Archives For Bible on Leadership

How to Handle Conflicts

November 5, 2012 — Leave a comment

In my last few posts I’ve shared insights from the New Testament book of James on problems, temptation, taking action, words, and how to become wise. I want to conclude this series from James by looking at how to handle conflicts.

Everybody handles conflicts from a variety of perspectives. Some people try win conflicts at all costs. Others pretend they don’t exist or simply whine about them, hoping they will magically disappear. Still, others leverage their leadership position or power to get their way. Some even quit without trying. The responses are diverse, but James offers an entirely different perspective on conflict.

James begins this section of his letter by introducing three types of conflict:

1.  External Conflict

He begins with a question: “What causes fights and quarrels among you?…” (James 4:1). When James speaks of fights and quarrels, he’s referring to relational conflict among other followers of Christ. This is one of the themes we see throughout James’ letter where he references conflict between the rich and poor, personal conflict, judging others, and employer/employee conflicts.

While everybody experiences external conflict, some people perpetuate conflict. Take Billy Martin for example. On June 23, 1988, Billy Martin was fired for the fifth time as manager of the New York Yankees. His entire career was laced with fist fights, disagreements, and constant conflict. He jumped from one team to another before becoming a coach. But even as a coach, Martin’s pattern of conflict continued.

Whether fighting with Reggie Jackson, hitting a 64-year old traveling secretary with the Texas Rangers, or clobbering a marshmallow salesman, Billy Martin made conflict his closest ally. Jim Murray, a Pulitzer Prize winning sports columnist, once said, “Some people have a chip on their shoulder. Billy has a whole lumberyard.” And when asked why he was fired so often, Martin said, “I get fired because I’m not a yes-man. The world’s full of yes-men.”

The only point Martin proves is this: the biggest issue in any conflict is a person’s own health. Conflict shouldn’t be viewed through the lens of agreement or disagreement or right or wrong. It should be viewed through the lens of your own health. Healthy people successfully navigate conflict. Unhealthy people produce and perpetuate conflict—like Billy Martin did. As the old saying goes, “Hurting people hurt people.” And that brings us to the second observation made by James.

2.  Internal Conflict

James does more than simply identify conflicts in the church. He goes to the root of the problem observing that external conflict is the result of internal conflict. James 4:1 says:

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?

The desires James refers to are sensual desires. And where do these desires come from: selfish wants. Then James shows a progression—an escalation—in conflict because these selfish wants go unsatisfied. He says:

…You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight… (James 4:2a)

Notice the connection between wants and wars. James says “…You want something but don’t get it.” That’s the internal want. But then he says, “You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight…” That’s the external war. The point is clear:

Our unfulfilled internal wants produce our uncontrolled external wars.

Take a moment and think about a relationship where you’re having the most conflict. Maybe it’s a relationship with your spouse. Maybe it’s a relationship with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Perhaps it’s a relationship with a co-worker, boss, or another follower of Christ. Maybe it’s with one of your kids.

At the core of the external conflict, an internal want is not being satisfied. So my question to you is this: Who do you want to satisfy your want? If your expectation is for somebody else to satisfy your want, then you will always be at war with that person. Why? Because people cannot make you happy. As long as you rely on others to make you happy, you will always experience internal conflict that results in external conflict. Does that mean people should be allowed to treat you anyway they want to? Of course not. But here’s the truth I want you to understand:

If you always expect their will to match your wants, you’ll always be at war.

Everybody has a will (the ability to choose). But when we expect people to choose to satisfy our wants and desires, war often erupts. So where do these unfulfilled internal wants come from? In other words, where do they originate? According to James, they come from upward conflict. Continue Reading…

In Leadership, Personal Growth Bible on Leadership, Conflict, Conflict Resolution, Peace, People Skills
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How to Become Wise

November 1, 2012 — Leave a comment

The book of James is often considered the proverbs of the New Testament because of the wisdom it contains. In my last few posts I’ve shared several insights from James on problems, temptation, taking action, and words. Today, I want to look at How to Become Wise. 

