Redeeming The Time

“The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” ~ Psalm 90:10-12 (NKJV)

2015 looms large. Do I make plans for the New Year? Do I sit down and envision the future and make a list of things to do and ambitions to accomplish? Certainly there are desires in my head that I want to see come to fruition. What did I plan for 2014? Did any of that turn out? And of what is left undone - do I move those things out into next year or do I give up on them altogether and push the reset button and start afresh?

If I focus on present circumstances alone I lose sight of what has led up to now. How does the saying go; “the past is prologue …”? Is a one year segment the way that God views the continuum of my life? On reflection that notion doesn’t seem reasonable. Why would the God of eternity care about a one year segment in the context of His plan for my life? What is a year or any segment of time to Him? Why is it important to me?

Haven’t I learned to be more of a man of the moment leaning on God’s wisdom to guide my steps – to simply DO THE NEXT THING? Doesn’t Proverbs 3:5-6 make this clear; “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” ?

Am I making a mistake setting goals that rely on what I can do versus what He can do or should there be a union in our effort? Do I relegate to Him only the things that I believe I cannot achieve myself and launch them in His general direction via prayer? Am I minimizing or, worse, marginalizing God with my puny list of resolutions? I need balance.

What I do certainly matters to God. My work matters to God. There are things I must DO. The Hebrew word for work in the Bible (“avodah”) is used interchangeably to mean both work and worship. It’s where we get the modern word “vocation”. Spiritual harmony suggests that there be a mingling of what I do and what God has in mind. Both must occupy the same time. I know that my life in Christ is an invitation to become a friend and co-worker with God and so my ambitions really need to reflect that mind-set … that heart-set. My work is worship ~ My plans are a devotional.

And what of the setbacks I have experienced and the struggles that have risen up to discourage me? Not long ago I was experiencing just such a discouraging episode and as I began to give in to self-pity a gentle whisper reminded me that He suffered much more than this and He suffered it for me and that His response was to love those who scorned Him. The words of Philippians 3:10 exploded in my heart; “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being transformed by His death.” Similar sentiment is conveyed in 1 Peter 4:12-13. This is relevant as we struggle with the pursuit of visions and set goals and endeavor toward anything worthy. There will be struggles, pain, loss and discouragement. Authentic testimonies will be forged that will draw men toward the TRUTH.

Things don’t always go as we plan them. General Eisenhower said, “Plans are worthless but planning is everything.” Whether Von Clausewitz , Von Moltke, Napoleon or Caesar said it, experienced military strategists will agree that “no battle plan survives first contact with the enemy.” And we indeed have an adversary.

So, as plans and aspirations begin to sprout with the New Year approaching I believe that there are certain foundational bases that may need attention. First things first; whose plan are we talking about? Bearing our cross is submission to “His” plan.

Jesus puts it this way in Luke 14:26-33 (NKJV); “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”  He’s talking about the plans of men … my plans ... your plans.

The two greatest variables in any plan are material resources and time. Accepting for a moment that we have access to God’s unlimited material resources, we, living in time, must contend with that most precious of resources (time) and the Bible provides guidance on that.

Ephesians 5:14-16 (NKJV); “Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Colossians 4:1-5 (NKJV); “Masters, give your bondservants what is just and fair, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven. Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

The definitions of redeeming/redemption are many;

§        exchange for something of more value,

§        to make (something that is bad, unpleasant, etc.) better or more acceptable,

§        to exchange for money or to buy back, repurchase,

§        to free from what distresses or harms: as to free from captivity by payment of ransom,

§        to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental,

§        to change for the better: reform, repair, restore,

§        to make good.

The days are indeed evil, now more than at any other time in history because they seek to spirit away our time and distract our attention. Thanks to electronic devices and an amplitude of information, innuendo and gossip the onslaught is merciless. Truth is a needle in a haystack of relativist chaff.

So as we consider the future we would be wise to consider the greater plan of which we are a part – to which we have submitted - if we are Christian. We should consider our portion in it and look to direct our paths with all expectation of the good outcome that He has in mind and be willingly surrendered to it.

Joshua 3:5 is most encouraging; “Consecrate yours, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” Consecrate; to set aside for a sacred purpose, devoted to a higher calling or standard, designated for noble purpose, set apart for what is goodness and virtue.

With all of this as a runway for your mind;  what are some outlandish outcomes that might manifest in and from your life if God alone was the reason for them coming to fruition. These are things you could never muster up for accomplishment. Allow yourself to open up and breathe in what He has in mind for 2015 and beyond. Tell Him that you are ready to join Him as He invites you into that.

What enters your heart? What might you dare to declare? What dare you claim in His name? This is the basis for a great plan. Look back and see what He has done that you didn’t orchestrate of yourself. In those things you will find the foundations of a vision to pray upon. Miracles yet to be. State the God-sized outcome as a fact - as though it already is accomplished and you are describing its reality in detail. Open up, invite Him in, breathe in the vision, allow it to be big and ridiculously impossible for you or any man to do.

Redeem the time!

Blessings,

Bill

"Paying it forward"

A few weeks ago one our vehicles experienced the sort of mechanical failure that can really throw your routine out of whack. We had been out of town for a week and flew in late on Saturday evening. The following day the alternator of one of our two cars “fried” as we drove to church. I knew something was wrong because the battery light kept flickering on and off. On the way home we tried to stop at SEARS to have the car checked but they were closed. Now the battery light was on steady – and I suspected we were driving on battery power alone. We thought that maybe we could get the electrical system checked at a local auto parts store that was on our way home.

