Maybe we should confess that one reason we find it so hard to set selfishness aside and adopt the spirit of a servant is that we’re driven by dreams of success. We want to be winners.
Read MoreCategory Archives: Leadership
Absolute Honesty
Let’s think about an essential mark of servanthood: integrity . . . or absolute honesty. Remember these words? “Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we received mercy, we do not lose heart . . .”
Read MoreWho’s on First?
IN MANY CHURCHES, Christians tend to get so caught up in a success-and-size race that the primary calling of following Jesus gets lost in the journey. We have skidded into a pattern where the “haves”—the most influential or financially successful individuals in life—and not the “have-nots” call the shots. Truth be told, it is difficult to follow when you’re used to being out front leading the pack.
Read MoreThe Way Up Is Down
Journey back with me for a moment to one of the many scenes that demonstrated just how ordinary Jesus’s disciples were. What makes this account interesting is the presence of a mother of two of the disciples.
Read MoreA Servant, Not a Celebrity
Exactly what does our heavenly Father want to develop within us? Well, rather than getting neck-deep in tricky theological waters, I believe the simple answer is found in Christ’s own words.
Read MoreMonuments
THE FOUR MONUMENTS OF HUMAN NATURE: Fortune, Fame, Power, Pleasure Built in clusters, making them appear formidable . . . and acceptable. As the idols in ancient Athens, our society is saturated with them. Fortune. How neatly it fits our times! Its inscription at the base is bold: “Get rich.” The figure in the statue is impressive—a hardworking young executive, a clever, diligent businessman unwilling to admit the greed behind his long hours and relentless drive.
Read MoreAvoiding Self-Praise
“SELF-PRAISE,” says an ancient adage, “smells bad.” In other words, it stinks up the works. God says He hates “haughty eyes” (Proverbs 6:17). He calls a proud heart “sin” (Proverbs 21:4). He says if praise is going to be directed your way, “Let someone else praise you, not your own mouth” (Proverbs 27:2). The apostle Paul, who had much to brag about, drove home the message with these words:
Read MoreOvercoming Envy
SHAKESPEARE CALLED IT “the green-eyed monster.” Bacon admitted it “keeps no holidays.” Horace declared that “tyrants never invented a greater torment.” Barrie said it “is the most corroding of the vices.” Sheridan referred to it in his play, The Critic, when he wrote, “There is not a passion so strongly rooted in the human heart as [this].” Philip Bailey, the eloquent English poet of yesteryear, vividly described it as “a coal [that] comes hissing hot from hell.”
Read MoreDon’t Flinch, Stand Firm
TUCKED AWAY IN THE FOLDS OF Hebrews 11 is a two-word biography worth a second glance: “He endured” (11:27, NASB). The Living Bible says, “[he] kept right on going.” The New International Version: “He persevered.” The New English Bible: “He was resolute.” The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition: “He held staunchly to his purpose.” And Moffatt’s quaint rendering: “He never flinched.”
Read MoreHumility before Honor
IN A WORLD WHERE EVERYONE is out to serve self, it’s refreshing to read these ancient words from the pen of one of the most powerful men who ever lived: Solomon. If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding. Fear of the LORD teaches wisdom; humility precedes honor. In different words, Jesus says virtually the same thing . . .
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