Producing the Fruit of Kindness

What comes to mind when you hear the word “kindness?” If you are like me, it is words like nice and polite. But in the scripture, kindness is deeper and richer than being nice or polite. It is a deliberate expression of God’s love that seeks to make life good for others. It is active, compassionate, and generous. Its source is God’s love.

One of the interesting things about kindness is that word “chrestotes,” that Paul uses in the Fruit of the Spirit, is the same word Jesus uses for easy in Matthew when he says, “…my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

From that scripture, kindness is an invitation to a new way of living in relationship with God and with people.

Read Matthew 11:28-30

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Reflect

Jesus offers an invitation to “come” to him. The invitation is not a set of rules, a philosophy, or a religion. The invitation is to him.

He is talking to people who are carrying many kinds of burdens. You can imagine what the burdens might have been: guilt, religious legalism, hardships of life under Roman rule, disappointments, grief, fear. The list goes on.

As you might know, many people carry similar burdens today. Burdens like anxiety, regret, unrealistic expectations, overwhelming financial pressure, spiritual exhaustion, again, the list goes on. But as you come to Jesus, he offers refreshment, relief, restoration, and renewal. He does not promise an easy life without problems, but he does promise rest for your weariness.

Here is where kindness, the fruit of the Spirit, comes in. Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you.” It sounds surprising until you put the emphasis upon “my.”

A yoke was a wooden beam placed over two oxen so they could pull together. It became a common Jewish metaphor for submitting to a teacher’s instruction or way of life.

What Jesus is saying is, “Exchange the yoke you’ve been carrying for mine.” In other words, “let me walk with you and you give me your burden, and I will give you mine.” Walking with Jesus requires trust. But his yoke is different because he walks beside us and shares the load. As you walk with him, you learn from him. You become more like him. You reflect his character.

His character reveals that he is approachable, patient, and compassionate. His character is of one who is welcoming the weary with kindness and humility.

Kindness is…

Here is the meaning of kindness. The word translated easy means kind, well-fitting, or good. So, like a well-crafted yoke that fits perfectly, Jesus’ yoke is designed for the life God created you to live. It is not a burden-free life, but a life made easier by walking with Jesus. He does not remove every burden from your shoulders; he removes the burden of carrying life alone. He invites you to walk beside him, to learn his way, until his peace becomes the deepest reality of your soul.

As I wrote earlier, the word for kindness in the fruit of the Spirit is the same work for easy in “my yoke is easy.” In other words, the natural result of living by God’s grace is living under Jesus’ “easy” or “kind” yoke. As you learn from him, his character is gradually formed within you, and you are identified as a child of God because of the fruit you produce.

Reflect on Matthew 11:28-30

During World War II, Eric Liddell was imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp in China. The conditions were harsh. Food was scarce, disease spread easily, and uncertainty hung over everyone. There were no cheering crowds, no medals, and no freedom.

Yet those who lived with Liddell noticed something remarkable. While others were consumed by fear and frustration, he seemed to possess a deep, quiet peace.

Every day he taught children, organized games, encouraged the discouraged, shared what little food he had, and visited the sick. One fellow prisoner later said that Liddell “radiated the love of Christ.” Another recalled that when tensions flared, people naturally sought him out because he brought calm wherever he went.

One evening a young man, overwhelmed by the hopelessness of the camp, asked him, “How can you stay so peaceful? Don’t you feel the weight of all this?”

Liddell smiled gently and replied, “Of course I feel it. But I’ve learned that when the load becomes too heavy, I don’t carry it alone.”

He wasn’t denying the burden. He was describing the yoke of Jesus. The circumstances never became easier. The food didn’t improve. The guards didn’t become kinder. Eventually, Liddell would die in that camp just months before liberation. But those who knew him testified that he carried a lightness of spirit that could only be explained by his relationship with Jesus.

Jesus never promised that life would become effortless. Instead, he said: “Come to me… Take my yoke upon you… and you will find rest for your souls.”

Eric Liddell discovered that rest. The burden was still real, but it was no longer his to bear alone.

The kindness of Jesus was not to take the burden away, but to help carry it with us. He steps under the yoke with us. Like two oxen pulling together, the stronger one bears the greater weight. Our peace comes not because the road is easy, but because we never walk it alone.

Return

Give thanks for the people you encountered today. In what ways did you extend kindness? In what ways did you assist others in being kind?  With whom do you need to celebrate the kindness you have experienced in and through them? What will you do differently tomorrow?

Producing the Fruit of Peace

Every time I hear the words “Let there be peace on earth…” I think of the absence of conflict. But the meaning changes when I hear the next phrase of that song, “and let it begin with me.” The song is not about the absence of conflict as much as it is being at one with God and at one with the people around me.

Biblical peace is not merely avoiding conflict. It is actively pursuing right relationships and justice. Jesus said: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9). Peacemakers do more than keep the peace. They work to restore broken relationships, seek justice, forgive, and embody God’s reconciling love. But this peace must be rooted in God’s grace. It is not a peace negotiated. It is a peace cultivated.

The Hebrew word for peace is “shalom.” It reveals the way God intended the world to be. The Greek word for peace is “eirene” which carries with it the same intention as God’s shalom.

When Paul says that peace is a fruit of the Spirit, he is saying that peace is not something we manufacture through positive thinking but is the work of the Holy Spirit with us.

Read Philippians 4:4-7

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Reflect on Philippians 4:4-7

This verse is one of Paul’s greatest promises about God’s peace. Paul is writing from prison. His own circumstances are uncertain, yet he repeatedly calls the Philippians to rejoice, pray, and trust.

Verse 6 he says, “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Verse 7 is God’s response to a life of trusting prayer. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

This means that “the peace of God” comes from who God is. This peace is not just our feelings or our positive thinking. It is the deep assurance that God is present and faithful.

It means that God’s peace is greater than our explanation. When Paul writes, “which surpasses all understanding” he is explaining a peace that is greater than the absence of conflict. It is a peace that is not dependent on our circumstances.

When Paul writes that this peace of God “will guard your hearts and your minds,” I can imagine him looking at the Roman soldiers guarding the prison. The Greek word for “guard” is a military term” meaning to stand watch over or to protect like soldiers guarding a city.

I can imagine him looking at the soldiers. He is communicating that God’s peace watches over our emotions, fears, and desires, as well protects our thoughts from unwarranted anxiety.  God’s peace protects us from making up what we do not know.

I think that it is important to understand that God’s peace does not remove difficult circumstances but protects us in the midst of them.

Think of it this way. Imagine a medieval city surrounded by the army of the enemy. The people inside the city sleep peacefully because strong guards stand watch on the walls.

Paul says God’s peace does the same thing for us. Anxiety, fear, discouragement, and doubt may knock at the gates, but God’s peace stands guard over our hearts and minds.

Respond to Philippians 4

In 1873, Horatio Spafford, a successful Chicago lawyer and devoted Christian, experienced unimaginable loss.

First, much of what he owned was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire. Shortly afterward, he sent his wife and four daughters ahead of him on a ship to Europe while he stayed behind on business.

As the ship crossed the Atlantic, it collided with another vessel and sank in just twelve minutes. His wife survived. Their four daughters did not.

When she reached England, she sent him a telegram with just two words: “Saved alone.” Spafford immediately boarded a ship to join her. During the voyage, the captain called him to the bridge and quietly said, “A careful reckoning has been made. We are now passing over the place where your daughters were lost.”