Bill Cosby once said, “A word to the wise ain’t necessary; it’s the stupid ones who need the advice.” While there’s some humor in that quote, even the wise understand the importance of lifelong learning, coaching, and personal application.

James begins with a question his observations on wisdom with a question: “Who is wise and understanding among you?” (James 3:13) In the Old Testament, wisdom was considered to be the most valuable possession a person could have. In fact, in 1 Kings 3, we read the story of King Solomon having a dream one night where God said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Rather than asking for wealth, power, or possessions, Solomon said:

“So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours. (1 Kings 3:9)

And God responded to Solomon’s request:

“…I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.” (1 Kings 3:12-14)

Wisdom was a big deal to the Hebrews. It was far more than knowledge. It was much more than information or instruction. At it’s core, wisdom was behavioral. The Jews believed wisdom to be the skill of living righteously. The focus wasn’t knowledge of the truth but rather application of the truth.

In his book, The Divine Mentor, Wayne Cordeiro observes that wisdom is a higher form of knowledge. He compares it to sodium. Sodium in its raw form can be destructive. But when it’s converted into sodium chloride, or table salt, it is beneficial. Knowledge is the same way. It was never meant to be an end in itself. Knowledge must be converted into a higher form–wisdom–before it becomes truly beneficial to us.

Jesus understood that wisdom was greater than knowledge when he said:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24)

Who did Jesus say is wise? Not the person who hears the truth, but the person who puts it into practice. When James said, “Who is wise and understanding among you?” he was asking, “Who among you is skilled in living righteously?”

From his opening question, James begins a comparison between two types of wisdom. He compares True Wisdom and False Wisdom. He contrasts Godly wisdom and ungodly wisdom. And from this comparison we discover three ways to become wise.

1.  Choose the Source of Your Wisdom

As James begins his comparison, he starts with the source of these two kinds of wisdom. The Source of True Wisdom is “Heaven.” Verse 17 says, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven…” This is a direct reference to a Person (God) more than a place (heaven). So what else does the Bible say about the source of true wisdom?

  • Christ is the Source of True Wisdom - Colossians 2:3 says, “…that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” And 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, “It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”
  • The Bible is the Source of True Wisdom - 2 Timothy 3:14-15 says, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
  • Prayer Gives Us Access to True Wisdom - Finally, James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

In the same way True Wisdom has a source, so does false wisdom. James 3:14-15 says, “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.” Notice what James says about the source of false wisdom. He says its:

  • Earthly – In other words, false wisdom is confined to the present world and is restricted to the ideas and theories of people.
  • Unspiritual – It’s wisdom that’s corrupted by man’s fallen sinful nature.
  • Of the Devil – It’s ultimately rooted in Satan himself.

When you compare the source of false wisdom with the source of true wisdom, the choice seems obvious. But when it comes to the actual application of wisdom, the choice isn’t so easy. Why? Because false wisdom is our natural default response to life, whereas true wisdom requires faith. It requires faith in God. It requires faith in His Word. And it requires faith when God’s wisdom doesn’t even seem to make sense. That “faith” tension is why so many times we end up falling on the “false wisdom” side of things.

2.  Practice the Application of Wisdom

You can apply false wisdom or you can apply true wisdom. The choice is up to you. Look at what happens when you apply false wisdom. According to James 3:14, false wisdom has four characteristics: bitter envy, selfish ambition, pride, and lies. James said, “But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.”

Continue Reading…

In Leadership, Personal Growth Application, Bible on Leadership, Insight, Wisdom
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Using Your Words with Wisdom

October 30, 2012 — Leave a comment

In my last few posts I’ve shared some practical insights from the book of James. We talked about how to handle problems, how to face temptation, and how to move from hearing to doing. In this post I want to tackle another hot topic from James’ letter: Words. The words we speak have the power to shape not only our lives but the lives of others too. Whether it’s fellow employees, our family, or our friends, words often set the temperature of our interactions.

