Tag: service

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Step Down

Sometimes I think that I think it’s all about me.  And that frustrates me to no end.   As much as I like myself, I find that when it’s all about me, it usually ends up in the ditch.  So I  have really been thinking about the “your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus”  stuff from Philippians, and man, when you spend some time in that chapter, it really is quite condemning and positively motivating at the same time.

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4 New International Version (NIV)

 

I tell Alex all the time that high school is the time in most teenagers lives where kids have to tear down others to build themselves up, and of course I challenge him to reverse that trend. Today, I challenge you as well. Step down and life others up. Spend some time today thinking how you value yourself compared to others, and see what you can do to make others better by lowering yourself.

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Being a Servant

Last night I sat in a class on servant leadership.  Overall and quite surprisingly the class was rather challenging and enjoyable, as this concept of servant leadership was introduced.  During the class several comments where made about leaders cleaning toilets and climbing ladders, and of course there were references to the show Undercover Boss.   This didn’t set well with me, and I have been wrestling with it since.  I started thinking about the CEO of my company, and how I don’t want that guy on a ladder,and I don’t want him cleaning toilets.  And for sure, I don’t want him coming down and doing my job.   He has a job to do a the leader of a large corporation.  I have a job to do building software.  The janitors have a job to do keeping the place operational. In a small company those examples may work great but in a large company it is quite perplexing.

But yet there is still something to this idea of leading by being a servant.  I don’t think it is always manifests itself in “I will do your job for you” type of service.   I think about the people that I attempt to lead, and I will tell you most of the time, they don’t want me messing with their source code or taking care of their job for them, however, they do want something in the form of service.  Some days I think I know what that is, but most of the time I stare at this idea with a little bit of consternation.

Yes, there is something to this idea of servant leadership.  It seems that it is a natural outpouring of a follower of the Christos.  Really look at what he says:

26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-28, New International Version, ©2011)

I think I will need to study this a little more and see if I can find some tangible examples of how this really plays out in a large company.  Do you have any ideas to share?

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Supershooter Champion

Yes, yes I am.  I am the 1983 Supershooters Champion.

That’s me on the right hand side of the picture. Yes sir! 42 points – Winner!  Not only did I win my age group, but I would have won the whole “shooting match”  is that cheater in the 16-18 age group wasn’t there.  Look at him!  He looks like we was in college.  Next time you see me, bow before the Supershooter!

Yes, that is an accomplishment for a lifetime.  Something that I should be able to hang my hat on, and just kick back and rest of my laurels the rest of my days!

Do you think so?

Well probably not.  But I think sometimes we get to that place in life, where for some reason we become content with what we’ve done and who we are.  We left go of training and discipline and a desire to grow and change.

But you know, I am no longer a sharpshooter. When I get to the gym, I send up more air balls and bricks then hitting “nothing but net”.   I also used to be able to run 5 miles in under 27 minutes and 5K around 16 minutes.  I can’t do that now either.  Although age has some impact on these things, the reason I can’t do either of those things now has more to do with my dedication and the choices I have made.  If I shot the round ball everyday, or if I trained aggressively everyday, I would stand a good chance at still be able to do some of those things.

That dedication to our spiritual growth is exactly why I write everyday.   Although our works do not save us, God expects us to do something.  He expects that we will react to his free gift and will work and do and dedicate ourselves to his service.  We can’t find ourselves content to say, I used to be a good servant, or a used to count it joy when I was in trials, or I used to be humble, etc.   Each day, we strive and grow and buffet our bodies  – our spiritual bodies.

I am going to try my hand at a 5K this weekend I think.  It will not be anywhere near 16 minutes.  But its a start at physical training again.  You see its not too late to train – physically or spiritually.  So, lets remember the championship accomplishments of yesteryear, but lets keep moving towards more growth and more service to our master!  Keep training.  Keep loving, keep glorifying your Lord with your service

22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror 24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. James 1:22-25

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Speed of Change

Recently at one of my business meetings, we reviewed a video from Havard Business School’s John Kotter.  He’s an expert of chnage management.  One of the things he spoke about was the accelerated speed of change that we are now experiencing, and for the most part will continue to experience in our lifetimes.  He compared the speed of change 100 years ago to driving down a country lane and through the last century the speed of change increased to driving on a Nascar speedway.

The thing that I have been thinking about is how this impacts the lives of those who follow Christ.  I think it has major impacts on they way the church thinks and operates and how Christians need to work.  I just have not completely figured out what this impact is.  Look for more thoughts on this in 2010.  (thats the second teaser in the last week).

The one thing I am sure it means however, is that followers of Christ must mobilize and leave the comfort of the padded pew.  Yesterday I mentioned not staying in Bethlehem, and using the celebration of His birth as a springboard for service, and today that thought it still on my mind.  Things are changing.  Followers of the Christ must change their behaviors as well.  Well, thats a funny statement actually, as I think at the root of it all, followers of Christ just need to do what they were ask to do by the Christ all along.

 18-20Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, The Message)