Standing on the deck, looking out over the endless sea, Spafford did something remarkable. Instead of surrendering to despair, he entrusted his grief to God. Later, he wrote these now-famous words:

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

Spafford’s circumstances were not peaceful. His heart was broken. Yet God gave him a peace that defied explanation.

That is what Paul means in Philippians 4:7. “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

God’s peace is not the absence of sorrow. It is the presence of Christ in the deepest sorrow. It is the peace that guards a grieving heart when there is no human reason for hope.

The world says peace comes when the storm ends. The gospel says peace comes when Christ is in the boat with you. Horatio Spafford still faced unimaginable grief, but God’s peace stood guard over his heart. That is the promise of Philippians 4:7, not that life will always be well, but that, in Christ, our souls can be.”

How are you cultivating peace in your life? What stands in the way of your having God’s deep and abiding peace? In what relationships and/or circumstances can you experience God’s peace today?

Return

Give thanks for the people you encountered today. In what ways did you experience the peace of God? In what ways did you help others experience God’s peace? With whom do you need to celebrate the joy you experience in and through them? What will you do differently tomorrow?

Beginning to Engage the Community – Part 4 – Life Together 

Engaging the community is being about God’s business. It’s about following Jesus into the community and being about God’s business. It is a way of relating to and loving others within the community in which you are located.

To help resource you in Engaging the Community, we have explored The Seven Missional Questions (Begin to Engage The Community – Part 1), have explored how prayer interfaces with engaging the Community (part 2) and done an overview of koinonia, the New Testament understanding of community. 

Focusing On God’s Mission

Keep in mind that you are about God’s business. So, through the lens of being a follower of Jesus, what does it mean to live in community with other Jesus followers? What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus amid diverse people and beliefs?  

As you reacquaint yourself with your local community and grow in your understanding of koinonia, it is important to develop relationships, deepen your faith, and deploy into mission the people entrusted to your care.  

As you move forward in engaging the community, remember that John Wesley worked to develop both an identity of personal piety and an identity of social holiness. Wesley developed and organized a system to help followers of Jesus grow in their personal faith and to live out their faith in the places they lived, worked, and played. Wesley said it this way, “true Christianity cannot exist without the inward experience and the outward practice of justice, mercy, and truth.”  

With that in mind, let’s look again at the Acts of the Apostles and focus specifically on the two verses below:   

Read Acts 2:42, 46  

They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers…Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts…  

Reflect on Acts 2:42, 46

On the Day of Pentecost, one hundred and twenty frightened, self-centered, discouraged, and disheartened men and women were transformed into newly empowered followers of Jesus. They were filled with new life and perspective, intellectually, emotionally, and physically.  

By the power of the Holy Spirit, those newly empowered followers began to communicate the story of Jesus in ways people understood and responded to positively. The people were amazed and perplexed. They asked, “What does this mean?”  Others mockingly said, “They are full of new wine.”  

The First Christian Sermon

It was a careless, scoffing comment that prompted the first Christian sermon. When the followers of Jesus were accused of being drunk, Simon Peter took responsibility for telling the story of Jesus. He told the people about the life, crucifixion, death, resurrection, and presence of Jesus. He explained God’s offer in Jesus, what people did to refuse it, what God did despite the refusal, and what could happen to each of them.  

When the people heard Peter’s sermon, “…they were cut to the heart…” and they cried out, “What shall we do?”  

Repent 

Simon Peter was ready with an answer and the first Christian invitation to a congregation was extended: “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  

The word repent means “to change one’s mind,” or “to perceive after a mind-changing truth or understanding.”  Peter wanted them to change their thinking about God’s messiah, the Christ, and to see their own need for him as the Lord of their lives.  

The word repent can also refer to becoming who you were created to be. By God’s love, you begin to live as God intends for you to live. Think of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. You are in the process of repentance as you begin to love more the way God has loved you. 

God’s Love and Power

Think of it this way. One of the things that changed for those at Pentecost was their way of communicating with one another. Instead of insisting that everyone learn to speak and communicate like they spoke and communicated, by the power of God’s love and presence, they learned new ways of communicating and relating to the people around them.  

The scripture says that those who welcomed Simon Peter’s message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added. They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 

That first community of faith was…:  

A learning community. 

They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching…  The word for “teaching” is a dynamic word. It means that they persisted in listening to the apostles as they taught.  

A ‘fellowshipping’ community.

The word “koinonia” means having something in common or in fellowship. There is no true fellowship without Christ’s Spirit in us and between us. Jesus Christ is what we have in common. He is our common bond. That bond is greater than anything or anyone else. He draws us into oneness and loves each of us through each other.  

A praying community.

Life together was described as the breaking of bread and prayers. For people to be one with Christ and one with each other, it takes time to be together to listen to each other, to care for and be for each other. Praying together becomes the time of communication with the Lord in which we are replenished in God’s Spirit in order to continue unselfish and non-manipulative concern and caring for each other  

A worshiping community.

They had “gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God.”  Praise became an outward sign of the indwelling of the Spirit. It continued to be an outward sign as Jesus lived in them and in their fellowship. They could not praise God enough for what God had done for them in and through Jesus.  

A growing community.

People were attracted to the joy of the community and wanted to know the source of it. People wanted to be with those contagious, praising followers of Jesus and have what he had given them.  

At that time, the people began to gather in homes as they continued to gather in the temple. They broke bread together when they gathered and praised God with glad and generous hearts.  

Koinonia Helps Develop Community

An effective way of developing community in our day is to establish koinonia groups for personal faith development and for developing relationships that impact the community in which your church is located.  

To engage the community outwardly, you first develop relationships inwardly. Based on our scripture, five essential ingredients in developing relationships will make a difference in your local community:   

1. Study

“They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching…” Wesley called this “searching the scriptures.” One of the distinctive marks of the followers of Jesus is the understanding and engaging the gospels. Just as the apostles’ teaching was transformational in the lives of the early followers of Jesus, a focus upon the teachings of Jesus is essential in living out the good news of Jesus Christ and will be transformational both personally and socially.  

2. Fellowship

 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship.” Koinonia Fellowship is both an informal time when people get to know and love one another and a formative time when people grow together in their personal faith and learn to give care and encouragement in their social interactions.  

3. Accountability

“Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple.” Those early Jesus followers spent time together every day. I can imagine they were sharing stories, asking questions, learning, and growing together.  

Although most of us do not feel comfortable being held accountable, especially regarding our faith, koinonia provides a space and safety to develop trust and courage. We grow into our accountability. I can imagine that was what was happening as they spent time together.  

Think of it this way: if you are a koinonia group member and want to develop a pattern for bible study, you might say to the group, “Please hold me accountable to reading the Bible each day this next week.”  The following week your group would ask you, “How did you do with reading your Bible this week?”  You respond by saying, “Well, I read my Bible each day until I got to the weekend. I want you to keep asking me the question until Bible study becomes a regular daily practice.”  

As your koinonia matures, your group might agree to ask each other questions as you gather. Questions related to personal faith development and to your interaction with Jesus and the people you meet each day. We all need help in developing and maintaining our walk with Jesus.  

4. Worship and Prayer

 It is important that each group has a time of worship and prayer. Sometimes singing a hymn or a praise chorus will lead your group into worship. At other times, it will be prayer or sharing experiences of experiencing God’s love or how Jesus showed up unexpectedly, leading to “glad and generous hearts…”   

5. Mission and Outreach

Your journey inward leads to your journey outward. Your koinonia leads you into developing relationships outside your group. Together, you find ways to love others the way God in Jesus has loved you. You might feed people who are hungry or find shelter for those who are homeless. You might provide care for children or jobs for the unemployed. One way to discover where to be in mission is to ask the question, “What can we do that no one else is doing?” God always provides people to love and places to serve. Koinonia helps turn your inner faith into outward expressions of love and care.  

