“Preoccupied”: A Poem to Help Us Understand the Question, “Am I Ready?”

PREOCCUPIED

Planned a party.
Now I’m waiting
for you to arrive.

Others present;
talking, laughing.
But you
I have not yet seen.

Though I’m with them,
my mind keeps drifting
to thoughts of you.

I hear your voice,
I see your face,
as I imagine
your arrival.

They keep begging me
to join in
with abandonment.

I cannot.

You are all
I really think of.

Please come.
Please come very soon.

This is no real party
until
I am right beside you.

This poem is weighty. It can help our hearts discern their true status. God’s Word says, “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.” (Hebrews 9:28, NIV, emphasis mine)

Many people ask sincerely, “Just what does it mean to be saved?” Stunningly, it means much more than most imagine. Notice Hebrews 9:28 tells us that while Jesus died for many people (in fact, for the entire world), He is only returning for those who are waiting for Him! Just as Matthew 7:13 whittles down the road to life to only a few travelers, while the road to destruction remains wide; so Hebrews 9:28 confirms and delineates the criteria.

What does it mean to be saved? Deny it however much we want in order to try in vain to produce a sense of security, the answer is clear . . . it means we are absolutely preoccupied with Jesus!

As the host of the party in the poem cannot put first in his heart or mind other people or activities, so the truly saved person cannot put first in her heart or mind other people or activities. Expectant waiting for the One we love the most packs full every moment!

Are we “looking out the window” for Jesus to come?

Are we paying more attention to our television, our cell phone, our ipod, our social time, our facebook account, our children’s activities, our hobbies, or any combination of various distractions “at the party”? Or are we so in love with Jesus that His Word and precious time in prayer with Him are nearest and dearest for us?

He died for the sins of the world, but He is only coming back for those who are waiting for Him.

Are you waiting . . . ?

What Is This World Coming To?

“What is this world coming to?” someone might ask in disgust. When we see evidence of the culture’s rebellion against God, when we become frustrated with the circumstances of our own lives, and when we are shocked by bad news; we may ask that infamous question ourselves, “What is this world coming to?”

The world is coming to something. Here it is: God will be all in all! He will have the final word, fulfill the final plan, and give to us who love and serve Him all for which our hearts could possibly long.

One of my favorite chapters in the Word of God is I Corinthians 15. Written by the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul, the chapter emphasizes the resurrection of the dead. Not only does Paul discuss the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, but he assures us that we, too, will rise from the dead because of Jesus!

In I Corinthians 15, God explains that Jesus will conquer every enemy at the close of earthly history. In other words, He will blow away all the nasty plans of the devil and all the ways Satan has tried to destroy us and our faith in God. He will forever rid the universe of heartache, disease, and natural devastation. The last enemy Jesus will obliterate for us is death. After Jesus conquers death, He will undoubtedly hand everything over to God the Father so that God may be all in all (verse 28).

Here is a thoughtful and crucial question: if the final goal is that God be all in all, what should be the goal of every moment? If God Almighty is pushing all circumstances toward His ultimate will, why are we not doing our best to do the same?

The end of the world as we know it is not confusion and chaos; it is the culmination of all things for the glory of God Himself. This will happen no matter how much rebellious humans resist.

But, we – as God’s people – should not only avoid resistance against God’s plan, we should actively work toward God’s goal.

If we could just whittle down every tiny moment to its real purpose – to glorify God – what would happen? How great would we feel as we fall in line with the ultimate, grand plan of God?

If I could think as I walk down the hall, “What kind of smile would glorify God?” or as I work at my job, “What kind of effort would glorify God?” or as I choose my entertainment, “What kind of movie would glorify God?” or as I interact with my colleagues, “What kind of behavior would glorify God?” or as I talk on my cell phone, “What kind of conversation would glorify God?” then what kind of life would I be living? One that aligns with the ultimate reality of what the world is coming to!