The New Testament letter of James provides some important insight on the tongue and the power of our words. In James’ day, Jewish leaders often referred to the tongue as an arrow because it could kill or do great harm from a distance. James begins his discourse on the tongue with a warning:

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. (James 3:1)

Why would James start his discourse on the tongue with a warning to teachers? Perhaps it’s because teachers talk…alot. Saying something wrong with one or two friends is bad enough. But saying something wrong when you’re teaching an entire group of people is even worse. The larger your platform of influence, the greater potential good (or harm) you can do with your words. And when teachers misuse that platform, James says we “will be judged more strictly.” He wasn’t discouraging people from teaching, but rather putting the responsibility of teaching in context. James continues:

We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. (James 3:2)

All of us know that none of us is perfect. So when James says, “If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man…” he doesn’t mean that he’s a sinless person. The word “perfect” actually means “complete” or “mature”. The idea is that when a person is able to control his speech, he demonstrates maturity of heart. Jesus reinforced this same concept:

“How do you suppose what you say is worth anything when you are so foul-minded? It’s your heart, not the dictionary, that gives meaning to your words.” (Matthew 12:34, The Message)

From here, James offers a number of thoughts about the tongue by making four comparisons:

1.  The Tongue is Like a Bit and a Rudder

James begins his comparison with these words:

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. (James 3:3-5)

In the same way that a bit controls the direction of a horse and a rudder controls the direction of a ship, the tongue controls the direction of our lives. And while that sounds easy, we know it’s very difficult. Why? Because your mouth gives voice to your nature. We all have a sin nature that wants to do its own thing, and our mouth fights continuously to verbalize whatever our sin nature wants to do. The tongue directs our lives.

2.  The Tongue is Like a Fire

Not only is the tongue like a bit and a rudder, it’s also resembles a fire. James 3:5b-6 says:

Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

James begins with the word “Consider” which implies paying close attention to what he’s about to say. He wants us to consider the fact that the tongue is like a spark that gives birth to a huge fire. Fire can be extremely destructive. Consider the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

On the evening of October 8th, a fire started in Patrick and Catherine O’Leary’s barn. A news reporter embellished the story, saying that the fire started when O’Leary’s cow kicked over a lantern. While the cause of the fire is in question, the results are not. By the time the fire was contained on the morning of October 10th, it had destroyed 73 miles of roads, 2,000 lamp posts, 17,500 buildings, and $222 million of property. Approximately 300 people died and of the 300,000 inhabitants in Chicago, 100,000 were left homeless. What started as a small fire in a barn ultimately wiped out 3.3 square miles.

How could a fire burn for so long? Because fire has the ability to reproduce itself as long as there’s something to burn. James made a similar observation about the tongue:

The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. (James 3:6)

How does that happen? Think about it! If a fire started in the kitchen of your home, and it was left to burn for a few minutes, it would destroy the entire kitchen before the fire department could arrive. But the damage would extend far beyond the kitchen. How? Because the smoke from the fire would permeate the walls of every other room in the house.

The tongue is the same way. As long as there’s something to talk about, something to gossip about, someone to slander, or someone to verbally assault, the tongue will continually reproduce destruction. The tongue is a fire but the smoke of the tongue’s destruction will permeate every other part of your life. That’s why James said, “…It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire…”

Here’s the point: Your ability, or lack of ability, to control the words that come out of your mouth not only impacts the condition of your life but also impacts the environment you create for those who you influence.

