me.

If you’re thinking I’m gloating… (well, okay. I have to admit. The first thing I did when I saw his picture, I ran and told my wife) …I admit I was.  But as I returned to my computer, it hit me (and by “it” I mean the Holy Spirit. And by “hit” I mean convicted): We are all the same in so many ways.

We all have fears.

We all have failures.

We all have abilities and strengths.

We all have a date with death.

We all need air.

We all need food, water, a savior.

If you’re reading this and you are feeling low about who you are, shift your perspective to WHOSE you are and be encouraged.  More importantly, if you’re reading this and you have thousands of Twitter followers and Facebook fans who hang on every word you say and who think you’re so cool because you wrote a book, shift your perspective to WHOSE you are and be humbled. Like the song goes, “heroes come and heroes go.”  Kneeling will be the great equalizer as we each look into the face of the loving God who will judge us each on that one day.

The Moral

The moral of this post? For me? Okay, I’ll let you in on a few of the things the Holy Spirit said to me:

> Don’t think too highly of yourself. Don’t share blog posts, tweets, Google+ updates, Facebook updates and LinkedIn discussions about personal growth if you aren’t growing yourself.

> Every set of eyes you lock on to every day represents insecurity, fear, self-condemnation, and is in need of unconditional love.

> You’re just a vapor. Smoke wisely.

> There will always be those with more possessions, abilities, strengths than you. Get over it. Life is not judged by those things.

> Your task is simple: Listen hard until you hear the voice of God. Then… obey.

I’m slowing getting the point. And you know what? Bald isn’t all that bad after all.

Just for fun: What do you wish you could have done in high school?

• Pride
• Unwillingness to be wrong
• Too much education, too little experience
• Too much experience, too little education
• A loss of the appreciation of something as simple as a child’s joy on a swingset
• Underutilizing your smile
• Letting the faucet of worry drip constantly
• Blind spots
• Demonizing others who push-back
• ???

What would you make the 10th reason?

Rogaine

It’s supposed to make me feel better about myself. Hi, my name is Scott (disclaimer: the picture to the right is not Jesus. It’s me) and I’m bald. I’ve been bald now for several years. Now, baldness isn’t the first thing you find on the Bachelorette show. Baldness gets a bad wrap. Yes, there have been some who have bucked the system. For example, Tony Campolo once said, “I want you to know I’m not bald. This is a solar panel for a sex machine.” But by and large, baldness is to be avoided (apparently).

On a serious note, we’ve been conditioned by Hollywood to view Jesus a certain way (a beautiful, trimmed beard, a flowing flock of hair, dark brown eyes…) What if we have Jesus all wrong? What if he looked totally different than you have pictured in your mind?

Go Deeper

What if He had something totally deeper and more meaningful in mind for your life? What if you’re missing out? What if He was trying to talk to you this morning and you missed 4 or 5 divine opportunities because you have Him “all figured out”? Watch your preconceived notions about who Jesus is and what He is capable of doing. It may surprise you when you see Him face to face.

But How?

But how do we know we are experiencing the REAL Jesus? How do we connect at a deeper level so that we are sure to serve strong in our ministry leadership? Here are a few ideas to get our thinking started (please add to the list. it’s not complete by any means):

* Read books by authors you dont’ agree with. See if there is any truth to what they’re saying. Let the process solidify the important beliefs you hold.

* List your beliefs on a sheet of paper. Then try to prove yourself wrong.

* Close your eyes. Imagine a bald Jesus giving you instructions for the day. Imagine doing what He says.

* Shake things up a bit. Wear your watch upside down. Drive a different way home. Pick the slow lane and stay in it. Spend an entire day saying nothing – only listening.

Your turn: How else can we break out of our preconceived ideas about Jesus which limit our walk with Him?

“…Finding ways to get fed myself. Always pouring out and not ever having anything put back in is a dangerous situation, and it can be difficult to find revivals/seminars/conferences to attend where you are not also having to be “on” at the event, but can just relax and worship the Lord and get refilled yourself.”

That was a recent quote from a ministry leader in response to the question: “What is your biggest ongoing challenge as a leader?” (a linkedIn discussion)  Can you relate? Are you having difficulty finding ways to feed your own soul in the context of rest?

I don’t have all the answers, but I may have a few thoughts that may spark your creative juices…

Feeding or Resting? The accumulation of new Biblical knowledge may not be what you need. On the contrary, you may need a restful context within which to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you personally, using the knowledge you already have about Him.

Speaking of restful contexts, one of the great services being offered to ministry leaders is Pastors Retreat Network. I strongly recommend you check them out.

Making Time. Time is never “found”. Time is made. As you think about the next 7 days ahead, put an appointment on your calendar much like you would a meeting with another person. Only make this appointment with yourself. Treat it just as seriously as if someone were going to meet you. Protect this time. Start with 60 minutes. Do this at least once every seven days.

Restful Content. Now that you have scheduled some time for yourself you need to fill the appointment with “tailored content”. What is tailored content? It’s anything that brings you joy and rest on a personal level (not something that helped pastor so and so). Can’t think of anything that gives you rest? Try these introspective questions:

- In the past, what activities was I engaged in that made time fly by? What was I doing? Why did I enjoy it so much?

- What’s my favorite sport? Favorite author? Favorite music?

- Do I feel energized after being alone for 3 hours or being with people?

As a ministry leader, you cannot neglect rest and personal feeding (no one was ever so busy driving that they had no time to get gas). I hope these simple ideas have helped blow away some of the fog for you.

Your turn: How do you make time for rest and renewal?

I stumbled upon this photo and it instantly became a blog post in my mind (probably cause I could relate to the panic associated with this kind of situation).

There have been times when I’ve asked myself, “How did I get here?” I’m in way over my head. I’m traveling at speeds I can’t keep up with. I’m doing things I wasn’t cut out to do. I’m trying to please everybody all over the place… these are all symptoms of one.single.mistake: 

I become my own god.

Now, I don’t wake up thinking, “I believe I’ll take over from here God. I don’t need you. I’ll handle today on my own.” No. In fact, with the aid of my Accountability Network (you have an Accountability Network don’t you?) I get up first thing every morning and kneel quietly for a season at God’s feet without any requests – just listening.

So I don’t intend to be my own god. It happens gradually. A little decision to worry about something in the morning. A little decision to try and figure out a challenge on my own in the afternoon. And before I know it, I’m feeling like the motorcyclist in the photo. This is no way to stay strong in ministry leadership. I know it. But I need to keep a watch all.the.time.

Can you relate to this tendency? What do you do to keep from gradually becoming your own god?