Delighting in Anonymity for the Sake of Christ

That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, "It is the Lord!"

Unlike other gospel authors, apostle John chose anonymity rather than identifying himself by name.  Referring to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loves" wasn't just an act of humility but also of one of delightful endearment.   John was celebrating the essence of his identity - the simple fact that Jesus loved him.

Too often I can end up locating my identity in all the wrong places

Sometimes I will locate my identity in personal performance - "top performer", "great father", "loving husband", etc...  It's about how well I'm doing in all the roles I play.

On other occasions, my identity is found in my position - "project leader", "senior executive", "doctor", etc..

Often, the opinions and perceptions of others can form the basis of my identity - "respected", "wise", "smart", etc...

The problem is that all these pose a no-win scenario.  For I find myself crushed emotionally when I do poorly, when I fail to live up to my own performance or when I fall short of what others may think of me.   In those occasions, I'm often despondent and discouraged.

Even worse than a poor showing is a good one.   Should I do well even for a brief season, it only serves to reinforce my misplaced identity, trapping me in an ever tightening grip.

My hope is to do as John did - to pursue anonymity for the sake of a better delight - to be known and loved by Christ.    When stories that intersect our lives unfold, whether at work or in other spheres of life,  how would you seek to be known and remembered?   Would you be satisfied simply to be known as one whom Jesus loved?

Starting the New Year with a New Attitude

"The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year.  It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose, new feet, a new backbone, new ears and new eyes.... Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective"

GK Chesterton

If you're looking for a helpful bible passage to start the New Year, you might consider this excerpt from Philippians 3:

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.   Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."


Philippians 3:7-8

Paul's claim from this passage both challenges my soul and refreshes me as I start a New Year.   Paul's reference of "gain" speaks to his heritage, his place of honor, perhaps even his very identity - everything that contributed to a sense of his own righteousness before God..   All of which he counted as loss for the sake of knowing Christ.   Knowing Jesus Christ - it's a pursuit so rich and fulfilling that it warrants our setting aside of all counterfeits that might steal our attention away from this holy pursuit.

I'm provoked to look upon my life for vestiges of boasting in my own achievements - the very elements of my life that bring me respectability and honor - the ones that can so easily rob me of my dependence in God.   I pray for the echo of Paul's words to power my life for this New Year.  May I take no confidence in my gifts, abilities, intellect or skills.  May I neither seek, nor rest upon the praise of men..   Instead, may I draw my identity and worth from Jesus Christ - from the fact that I know Him and am known by Him.

"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own,   Bur one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."


Philippians 3: 13

I'm just starting out, I'm not there yet but I plan on pressing on.    



  

Wanted: Christian Disrupters at Work

"...when Christians work in the world, they will either assimilate into their culture and support the status quo or they will be agents of change.   This is especially true in the area of work.   Every culture works on the basis of a 'map' of what is considered most important.    If God and his grace are not at the center of a culture, then other things will be substituted as ultimate values.   So every vocational field is distorted by idolatry"  - Timothy Keller

For many of us, work is a destination - "we go to work".   Or we might think of work as a burden - "I'm swamped with work".   But we seldom think of work as an active cultural hotbed - a set of shared, functional values, goals and beliefs firmly held and practiced by those at our workplace.      

Tim Keller reminds us otherwise.    According to him, we have two choices when we engage our work environment - we can either assimilate or be agents of change.   Assimilation means adopting the values, goals and beliefs of the work environment - acquiescing to what the culture dictates as important or valued.  The workplace culture may teach us to value recognition or money or status.   It may instruct us on how to cut corners as long as no one catches you.  The corporate environment may promote the appearance, rather than the substance of a matter.   It may promote the brash and boastful rather than the meek and humble.  All around us daily, we're confronted by the values of the organizations we serve and we can choose to accept them or to listen intently to God.  

We can choose the alternative path - being change agents or disrupters for the sake of the gospel.  Stepping out as change agents for the gospel starts with watching our own hearts - getting our own functional values and core beliefs aligned with biblical truth. Keeping at the forefront of our hearts, the treasuring of Christ as the source of our joy.   Being change agents also means boldly stepping out to shape the cultural workplace by bringing to bear our beliefs and values formed in the hot furnace of biblical conviction.  What does this look like?   How about exemplifying grace by extending kindness to our co-workers when they deserve no such kindness.  On occasion, it may mean taking a stand on a biblically informed ethical issue when others see it differently.   Most of all, it means summoning the courage to speak gospel truth - calling our friends to turn away from their current course to follow Christ.  