An eighth of a mile from that store we lost all power but were miraculously able to “coast” into the parking lot. The battery was dead. A turn of the key didn’t even produce a clicking sound. The store attendant tested the electrical system and insisted that the battery alone was the problem. I wasn’t so sure but I didn’t want to argue and we needed to get home so we purchased a new battery and with the strength of its charge we were able to drive the car home. The battery light, however, began to flicker on and off again. Once home I tested the battery with a meter in our driveway and concluded that the alternator was the real problem. So we dropped the car off in the lot of our local mechanic’s shop so it would be there on Monday morning when he arrived at his shop. That Sunday evening we began sorting out how we were going to manage with one vehicle on a hectic “first day” back to work and our normal workweek routine.

My wife was scheduled to do an early workout on Monday so that would have to be cancelled. She called her physical trainer to let her know. To my wife’s surprise, the trainer, without any hesitation, offered to lend us her car. It was an extraordinary gesture of spontaneous generosity. After a pause my wife accepted the offer and this woman’s next remark was, “where would you like me to bring the car?”. We insisted that we would pick up the car and this woman loaned us her pristine, sporty, late model Cadillac for as long as we needed it! I don’t know about you but I don’t believe that I would have done that. Maybe an offer to give her a ride somewhere - but not that.

That evening with the Cadillac sitting our driveway we marveled at the trust, the generosity and the ease with which this woman had loaned us the car that was her pride and joy.

The next day our mechanic dropped what he was doing and repaired our car by that evening (a testimony to the value of loyal relationships and of local family run small businesses). We returned the Cadillac to the woman who had loaned it to us and my wife mentioned that she wanted to do something as a “thank you”. The woman was adamant; “Absolutely not!” she said. Then she explained that she had had car troubles not long ago and another woman had loaned her her car on the stipulation that she “pay it forward”. Now her “pay it forward” obligation was fulfilled. She went on to say that it was amazing how quickly the opportunity to “pay it forward” had presented itself. That explained her instant readiness to recognize and respond to our need. Now we could “pay it forward”.

We know this woman to be of the giving sort. The “pay it forward” spirit resonated with this woman’s own kind heart as it has with many other people. “Paying it forward” has given many the permission to be spontaneously altruistic to acquaintances and even strangers to whom they would not otherwise extend an extraordinary favor. So now my wife and I have a “pay it forward” debit on our new “pay it forward” account. I wonder how long it will be until an opportunity presents itself to balance our book? I also wonder how quick we will be to recognize the opportunity and jump at the chance to “pay it forward” to “whomever” circumstance places in our path? I hope we respond in as fine a fashion as this woman did toward us.

I got to thinking; certainly there was an element of obligation in this woman’s gesture to us but there was a greater element of joy in the whole thing. There was a recent national news story about a drive-thru coffee shop that had an unbroken chain of well over 100 “pay it forward” customers. The remarks of the participants in that chain were diverse; Some had been more than happy to go along, most thought it was a wonderful experience, others had felt bound by obligation and somewhat powerless to break the chain. The  person who ended the chain had simply refused to keep it going. Part of me had braced at the selfishness of the spoilsport and another part of me had applauded his (yes it was a guy) spirit of nonconformity. Would I have gone along with it? Probably - but I’d be hoping the guy behind me was only ordering a small black coffee. 

On further reflection I am convicted by the woman who loaned us her car for her cheerful gesture and what it has provoked in my thoughts. I am a Christian and I have to admit that the cheerful giver referred to in 2 Corinthians 9:7 lends a lot to this discussion; “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion (obligation), for God loves a cheerful giver.”(NIV). For the most part I would consider myself a deliberate and cheerful giver. Once in a while I lapse into a second-guessing/double-minded sort of giver. But I do indeed most prefer to be a “no strings attached”, unconditional, cheerful giving person and I derive the greatest infectious sort of joy through that spirit of giving.

As a Christian I am a little conflicted by the whole “pay it forward” way of thinking. Like karma, chain letters, guilt ploys, pyramid marketing schemes and religious obligation I don’t like anything that smacks of the religious or of obligation. “Paying it forward” can be that. But rather than dismiss the whole notion as obligatory I have to admit that my faith indeed has embedded within it a “pay it forward” essence. But there is one chief difference with what I have to “pay forward”; I could never possibly pay “it” forward enough.

What I’m referring to, of course, is what Jesus did for me. He paid the price for my life forward to eternity. It is up to me to accept the gift of it – period - end of story – no pay back but this; If I truly am His, my appreciation for what He has done should make me want to proclaim Him and His glory to the world from the rooftops! And His gift was not and is not random; it was and is personal and impossible for me to ever ruin or replicate. Thanks be to God for His indescribable (indestructible) gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)! 

He (Jesus) has instructed me and all who are Christians, all who are indeed HIS, to “Love one another as I have loved you.” So, in a sense, I am a debtor to “pay it forward” to all men and women who do not know Christ and His saving grace with the good news of that mercy and grace – what He did for me!

But it doesn’t end there. There are the words of Jesus in the Book of Matthew 25:40; “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” That infers an above and beyond “pay it forward” toward humanity and that I should see JESUS in every needful human condition and situation I encounter – just as he saw me in my needful state. That should keep me busy.