“They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers…Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts…”  

To engage the community outwardly, you first develop relationships inwardly. 

Respond

How are you engaging the people of your church to engage in the local community? Which of the five ingredients in developing relationships does your church do well? Which ingredients are missing or not done so well? How will you help equip those entrusted to your care to become a koinonia that will make a difference in your local community? What will you start? What assistance do you need? 

Prayer 

O God, I am grateful for your call upon my life and for the opportunity to be a leader centered on your love of Jesus. By your grace, give me the faith to assist people in growing in their faith. Give me the courage to lead people into the community to love others as you have loved me. Thank you for the ways you have provided to become more who you have created me to be. Thank you for John Wesley and for the way he has modeled personal piety and social holiness. Oh, God, thank you for your love. Give me faith to love and trust you more. Amen. 

Return

Give God thanks for the people you encountered today. In whom did you see Jesus? Where did you discover the need to assist people in growing in their faith? How did you respond to their need and desire to give care, support, encouragement, and hope to others? What do you need to do to lead others into koinonia? What did you learn that you will do differently tomorrow? Give God thanks for the opportunities you had to become more who God has created you to be. Keep in mind, who you are is how you lead.

Becoming One Who Offers Christ Part Three

This is part 3 of a 3-part series.

Read Becoming One Who Offers Christ Part One and

Becoming One Who Offers Christ Part Two

As a follower of Jesus, you model for and assist others in becoming people who offer Christ. You have the responsibility to remind them that they are God’s beloved children, and as God’s children, they are about doing God’s business. They are living God’s love by loving others as they have been loved. So, to become one who offers Christ, you are about God’s business in your living and loving each day.

(Read Preparing for Mission: Being About God’s Business).

How to Engage People in Offering Christ?

The question for most of us comes down to how. How do you engage people in God’s business of love? How do you engage people in offering Christ?

At this point, it is easy to jump into techniques and practices of faith sharing. I believe there are practical ways of living your faith that naturally lead to sharing your faith and offering Christ. But I also believe many of those practical ways fall short without a clear understanding of who you are as a follower of Jesus.

Who are You as a Follower of Jesus?

As a follower of Jesus, you have the opportunity and responsibility to remind those who are entrusted to your care that:

They are beloved children of God. 

They are claimed by God and commissioned to be about God’s business. With that in mind and heart, offering Christ is not a personal choice of whether you are good at it or not. It is how you live your life in relationship with the people you encounter each day. When you are claimed as a beloved child of God, you are also equipped with a love that will not let you go and a love that is meant to be lived out and shared in every situation and circumstance in which you find yourself. Offering Christ is about loving others as you have been loved.

God’s claim upon their lives is bigger than themselves…

God’s claim on their lives is also bigger than their church and their denomination. They have been claimed, commissioned, and equipped to be the human touch of God’s love in the places they live, work, and play. Every time you say the words “remember your baptism and be thankful” you are reminding them that they have been claimed and commissioned to be God’s love with family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, strangers, and even enemies. Offering Christ is about loving others as you have been loved.

Jesus is the way of love. 

Offering Christ is about Jesus. It is not about getting people into the church, or getting people to worship, or getting people to believe what you believe, or about gender, sexuality, politics, economics, race, nationality, (add what I left out), etc. When you are a follower of Jesus, you love others as God in Jesus has loved you. Offering Christ is about Jesus.

All people are included in God’s love. 

Offering Christ is about loving people. I know that sounds redundant, but your responsibility is to lead people into God’s business. People thrive and find fulfillment in companionship, support, and relationships. Relationships play a significant role in the overall well-being, happiness, and fulfillment in everyday living. Offering Christ, as difficult and inconvenient as it can be at times, is loving others as God has loved you. It is who you are as a follower of Jesus. (Read: Reflections on 50 years of Ministry: The Importance of People).

When you engage in the mission of offering Christ, people respond in different ways. Below are seven responses to God’s love. It is certainly not an exhaustive list but is an offering of several “biblical models of offering Christ.” 

Saul Encounters Christ Acts 9:1-19

A dramatic experience of someone coming to Jesus is found in Acts 9:1-19. It is the story of Saul of Tarsus and his experience of the Risen Christ. Saul was so firm in his faith convictions as a Pharisee, that he participated in persecuting Stephen and other early followers of Jesus.

The offer of Christ came as he experienced the faith and forgiveness of those he was persecuting. His transforming experience came, not in dialogue with Christians, but in his interaction with them. Even in the midst of his misguided theological views, he received a clear offer of God’s love through the Christians around him. 

Cleopas on the Road to Emmaus Luke 24:13-32

Another experience of the Risen Christ is found in Luke 24:13-32. It is the story of Cleopas and his companion walking on the road to Emmaus. As they are walking, they are talking about the events of the crucifixion and the resurrection related to Jesus.  In the midst of their conversation, a stranger joins them. As the stranger is invited into the conversation, he begins to teach them.

Beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interprets to them “the things about (Jesus)” in all the scriptures.  Cleopas invites the stranger into his home. It is in the midst of this act of hospitality, while breaking bread together, that Cleopas and his companion recognize the stranger as Jesus. The offer of Christ came in their offer of hospitality. In the midst of welcoming a stranger, they received a clear offer of God’s presence. In whom have you experienced Jesus lately? Where have you seen Jesus? 

Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy – 2 Timothy 1

Another experience of an offer of Christ comes in Paul’s second letter to Timothy (II Timothy 1:3-5). In his letter, he remembers Timothy’s sincere faith, a faith that lived first in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. From Paul’s perspective, it was a faith learned at home. The offer of Christ came through the faithful living and loving of family. 

The Gospel of John & Offering Christ

In John’s story of good news, there are several experiences of offering Christ. In John 1:40-42, Andrew, after spending the day with Jesus, finds his brother Simon and says, “We have found the Messiah.” (which translated Anointed). He brings Simon to Jesus, who looks at him and says, “You are Simon, son of John.  You are to be called ‘Cephas’ (which is translated Peter).” The offer of Christ comes through the excitement of a brother. 

In John 1:43-46, Philip, after being invited by Jesus to follow, Philip finds his friend, Nathanael, and invites him to follow Jesus as well.  Even faced with Nathanael’s skepticism, Philip offers the invitation, “come and see.” Come and see is a common theme of offering Christ in John’s good news about Jesus. (For more, read Becoming One Who Offers Christ Part One and Becoming One Who Offers Christ Part Two).

Simon Peter Encounters Jesus

There are several stories of Simon Peter experiencing the love of God in and through Jesus. Most of his stories focus on his struggles with faith. After he drops his fishing net to follow Jesus (Matthew 4:18-20), his faith journey is anything but a smooth one. He argues with the other disciples over which of them is to be regarded as the greatest (Luke 22:24).  

He challenges Jesus to allow him to walk on the water and cries out to be saved when he becomes frightened (Matthew 14:25-33).  He is affirmed by Jesus when he confesses his faith by saying “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:13-20).  Then, the very night he tells Jesus, “I will never desert you,” he denies Jesus three times (Matthew 26:31-35, 69-75).  Yet his faith matures through his struggles.  

Because of his faithful response and his proclaiming Christ, “More than ever believers were added to the Lord…so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by” (Acts 5:12-15).  Simon Peter offered Christ through his own experiences of failure and maturity. His faith was anchored in his strong commitment, but his faith grew because of the grace he experienced in both good and not so good ways.

