Peacefulness

"When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared."             (Matthew 13:26)

"Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don't give up."
             (Galations 6:9)

                                            In a classic segment from the sitcom Seinfeld, the wacky letter carrier Newman works himself into a lather explaining why so many folks in his line of work go postal:  "Because the mail never stops. It just keeps coming and coming and coming. And there's never a let up. It's relentless! Every day it piles up MORE and MORE and MORE. And you GOTTA get it out! But the more you get it out, the more it KEEPS COMING IN!! . . . ."

People serving others can get similarly overwhelmed to the breaking point at times. Day after day, we toil in dedicated efforts to improve the human condition. But, drawing from the passage of Matthew above, as we survey the fruits of our labor, we can at times feel defeated that somehow new "weeds" have sprouted out amidst the "wheat" that we have been trying to cultivate. The "weeds" just KEEP COMING IN!! Somehow, despite our best efforts, every day brings MORE and MORE and MORE to tend to!!

It is times like these when I have been heartened by the counsel of Galations 6:9: "Let us not be weary in doing good, for we will reap in due season, if we don't give up."  

And key to not "being weary" is to accept that it is our job to simply do the good work the best that we can discern it and then leave the rest up to God. That means we don't spend time separating out the wheat from the weeds, trying to sort out the "good guys" from the "bad guys," or figuring out the tally.  No, we just do our part and leave all the rest, including the ultimate reaping, up to Him. That is the pathway toward peacefulness.

Yes, we clearly live in a fallen world. But thankfully, Christian maturity provides the ability to live joyfully in such a place -- with all its imperfections. So do your work faithfully -- and let the rest go. In so doing, you will be pursuing the pathway of peacefulness, walking in step to the words of the old standard: "Let there be peace on Earth, and let it begin with me....."

__________________

Dear Lord,
Thank you for allowing me to be an instrument in Your Mighty Hand. Help me to trust that, amidst my toil, no work done in Your name or for Your purposes is ever inconsequential. I look forward to the grand harvest that YOU will one day gather. In the meantime, grant me Your peace, which surpasses all understanding, to guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus. Amen. 

Courage

"You were made . . . for just such a time as this."
 (Esther 4:14)


Image courtesy of autismaspirations.com



 




"That's just not right!  What's the world coming to these days? Someone should do something about that?"

This passage from Esther reminds us how our location and position in the world is no coincidence.  The Lord has a plan for each of us and has gifted us in unique ways to carry that plan out.  But ultimately, it depends on us to act -- to let our conscience be our guide and act on the courage of our convictions.

Yes, the world has a load of problems -- and then some.  And whether the deepest of the world's problems can fully be "solved" is a topic for further discussion.  But there is no question that leadership can change the color of any situation  and that the "someone" who should do "something" about "that" is likely you. 

So listen to that "still small voice,"  build up your resolve, and dive into the situation at hand, remembering that God doesn't call the prepared; He prepares the called.  Trust that and believe in that -- for you were made for just such a time as this.... 
_________________
Dear Lord,
Thank you for creating me with Your grand designs in mind.  Please help me to discern my place and my purpose in this world.   Then may I act confidently, knowing that, with You, I am never alone.  
For Your glory, Amen.  

Leading Others

"Admonish the idle,
encourage the fainthearted,
help the weak,
be patient with them all."
     (1 Thessalonians 5:14)


Image courtesy of www.trabucopres.com



How do I justly lead others when their needs, dispositions and motives are often so very different? If you are like me, you may have sought out assistance by reading untold numbers of books, pursued numerous conversations on the subject, tried to learn from various real-life situations over the years, etc. But in all those efforts, I have found that one of the most insightful of all sources is packaged in a simple, one-sentence recommendation from the Apostle Paul to a start-up church in Greece nearly 2000 years ago. It's the verse at the top of this post.