So, as a Christian I have the ultimate “pay it forward” on my account - and it is an honor to have it. It’s a commission really – a great commission. But here’s a difference. No matter what I ever do Jesus loves me and will love me. And He did something else. When I accepted His gift He filled me with His Spirit Who gives me a capacity to endure and to love and to be wise and to have compassion as He does. He gave me a new heart. The book of Ezekiel puts it this way;

Ezekiel 11:19 “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”

Ezekiel 36:26 “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

So there is no obligation, only an ingrained “new-person” capacity to unconditionally love and give as He loves and gives AND an inclination to spontaneously share the joy that is in me with a single mind. So, it is with this mind that I “pay it forward” daily with single-minded joy and with limitless resource – God’s resource. Relaying on God’s abundance I am never diminished in my giving and He renews me daily. I am challenged by this because my flesh rises up in self-centeredness casting fears that in such giving abandon I may empty myself unto my ruin. I know such fear is false.

With a new heart I am now inclined to be a cheerful, spontaneous giver. As Proverbs 4:18 puts it, I am a work in progress, yielding myself to His will and letting His love shine out through me; “The path of the righteous in like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”

The fried alternator that led to the actions of this woman who loaned us her car that illuminated these principles to my mind and heart is yet another proof that, as James 1:2-8 exhorts; “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” Romans 5:3-5 supports it this way; “ … we also glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” (NKJV).

“Paying it forward” - with blessings,

Bill

P.S. I must admit, that Cadillac was one fine automobile.

Threads in the Master's Tapestry

An event I was planning as part of the marketplace ministry work with which I am involved looked like it had fallen through. The venue of first choice had withdrawn its support. The event was for a good purpose and would promote the ministry in which I serve. The circumstances for the event falling through as planned made no sense at all to me. After prayer and consultation with trusted brethren it became apparent that it was likely in “God’s greater plan” that the event not go as I had anticipated. With that spirit in control, an alternative arrangement (which had been right under my nose all along) quickly presented itself in the form of a modest Church plant located in the heart of Providence, RI. At first glance, the new venue did not align AT ALL with my original personal vision concept for the event. But in prayer my mind was opened to the blessed opportunity there was to promote this dearly needed urban ministry through my ministry event. I am experiencing greater joy now knowing that this new venue will be brought before the eyes of the broad Christian business community than had the event been solely for the purpose I had originally intended. I am seeing beyond my own ministry focus.

I need to be reminded that every life in Christ is a ministry and that my life and my ministry is but one thread being woven by my Creator into His master tapestry.

How often I have prayed to know God’s will for my life, to know what He wants and what I am supposed to do. From time to time I have paused to look around to see where He is at work and apply myself there – to join in with His work already underway with the talents and gifts He has so skillfully, carefully and unique built into the weaving of me -  to yield my thread and lend it to His tapestry. But how often have I focused on my thread alone, as if it alone was God’s singular purpose - exclusive and disconnected from everything else.

Along the narrow way we can often become narrow-minded and myopic about our thread, failing to see that it must often yield to the interweaving of other threads that are meant to work with our own. Sometimes our thread is interrupted so another may pass above or below or alongside to build up, tamp down or straighten out our own in conformity to His plan for the greater Body of which it is a part.

A thread not interwoven with others is easily snagged and has no integrity as a fabric unto itself. It is only strong when mingled with the others. The Bible speaks of a thread of many cords not being easily broken and this holds true for our thread in the tapestry of God’s plan.

Focusing alone on our thread is a self-centered activity that will lead to loneliness, depression, self-pity, separation from the fabric and isolation – a frayed end. Our adversary effectively plucks our thread from the loom of God’s purpose when we are fooled into believing that the path of our thread is important unto itself and proceeds by our will and vision alone. We believe the lie and take our thread from the Weaver’s hand. What a masterfully subtle deceit!

We wind up on our knees wondering why it isn’t working out when focused so on our one thread. We ask silly questions like, “What is Your will God?” when what we really mean is “Why is Your will not aligning with mine?” We neglect to see all the other threads intertwined about us binding and strengthening us wonderfully in the fabric of His great plan. In our self-absorbed state we, like Job 7:6 wallow in the futility of our single thread; “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.”  Rather, we should be mindful of the encouragement in 1Peter 2:5; “you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Living stones, living threads, a wall, a house, a body, the fabric of a saving work.

This portion from a recent daily reading grabbed me; “A complete life is the life of a child. When I am fully conscious of my awareness of Christ, there is something wrong. It is the sick person who really knows what health is. A child of God is not aware of the will of God because he is the will of God. When we have deviated even slightly from the will of God, we begin to ask, “Lord, what is your will?” A child of God never prays to be made aware of the fact that God answers prayer, because he is so restfully certain that God always answers prayer.” (My Utmost For His Highest, August 20th ~ Oswald Chambers ©1935, Barbour Publishing.)

That my thread would be guided easily by His hand and that my joy would come from seeing my thread intertwining with the thread of others for His purpose. This is at the root of Christian love and what it is to love one another as Jesus loves us.

Some day I will be allowed to stand back away from the tapestry and behold it for its fullness and glory (1 Corinthians 13:12 (NKJV) promises that “…for now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.”).

Blessings,

Bill 

Declaration of Dependence

July 4th 2014.  My mind is struggling to deliver something about a recent Supreme Court decision favoring a closely held company’s right NOT to fund the personal reproductive decisions of it’s employees if that decision runs contrary to its religious beliefs. The episode is so close to our national holiday expressing freedom and cuts across so many lines of belief and thought and politics that a blog post cannot possibly cover all of it.

It’s about the touchstone issues of our time; pro choice and pro life, it’s about big government and less government, it’s about entitlement and individual responsibility, it’s about the rights of the one and the rights of many and on and on. My blog can become a rant and a point of offense. I run the risk of being called a hypocrite by critics and cynics. My ego does not want that. So, do I keep my head down - my pen motionless? Of course not.