As Keller succinctly concludes - every vocational field is distorted by idolatry.   We would be wise stewards of our vocations if we identify these false gods, disrupt the status quo and point the way to true satisfaction in the Eternal God.

The Wisdom and Folly in Planning

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.”  Proverbs 21:5

The Bible encourages planning as wise living and that’s a good thing since we seem plan all the time.  We plan our projects, we prepare for vacations, we strategize our next career moves, we make plans for the weekend.   You could say that it’s impossible to live responsibly without planning and preparation.

However, the Bible also issues warnings related to planning as well.

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”- yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.   What is your life?   For you are mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.   Instead you ought to say “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”   As it is, you boast in your arrogance.   All such boasting is evil.

James 4:13-16

James warns us of a certain folly in our plans.   A very real problem with our planning is that it can too easily drift into godless presumption.  This is easier to do that you might imagine since the very essence of planning is to identify work items, assign resources, set schedules and mitigate risks - all of which can be done without God in view.  

We can plan without praying.   We can prepare without trusting in God.   We can strategize without taking God’s sovereign hand into account.  This kind of planning is not commendable no matter how well executed.   Instead, God calls this type of planning - arrogant and evil. 

God calls us to a different kind of planning - dependent planning.   We are to hold onto plans that are malleable before God.  God-centered plans may be well thought through but are always subject to and dependent on God’s providential will,   Godly planners know well their need for God and plan accordingly.  They understand that success rests not in their plans but in God Himself. 

May we strive to be such godly planners.

Quote of the Week

"There is no fatigue as wearisome as that which comes from lack of work"

C.H. Spurgeon (1834 - 1892)

Quote of the Week

"Christ's work both in the church and in the hearts of Christians, often goeth backward that it may go the better forward."

Richard Sibbes,  The Complete Works of Richard Sibbes, p.85

Regaining Trust When Trust is Lost

 Trust – it’s a necessary ingredient to any fruitful relationship but it’s of particular importance to a leader.   The essence of leadership is about influence, not authority. You can make someone comply by force of authority, but to lead, you must have influence – and influence requires trust between the parties.  

Unfortunately, in this broken world we live in, trust is often compromised.   Spouses betray each other, politicians lie, public figures disappoint.  

As leaders, we may find ourselves in a place where trust has been compromised.  Perhaps we’ve disappointed others by our behavior or words.   What can we do to restore trust when trust is broken?   

Before we get to that, let’s explore what it means to trust.   There are two dimensions of trust – character and competence.  

Character speaks to the attributes, values and motivations of the person or institution.    It raises questions like the following -

“Is the leader humble?”

“Is she kind?”

“Is he a man of integrity?”

“Does the institution pursue truth?

It surprises some to hear this but character alone is not enough to secure trust.   You also have to be competent.   When you trust someone, you are confident, not simply in their intentions and motivations toward you, but also in their advice and their ability to help you.   For example – when you invest trust in your car mechanic, you’re counting on his character - that he will not cheat you by billing you excessively – and on his competence – that he will be able to fix the problem at hand.

So back to our question – what can you do to restore trust when trust is lost?  Here are 4 things to consider:   (Disclaimer: nothing original here – it’s a combination of things I’ve learned from reading, observing and painfully experiencing)

Talk straight – speak honestly and openly.   No spinning the message, no sweeping under the rug.   Invite others to do the same.   Trust cannot be restored when we’re afraid of expressing ourselves to each other.  A leader can facilitate straight talk is by being vulnerable.  Lead the way by letting your guard down.  This is step one in the road to restoring trust.

Confront the brutal truth - acknowledging the truth about a situation is essential to fixing the fundamental problem of mistrust.   That’s why a common complaint about politicians that have lost the trust of the public is that they “just don’t get it”.  One way to face the truth is to let those you’ve wronged to openly give you feedback without retribution or correction.   I’ve been in situations where I’ve lost the trust of individuals even though I haven’t explicitly wronged them.   Yet, in both humility and care for others, I needed to put aside the temptation to defend myself but focus instead on how they have been affected by my leadership.  