See, even back then, wise leaders knew about differentiated practice -- that we need to adjust our leadership to the individual and to his/her situation. And a lot of the variation in our response is based upon our assessment of people upon two dimensions: their will and their skill to do good work. For example, some folks have the skills needed. They know what to do but, perhaps because doing good work requires a great deal of diligence and dedicated effort, choose to not bring those skills consistently to bear. For those "idle" souls, correction (i.e., admonishment) is needed. Others have the skills and interest in doing good work but lack the confidence (i.e., are fainthearted). For such individuals, our main work is to build up belief in themselves so that their light can shine. Still, for another group of people, a lack of skills needed for the job make them "weak." Of course, the major work here is to help such individuals learn about and develop the key skills that will make them effective contributors to the group.

Underlying the simple wisdom of this passage is the idea that I, as leader, can discern what each person needs: admonishment, encouragement, or help. And then, when I can perceive what is truly required, that I can and will deliver what is needed, faithfully and effectively.

And perhaps that is why the closing message in Paul's counsel is to "be patient with them all." And all means you, too, as such skills will take time -- perhaps even a lifetime -- to develop. But with God's guidance and your faith in Him, you can figure this out. "It" is in you if He is in you -- guiding you and your leadership of others. Trust that and be patient with that, so that you may be patient, understanding, and effective with every sort of soul under your charge.
_________________

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the opportunity to lead Your children. Guide my steps through Your wisdom and understanding. Strengthen my resolve to do what is needed and to be at peace with the results. Into your Loving Hands, I place my trust and faith.
Amen.

You Are Never Alone

                                                   “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  (Joshua 1:9)                                                       (Image courtesy of kasparstromman.com)

   

Years ago, during the first few days of my very first job as a school leader, a trusted colleague told me something that I carry to this day:  “Being a school leader is probably the world’s best ongoing values clarification exercise.”  And how right he was!  For as I got to know the people in my new school community, wade into the issues that accompanied their lives,  and ultimately made decisions  in line with my responsibilities, I had to sort out what I believed was right and just in a world with few “black and white” markers.  Through the process of weighing out the complex problems of human life and making my decisions, I was essentially revealing, testing and shaping my core beliefs; and given my formal leadership role in the school, I was thus, over time, also simultaneously revealing, testing and shaping the values of my school community, too.  The world’s best ongoing values clarification exercise indeed! 

Over time, I came to deeply appreciate the way the leader's decision-making responsibilities helped me to figure out who I am and what I believe in terms of core values.  But making decisions in accord with principles of what one can best discern is right and just is often not popular whatsoever.   At such times, the leadership journey seems trod on a deserted path.  Yet in such forlorn hours, we are always accompanied by our truest friend , as William Barclay perhaps says best:  "There are certain decisions which must be taken and certain roads that must be walked in the awful loneliness of our own souls.  And yet, in the deepest sense of all, even in these times, we are not alone, for never is God nearer to us." 

So, leaders, remind yourselves, the path may be lonely but beyond the gift of a life of service also comes an abiding clarity – that you are never LESS alone than when you are doing His work for his children, setting as many on the right path as you can.

                                              “Nothing before, nothing behind

                                              The steps of faith

                                               Fall on the seeming void, and find

                                              The rock beneath.”

                                                                 (John Greenleaf Whittier)

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the road that you have prepared especially for me.  Knowing that You always go before me and and are with me, let me always move with confidence and courage down that path, regardless of what may arise along the journey.  I pray that You guide me in my steps and that I may be open to Your guidance until that day when I finally arrive home with You.

Amen.

Relationships

"But now faith, hope, love abide, these three;
but the greatest of these is love."
                                (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Image courtesy of Pixgood.com




We are living in a results culture. And that certainly is the case for those working in education these days. Quarterly reports, progress monitoring, collective accountability, levels of performance, effectiveness scores -- these are but a few of the means aimed at holding educators responsible for moving the needle on student achievement and success.

But Dave Weber, the opening keynoter of the AWSA Associate Principals' Convention this past week, effectively made the case why we should start with cultivating robust staff relationships and school community if we truly are dedicated to transforming learning results for students. In his arguments, Dave pointed to the research of Dr. Roland Barth, who found that "the nature of the relationships of the adults that inhabit a school has more to do with the school's quality and character and with the accomplishments of its pupils than any other factor." Similarly, the Harvard Principals' Center asserted that "the most powerful predictor of student achievement is the quality of the relationships among the staff."