The word “hypocrite” is the great silencer of many a man or woman who harbors a virtuous thought or ideal. It’s the great equalizer in a cynical age, the “chink in the armor”. We use it to tear down people who we perceive to have placed themselves above and talk down at us – especially when we don’t agree with them – or their opinions are inconvenient or convict us. All of our founding fathers were chastised, labeled hypocrites and pursued for ruin.

All who preach are hypocrites. All who extol virtue of any sort and on any side – are hypocrites. Show me the perfect man or women who lived or lives 100% true to their cloak and shroud. There is none – no, not one! JFK, M.L. King, George Washington, Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, The Pope, Martin Luther, your Pastor or Priest, my Pastor, place the name of your human hero here: _________. All had secrets, all compromised at least once - were hypocrites of one sort or another. Some more, some less. Even Mother Teresa, walking mighty close to her talk – has been accused of hypocrisy. Google® it.

I am a hypocrite. I like to think I’m getting better at walking my talk. But don’t listen to me because of me because, though I try to walk a narrow line, I will betray any value I state as being good and right to follow. Even a miniscule betrayal will tarnish my testimony in a cynical world. I denounce murder but I think murder. I denounce sloth but I indulge in slothfulness. Don’t listen to me because I am not the man you see on the outside. I am a poser, a pretender and a fraud. And so are you. Don’t kid yourself.

If we can all agree on our mutual destitution we can begin to look up to truth and virtuous things and share them without reproach. We might actually agree on something good and timeless. But as soon as any one of us puts on his or her mask – we lose that fellowship - - - there is a hypocrite in the room. The only true unifying bond we can have is our confession of imperfection. And that is the start.

So is there anything virtuous or praiseworthy even though none of us are its perfect example? Of course there is. Can we talk about it and extol it? Why not? Hear the message but don’t judge the message by its messenger. My actions do not invalidate my ideals. That’s why they are ideals. I am not ideal.

But there is one who is. His name is Jesus Christ. He is no hypocrite. He’s been put to the test and He passed as no other man has or ever will.

This week our country celebrates the 4th of July and our Declaration of Independence; independence from the tyranny of taxation without representation, capricious governance, tyranny that tramples the "unalienable" rights endowed to us by our Creator - - - a "Declaration" thereof made "with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence".

While we as a country collectively celebrate with singular agreement what we perceive to be our unique system of government founded on liberty and “freedom” we have, however, given birth to other forms of tyranny to which we increasingly bow and give allegiance. The trends are disturbing to some and welcomed by others. In the context of history, these trends are nothing new and the book of Ecclesiastes documents the vanity of it.

They say that when things are not going well that it’s time to get back to the fundamentals. When the exterior finish is too deteriorated to be repaired you take it down to the bare metal or wood and begin again. Our most fundamental of fundamentals is God. We say we are a nation under God. Our motto is “In God We Trust”. If so, then we are UNDER GOD. We need to uncover that and bring it into the light. If we ask for God’s blessing and say “God bless America” - for whom’s agenda are we asking that blessing? There are those among us who would take all mention of God from our buildings, our currency and any other place we have etched His mention - to remind us – of our fundamentals.

Are our prayers the mere rubbing of a genie of our own conjuring for our own desires? Is God a mere dispenser of favors? If we think so - how arrogant of us. Do we really believe that God, the Creator, exists to do our bidding? Is there nothing timeless, true or absolute? Is there no rock to stand on or is everything in continual helpless flux? Do we dare ask ourselves what God created us for? Do we dare speak up?

I declare independence from human tyranny, relativism, fear, the common herd mentality and "going along to get along". By my faith I declare my independence from the tyranny of sin and death. By this declaration I also declare my DEPENDENCE on Jesus Christ and my submission to His will and agenda because it is He who freed me from that tyranny and has seized the right to be my Lord. He is the only one worthy of following – He is the only one who is credible and without blemish.

If life has proven anything to me it is this; God responds to one standard – Faith in, Dependence on and Obedience to Him.

In Ephesians 6:12 it is written; "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."

The flag of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (in which I live) boldly proclaims with it’s image of an Anchor and the word “Hope” plainly displayed: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. ~ Hebrews 6:19-20 NKJV”.

I cling and shackle myself to whatever chain that securely binds me to that Anchor!

Blessings,

Bill

Shifting Gears

I recently purchased a used car. It has over 100,000 miles on it but the overall condition is excellent and it’s a sporty stick shift with a lot of power. It’s been a problem since I bought it.

After having the entire fuel injection system rebuilt (well over a thousand dollars on that) I thought I had worked the bugs out. So there I was tooling down the highway on my way to an appointment. Traffic was moderate to heavy but moving fast. I’m in the left lane approaching one of my favorite stretches of road – an incline on the highway that comes to the top of a hill and then sweeps down and to the right. I want to do this curve fast but I know that I have to get into the right lane to take my exit which is only three quarters of a mile ahead. I’m in the left lane and as I top the crest of the hill I downshift from 6^th to 5^th gear while maneuvering along the curve and press on the gas. I signal a right hand lane change and tighten the turn. Like a slingshot I whiz around and down with visions of Top Gun and the Formula 1 race cars at Monaco going through my mind - just as the stick shift snaps off below the boot!