Make It Right (as best you can) - Making it right starts with bearing the burdens of others.  Understanding how our leadership (or lack thereof) has affected them.   Sometimes when trust is lost, it’s due to an irreversible situation but if possible, you need to make amends and offer reparations.  It also means proactive mitigation - making the kind of changes that prevent the same situation from occurring again.   Regaining trust requires us answering the question – “what assurances can you offer me that this won’t happen again?“.

Follow Through - Actions speak louder than words.   Those whom you may have wronged - your constituents, followers and friends are looking for results.   Placating them but not following through with actual results will compromise everything else.   It will further disillusion them.    This means both fulfilling commitments made to them and continuing to be accountable to them.   Here’s what I mean - it’s not enough to simply address the problem in the current moment but to continue to humbly inquire if you’re on the right track.   Leaders that restore trust willingly make themselves accountable to those they lead on an ongoing basis.

Final word on this - I've seen good leaders demonstrate this in many different settings and I've tried to practice the same.  I don't know they do it but for me, the impetus and strength to do so is rooted firmly in gospel truth.   

Speaking openly and honestly comes from knowing that there is such a thing as objective truth and that it proceeds from a God of truth for our good. ( Psalm 119:160 , John 17:17 )

Confronting the truth in any situation is easier once you've confronted the cosmic truth that you're a sinner before a holy God.   ( Romans 3:23 ).   

Having the strength to act humbly and courageously emanates from the gospel - that God humbled himself by sending his Son in human form to bear our sins.   ( Philippians 2: 5-8 )

We become motivated to bear the burdens of others when we consider the burden Christ bore for us on the cross and walk in love toward them.   ( Galatians 6:2 )

Quote of the Week

We have had to learn.. that in all the world there are only two sources of real wealth: the fruit of the earth and the labor of men; and to estimate work not by the money it brings to the producer, but by the worth of the thing that is made.

Dorothy Sayers,  Why Work?

Quote of the Week

"Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves, and, under a just God, cannot long retain it."

Abraham Lincoln,  Letter to H.L. Pierce, April 6, 1859

Our Forgotten Call - Gospel Proclamation in the Workplace

As Christians, we’re called to proclaim the gospel – the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection to secure eternal life to all who respond in faith to Him.   Yet, doing so in the workplace requires a rare blend of wisdom and courage.  In his article, Ditch the Safety Talk, Work Dangerously, David Rupert draws attention to the challenge that many Christians in the workplace face on a daily basis – the reluctance to proclaim the gospel in an increasingly secular workplace.

In my experience, Christians in the workplace will often mute or attenuate their Christian witness for fear of drawing a negative reaction from their co-workers or employer.   Yet, God has called all Christians to the holy task of gospel proclamation.   Ordinary Christians sharing the good news in both word and deed in every sphere of life is God’s appointed means to spread the good news.

So why are many Christians unable to do so effectively and what can we do to change this?    I have a few thoughts to offer (none original to me) –  

First, we must remind ourselves of the good news.   If some of us are honest, we’ll admit that we’ve functionally forgotten the essence of the gospel.  Many of us have been Christians for so long that we’ve forgotten why the gospel is good news in the first place.   Could it be that we’re reluctant to share the gospel because at some level, we’re not convinced of its essential value?   Friends, this is where we must start – to remember that sins forgiven and eternal life in the presence of God is not simply good news – it’s the best news of all.   We will have little inclination to share the gospel unless we live in the joy of it.

Second, we must pray.   In a recent Sunday sermon,  Mark Mullery, the senior pastor of my church,  made the following point  – “talking to our friends about God starts with talking to God about our friends”.   I find that I become more attentive to the needs of those around me when I make a habit of praying for them.   I also become more aware of how God is at work in the lives of my co-workers to bring them to saving faith.

Finally, we need to exercise courageous wisdom.   Many of us succumb to what Proverbs calls the “fear of man” – a fear that we’ll be rejected or even reprimanded in a severe way for our faith.  Yet, we need to grapple with this reality – the call of the Christian is costly.   God will not excuse a cost/benefit analysis that finds obedience to Him wanting.   We have to take risks for the sake of the gospel and that means being willing to proclaim the good news whenever opportunity arises.  A great starting point for many of us is to simply stop censoring ourselves.   Instead of attenuating our Christian experience for the masses at work, we should simply speak honestly about our ordinary lives – how we spent Sunday, how we make parenting choices, how we cope with our fears and dreams.   If we’re living anything resembling a Christian lifestyle, it will undoubtedly provoke questions and conversations.    We need to be bold but we also need to be wise - "walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.  Let your words always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer each person" (Col 4:5-6).  