Essence of a Great Teacher

Recent educational research stemming from the nonprofit group, Teach for America, tells us something the Bible made clear centuries ago: the teacher is the most important component of educational success. Ripley (2010, p. 60) posits, “This tale of two boys, and of the millions of kids just like them, embodies the most stunning finding to come out of education research in the past decade: more than any other variable in education – more than schools or curriculum – teachers matter.” Though endless amounts of money have been spent on fancy curriculum additions, more classroom gadgets, and more standardized testing; it is, in fact, “which adult stands in front of their children” (Ripley, 2010, p. 60) that should be the main concern of parents. Why? The answer is rooted in God Himself.

God is relational. Father, Son, and Spirit have eternally loved one another. God began relating to human beings when he created us in His image. When we lost relationship with Him, God continually pursued us. His pursuit culminated in the incarnation. He took on flesh and entered our world to save us from our sin and restore relationship with Him.

Jesus taught us the things of God in a personal way. he demonstrated God’s love to us. He lived out God’s love right in front of our eyes.

In essence, God did not say, “Here’s an instruction manual.” Rather, God said, “Here I am.” And He continues to offer Himself through His Spirit.

Excellent teachers model God’s heart and say, “Here I am.” They do not simply hold forth curriculum and activities and words as the answer. Great teachers offer themselves as living curriculum.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” – John 1:14 (ESV)

Work cited: Ripley, A. (2010, Jan/Feb). What makes a great teacher. The Atlantic, 305(1), 58-66.

Evaluating John Maxwell’s Leadership Principles Through a Biblical Worldview

Maxwell’s book, Developing the Leaders around You, is a good supplemental text for Christian leadership training. It’s theologically weak basis, however, does not warrant its placement as a main text for the potential Christian leader. Maxwell offers some very practical advice that can be utilized by the well-grounded Christian. The essence of leadership from a biblical viewpoint is not promoted in the book; leaders utilizing Maxwell’s advice, therefore, need to be wary. As Paul warns in Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” Much of the world’s thinking on leadership is “hollow” thinking, with no solid base; the approach is pragmatic. The man or woman of God is not to be pragmatic, but rather is to do all things for the glory of God (II Thessalonians 1:12).

In the first chapter, Maxwell drives home the point that the leader’s main goal is to raise up other leaders who will go on to carry out an organization’s vision long after initial leadership has passed. As the author says, “There is no success without a successor.” However, the emphasis of the chapter is that organizations must grow. Maxwell uses the real life example of Skyline Wesleyan Church, the church he became pastor of in 1981. He admits that his first question as a new leader was why the number of people in attendance had reached a plateau. He goes on to explain how the numbers rose from 1,000 to 4,000 under his watch. This growth in sheer number of people in attendance is equated to success of pastoral leadership. During Jesus’ time of leadership, He reminded His disciples that the road to true life in Him is very narrow, and few will travel that road (Matthew 7:13, 14). Jesus constantly highlighted the difficulty of truly following Him in selfless service and exclusive loyalty (Luke 9:23). In light of these Gospel truths, we must remember that although leaders must breed leaders for continued success, the essence of the leadership must be properly focused. Likening leadership strength to increase in church attendance may be dangerous. What is the gain if followers of Christ do not beget genuine followers of Christ, rather merely people who happen to attend church? Growth is not the sole goal; undivided service to Jesus Christ is.

In the second chapter of Developing the Leaders around You, the author points to a wonderful truth. He instructs us to have vision enough to see the future leader in a person, rather than only focusing on the potential leader’s development to the present moment. Jesus Himself looked at what His disciples could be, and He worked to that end. Knowing the soon coming failures of Peter, Jesus encouraged Peter by naming him a “rock” (Matthew 16:18). This is one of many examples when Christ looked down the road to the potential in a man through God’s strength. Grace can do this. Maxwell rightly encourages us to be leaders who believe in others, knowing God’s grace can do mighty things. At the same time, Maxwell instructs us that for those potential leaders who refuse to comply and produce, difficult decisions must be made. After sufficient warning and re-training, it becomes necessary to terminate positions for the good of the vision. A biblical truth is modeled here, as God prods us to come to Him continually. But, after sufficient time, He will “close the door” and – for the good of all those who have chosen Him – the unrighteous will be forever banished from our “home of righteousness.” That, of course, is the big, broad picture; it nonetheless lends credence to the idea that we extend grace and instruction to those who will receive, and, then, at the right time, discontinue opportunity for those who choose to refuse help. This becomes the only way to save the integrity of the organization.