Tom Rath and Donald Clifton captured this truth powerfully in their book, How Full is Your Bucket where they explain the theory of the dipper and the bucket. According to Rath and Clifton, each of us has an invisible bucket that is emptied and filled by the words and actions of others, ultimately increasing or decreasing positive emotions. They also suggest that we each have an invisible dipper. With the dipper we can fill others’ buckets (with positive words and actions) or dip from others’ buckets (with negative words and actions). Interestingly, when we use the dipper to fill others with words of life, we actually fill our own buckets too. The point is clear: Your words, and the words of others, direct the relationships, productivity, and health of our lives.

Psalm 141:3 says, “Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.” The tongue may be difficult to control, but when the tongue comes under Christ’s control, we have, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the ability to speak words of life. It’s better to fight a fire with words of life than go around setting new fires.

Continue Reading…

In Personal Growth Bible on Leadership, James, Organizational Culture, Proverbs, Wisdom, Words
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How to Face Temptation

October 15, 2012 — 2 Comments

At the age of 17, Joni Earekson Tada was paralyzed from the neck down in a diving accident. Joni acknowledge that she was no different than anyone else as she faced temptations through the valley of her experience. In her book, Secret Strength, Joni wrote:

“I was in my late 20’s, single, and with every prospect of remaining so. Sometimes lust or a bit of fantasizing would seem so inviting and so easy to justify. After all, hadn’t I already given up more than most Christians just by being disabled? Didn’t my wheelchair entitle me to a little slack now and then?”

Joni went on to ask her readers:

“When God allows you to suffer, do you have tendency to use your trials as an excuse for sinning? Or do you feel that since you’ve given God a little extra lately by taking abuse, that He owes you a “day off?”

That is the common response to temptation today….especially temptation born out of our tests, trials, and problems. When James wrote his New Testament letter, he understood this reality and offered two practical insights on how to face our temptations.

1.  RECOGNIZE THE CAUSE AND THE CONSEQUENCE

Every path we choose arrives at a destination filled with consequences. In fact, in large part, your life and my life today are the consequence of our decisions yesterday. Most of us can point to decisions we made when we were younger that have produced specific, sometimes very painful, consequences that we live with today. And when we look at those consequences it’s really easy to cast blame. We blame friends, family members, ex-spouses, former girlfriends, bad bosses, unmerciful teachers…we even blame God. And that’s where James starts his comments:

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. (James 1:13-16)

This passage addresses the Cause of temptation and the Consequence of sin by giving us a picture of a Cycle. Warren Wiersbe paints a picture of temptation in his commentary on the book of James using a four-stage process of sin. I like to refer to this process as the cycle of temptation illustrated in the diagram below:

Temptation Cycle

The cycle begins with DESIRE. James 1:14 says, “But each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire…” Notice that “desire” is not the problem. Desires are good. We all have desires to eat, desires to sleep, desires for sex, etc. It’s when the desires are perverted that we face temptation. Gluttony is the perversion of the desire to eat. Laziness is the perversion of the desire to sleep. Immorality is the perversion of the desire for sex.

The cycle continues with DECEPTION. Verse 14 wraps up with, “…he is dragged away and enticed.” James is using an illustration from the world of sports. Wiersbe observes that to “drag away and entice” has the idea of a hunter or a fisherman baiting a trap or baiting a hook. Animals don’t deliberately step into a trap and fish don’t deliberately bite a hook. The idea of “dragging away and enticing” is to hide the trap with bait. In our deception we like to say, “God, since you gave me the desire, then you must be the cause of my deception.”

Then the cycle of temptation moves to DISOBEDIENCE. Verse 15 begins, “Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin;” This is where our temptation actually translates into sin. The cycle concludes with DEATH as James notes, “…and sin, when it is full-grown gives birth to death.” Romans 6:23 captured it best when it says, “For the wages of sin is death…”

So how do we defeat the cycle of temptation? That brings us to our second point.   Continue Reading…

In Personal Growth Bible on Leadership, James, Temptation, Trials
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What Does It Mean to Trust God?