Simple as all this sounds, it isn’t easy. As I mentioned earlier, it takes a rare blend of courage and wisdom - the kind that you can’t muster up but thankfully, God by His grace, can supply.   

Quote of the Week

"Experience is not what happens to you.   It is what you do with what happens to you.   Don't waste your pain; use it to help others."

Dr. Rick Warren,  The Purpose Driven Life

Quote of the Week

"Without doubt, persons may very honestly and commendably be employed in following their respective callings, but yet, if they are engaged so deeply in these, as to hinder their working out their salvation with fear and trembling, they must expect  the same sentence with their predecessors in the parable, that none of them shall taste of Christ's supper: for our particular calling, as of this or that profession, must never interfere with our general and precious calling, as Christians."

George Whitefield,  Worldly Business No Plea for the Neglect of Religion (sermon)

Quote of the Week

"The proper rewards are not simply tacked on to the activity for which they are given, but are the activity itself in consummation." 


C.S. Lewis,  The Weight of Glory, p.27

Chris Paul, Uncommon Forgiveness and the Gospel

A couple of weeks ago, I was catching up on my sports reading when an ESPN article by Rick Reilly caught my attention. It was a story of forgiveness involving New Orleans Hornet's star point guard, Chris Paul.

In 2002, five young men robbed and brutally murdered Nathaniel Jones - Chris Paul's grandfather.  In the words of Reilly, they "jumped a 61 year old man, bound his wrists, duct taped his mouth and beat him with pipes until his heart stopped".  You'll have to read Reilly's article to grasp the profound impact of this had on Chris Paul.  He loved his grandfather and was deeply grieved by the loss.

Thankfully, justice was served. The authorities caught the perpetrators and they are serving time for their brutal crime. End of story, right? Not so.

What makes this interesting is that in the years after the incident, Chris Paul demonstrated an unusual mercy and kindness to the men who took his grandfather's life. He has forgiven them and may even advocate for their sentences to be reduced. In Paul's own words -

"Even though I miss my granddad, I understand he's not coming back. At the time it made me feel good to know that they went away for life. Now that I'm older, when I think of all the things I've seen in my life? No, I don't want it.."

I don't know if Chris Paul is a Christian or even religious but his example offers a picture of forgiveness. Real forgiveness is always remarkable - it gets our attention - it moves us. Perhaps it's because we know how difficult it is to forgive in a broken world. We sin and are sinned against. We need forgiveness for own failings and we need to forgive others. Yet, it seems beyond us - more than we can bear. Perhaps because it is.

You know what's more remarkable than Chris Paul's story of forgiveness? The gospel. The good news that actually starts with the bad news of a rebel race turning from the all-wise, all-loving and all-powerful Creator God. It's a remarkable story that speaks of a sacrifice by Jesus Christ, God's only Son to bear the sins of all who trust in him.  A sacrifice so profound that it changes lives for all eternity. It brings the spiritually dead to life.

"And you were dead in trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world... But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ - by grace you have been saved - and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Chris Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus"

There's a reason why stories like Chris Paul's affect us. Perhaps it's because when we hear them, we get a glimpse of what divine mercy looks like. Deep down in our hearts, it reminds us of the mercy that we need every day.

Quote of the Week

"A Christian theory of leisure is rooted in the nature of the world that God created and in human nature as created by God to live in that order. At the heart of God's creation is something gratuitous - an exuberant going beyond what is strictly necessary to maintain life"

Leland Ryken, Redeeming the Time: a Christian Approach to Work and Leisure, p. 182

Should We Celebrate the Death of Osama Bin Laden?

A week ago, media channels were abuzz - broadcasting the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. The news was met in many quarters by celebration in the streets and in the social media world – Twitter and Facebook lighting up with updates.

Almost immediately, many Christians felt uncomfortable about rejoicing over anyone’s death, even someone as universally opposed as Bin Laden. Others experienced no such internal conflict of conscience.

Christian leaders and influencers were just as varied in their responses. Check out their varied responses here.

Bible verses like Proverbs 24:17 seem to call for restraint in our jubilation over Bin Laden’s demise - “Do not rejoice when your enemy falls and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles"

Yet, Proverbs 11:10 tells us that “when it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of gladness”

What do we make of this seeming contradiction? How should we respond when our enemies are crushed? How does this square with our Savior’s command to love our enemies?