No kidding, the shifter literally snaps off! There I am holding this shifter in my hand like a – well - like something. I can’t believe it. My mind is a little blurry on the details, but I have to say I think I handled it pretty well. Without really loosing any “track” position, I disengage the clutch and somehow pull the boot cowling and cover panel off to expose the guts of whatever linkage there is beneath it that makes the stick engage the transmission. What I see is a few levers and rods and a socket where the stick is supposed to go. There’s also a spring and some other stuff that was obviously part of the shifter that is now in pieces. I reach down with my hand, claw-like, and just grab the whole thing and try to move it. It moves and the rods shift and engage and it’s greasy and one of the rods pinches my finger as I move it into fourth and then into third gear. I signal a lane change for the exit. I’m all right.

I did get to the appointment on time and after a quick visit to the men’s room to wash off the grease I have a very successful meeting. All the while I’m thinking, what the heck is it with this car? At one point I kinda chuckle, thank God for the years I messed around rebuilding sportscars, look up (as to God) and say “really?”.

Now the original plan was to buy an inexpensive, smaller, more gas efficient car and then sell my late model pickup truck (which I own free and clear) and use the cash from that sale to pay off the car and free up some extra cash - considerable extra cash – I thought.

So I call my new best friends at the car dealership service and parts department and they, at first, don’t believe my story. Eventually they do but they cannot find a replacement shifter stick – in fact there is no such thing – you have to purchase a whole shifter “assembly” for $450.00+ and have that installed. And by the way, there are no “assemblies” in stock anywhere in the U.S. but their "system" tells them there might be one somewhere in the Canadian “supply system”. I don't really want an aftermarket short shifter and they're too expensive anyway. What?! I kinda chuckle, thank God for my truck (which I haven’t sold yet) and look up (as to God) and say, “really?”.

Meanwhile, in order to use this “new” car I managed to find an old eye bolt that I’ve had for decades in a coffee can in my shed. It fits into the socket of the shifter. The only problem with this “fix” is that there is no mechanism to prevent me from shifting into reverse when I go for first gear. I find this out at a stop light when I release the clutch to go and nearly ram the car behind me. I have to say that I haven’t felt this alert and alive while driving a car since I got my Learners Permit. So I learn how to sense the very subtle difference between “far left and up” for reverse and the “slightly left and up” for first.   

Now this whole episode began with the notion (my notion) that I was going to be a better steward of my “things” by downsizing to a more practical automobile arrangement. The particular car I bought was not one that I had my heart set on – it was not the object of any idolatrous longing. In fact it was just there in the first used car lot my wife and I passed by on the road. The sticker price seemed right, but I negotiated an even better price and I put the car through a good test drive. I did sign a warranty waver because the car had over 100K on it. Big mistake signing that ....

I remember thinking, hey, maybe God wants me to have this car! It’s got a turbo which wasn’t really what I had in mind. Sure, it has a lot of miles on it – but – it’s kinda cool. The stick shift was not terribly practical but it was reminiscent of my youth and  - what the heck! I should mention that there were a few scratches on the hood and roof that were not apparent to me on the day I purchased the car. Okay there were a LOT of scratches. (The guy at the body shop later told me someone had probably used a snow shovel to clear snow off the car.) The day I bought the car it was raining, the car is black (did I mention it is a cool charcoal/sparkly/carbon black color … with a spoiler on the back ..?) and the scratches were invisible because it was wet. Don’t buy a black used car on a rainy day. (I sound like the commercial for Direct TV.) Upon discovering all the scratches I recall that I kinda chuckled, thanked God that there was no evidence of rust yet, looked up (as to God) and said, “really?”.

So what did I do a few days after taking the car home? I brought it to the body shop and had them put $1400 worth of paint on it. And the car looked like new - they really did a nice job. And I had them put some sporty mud flaps on – to finish it. It was after that exercise in vanity that the fuel injection system failed and this whole investment “thing” started.

Back to the shifter. So by now I’m pretty much fed up but proud of myself for not being obsessed with revenge toward the used car dealer – who hasn’t answered any of my calls or voicemail messages with reports on my “experience”.

There is NO WAY I’m replacing the shifter “assembly”. I'm done pouring money into this! I’m going to MAKE a new shift rod. All I need is a piece of rod and a way to thread it and some hardware and maybe a “cooler” shifter grip (I got a Hurst T-Shifter). I also have to somehow incorporate a “preventer” pin that will keep me from shifting into reverse and that spring I found that will make the rod lift so I have to push it in the go into reverse. Did you follow that?

I realize I’d better just buy some threaded rod for the job because I’ll never be able to put a thread on a rod that thick. Of course it’s a metric size too. So I order two pieces of threaded rod because I’m not sure whether or not to use a high strength steel or stainless. I buy a drill press to drill the hole for the “preventer” pin because I don’t have one and I’m too proud to ask someone to borrow theirs (besides - I need one anyway and this a good excuse to purchase one). I start with the stainless rod, ruining several drill bits trying to make a tap hole. I finally make the hole and then proceed to snap the thread tap in the hole because I forgot how to gently “work” a tap in and out. I recall that I kinda chuckled at this point, thanked God that I had the spare rod, looked up (as to God) and said, really”.

I finally was able to get the job done and I think I saved some money. The car is running fine but I have trouble once in a while shifting into (finding) first. I’ll have to work on that.

So – what’s the lesson in all of this? Were my motives wrong? God has a plan, so this must be part of His plan – right? God is in the details and He knows every hair on my head – though these days there are fewer of them to concern Him. I want to refrain, out of respect for JOB, from looking too hard in his Book for parallels to my struggle with this car. After all, I still have my family, my health and my home and everything else – plus two vehicles  - where before I had one. My Wife never once told me to curse God and die. In fact, she has been remarkably calm, non-judgmental and docile throughout this whole episode - a trusting, graceful, blessing. I don’t believe that the car troubles were God’s judgment on me. My attitude was tested and I did look for the blessings in each stage.