Experience Jesus for Yourself

And maybe one of the most dramatic experiences of offering Christ comes in John 4:39-42. It is a story of a woman who encounters Jesus and begins to tell everyone in the community about him. John writes that many of the people from the community believed in Jesus because of her testimony.  

They say to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that he is truly the Savior of the world.” The offer of Christ is to experience Jesus for themselves. Again, the offer came through the invitation to “come and see.” 

Love People as You Have Been Loved

So, as you engage in offering Christ, practice loving the people around you as you have been loved. 

Think of two or three people with whom you will interact over the next week. The people might be friends, family, neighbors, or colleagues. Write their names in your phone, or a piece of paper you will carry with you or make a mental note not to forget them. 

A Commitment of Prayer

Commit yourself to pray for each person, especially when they come to mind. Give God thanks for their lives and for what they mean to you. Pray for their well-being and health. Offer them to God’s love and care.  Your prayer might be like this: 

O God, I give you thanks for _______ and her ministry. I pray that she might have a good day as she experiences your love in and through the people she meets. I also pray that she might be an instrument of your love to those people as well. Keep her safe as I offer her to your love in Jesus’ name. 

As you go through each day, continue to offer yourself as an instrument of love and peace in the situations and circumstances in which you find yourself. Make yourself available to be a conduit of God’s love for the people you meet. 

Always be ready to offer a kind, caring, encouraging word. In each encounter, you are offering Christ just by being who God created you to be. 

Prayer

Here is a prayer for today:  

Lord, send me the people no one else wants and help me receive the people you are sending to me. By your grace, help me offer them Christ by the way I live out your love. Make me a blessing to someone, somewhere, today.  

Reflect on Offering Christ 

At the end of the day, reflect on the following regarding Offering Christ: As you reflect upon your day, give God thanks for God’s call to follow Jesus. Who did you meet who needed a kind, caring, encouraging word? In what ways did you offer Christ to the people you met? What did you learn about yourself? Give God thanks for the opportunities you had to offer Christ. To whom do you need to respond with words of hope, words of encouragement, or words of forgiveness? What will you do differently tomorrow?

Living with the Heart of Jesus

This first week of Advent, Isaiah announces, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness— on them light has shined. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…” (Isaiah 9:2, 6) 

Isaiah announces the coming of the Messiah, the Christ, the one we know as Jesus. This Advent Season, let’s focus on living with the heart, mind, and work of Jesus. The question to reflect upon this is “what difference does Jesus make in my living?”

So, let’s begin by focusing on living with the heart of Jesus. 

Read Matthew 5:8 

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” 

Reflect

The Hebrews understood the heart to be the center of all reasoning as well as devotion. To hear the word “heart” brought forth an understanding of the inner person. It was the place where choices were made, where thoughts, feelings, and intentions were generated. So, for those early followers of Jesus to hear the words, “Blessed are the pure in heart…,” they understood it to be single-minded, clearly focused, and living life in full devotion to God. 

The good news, according to Matthew, is God sent Jesus to teach us how to live before God. From this good news, having a pure heart is more than avoiding impure thoughts. It is more than being a nice person who says and does the right things. To have a pure heart is to be so single-minded in your devotion to God that you love others as God in Jesus has loved you. You love with agape, not centered on emotion, but centered on choice. 

When Jesus says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself,” he is giving a description of the life God intends for you to live. The heart of Jesus is a single-minded devotion of loving God and loving neighbor. It is loving with agape, not because you feel like it, but because you decide to live your life before God. 

Live a Holy Life

So, to live with the heart of Jesus is to live a holy life. 

To live a holy life is to live a life that is different from the way others are living their lives. Holiness is based upon love. Instead of being rooted in emotion or feeling, it is rooted in a pure heart, where choices are made, and where thoughts, feelings, and intentions are generated. It is the love that works for the good of all people. From the perspective of a pure heart, it is to choose to love people, all people, especially those who have no one else to love them. 

Chuck Colson, in his book Loving God, writes about the “Everyday Business of Holiness.” Although he does not call it “pure in heart,” he describes a pure heart in loving and obeying God. He writes: 

·   Holiness is obeying God: Loving one another as God has loved you.

·   Holiness is obeying God: Even when it is against your own interest.

·   Holiness is obeying God: Sharing God’s love, even when it is

inconvenient.

·   Holiness is obeying God: Finding ways to help those in need. 

Live with the Heart of Jesus

Paul, when writing about holiness, wrote this to the church in Rome: 

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2). 

Blessed are the pure in heart, the holy, for they will see God. To lead with the heart of Jesus to live a holy life, a life devoted to God. It will be different from the lives of others, but it is the life God has created you to live. 

To lead with the heart of Jesus is to love as you have been loved. 

Remember, the pure heart is shaped by agape. It is to love by choosing to work for the good of others, even when you might not feel like it. 

Love as You Have Been Loved

In a Veteran’s Hospital in Pennsylvania, there was a nurse who worked in the psychiatric ward. One day, during lunchtime, the patients who had the privilege to leave the wards of Building Four had gone to the main dining room. For the sixty patients left in the wards, there was a small dining room with food delivered from the main kitchen. The nurse and two orderlies had the responsibility of getting the patients through their meals. 

A toilet had overflowed, but the nurse could not find anyone to clean it. So, she tried to do it herself. While keeping an eye on four patients in wheelchairs, along with a dozen others walking the hallway, she tried to serve meals and clean the bathroom floor. In the twenty minutes that passed, she had to rush past a patient curled up in a corner before she could stop and gently urge him to his feet. 

A visitor who had been watching the nurse asked, “Doesn’t this ever depress you?” 

The nurse with a smile replied, “Not really. If I ever begin to feel overwhelmed or depressed, I remember that I may be the only person who cares about what happens to these men. And then comes the strength and patience to keep going, to keep loving them.” 

Wow. Just to love as Jesus loves would be enough to transform the world. 

Loving the People Jesus Loves

Blessed are the pure in heart, the loving, for they will see God. To live with the heart of Jesus to love others as God in Jesus has loved you. 

To live with the heart of Jesus means loving the people Jesus loves. 

Jesus liked being around the poor, the marginalized, and the forgotten. He made a place for the disabled, the outcasts, and the overlooked. I am reminded of the love Jesus had for people every time I see the painting of Jesus knocking at a door that does not have a knob on the outside. It is the Warner Sallman painting. 

I have heard several explanations of why Jesus is knocking at the door. One is that the door represents our hearts, and Jesus will not force his way into our lives. You have to open the door from the inside. Another is Jesus is faithful in presenting himself as the solution to our problems but will not interfere unless we open the door and invite him in. 

I have often used the painting as an illustration of Jesus knocking on the door of our lives. Because there is no knob on the outside, you and I have to open the door for him, not to come in but for him to invite us to come out and meet his friends, the poor, the marginalized, and the forgotten. 

I used that illustration once, and a woman suggested I was misrepresenting the meaning of the painting. I listened as she explained that the knock on the door is for us to invite Jesus in. I agreed with her and then said, “maybe he is knocking on the door so we will invite him in, and he can bring all his friends in with him. I know that when I invited him into my life, he brought all his friends with him…including you.” 

Live with the Heart of Jesus 

You remember Jesus saying, “just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.” To lead with the heart of Jesus is to identify with the poor and forgotten. Too often, we miss seeing God because we are too busy connecting people with the memory of Jesus instead of looking for him in the lives of the people God sends our way. To be a Christ-centered leader is to love the people Jesus loves. 

In other words, blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God in the people God sends to us to love. To live with the heart of Jesus is to make room for all his friends. 