In a results culture focused on hard data, these reminders about the soft skills of relationship and community building are helpful and timely reminders. But for Christians, these findings should not be all that surprising. Two thousand years ago, Jesus asserted that all the Law and the Prophets could be summed up in just two commandments: (1) love God and (2) love your neighbor (Matthew 22:36-40). Therefore, ultimately everything in life comes down to our relationship with our Maker and our relationships with people. And in both, we are to display love.

So maybe the Beatles had it right when they attested that "All You Need is Love." Or at least, it seems, that's where we should start and sustain the focus. And in an accountability culture gone on steroids, keeping the focus on love and relationship is arguably more important now than ever.

Dear Lord,
Thank you for showing me what true love is. Help me to crave an ever deeper relationship with You, so that You can teach me Your ways. In my daily walk, teach me how to not only talk like a Christian but more importantly how to love like Christ through my relationships with those whom I lead and serve -- so that people may know that I am a Christian by my love. Into Your warm embrace I commend my spirit.
Amen.

Fellowship

     


"As iron sharpens iron,
so one man sharpens another."
 (Proverbs 27:17)


Image courtesy of makeitthrough.org



Too often we go it alone. And usually when that happens, we suffer, as the forces of the world smash up against us day after day.  Naturally, facing such fury alone, we weaken. And if we take the solitary path too long, we risk being overwhelmed by bitterness or indecision or depression or fear, ultimately swamping down our progress to some sort of near paralysis. As U2's Bono exhorts a friend who goes it alone in one of the band's more famous ballads:  "You've got stuck in a moment, and now you can't get out of it."  

Leaders, in particular, if not careful, can regularly fall into such a trap. Some times this is due to the nature of the position, other times due to the press of issues before us, and in other instances, simply because we don't know where to start in explaining our situation to another.

But God made it clear from the beginning that it is not good for man to be alone. So He has given us the gift of one another. And through the analogy of the passage above, just as there is mutual benefit in rubbing two iron blades together, so is there means forward in fellowship with one another, particularly in fellowship that is sharpened by interaction around the word of God. For wherever two or more are gathered in His name, He is there, too, adding His grace and blessing to the equation.

This approach was reinforced earlier this week when several family members and I viewed the Oscar-nominated picture Selma. This movie provided insight into the personal challenges that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. faced in addressing major wrongs of our society. On several occasions in the film, we see MLK at a near breaking point, as he feels the full force of the world in all its ugliness press upon him as the figurehead of the Civil Rights Movement. But in each of these moments, he intentionally takes measures to NOT go it alone, but rather, to seek fellowship. In one scene, he makes a late-night call to a friend, asking her to sing him a soothing gospel to tend to his fearful soul. In another, he gains strength through the rock hard support of his wife, despite his waywardness. In another, through the good counsel and timely reminder of a relevant biblical passage from a trusted friend, MLK becomes emboldened to persevere through his fear to committed action for the greater cause. And always, by turning to prayer, he finds guidance, strength, and support. Now, if someone of MLK's stature didn't go it alone, why should you?

Without a doubt, Martin Luther King, Jr. was a tremendous leader, speaker, and human being -- arguably one of the greatest of all time. But Selma helped me to draw this conclusion for consideration:  MLK's discipline to seek fellowship amidst trial was perhaps his greatest strength, and perhaps the primary reason for his lasting legacy today. And that's a discipline that any of us can choose to develop. Now, given such regular "sharpening," just imagine how effective of an instrument that you might be in Your Maker's hands!

Dear Lord,
I thank you that I need not go it alone. Please help me to always remember that and to build into my life the disciplines of Christian fellowship, prayer, and interaction with Your word. Strengthen me for the path ahead. Sharpen me in your word. Make me an instrument of your peace.
Amen.