Perhaps Solomon has some Godly wisdom in Proverbs.

Proverbs 20:14 (NKJV) “It is good for nothing,” cries the buyer; but when he has gone his way, then he boasts.” – CHECK!

Proverbs 14:12-15 (NKJV), “There is a way that seems right to a man,
But its end is the way of death. Even in laughter the heart may sorrow, And the end of mirth may be grief. The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways, but a good man will be satisfied from above. The simple believes every word, but the prudent considers well his steps.” – DOUBLE CHECK!

Proverbs 12:25-28 (NKJV) “Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad. The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray. The lazy man does not roast what he took in hunting, but diligence is man’s precious possession.” – AMEN and CHECK!

Proverbs 13:10 (NKJV) “By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom.” – SELA!

And of course Matthew 6:19-20 (rust and moth …) and the whole book of Ecclesiastes is germane – you know -  on vanity.

I have meditated a lot on this. It’s one thing to pray for God’s will in things and quite another to pray for His will when we already have an end in mind. It’s also a little laughable when I get myself into a jam and then take it to God - though I still should ... in humility ... just as King David did so many times. It’s a joke to make up one’s mind and then invite God to bless that thing. It’s hard to know where I end and God begins – where God initiates and where He hands it to me for my portion. I have to ask for wisdom in that and I suppose I will always struggle with that. Patience and obedience is at the core of it all. I think about Romans 5 where trials are designed to produce endurance, patience and perseverance and with that character and ultimately Godly hope.

Now the truck is making some strange noises when I turn the wheel to the left. Is it because I’m not using it every day and a film of rust has formed on some bearing surface? Or is it something more insidious? I kinda chuckle, thank God that I have this spare car that was causing all these troubles and, looking up (as to God) I say, “really?”.            

Blessings,

Bill

From The Inside Out

There is a discussion amongst those in certain circles of introspective thinkers about a better way to approach business for sustainability and growth. There’s is not a search for something novel or clever but rather for something noble, lasting and fundamental to meeting needs. It has to do with purpose.

One might argue that, over time, markets, economies and human marketplace interactivity have come from a place of mass local specialization (artisanry) to mass production and back again to a form of mass specialization - of a modern, global sort. With this has come pressure to innovate and differentiate to prove one’s worth as a provider of anything. Most take a “product-forward” or “outside-out” approach; marketing products or services and rarely drawing the prospective consumer of them in toward the “how” and even rarer still to the “why”.

Sure, customer focus groups gather data and feedback to test trends and new ideas and product modifications but these are focused on product and “what” the company does – not necessarily "why". And popular “green” claims are generally “gadget” fads, in my opinion, masquerading as “why” leveraged to justify the “what”.

Most enterprises expound on features, functions and (perhaps) their “value proposition” (“how”) and offer their products (“what”) pretty much at arms length. There is an assumption that we have figured out what our consumer wants and here – maybe with modifications - is what we offer in response. We may hit the nail on the head and be wildly successful, but more often we are successful only for a season. Why? Because we are not connecting our “why” with their “why”. There is no emotional embrace.

Let’s face it, common practice is to draw interest for “what” is offered based on image (if we have marketing), features (if we advertise) and price. A marketing image that attempts to address the “why” through a message of vanity may hit an emotional chord I suppose – but a shallow and deceptive one at that. The real “why” is usually profit and that is generally none of our customer’s business.

As individuals, we generally do this in our pursuit of employment; listing our features, functions and experience aiming for a “price” that suits the economic ambitions of our household. We dress this up in a resume and circulate ourselves as a posting on the appropriate “sites” and we dangle ourselves before the appropriate networks of people.

In some remote and sustainably successful cases there is a noble and truthful “why”. The “why” of such enterprises is rarely for something represented directly by the products in and of themselves but more for an unmet emotional need or a solution to a problem or an approach toward life or an attitude about functionality, or a statement of our individuality, or a need for an experience. For some rare folks their understanding of the “why” of their existence is addressed in their resume and their pursuits take on a much different flavor in their search of employment or purpose and calling through their work. These businesses ARE and they do. These people ARE and they do. They are not WHAT they do.

This approach of determining one’s calling and answering it, answering the WHY, is not new but it is counter-intuitive in today’s society that has bent our perception of the formula for “success”. If success is merely profit – go for it – but don’t expect true fulfillment or sustainability – expect profits - for a season. Profit is a very shallow “why”. The introspective thinker is going to search for meaning beyond circumstances and tie purpose to calling to overcoming. In my view managers do things “right” or how they think they ought to be done, but leaders do the right things or the things that ought to be done.  

Definitions of what a leader is abound. I once read someone’s definition of a leader that really stuck in my head. They said that a leader is, “someone you chose to follow to a place you would not go by yourself.” That’s a good definition. What if we all embraced that definition and at the same time the notion that we are all, as individuals or as organizations, leaders of something toward something. What if we embraced the notion that we have a calling as individuals and as business enterprises or organizations to attract and lead others to chose to follow "us" to a place they would not go by themselves? This sort of thinking is of the inside-out sort. This sort of thinking starts with WHY and travels to HOW and outward to WHAT.

