Grief

-
Sometimes the news comes quick. Sometimes the news comes slow. No matter how or when it comes, grief travels in the wake of the news. Grief is heavy, weighty, a burden, especially when it involves someone deeply loved. Grief is not meant to be carried alone. It’s too heavy and may last a while—and that’s ok. That’s what family and friends are for, to share the load. Jesus stood outside the tomb of his friend and wept but He did not weep alone. It was a deep, human moment. “ Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted ” (Matt 5:4). If anyone knows how we feel in grief, it’s Him. But His grief did not linger long, as at the mention of his name, Lazarus came forth. We are not meant to dwell in grief, but should leave room enough for it. Let it run its course. Like the song says, “ Every Storm Runs Out Of Rain .” Another song says, “ The storm We will dance as it breaks The storm It will give as it takes And all of our pain is washed away Don't cry or be afraid Some things...

Solomon: Wisdom Undermined by Excess

-
Solomon was seen to be a man of great wisdom and understanding (1 Kings 4:29-30) yet by the end of his life one wonders how such a man could come to such a complicated end. There are two vital observations where one would find the answer. The first observation regards Solomon directly while the second observation begins with Solomon and projects forward with a principle that any man or woman should heed. First, Solomon was untested. He “grew up in the royal palace in Jerusalem, witnessed the intrigues of his half-brothers . . . and saw his father restored from exile. He never experienced the hardship that had forged his father into a godly leader.” (Howell 2003, 102) One point of contrast regarding the handling of hardship is seen in Solomon’s father David’s quick and deep repentances against the absence of repentance in Solomon’s life altogether. Second, “wisdom is not a spiritual reservoir that guarantees spiritual success: obedience alone would secure personal and national blessing (3:14). Wisdom sought and received is not the same as wisdom developed and applied.” (Howell 2003, 104). The record shows that Solomon developed the habit of taking care of himself first. Though he demonstrated wisdom, he was distracted by how people responded to his wise rule.

Leadership lessons learned from Solomon have timeless application.
  • The leader needs to manage himself before he can manage others. Hardship in its many forms is the crucible where spiritual, emotional, physical, intuitional and mental (rational) growth occurs.
  • The leader must beware the slippery slope of compromise. “The incremental compromise of convictions began with small steps” (Howell 2003, 111) that ultimately led to a concession of participation and misdirected affection. 
  • The leader must his talent and position to instill value in people, not in products or projects. His projects must be his people and those whom they collectively serve. 

____________

Howell Jr., Donald N. 2003. Servants of the Servant: A Biblical Theology of Leadership. Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers.

Popular posts from this blog

Rock Me, Epictetus!

-
Image
“Keep constant guard over your perceptions, for it is no small thing you are protecting, but your respect, trustworthiness and steadiness, peace of mind, freedom from pain and fear, in a word your freedom. For what would you sell these things?” EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 4.3.6 b –8 
Read more

The Smooth-flowing Life

-
Image
Legend has it that the astronomer Ptolemy (1st century A.D.) suggested that falling stars were caused by the gods moving in the heavens, thus knocking stars out of their places. Somehow people reasoned that that if the gods were moving, they must be getting close to earth so they would lift their "prayers" or "wishes" (literally, "desires") whenever they saw the stars falling in hopes the gods would notice and grant a favorable answer. But how does one wish on falling star? Once you see it, it's gone before the wish or prayer can be made! The answer is simple: meteor shower. That's how to get your wish. Mrs. Ann Hodges had a wish fall right into her lap. Sort of. In 1954 Mrs. Hodges was sleeping on the couch when a 8 1/2 pound meteorite fell through her house and into her living room where it bounced off the radio and struck her left hip leaving her with a bruise. Not sure what she was wishing, but that's not how to do it. Epictetus hel...
Read more