From the collective wisdom of the best biblical scholars and pastors we can draw the following insights –

1. Celebrate justice, not death

We may have to kill for just cause but we do not delight in the death of another because it means taking the life of one made to be an image bearer of God. It is perhaps why God says in Ezekiel 18:23 – “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?”

In his book Love in Hard Places, D.A. Carson makes reference to Osama Bin Laden and says this –

“He is an evil man, and he must be stopped, but he is a man and we should take no pleasure in destroying him. Vengeance is the Lord’s alone “

2. Celebrate justice humbly

Even as we celebrate justice, we do so as ones forgiven much. We resist the subtle temptation to favorably comparing ourselves with Bin Laden. We know better – we deserve judgment but have received grace and mercy. So we celebrate justice humbly as ones who have received mercy rather than justice.

Sentiments from the Resurgence blog – “So we can be thankful that God is just and we can be very thankful that God is gracious"

3. How God feels about Osama’s death isn’t single threaded

John Piper offers a helpful, nuanced thought on how God might “feel” about the demise of Bin Laden. He starts by reminding us that God’s emotions are complex - like ours often are. Quoting Ezekiel 18:23, he makes the point that “in one sense, human death is not God’s pleasure” but citing Ezekiel 5, also reminds us that “the death and judgment of the unrepentant is God’s pleasure”

“Thus shall my anger spend itself, and I will vent my fury upon them and satisfy myself. And they shall know that “I am the LORD – that I have spoken in my jealousy when I spend my fury upon them”.

Both are true. God is vehemently opposed to wickedness while lovingly and patiently calling image bearers to repentance.

Quote of the Week

"It is quite natural - actually quite easy - to be enthusiastic if your work is prominent, but less natural the more hidden it is, as the conductor of a great symphony orchestra revealed when asked which instrument was the most difficult to play. 'Second violin', he answered. 'We can get plenty of first violinist but to get someone to play second violin with enthusiasm - that is a problem!' "

R. Kent Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Man, p. 153

Quote of the Week

"You may feel you are in a nothing job. Because of the Curse, your job may involve painful toil and little satisfaction. But you can glorify God where you are by your heart attitude. You may feel your job is not holy but it is if you see it so and do it for God's glory."

R. Kent Hughes, Disciplines of a Godly Man, p. 151

Finding Hope in the Struggle for Contentment

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”- Philippians 4:13

Philippians 4:13 must surely rank among the most popular Bible verses for athletes, performers and anyone who’s up for a challenge. It inspires faith in the face of obstacles, trials and difficulties of any size. We pull it out for ballgames when we’re behind on the scoreboard. We refer to it when we’re taking on a big challenge at work. And we find ourselves strengthened by this precious verse when facing life trials such as major illnesses or death.

All of these are wonderful, legitimate expressions of faith toward God. However, it might be interesting to consider what Paul had in mind when he penned these eternal words. Perhaps a little more context to the verse might shed some light –

“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:13 may be applied to the many and various challenges we face but for Paul, it was about the struggle for contentment. And who can blame him? Here’s the picture - Paul is in prison for the sake of the gospel, bounded in chains and under the watch of Roman guards. He has no idea if he’ll get out. He has no prospect of continuing the work he loves.

The fact is that sometimes our greatest challenge is securing true, heart-felt contentment in the midst of a tough situation. It can be elusive and difficult to attain. Perhaps that’s why Puritan preacher Jeremiah Burroughs referred to Christian contentment as a “rare jewel”. If you’ve ever found it virtually impossible to be hopeful and contented, you know exactly what he means. You understand that those impossible situations call for a Savior. That’s where Philippians 4:13 comes in – God has promised to help us gain contentment in those impossible situations.

If you asked Paul, he'd tell you that “doing all things through Christ who strengths me” means that God gives us contentment when we’re in a fruitless situations at work or in life. It dispenses hope when we encounter difficult relationships that aren't improving. It’s about being joyfully satisfied in God even when desperate circumstances show no signs of changing.

Finding hope in our struggle for contentment - that's what Philippians 4:13 is all about.

Quote of the Week

"Your work is a sacred matter. God delights in it, and through it he wants to bestow his blessing on you."

Martin Luther, 1493 Exposition of Psalm 128.