With this sort of stream of motivation we can build what Simon Sinek calls the “Golden Circle” with WHY at the center as a bull’s eye, a ring around that center focused on HOW and an outer circle of WHAT that can take the form of MANY products, services … you name it … all centered on a WHY. Sinek’s takes this beyond businesses and to individuals as well as organizations and even movements that purport to have a cause. Why we're at it, let’s toy with changing all notions of outcome from “for-profit” to “for-cause”. You can watch a very well done presentation by Sinek on this in his TED video (How Great Leaders Inspire Action) found in the link at the bottom of this piece. Sinek remarks on how Martin Luther King's "why" was a dream. King had a dream, not a plan and people followed the dream. 

If you figure out the “why” and are true to it you will attract others who will chose to follow you to the solution that responds to it. You won’t be all things to all people but your “why” will resonate with the “why” of others and they will be drawn to “what” you offer time and time again.

 

Sinek is not unique in his “discovery” of his “Golden Circle”. Patrick Lencioni expounds on a similar concept in his book The Advantage ~ Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business. (I covered this in my last post but it bears reiteration in the context of this theme) In his book Lencioni lays out Six Critical Questions that organization leaders must clearly and succinctly articulate, agree upon and repeatedly broadcast throughout their organizations in order to successfully lead any enterprise. Those six things are:

1.     Why do we exist?

2.     How do we behave?

3.     What do we do?

4.     How will we succeed?

5.     What is most important, right now?

6.     Who must do it?

The list starts with “why”.

I am privileged to work with an organization that has a very compelling “why” in my opinion. Truth at Work ~ Christian Leader Roundtable Groups exists to provide a safe and confidential place for Christians who are business owners, CEOs, Executive Directors or Senior Executives of organizations. These leaders gather to learn about best practices for running organizations, to exchange ideas, to bare their souls about personal, professional and spiritual issues they are facing, to give and receive counsel and advice and to discuss how to run an organization in a biblical and God-honoring fashion. Our “why” is about a life and business changing experience. Our “why” is because Christians in these leadership roles cannot find a peer board of advisors they can trust and go to who truly “get it”. Yes, our program has features and content and an annual conference and web-based media and “this and that”. We have a host of compelling and competent “whats” and we have a lot of “hows”. We have a great value proposition. It isn’t for everyone, but the people who explore it and want “in” have first discovered and understand the “why”.

What is your “why”?

Blessings,

Bill

Simon Sinek's TED Talk Link: www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action#

Endurance

“The key is to last”. That was what the legendary life insurance salesman claimed as his key to success when he finally retired at a very ripe old age.

Think about any successful figure you know or in popular culture and you will find them being quoted as saying that much of their success was “simply showing up”. Sure, natural ability and skill play a big role but – you gotta be there to succeed there. If you Google® the “simply showing up” quote you’ll find versions that account no less than 80% and even 85, 90 and 99% of success due to “simply showing up”.

Unless one lives in total isolation, success has a lot to do with others and relationships. We are successful for and through others. We operate and interact amongst others. We rely on others. Others rely upon us. We serve others. How we are perceived is a function of others. Our practical lives are very much defined and summed-up by our relationships with others and our success is somewhat dependent upon others. Our impact on others is marked by the things to which we are perceived to being committed. Commitment and competence are related. Our degree of notoriety for things is amplified by how our passion and persistence “turn up the volume” on them.

Like it or not – the world we live in is filled with cynicism and mistrust. People have been let down by others. People have committed to relationships with others who were only in that relationship as long as it didn’t cost them anything. They have been wounded and so they want to know; “Are you for real?”, “Do you really mean it?”, “Can I count on you?”, “Will you be as committed as I am?” Some may believe in you at once - but for most things the world waits and watches. Time is the authenticator.     

What are you known for? To what do people know you to be committed, passionate and excellent? Is it your business, your profession, your passion for children, your marriage, how you follow a professional athletic team, a hobby … your faith? In what do you desire in your heart to be successful? Is there a match between your hearts desire and what you are known for? What are you patient for?

Remember that life insurance salesman? Over time, showing up and “lasting” he developed a sphere of influence founded on what he was known for and he was the “go to” person for life insurance in that sphere. For what are you the “go to” person?   

In the life of a believer, all of this cascades from our primary relationship with our Creator through our Redeemer and by the power of His Spirit working through us. He is our audience of One. Our first relationship is in Him and all of the rest is an outpouring from our commitment and persistence in that relationship. His provision nourishes all meaningful things and worthy endeavors we might be “known” for. I am thankful that the Bible is full of real life stories of people who “lasted”. Their example encourages me and the Bible tells me of their outcomes! The Bible also has the stories of those who didn’t stand the test of their commitment. For most, success was just around the corner of a trial. Some got a second shot at it – some didn’t. Are you in a trial that is obscuring the clarity of your vision and attempting to steal your commitment from you? Endure and your character will develop. In the end your position will be determined by the character developed through such trials.

Everyone I know who has stuck to something has succeeded in it over time. They may have struggled and even lost a lot, but in the end their endurance rewarded them with a form of success with which they are satisfied … a peace and joy that few experience in life.

We all know someone who set off on a dream, endured the hardships, didn’t quit and - over the decades - carved out an existence in real estate, or in that small business or in that odd obscure career that they believed in. They invested in the process, submitted to the requirements and the rigors and kept their eye on the prize. They lived day by day with a fullness for it and stuck with it. They endured the traps and snares and kicked free the trip---wires set to confound their efforts. They kept their head up. Despite the well intended advice of others to give it up during a dry spell, they kept at it with their eyes even more firmly set on the rewards to come. Maybe that’s you too.