April 23, 2012 — 1 Comment

If you’re like me, you probably bump into a certain “gap” in your life from time to time…perhaps more often than we like to admit. It’s the gap between what I EXPECT God to do and what He’s ACTUALLY doing. I call it my “Trust God Gap.” My “Trust God Gap” shows up when I ask myself, “What does it mean to trust God in this area of my life?”—This representing whatever I’m struggling to trust God with at that particular moment.

The “Trust God Gap” looks different for all of us. And if you’re trying to figure out what your Trust God Gap is, just answer this question: What does it mean to trust God in ____________? Whatever you put in the blank is the label (or name) on your Trust God Gap. You might have answered the question like this:

  • What does it mean to trust God with my relationships?
  • What does it mean to trust God with my job?
  • What does it mean to trust God when someone mistreats me?
  • What does it mean to trust God when somebody lies to me?
  • What does it mean to trust God with my money?
  • What does it mean to trust God with my time?
  • What does it mean to trust God with a really big decision I have to make?

I don’t know what you put in your blank, but the good news is that God provides direction to our question. Proverbs 3:5-7 says,

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.”

So what is Solomon saying in these three simple verses? Let’s unpack it. Continue Reading…

In Personal Growth Bible on Leadership, Character, God, Trust, Wisdom
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Put Your Problems in Perspective with 3 Words

February 22, 2012 — Leave a comment

You may be familiar with the axiom, “You either have big PROBLEMS and a little god or little problems and a big GOD.” It’s all a matter of perspective. While it’s an easy thing to say, it’s a much harder thing to live…especially when you’re leading in a crisis.

Moses understood the overwhelming feeling of despair and inadequacy when God called him to lead the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage. In Exodus 6:29 God addresses Moses, saying, “I am God. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I say to you.” But Moses, full of fear and insecurity, shot right back, “Look at me. I stutter. Why would Pharaoh listen to me?” (Exodus 6:30).

Have you ever felt that way? God prompts you to do something and your immediate default button is to remind God of all of the reasons why His idea is a bad idea. Shaking your head you say, “Look at me.” You do your best to draw God’s attention to everything that’s wrong with you…your lack of talent, resources, skill, and good looks.

But I love God’s response to Moses. When Moses says, “Look at me…” God doesn’t waste a minute and fires right back: “Look at me” (Exodus 7:1). And then He proceeds to tell Moses,

“I’ll make you as a god to Pharaoh and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to speak everything I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell it to Pharaoh. Then he will release the Israelites from his land. At the same time I am going to put Pharaoh’s back up and follow it up by filling Egypt with signs and wonders. Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, but I will have my way against Egypt and bring out my soldiers, my people the Israelites, from Egypt by mighty acts of judgment. The Egyptians will realize that I am God when I step in and take the Israelites out of their country.”

God knows how to put things in perspective. When we’re crying, “Look at me,” God is quick to shoot back, “No! You look at me.” You can’t put your problems in perspective until you take your eyes off your problems and put them squarely on God. Then you’ll understand how God responds to your problems. So the next time you’re tempted to wallow in your insecurities, inadequacies, inabilities, and inferiority, step into the shadow of God. Be reminded of how big God really is. Let God’s still small voice speak three big words: ”Look at me.”

Question: In what area of your life is God saying, “Look at me.”

In Leadership, Personal Growth Bible on Leadership, Perspective, Problem-Solving
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Look: How God Calls People

February 14, 2012 — Leave a comment

When people talk about the “call” of God, sometimes it’s with a bit of mystery. In fact, sometimes it’s outright bizarre. But the idea of “calling” is found throughout Scripture. God calls people to tasks, projects, ministry, countries, roles, fields, and industries. Because calling originates with God, He’s big enough to determine the subject of your calling. The question is: how does God call people?