Respond

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 

There is an old story about three African elders visiting the West. The visitors were asked, “How can you tell when night ends and the day begins?” 

The first man responded, “When I can distinguish the olive trees from the fig trees, then I know that night is over, and day has begun.” 

The second answered, “When I can see the forms of the animals across the Serengeti, I know that the darkness is leaving, and the light of day is arriving.” 

The third visitor took an entirely different perspective, “When we can see a black woman and a white woman and call them both ‘sister,’ when we see a poor man and a rich man and call them both ‘brother,’ then the darkness of night has lifted, and the light of day has come.” 

The third visitor understood the deeper meaning of the question. The darkness lifts not according to the time of day, but according to the practice of relationship. 

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God in the people they meet each day. 

Return

Give God thanks for the people you met today. Where did you experience the light of God’s love in the midst of the darkness? In whom did you see Jesus? What opportunities did you have to love as God in Jesus has loved you? Give God thanks for the opportunities to love others. What did you learn? What will you do differently tomorrow?

Pray

O God, create a pure heart in me so I may see you. Open my eyes so I may recognize you in the people you send my way. Help me live with the heart of Jesus. In Jesus name. Amen

Being a Good Neighbor

Here is a question for those of you who watch television. Have you watched the show on HGTV called “House Hunters”? For those who have not seen the show, it is a reality show that follows the activities and decisions of people searching for a new house. Almost every episode focuses upon a kitchen with granite countertops. Then, is there a space for a home office? What about the curb appeal? Is the house located in a good school district? Is it too close to a busy street?

One question that has not been asked is, at least while I have watched, “Who are the neighbors?”

Over the years, I have learned that the people we live next to have a big impact on who we are and how we view the world. As you have read over and over in this blog, relationships are important. In fact, relationships are more important than bricks and mortar, granite countertops, and the busy street.

When Jesus was asked to reduce everything in the Bible into one command he said: Love God with everything you have and love your neighbor as yourself.

Read Matthew 22:36-40

“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”  He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Reflect on Matthew 22

Isn’t it interesting that getting to know your neighbors can be intimidating? When the news you read or hear is from social media or television, you are bombarded with stories of child abuse, drug and alcohol addiction, out-of-control debt, and unexpected violence, not only on city streets but in your community. I confess, there are times I try to escape it. Especially when I grow weary of strangers, even the ones who live in my neighborhood.

Regarding our neighbors being strangers, Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon, in their book, The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door, write, “This isn’t what Jesus envisioned for us and for our world. We know we can do more. And we know that we can’t just sit around waiting for someone else to do it. But it’s hard to know where to start.”

What do you see in your neighborhood?

So, to get started, they suggest that you look around your own neighborhood. What do you see and how do you respond?

When you see a yard full of knee-high weeds, do you complain about the lawn being unkept? Do you call the HOA and ask that something be done to keep the covenant? Do you consider that maybe someone is sick and might need more than help with the lawn?

What do you see? You noticed a family moving in a few weeks ago. It is clear none of them speak English well and the children don’t seem to be attending school. Do you think, why did these people choose this neighborhood? Do you call the school district to tell them about the children? Do you consider helping them get adjusted to their new environment?

What do you see? What about the elderly couple down the street? You have noticed that no one seems to come to visit. Do they have enough to eat? How are they caring for themselves? Isn’t there someone who can help them?

What about the three middle-aged adults who live in the house on the corner? What’s their relationship, and why do they share the same house? And who lives across the street? There never seem to be any grown-ups around, only teenagers coming and going and playing their music loudly. Why do the folks on the other corner leave their garbage cans by the curb for days? Do they travel a lot?

Although these situations might be just outside your door, you hope that someone will do something to help. It is easy to draw conclusions about the neighbors you only watch at a distance. So, when you see an unkempt yard, a slew of tattoos, a weird haircut, or hear the loud music, you make up what you don’t know. You make assumptions about the people who live around you, but it is these assumptions that keep you from being the neighbor you could be.

What do you think Jesus is saying when he says, “love your neighbor as you love yourself?” Have you considered that getting to know your neighbors and developing relationships with them has the potential to change the world?

What might happen if you took the time to get to know the people in your neighborhood? You might find out that most of them are just like you. They go to work, love their children, care for aging parents, have pains in their backs, and wish the world could be different. At the end of the day, they long for a place to belong, a place to be accepted and cared for. They want to do something significant with their lives, something that really matters.

What good things might happen if you got to know the people in your neighborhood and they got to know you?

Respond

So, look around your own neighborhood. Who are the neighbors? Whether you have lived in the neighborhood for years or are new, living there only a few months, one way to “love your neighbor as yourself” is to pray for them. Through prayer you will practice keeping your focus upon God’s love as well as focus upon loving your neighbor.

Pray Daily

A daily prayer routine will help you grow as a follower of Jesus, help you become a human touch of God’s love, as well as work for the transformation of your neighborhood. Here is one way to pray for your neighbors:

Standing at your front door, pray for your neighbor (by name if you know it) who lives to your right, then to your left, now across the street, and behind you. Pray for their families (each person by name, especially the children).

Here is a prayer to get you started:

O God, thank you for the people who live around me. Today I ask your blessing upon (name) and his/her family (names if possible).  I pray for his/her health and well-being.  I pray for your goodness to be known to him/her throughout this day.  And when the time is right, use me as an instrument of your love and compassion in his/her life.  I offer them and myself to you in the name of Jesus.  Amen.

If you don’t know them by name, pray for them in a way that you will remember them. Below are a couple examples:  

O God, thank you for the man/woman driving the blue minivan. Today I ask your blessing upon him/her and his/her family. I pray for his/her health and well-being. Keep them safe while driving and may he/she know of your goodness throughout the day…

O God thank you for the family that lives in the white house with the black shutters. Today I ask your blessing upon them…

Pray for the children, the teenagers, and the elderly in your neighborhood. I am sure you get the point. Your prayers will help keep you focused and ready to be the human touch of God’s love at the appropriate time.

You have an opportunity to pray for at least four families in your neighborhood.  Now, if you don’t live in a neighborhood, be creative. Pray for the families that do live around you, even if they are a mile down the road.  

You can transform your neighborhood by being a good neighbor as you practice loving your neighbors.

Return to Reflect on the Day

Give God thanks for the neighbors you encountered. Did you pray for them? In what situations did you decide to respond in love? What did you learn about them? What did you learn about yourself? What will you do differently tomorrow? Give God thanks for the experiences that have helped you become more who God created you to be.

Life Interrupted by the Resurrection

What do you do after Easter? I heard someone say this past week, “It is good to get back to normal.” So, I began to think about, “What is normal after Easter?”

The desire to get back to normal is always a part of our thinking. The pandemic interrupted our worship and church activities as well as all of life as we were living it. So, I know it felt good to get back to a feeling of normalcy. But the pandemic has come and gone. What is normal after Easter?

Unexpected Interruptions

Unexpected interruptions have been part of human life from the very beginning. You can think of all the natural disasters, wars, deaths, births, and accidents that created a new normal for you. And when you look at the scripture, whether it was talking to a serpent in the garden, discovering a ram in the thicket, noticing a baby in a basket floating in the river, finding manna in the morning, getting water from a rock, human life has been interrupted with events that changed what was considered normal. 

Consider the lives of the first followers of Jesus. Fishing all night without catching anything was normal. Not fun or productive, but normal. Jesus comes along and tells them to do something that was not normal, “Cast your nets on the other side of the boat.” 

