I’ve been watching some of the Democratic National Convention this week. There have been a lot of promises made, as there always are at political conventions. I thought we could hold a Without Wax convention today and here is your platform….
What is the first thing you would change as president?
Author Lois Cheney tells a story about a man who clung to the railing of his life. It goes like this:
“The man saw people love each other, and he saw that all love made strenuous demands on the lovers. He saw love requires sacrifice and self-denial. He saw love produce arguments and anguish, and he decided that it cost too much. He decided not to diminish life with love.
He saw people strive for distant goals. He saw men and women pursue high, high ideals, and he saw that striving was frequently mixed with disappointment…And he decided that it cost too much. He decided not to soil his life with striving.
He saw people serving others. He saw men give money to the poor and helpless, and he saw the more they served, the faster the need grew. He saw some ungrateful receivers turn on their serving friends. And he decided not to soil his life with serving.
And when he died, he walked up to God and presented him with his life. Undiminished, unmarred, and unsoiled, his life was clean from the filth of the world, and he presented it proudly, saying, “This is my life.” And the great God said, “What life?”
I’ve had a string of difficult days. Late nights where I’ve been haunted by decisions. Long days trying to figure out solutions. Difficult conversations I wanted to run from. Personal reflections that were, at times, very painful.
I don’t mention this for sympathy’s sake. The reality is this is life. I choose this. Why? I want to love, strive, sacrifice, and serve. Because I want to live life. I want to live life to the FULL.
Are you sometimes afraid of “really living”? Are you ever afraid you might hear those words, “What life”?
I listened to a guy by the name of Gary Haugen talk yesterday. Gary is the president of the International Justice Mission. He said this…
“Just because I’m leading and people are following doesn’t mean that I’m leading them in things that matter to God.”
I can lead.
I’ve led since I was a kid.
Leadership comes natural to me.
It’s my gift.
The question is, am I using my leadership to lead, inspire, challenge and motivate people toward the things that matter to God?
I’m facing some big decisions over the next couple of weeks. In my mind, they are some of the biggest decisions I’ve made in my short years of ministry. The stakes are high. I’m praying today that these decisions will help lead people toward the things that matter most to God.
So how about you? Many of you are leaders. You’re leaders in your church, leaders in your neighborhood, in your workplace, in your home with your kids. People are following. The question is:
Are you leading them in the things that matter to God?
I was reading an article in Christianity Today entitled “Leading With Love: The Secrets to Billy Graham’s Remarkable Ministry to the World“. The article starts with this…
Our first interview for our book, The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham, was with John Corts, a key employee of Billy’s organization for 35 years, ten of them as its president. After a dinner conversation that ranged over the decades, we asked, “John, what would you say is the bottom line distinctive of Billy’s leadership?”
John paused a long while. Finally he said, emphatically, “Love. The difference between him and so many other leaders is that whatever the circumstances, Billy always led with love.”
“Billy always led with love”.
That statement got me thinking about my leadership style. It got me thinking about the kind of leaders that have had an impact on my life over the years. It got me thinking about the kind of leader I want to be.
What characteristics are you looking for in the people that lead you?
Time’s online magazine had an interesting article you can read HERE which covered some of James Dobson’s comments from last week concerning Barack Obama. In response to Dobson’s remarks, another group of Christians launched the webs site, www.jamesdobsondoesntspeakforme.com.
What’s clear is that not all Christians are going to come down on the same side of all the issues in 2008.
To complicate matters further a recent study done by the Barna Group shows that 16-29 year olds are very skeptical of Christianity. The study explored twenty specific images related to Christianity, including ten favorable and ten unfavorable perceptions. Among young non-Christians, nine out of the top 12 perceptions were negative. 75 % of the respondents said Christians are too involved in politics.
So I’ve been thinking. How do we as Christians respond in an election year? What do you think our role is in politics? Should we even care what other’s think about our involvement?
I would love to hear what YOU think…
I saw this bumper sticker the other day when I was walking into Blockbuster. It says, “My Pastor Says God Bless America.” Since seeing the bumper sticker I’ve discovered it’s linked to a political movement.
I want to be clear that I’m neither condemning nor endorsing this organization. I know nothing about it, but this bumper sticker just prompted the following thoughts.
I’m tired of praying “God Bless America.” Now, before you try to stone me at the county courthouse, let me clearly state, “I’m proud of our country.” I’m indebted to people who have served her to give me the freedoms I have. So we’re cool. I shoot fireworks off on the 4th and everything.
I’m just thinking this. It kind of looks like God has already blessed America. I kind of feel like maybe I should be praying “God thanks for already blessing America, so now I’m going to bless you.” Or maybe “God, thanks for already blessing America, so help me use your blessing to bless some others.” Or maybe just simply, “God bless Uganda.” I think they need it a little more than we do.
Around the world, some 26,500 children die every day (source: global issues.com)
That is equivalent to:
* 1 child dying every 3 seconds
* 18 children dying every minute
* A 2004 Asian Tsunami occurring every week* An Iraq-scale death toll every 15–36 days
* Almost 10 million children dying every year
* Some 60 million children dying between 2000 and 2006 Half the world — nearly three billion people — live on less than two dollars a day.
A friend sent me a video link yesterday from CNN. I dare you to CLICK HERE and watch this disturbing video where the parents walk away from their 11 year old boy leaving him in the custody of the government because they can’ afford to feed him. When I watched that little boys chin start to quiver as his mom walked away I just LOST IT.
So, I’m sorry if today I just can’t pray “God bless America”. But, make no mistake about it, I’m praying for Ahri and his family. I’m praying for the families of the almost 40 kids who have died in the time you’ve been reading this post.
Does this wreck you like it wrecks me?
my chaos,
Pete