In Exodus 3, we read about Moses’ burning bush experience. Something grabbed me about the issue of God’s calling when I read this passage:

“God saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, ‘Moses! Moses!’” (Exodus 3:4)

I believe this verse reveals an important aspect of calling. Too often we expect God to knock us off our feet with an undeniable calling. In fact, most of us would admit that if we had a burning bush experience, we’d be able to hear God speak to us just fine. But notice what this verse says: “God saw that he [Moses] had stopped to look.” It was only after Moses stopped to look that God began to speak.

Sometimes I wonder if we miss God’s call because we don’t stop to look first. We’re so hurried with our busy schedules that we don’t stop to see where God is already at work. God might want to call you to serve the underprivileged, but He’s waiting for you to stop and look and those in your community who are struggling in poverty. God might want to call you to serve your local church, but He’s waiting for you to stop and look at the needs in your church. God might want to call you to run for a political office, but He’s waiting for you to stop and look at the needs of those you would serve.

I’ve said this before…Calling and vision is often birthed out of a need. But unless you stop to look at the need, the calling may never come and the vision may never form. If you’re wondering why God’s not speaking to you, perhaps He’s waiting for you to “look.”

 

In Church, Culture, Leadership, Personal Growth Bible on Leadership, Calling, Needs, Vision
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The Leadership Six-Pack

February 9, 2012 — Leave a comment

I am always inspired by the story of Joseph in the Bible. Here’s a guy who, despite a mountain of challenges, stayed faithful to God and ultimately became second in charge in Egypt. His life is an inspiring leadership story. In fact, you could say that Joseph exhibited a leadership six-pack that contributed to his success.

After being sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites and then sold by the Ishmaelites to Potiphar (one of Pharaoh’s officials), Genesis 39 gives us a glimpse of six leadership qualities Joseph possessed. These qualities were the foundation for his growing influence while serving Potiphar, after being falsely accused of attempted rape, and while serving in prison.

1.  Spiritual Authority – A common theme is woven over and over throughout Joseph’s story: “God was with Joseph and things went very well with him” (Genesis 39:2). Despite the unfair accusations hurled at Joseph, the depth of his relationship with God served as the firm foundation of his leadership. Spiritual authority—not position, charisma, expertise, or manipulation—was his primary source of influence. Author and professor Bobby Clinton says that spiritual authority is the true power base for mature ministry and enables a leader to influence followers through persuasion, modeling, and moral expertise.

2. Management Skills - Genesis 39 says that Potiphar “put him [Joseph] in charge of all his personal affairs, turning everything over to him.” When Joseph was thrown in prison, “The head jailer put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners–he ended up managing the whole operation.” Joseph’s excellence in management and organizational skills led to greater influence and responsibility. You might argue that God simply opened all of the right doors and all Joseph had to do was walk through them. While there may be some truth to that statement, I would suggest that Joseph didn’t hinder God’s blessing because he demonstrated faithful stewardship of the abilities and skills God had entrusted to him.

3. People Skills -The Bible says that Potiphar became very fond of Joseph and when Joseph was in prison, God “put him on good terms with the head jailer.” Joseph had a knack for connecting with people. His God-given relational skills put him on good terms with people and fostered relational equity with others in positions of influence. It was Theodore Roosevelt who said, “The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get along with people.” Joseph mastered that skill.

4.  Personal Appearance - I know this one is controversial, but please hear me out. The Bible says, “Joseph was a strikingly handsome man” (Genesis 39:6)… so handsome that Potiphar’s wife wanted to sleep with him. I realize that a few people in the world are not “beautifully challenged,” but for the rest of us, we have to work at making ourselves presentable. My point is, right or wrong, people judge a book by its cover. You don’t have to be a knock-out model or dress like a Hollywood star to be a leader. But I do believe you need to take care of yourself, use good hygiene, stay healthy, and manage your weight. You can be the smartest person in the room but limit your influence because of a failure to present yourself well. Like it or not, most people assume your external appearance is a shadow of your internal disciplines…and vice versa.