Follow Me…

They were fishermen. They knew it was too late in the morning to catch any fish. Yet, they dropped their nets in the water, and they caught more fish than they could handle. They had to call for help. Jesus came along and interrupted their lives. He said, “Follow me and I will teach you to catch people.” For the next three years, interacting with people became their new normal. 

Their new normal was living with Jesus. They gave themselves to his teaching and ministry. Although he was a little unorthodox in his dealing with people, life was good because it had become normal again. Then their normal lives were interrupted by the resurrection. 

Although Jesus was arrested, convicted, and crucified, it was the resurrection that interrupted their lives. John tells us that Simon Peter and six other disciples wanted to get back to normal. After their experience of the resurrection, they went fishing. As far as their experience, life with Jesus was over. It was good while it lasted, but it was over. So, they were longing for life to get back to normal. Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing.” 

Read John 21:1-19

21 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he had taken it off, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them, and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) After this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Reflect on John 21

It was while Simon Peter and the others were going back to what they considered to be normal that Jesus appeared to them. Jesus served them breakfast. It was in the normal experience of eating a meal that Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, do you love me?” In the normal experience of breaking bread, like a stranger on the road to Emmaus, or the dinner parties Jesus attended, Jesus showed up and asked, “Simon, do you love me?” 

Even though Simon Peter responds with, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you,” Jesus asks repeatedly because the desire to go back to what we consider normal blinds us to the new normal. So, with Peter’s confession, Jesus then gives him the words of the new normal, “Feed my lambs.” “Care for my sheep.” 

Simon Peter wants to get back to what feels comfortable. But Jesus shows up as his new normal. This is a wonderful, frightening thing. Jesus is on the loose and is with you in the places you live, work, and play every day. Notice that Sunday is the first day of the Jewish work week. It is interesting that Jesus wasn’t raised on a Saturday, a holy day, but was raised on the day when everything was going back to normal. Everyone was going back to work. 

The resurrected Jesus interrupted their normal activities. It was a new day and a new way of living. The resurrection put living, loving, and serving into a new perspective.

Respond to John 21

We are the people whose lives have been interrupted by the resurrection. We’ve had something happen to us that the world has yet to experience. The risen Christ has come back to us. In one way or another, you are here because Jesus, the risen Christ, has sought you, met you, caught you, and commissioned you for God’s purposes at this point and time in history. 

When you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, look up. You are not walking alone. When you come to some dead end in life and you look over the edge into the dark abyss, look up. He is there waiting for you as a light in the darkness. When you listen to the news, skim social media, search the internet, and you feel overwhelmed, remember that Jesus confronts the powers and principalities of the day. He comes in the midst of the normal, no matter how bleak the normal might seem, and when you want to give up in despair, don’t be surprised to find him nearby. 

We are Resurrection People

As people of the resurrection, we can step into the unexpected interruptions. As a Jesus follower, living in a new normal, consider reorienting your life to the good news of Jesus being loose in the world.

Simon Peter and his friends decide to go fishing. They want to get back to normal. Jesus shows up and gives them a new normal. He says, “What I have been doing, I want you to keep doing. As the Father sent me so I send you.” Or in other words, “Feed my lambs. Care for my sheep.” 

So here is a question for this week and throughout the Easter season. What if you are called to live a new normal and to be the evidence of the resurrection? What if the presence of Jesus could be witnessed in who you are and what you say and do? 

Think about it and then decide what one thing you might say or do to reveal the new normal. It’s a tough assignment. There will be moments of exasperation. To “care for my lambs” is to face the fact that some are going to stay lambs for forty years and never become sheep. “Feed my sheep” is not simple at all. Some of them refuse to eat. How will you lead into those unexpected interruptions? 

But just as God sent Jesus, you are now being sent. Once your life has been interrupted by the resurrection, in whatever situations or circumstances you find yourself, look closely, the One who has called and equipped you for this ministry is with you. You are never alone. 

That is the new normal. Leading into unexpected interruptions changes what is normal, especially when the interruption is the resurrection of Jesus. 

So, what will you be doing after Easter?

Return

The resurrection interrupts our normal and says that you demonstrate your faith in the places you live, work, and play. That is because the resurrection puts today and every day into a new perspective. Every day is sanctified and all of creation, even your community, is holy ground. Every person is sanctified and every person you meet is one of God’s children in whom you can see Jesus. You might long to go back to normal, but as a follower of Jesus, the resurrection gives you a new normal. 

Give God thanks for the people you met today. Reflect upon how you were the evidence of the Resurrection. Who did you include in your love and care today? How did you work for the good of people around you? How will your community be different because of the presence of Christ in and through you? As you reflect upon and grow into being the evidence of the Resurrection, what will you do differently tomorrow?

Give God thanks for the opportunities you had to love others as you have been loved. Ask God to give you the faith to live and lead with quiet trust and confidence.

Gratitude Shapes Effective Leadership – Part 3

Being people of gratitude is who we are as followers of Jesus. Whether as a Christ-centered leader or as a community of faith, gratitude is the fundamental value of our Christian faith. Gratitude can potentially change the world as it impacts our relationships.

Over my years of ministry, I have never known a person who was grateful and who was at the same time bitter, hurtful, mean, or vengeful. So, gratitude is part of who you are as a Christ-centered leader. And who you are is how you lead.

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, reflect upon the words “glad and generous hearts” recorded in the Acts of the Apostles.

Read: Acts 2:46-47 

Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

Reflect

These words in Acts are words of good news. With these words, we see people in the community giving thanks, filled with joy, caring for one another, and giving to meet each other’s needs. We see a picture of a church that is inviting and attractive. In the midst of the fighting, division, and pain, there is good news, “Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts.”

Depending on your point of view, or may I say your disposition, you might see these words as a dream of what the church could be. A mission to be accomplished. You might dismiss them as impossible, improbable, and uncomfortable. A matter of wishful thinking. Or you might be skeptical. You are asking yourself, “Did that really happen?” or “It might have happened then, but it will never happen now.”

A Place of Koinonia

In the day in which we are living, it is difficult to see the church as a place of “koinonia” fellowship where people are together with glad and generous hearts. But before you dismiss these words as wishful thinking, let’s look at their context.

Understanding the context of the words will give us insight into the truth of the words. In the New Testament, there are some words that are prescriptive. They tell us or teach us what we should do, how we should live, or who we are to follow. An example of prescriptive words is, “A new command I give to you, love one another as I have loved you.” The words are straightforward and direct.

The New Testament also has descriptive words. We call these words narratives or stories. They don’t tell us what to do but tell us what happened. When Jesus goes up on the mountain to pray, it describes what he was doing. Those words are not telling you what to do, but they reveal a truth that is both meaningful and purposeful for living and leading today.

The Good News in Luke

Luke’s main goal, in the book of Acts, is to tell the story of the life and growth of the early church through the ministry of the apostles. It is a narrative, a story, which contains truth for you as a Christ-centered leader.

You might think of it this way, Luke is telling us a good news story about the church so you and I can learn from it and find hope in it.

In the story, everyone is in awe. God is moving. The church is filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Its members gather to study the Gospel, eat together, pray, and fellowship with one another. There is generosity overflowing, and people are caring for each other’s needs. Some followers go as far as selling assets and giving up material goods. 

Daily worship, meals in homes, thankful attitudes, “glad and generous hearts,” good relationships with their neighbors, and new people welcomed into the family of Jesus followers. We see the early church being full of life and joy.

Life Together

So, what truth is found in the story?