Maxwell does well in instructing us to look first for character when it comes to qualities for a leader. He promotes the concept of integrity, which is essential for God’s plan. Ever since the fall of man, disintegration and deceitfulness are everywhere. We Christians battle constantly for an “undivided heart” (Psalm 86:11) that will live for God no matter what and model the integrity He will one day fully restore to this earth, physically and morally.

Maxwell falls short, however, in defining leadership simply as “influence.” Service is the essence of Christian leadership, and influence is its rightful by-product. We live by the hypothesis that Jesus is the greatest Leader of all, and Jesus came to serve mankind (Mark 10:45). It was through His ultimate service that Jesus Christ “influenced” the world as no other ever could. Influence follows a servant’s heart, not vice versa.

Shortly after defining leadership as influence, Maxwell pinpoints a positive attitude as one of the most valuable assets of a leader. He does not go on to establish a basis for this positive attitude. Why should leaders be positive? The answer from a biblical worldview falls nothing short of the hope we have in the victory of Christ Jesus over sin’s power and death (I Peter 1:3). Anything appearing to be a positive attitude that has a foundation other than Jesus Christ is simply of no real substance: an imposter. Our leaders will soon lose motivation if their attitudes find no transcendent, immutable root.

Developing the Leaders around You reminds us that people want significance. Our culture would do well to remind the next generation to cease engaging in activities devoid of true meaning. We are designed by our Creator to subdue the earth, to fill the earth by the work of our lives and relationships (Genesis 1:28). Maxwell tells us to remind people of the bigger picture; remind others of what their contribution means in the long run. Leaders must invigorate by connecting the everyday “stuff of life” with the long-term vision. The apostle Paul did much the same when he reminded us to focus on what is eternal even while we suffer through the temporary struggles of life (II Corinthians 4:16-18). During instruction as to how we should equip leaders, Maxwell states that our dreams are important. I quote him on page 92, “I have often wondered, ‘Does the person make the dream or does the dream make the person?’ My conclusion is both are equally true.” He goes on to tell us that great leaders need people to help make dreams reality. These thoughts are problematic in that they are incomplete and, therefore, lack firm biblical foundation. In response to the page 92 quote, let us say, “God made the person and the dream!” The ever popular Psalm 37:4 affirms that the only way to achieve the dreams we were designed for is by “delighting ourselves in the Lord.” We are not to delight ourselves in our dreams, but in the Lord Himself, in order to see the true fulfilled plan for our lives. Solid biblical motivation is imperative for Christian leaders. All else will lead to defeat in the eyes of God and – eventually – man.

Maxwell encourages his readers to be self-disciplined in setting aside time each day for personal growth. Personal discipline is essential for leadership. However, since this text is viewed as a Christian text, the personal model Maxwell sets forth for a weekly plan is not sufficient. On page 113, Maxwell makes clear that one hour each Monday with God is part of a rewarding plan of growth. The other days’ hours are filled with leadership books, tapes, and study. The model of Jesus Christ certainly makes this model for growth appear disproportionate. Our worship of God and commitment to Him must be first. If the Father promises all our basic needs when we seek Him first (Matthew 6:33), certainly He will provide for our leadership development when we place Him first as well.

Developing the Leaders around You can aid in the development of leadership qualities for the well-grounded Christian. Maxwell says eloquently on page 178, “To live a worthwhile, meaningful life, a person must be a part of something greater than himself.” This statement is most definitely true. It is true, however, because man is not at the center of the universe; God is. We find our value as people – as leaders – in God through Jesus Christ. While it is important to outline good leadership qualities so people can put them into practice, it is just as vital for the Christian leader to back up each concept with proper theology. If not, Christian leaders, such as Maxwell, are simply writing secular leadership books and sprinkling them with “Christian language.” Authentic leadership derives from an authentic God. Leadership, like all other disciplines of life, finds its only true, untainted meaning when studied and practiced from a thoroughly biblical worldview.