Few have not heard of the great true tale of the 1915 Antarctic expedition led by Sir Ernest Shakleton onboard a ship named, of all things, "Endurance". Trapped, the mission doomed and the ship crushed by encroaching ice, the crew of 28 set out on the drifting sea ice to survive. By one of the most extraordinary examples of commitment and will to survive the men save themselves without the loss of one. What is noteworthy in the context of our theme here is a quote that emphasizes the overarching value of commitment over intent from a book documenting the voyage by Alfred Lansing titled, Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage; "In that instant (when they knew they were rescued) they felt an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment. Though they had failed dismally even to come close to the expedition's original objective, they knew now that somehow they had done much, much more than ever they set out to do.”

 

I can see it clearly as my years advance and I consider my experience and the experience of others that I have waited for and watched – and I am more encouraged than ever about my present pursuits.   

In the book of Hebrews in Chapter 12 the “Race of Faith” verses really sum this up for me. As you read it consider the influence promised for those who follow the example represented by the Author of true commitment who showed up, stepped up, lasted, endured and achieved the ultimate victory – victory over death for all of us.

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV) “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

All the best,

Bill

5 Groups of 3

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a piece strictly focused on a practical business theme. With the kickoff of the 2014 business year I’ve had many conversations with business owners and senior level executives that have led me to a review of some “themes” that seem to perpetually re-occur around organizational effectiveness.

From my experience in corporate settings and as a consultant and a facilitator of CEO roundtables I’ve boiled a broad array of management disciples and best practices down into what I call “5 Groups of 3”. It is a collection of concepts that I believe are fundamental to executing well and sustaining organizational alignment. These 15 items are indeed disciplines, so it falls on leadership to ensure that they are practiced, instilled and embedded in the culture of their organizations. The “5 Groups of 3” are not self-sustaining and so they will succumb to the all pervasive natural force of entropy that assails every organization – if left unattended.

As I review these Groups you will recognize most of them or versions of them. Some may seem close to themes of professional books you may have read or conference key note speaker speeches you may have heard. Most, you will probably say, are patently intuitive and common sense. You would be right. There is nothing new under the sun. Yet nonetheless, these “5 Groups of 3” represent fundamental best practices most neglected by organizations as they go about their business.

Toward the end of this blog I’ll elaborate a little on some concepts of a gifted and brilliant organizational leadership consultant and best selling author by the name of Patrick Lencioni. My review of the “5 Groups of 3” will channel our attention toward a thesis of Mr. Lencioni’s that is presented in his book titled The Advantage, (Copyright © 2012 Published by Jossey-Bass). Lencioni presents four steps toward combating those “entropic” forces that battle with sustainable organizational alignment and my “5 Groups of 3”.

They say (it’s actually a quote from Jesus found in Matthew 13:57 and in Mark 6:4) that a prophet is not without honor except in his own country. Consultants are the “honorable prophet” because they are the unknown prophet. For some reason we listen more attentively to the words that pass through the lips of strangers who come to us with an unbiased, unemotional, benign, objective perspective more than we do to the committed passionate leaders we know. Another “natural force” I guess.    

So let’s get on with the “prophetic” word – “5 Groups of 3”.

Group #1: The three through which all things get done. Consciousness of these three in building and resourcing and establishing interactive integrated systems of an organization is paramount.

1.     People – Capability, capacity, attitude.

2.     Processes – The optimum ways and methods we use to achieve objectives.

3.     Systems – Measurements & information flow.

Group #2: The three that promote effective organizations, teamwork and team success. Does everyone in the organization have an appropriate and practical view of their role such that they are encouraged to positively:

1.     Visualize ?

2.     Anticipate ?

3.     Communicate ?

Group #3: The Three that ensure strategy execution and goal achievement at the tactical level. Everyone in the organization knows the expectations of:

1.     What

2.     How and

3.     When of their tasks, projects and assignments at any moment.

Group #4: The Three “un-attended” things that dominate the thoughts of every business leader. These three are the substance of all things procrastinated. They need to be consciously acknowledged, illuminated, prioritized, addressed thru high leverage initiatives or dismissed once and for all.

1.     Issues

2.     Problems

3.     Opportunities

Group #5: The Three realities in every enterprise that call upon a leader to lead.

1.     What the organization does well – leaning into these.

2.     What the organization does not do well – mastering or minimizing these.

3.     What the organization does that it needn’t be doing at all anymore – loss leaders, obsolete markets, being too may things to too many people, time killing activities and projects, emotional profit killers ….

So that’s the “5 Groups of 3”.  Easy to list, harder to instill and sustain.

According to Patrick Lencioni, a thing called “organizational health” trumps everything else in business. At the core of his thesis is the importance of values. Lencioni presents four disciplines that he believes will constitute and ensure organizational health which are;

1.     Building a cohesive leadership team,

2.     Creating clarity,

3.     Over-communicating clarity and

4.     Reinforcing clarity.

On the surface, the repeat mention of “clarity” seems a bit redundant – right? Well, not really, when you study items 2, 3 and 4 through Lencioni’s lens. Discipline #2, Creating Clarity, contributes to the achievement of my “5 Groups of 3”. The objective of Creating Clarity is fundamentally the result of a leadership team collectively achieving true alignment around the answers to the following six critical organizational questions:

1.     Why do we exist?

2.     How do we behave?

3.     What do we do?

4.     How will we succeed?

5.     What is most important right now?

6.     Who must do what?

This piece should provide a scaffolding upon which to build your own model for executing well and sustaining organizational alignment for achievement with a measure of immunity to the entropy that saps the energy from so many enterprises. 

I also urge you to read Patrick Lencioni’s book – it is well written, humorous and full of practical examples from real-life organizations.

All the best!

Bill