One truth is seen in life together. First, there is life together.  Following Jesus is meant to be done together. On the day of Pentecost, thousands of people decided to follow Jesus after hearing Peter’s explanation of the life, crucifixion, death, resurrection, and living presence of Jesus. 

The response is not only internal and individual, but external and corporate. The believers don’t separate and try to make it on their own. No, they gather regularly and form a fellowship (koinonia), with glad and generous hearts. Their coming together was an essential part of who they were as followers of Jesus.

Community Through Jesus

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that being together as the church is essential to being a Christian. He wrote, “Christianity means community through Jesus Christ and in Jesus Christ” In his book Life Together, Bonhoeffer described Christian relationships as a prerequisite for following Jesus. He wrote, “God has willed that we should seek and find His living Word in the witness of a brother (sister)…Therefore, the Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to (her)… (S)he needs (her) brother (or sister) as a bearer and proclaimer of the divine word of salvation.”

Following Jesus is not meant to be a solo endeavor. It is a relational response to God’s love experienced and understood through Jesus. Those early Jesus followers were together to become who God had created them to be.

Relationships

Another truth is relationships, of knowing and being known. Following Jesus involves developing and strengthening relationships with other followers of Jesus. If you ask, “What does a church need to be a church today?” 

You will hear someone say, “A building” Someone else will say, “A good Sunday morning worship experience.” And another will say, “We need a leaderboard, committees, and infrastructure.” While each of these things are good and helpful in their own way, they are describing parts of an institution. They don’t necessarily give life to a group of Jesus followers.

Practices of the Church

Luke described the basic practices of the church as the apostles teaching, the good news of Jesus, and regular daily prayer. But he did stop there, he described what I am calling, “friending and eating.” In verse 42 he described koinonia, “they devoted themselves…to fellowship” and in verse 46, “they spent much time together and ate together…with glad and generous hearts.”

Friending is more than Facebook. Friending is more than our understanding of fellowship or participating in potluck dinners. Being a friend is about building genuine relationships of care, support, and accountability.

There are relationships involving worship, scripture, and prayer. But there are also settings outside of what we normally think of as “church.” Following Jesus involves knowing other Christians intimately.

Core Group to Grow with You

You don’t have to be best friends with everyone, but you do need a core of Jesus followers who help you grow in your faith and live out your faith in a loving relationship with the people with whom you live, work, and play.

Bonhoeffer wrote, “In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.” 

So, the truth of this scripture is, being a follower of Jesus is not just about you. As you follow Jesus, you learn that your faith is lived out in relationships with others, like family, friends, strangers, and enemies. It is in and through your relationships that you develop a glad and generous heart and become more who you are created to be.

Holy Attitudes

Another truth is holy attitudes. Following Jesus, in relationship with others, helps you develop holy attitudes about the world around you. It helps you develop holy attitudes about everyday life, such as joy, gratitude, and thanksgiving. Being in relationship with others also helps you develop holy attitudes about your neighbors and your material possessions.

The worldview of those early followers changed. They saw the needs of others as their own needs. The burdens of the world were their burdens. They understood loving neighbors as not only loving them emotionally but also as sacrificing to meet their physical and economic needs.

These early followers of Jesus did not see their material possessions as solely for their own benefit. They worked together to meet the needs they were discovering. It is interesting that no one forced anyone to participate and not all possessions or goods were sold. But things were sold as the need arose.

According to William Willimon, this community of Jesus followers had “confidence in the ability of the resurrection faith to overturn all material and social arrangements”

Luke is telling the story, not of a specific prescription for the community, but of the truth that the Spirit-filled community cultivated generosity, joy, and material sacrifice for the good of others.

Following Jesus, in relationship with one another, helps us to develop holy attitudes about the world around us, about our daily life, our material possessions, and our neighbors. May we be like the early church and seek to cultivate glad and generous hearts.

Respond

To be a Christ-centered leader in a spirit-filled community is to be focused upon Jesus, helping people to develop healthy relationships, and providing opportunities for people to grow in holy attitudes about everyday life. Your leadership is key to cultivating gratitude. So. Be aware of how you model gratitude within the gathered community of faith and in your relationships in the larger community.

Return

In his letter to the Philippians, Paul expressed his gratitude, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy” (Philippians 1:3-4).

Who are the people who fill your heart with love, happiness, and gratitude? Take a moment to think of three or four people for whom you are grateful. People through whom you have experienced God’s love. Who brings you joy? Who has been influential? Write their names on a piece of paper. You now have a list of people who are special to you. Give God thanks for them and for how God has provided you with a glad and generous heart because of them. Now, express your gratitude by sending a text, email, or making a phone call. All you need to say is, “I’m giving God thanks for you today. Know how much you are loved and appreciated.”

Who you are is how you lead!

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You Have What It Takes: 5 Gifts Every Leader Can Claim

Leadership is about inspiring and empowering people to become who they were created to be.  It is about relating and connecting in such a way that the world is impacted and changed for good. 

You have what it takes to be a leader! Facing the reality of the pandemic, you continue to stepping in, create strategies, and lead. You are engaging the people entrusted to your care in new ways of being and doing, and you are using your God-given talents, what you have learned, and the resources on hand to get face what you feel you are not equipped to do. 

Let me remind you what I have seen over the past several months. I have seen you as:

A compassionate leader. 

You are providing for the well-being of the people you are leading. It has not always been easy, but you are nurturing them to their full potential. You are intentionally developing authentic relationships for the purpose of helping people become who they were created to be. 

A hope-filled leader. 

You are holding before the people a picture of what is next. You’re empowering them to look beyond the darkness of today’s challenges and to see the light, God’s light, shining brightly upon a new day. You are leading them toward the future, adjusting and adapting to the changing landscape.  

A stabilizing leader. 

You are modeling integrity and consistency. You are addressing the fears of the people by leading with confidence and humility.  With competence, you are helping people name and understand the challenges of the future. You are using insight and wisdom from past experiences to show people how they can and will be part of the future.  

Leading with Self-Doubt

You have what it takes to be a leader, yet you are filled with self-doubt.  Because this is not what you were trained to, you are feeling tentative and a bit insecure. And because you don’t feel you are living up to expectations, you are lonely and somewhat isolated. This is not what you envisioned ministry to be and, at the very least, what you would be doing.  

What Do You Have Left?

I recently read a story of Itzhak Perlman. At age 75, he is known as one of the finest violists of our time. You might already know that as a child, he contracted polio. Today, he wears braces on both legs, and walks with the aid of two crutches.

Several years ago, while he was playing at the Lincoln Center in Washington, D.C., one of his violin strings broke. A gasp could be heard throughout the Center. The conductor as well as the audience knew that it is impossible to play a symphonic work with just three strings. But Perlman refused to stop and signaled the conductor to continue.

People reported that they could see him changing and recomposing the piece in his head. When he finished, there was absolute silence in the room.  And then, the audience and the orchestra jumped to their feet, cheering and applauding. They had experienced an artist at work, and they were appreciative.

Perlman smiled, wiped the sweat from his brow, and raised his bow to quiet the audience.  And then he said, “You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.”

You Are Gifted to Lead

You have been created and gifted to lead for this very time and place in history. If I may continue with this metaphor, God has put this incredible score in front of you. It is a masterpiece titled “Your Life.” You have what it takes to be a leader. Sometimes you feel a few strings short, but how much music can you make with what you have left?  If God has gifted you, what are doing with what you have been given?  

What Will You Do With What You’ve Been Given?

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells of three servants who are given responsibility for the master’s property. Each is given a different responsibility. In other words, no one was given a complete set of strings.