Continue Reading…

In Leadership Bible on Leadership, Character, Influence, Management Skills, People Skills, Perspective, Spiritual Authority, Trust
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Five Ways to Fail Jesus’ Servant-Leadership Test

November 10, 2011 — Leave a comment

Ken Blanchard once said, “Leaders who are servants first will assume leadership only if they see it as the best way they can serve.” Servant leadership is not a flimsy, spineless, half-hearted leadership style that doesn’t deliver results. In fact, servant leadership isn’t a “style” at all. It’s a “nature.” It’s who you are.

There’s an interesting string of events in the Gospel of Mark where Jesus repeatedly defined servant leadership for his disciples. The disciples were hard-headed to say the least…not much different than most of us today. They were jockeying for position and Jesus had to clearly redefine what it means to follow Him and what it means to be a leader.

The process begins in Mark 9, when Jesus asked his disciples what they were discussing on the road to Capernaum. The Bible says, “The silence was deafening” (v. 34). They had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. So Jesus sits them down and says, “So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all” (v. 35). Then he illustrates his point by cradling a child in his arms and says, “Whoever embraces one of these children as I do embraces me, and far more than me–God who sent me” (v. 36-37).

Did the disciples get it? Apparently not! In the very next verse John says, “Teacher, we saw a man using your name to expel demons and we stopped him because he wasn’t in our group.” Sounds a bit like the pharisees way of thinking doesn’t it? Unless you fit my mold, Jesus can’t use you. Jesus corrects John and says, “If he’s not an enemy, he’s an ally” and then goes on to say, “If you give one of these simple, childlike believers a hard time, bullying or taking advantage of their simple trust, you’ll soon wish you hadn’t. You’d be better off dropped in the middle of the lake with a millstone around your neck” (v. 42).

The lesson is clear: If you want to be a servant leader, you better value children–whether they’re physically young or spiritually young. But of course, the disciples were too thick-headed to see it.

In the very next chapter, people were bringing children to Jesus “hoping he might touch them” (v. 13). How did the disciples respond? “The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: ‘Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.’ Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.” Strike two!

Continue Reading…

In Leadership Bible on Leadership, Influence, Leadership, servant-leadership, Serving
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The Bible on Conflict Resolution

April 6, 2011 — Leave a comment

Acts 15 records the conflict that took place between Paul and Barnabas and a group of men from Judea over the issue of whether or not Gentiles should be circumcised. You think you have tough conflict issues to resolve, how would you like to deal with that one? But there are six valuable lessons on conflict resolution that we can glean from this passage:

1.  Hear Both Sides of the Story - Paul and Barnabas reported how God had used them to see the Gentiles converted. Believers who were part of the party of the Pharisees explained how the Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses (Acts 15:2-5). The apostles and elders heard both sides of the story.

2.  Engage in Discussion – Next, the apostles and elders took time to discuss the matter (Acts 15:6-7).

3.  Present the Facts and be Sensitive to What God is Doing - After much discussion, Peter addressed the crowd by drawing the crowd’s attention to the facts…the work God was doing among the Gentiles and the reality that God had accepted the Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:7-11).

4.  Provide Supporting Evidence - Paul and Barnabas shared about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. Then, James spoke up and quoted the prophets to confirm the work of the Spirit among the Gentiles (Acts 15:12-18).

5.  Based on the Facts, Articulate a Responsible Solution to the Conflict - James said, “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead, we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath” (Acts 15:19-21). The solution was based on the facts. However, the solution also did not ignore the Gentiles’ responsibilities.

6.  Put Together a Communication Strategy that Brings Clarification - After the solution was articulated, the apostles and elders put together a team to deliver a letter to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. The letter brought clarification to the entire situation and provided a solution.

Question: Which of these principles is the easiest to forget when you’re trying to resolve conflict? What other strategies or ideas have you found helpful in conflict resolution?

In Leadership Bible on Leadership, Communication, Conflict Resolution, Leadership
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