When the master returned, two of the servants said, “We played the best we could with what we had.” The master says, “Well done, good and faithful servants, you’ve been faithful in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”

The third servant, who had convinced himself that he was “just a one string fiddler,” said to the master, “Look! I didn’t break any more strings.”

The problem is the music doesn’t depend on what you have. The music depends on what you do with what you have. And if you do nothing…?

Use your Gifts

God has gifted you and wants you to use your gifts, talents, strengths to lead God’s people through the confusion and chaos of the days in which we live. You have what it takes to lead.

Even though you might not in the best situation or have a lot of resources. Even though the work might be hard and exhausting, and the people are unkind and hurtful, you are gifted for this time. The question is “what will you do with what you have been given?”

As a leader, gifted for this time, focus upon the following:  

1. Mission

Regardless of the situation or the circumstances, the mission remains the same. With the mission in mind, lead with conviction. Be clear about where you are going. When you are clear regarding your direction, you can focus upon the people entrusted to your care. It is your focus that helps instill confidence and brings stability.  

2. Opportunity

Now is the time to deepen your relationship with God and to understand yourself. When you are in tune with God and with yourself, you can touch people in beautiful ways.

Let’s use one more violin illustration. A violin is a musical instrument that is both sensitive and strong.  It is sensitive in that it is affected by the slightest touch, and it is strong because its strings can withstand a good deal of pressure  A violin must be continually and properly tuned to be played well, for if it is not, even the finest violinist cannot call forth beautiful music from it. It is when you are in tune with yourself that God makes the greatest music.   

3. People

Build relationships with the people entrusted to your care. Be genuinely interested in them. Help them to discover how God has gifted them. As you develop your relationships, you will create a healthy environment of trust where everyone is supported, encouraged, and celebrated. I know you don’t have to be reminded, but you are in the people business. The best out who and what you have.

4. Being generous

Extend the most generous interpretation possible to the intentions, words, and actions of others. Assume the best of others. Give them the benefit of the doubt. When you are generous with others, they will be generous with you.

When in doubt, seek to understand and be slow to judge. Remember, people can only act upon what they know. Don’t hold them responsible for what they don’t know.

Brene Brown writes, “Our relationship is only trusting if you can assume the most generous thing about my words, intentions, and behaviors and then check in with me.” Be generous. Assume people are doing the best they can with what they know. 

5. Navigating the challenges

With your eyes on the mission, deepening your relationship with God, focusing upon the gifts of others, and being generous with those who seem slow coming around, move forward with confidence and grace.

Adapt to unexpected changes, face the unanticipated obstacles, and depend upon the strengths and gifts of others to follow through to reach the goal. Because you have developed your relationships upon trust and credibility, you have what is needed to complete the journey.

Your Next Step

In the words of Perlman, “Sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.” You have everything needed to make the impact people want and need in their lives and in the world. So, what are you going to do about it?

Take a moment to think of the people entrusted to your care. Every day this week, get one or two of them in mind and ask yourself “What is one thing I can do today to let this person know how much I appreciate being their leader?

When you start sharing your appreciation, listen closely. You will begin to hear that you have what it takes to be a leader. 

When you need and want help, contact us at connect@transformingmission.org. Sara Thomas and I (Tim Bias) are ready to assist you in becoming the leader you are created to be. We will assist you in deepening your relationship with Christ, the church, and your community.

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People Want Leaders with a Stabilizing Influence

We are living in a time of enormous change. Almost daily we experience the anxiety of the ground moving under our feet. When the foundation upon which we have been living begins to shift, our anxiety levels intensify.  

When you are driven by anxiety, you see the world differently.  You begin to make your decisions based upon the fear of scarcity and to focus on problems and shortages rather than possibilities and abundance. As a leader, it is during such anxiety you need the courage to stay focused and to lead the people entrusted to your care.    

Stability

During times like this, one of the qualities people want in a leader is stability. According to a recent Gallup survey of 10,000 followers, words like strength, support, and peace were used to describe what people needed and wanted from their leaders. The survey revealed that people are looking for leaders who provide stability.   

It is during times of uncertainty, that you can be the leader that makes the world better. People want and need leaders of stable influence to navigate the unknowns of our changing communities and churches. Whether you believe it or not, your leadership makes the world a better place.   

7 Characteristics of Leaders Who Provide Stability

Trusted

You model integrity and consistency. You are capable and competent while leading with confidence and humility.  Further, you are focused and leave no doubt in the minds of followers as to what matters, and what will and will not be tolerated.

Relational

You are truthful about who you are, which makes you vulnerable. You are honest about your ability, which makes you authentic. Because you are both vulnerable and authentic you are able to develop healthy relationships. It is through your relationships that you are able to encourage, support, and inspire the people entrusted to your care.

Balanced

You are rational in your thinking and decision making. During uncertainty, you carefully listen to the people around you and take what is said into consideration. You lead because of who you are and not because of the anxiety of the moment or the opinions of the people filled with anxiety. Because your authenticity and trustworthiness grow out of your inner life, people have no doubt what motivates your decision-making. They trust you and the direction in which you are leading.

Compassionate and Caring

You understand your effectiveness is rooted in the well-being of the people you lead. Further, you listen to understand. You are empathetic and compassionate in your behavior. When people know you care, you help create a sense of trust and stability.

Mission-Focused

With the mission in mind, you lead with conviction. Because your leadership is grounded in the mission, you are clear regarding the direction you are leading. Because you are clear regarding your direction, you can focus upon the people entrusted to your care. Remember, especially in times of uncertainty, being “focused to a fault” is a good thing.  It is your focus that helps bring stability.   

Value-Driven

Clarity of values is fundamental in being a leader of stabilizing influence. Your values drive your actions. As a leader who is mission-focused and value-driven, you are decisive and clear when it comes to navigating the unknown and leading through confusion and chaos. Living your values in all aspects of your life, whether it be at home, at church, at work, or in the community, brings the stability people need from you as their leader.

Embracing the Future

The more you know and understand about the challenges of the future, the less there is to fear. Because you are looking toward a “new day” you are able to imagine and articulate exciting possibilities. You are not afraid to talk about the future. Being well grounded, you are able to gain wisdom and insight from past experiences and events.  Being trusted, you are able to inspire the people to see a better tomorrow. Because you have a compelling sense of what lies ahead, you are able to show people how they can and will be part of the future. 

Robert F Kennedy once said, “Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can commit to a series of actions to make the world better, and the sum total of all those actions will write the history of our generation.” It is during times of uncertainty, that you have the opportunity to be the leader that makes the world better.

Being a Leader with a Stabilizing Influence

Are you ready to be the leader you have been created to be? Do you want people to trust you to lead them into the future? Do you want to make the world a better place? Of course, you do. So, below is one way you can check yourself regarding being a leader of stabilizing influence. This is similar to becoming a leader people can trust. Just know upfront, this will not be easy.

  1. Choose five people with whom you live, work, or play. These five people need to be people who will give you honest feedback.
  2. Have them answer these questions for you:
    • Can you depend upon what I say to be true?
    • Do you…
      • experience me as being authentic?
      • perceive that I listen for understanding?  
      • experience me as being caring and compassionate when under pressure?
    • Knowing what you know about me, are you able to honest with me?
  1. Make time to have a conversation with each of the five persons using #2 as your subject.
  2. After your initial feedback conversation, ask each person to give you feedback over the next 6 weeks as you focus upon becoming the leader with stability.   

During a time of rapid change, people need the assurance of stability. They are looking for leaders to be a stabilizing influence. As a leader, you can lead like never before. Now is the time to be the leader people need and want. Become the leader you want to follow.