Isaac’s Kindergarden teacher, Mrs. Swain put this presentation together for the parents. Isaac appears at 6:35.
What Hoarders Can Teach Us About Leadership
Oprah, A&E, TLC, and various web sites have caught America’s attention with the compulsive disorder of hoarding. Various sources try to attribute the condition as an inherited disease, damaged parts of the brain, emotional damage, etc. but the end result is the same – people collect so much stuff into their homes that they are literally buried alive.
Katherine Harmon of Scientific America said, “those with the disorder ‘are frequently characterized by poor insight about the severity of their condition, leading to resistance of attempts by others to intervene.’ And as the Mayo Clinic notes, even if hoarders’ collections are disassembled, they often begin acquiring more items right away because their underlying condition has not been addressed.” [1]Â
Most people who are hoarders have what is called “clutter blindness.†This is where the brain communicates to the visual cortex so that it actually stops seeing individual pieces of trash, animals, excrement, etc., and instead sees the unit or pile as a whole. So they stop seeing individual editions of a newspaper and instead see the “newspaper section.â€
They stop seeing how the trash begins to decompose, or the smell from dead animals or excrement has increased in the home, or how they are slowly losing whole parts of their homes to piles of stuff (kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms etc).— when asked to make a decision regarding one piece of the pile it becomes stressful and they become anxious.
Eventually family members, adult children, landlords, or someone will draw attention to the unsanitary and unsafe living conditions of the home and they are forced to do something about their situation.
__________________________
So what does this have to do with leadership? Well, do you have an issue that you have not dealt with? The issue keeps coming back again and again? Issues with the sound system, lack of signage, lack of adequate parking, rude people in your organization, etc. Instead of fixing the problem you instead keep putting it off. You may have even tried to resolve the issue to no avail, and now you have simply quit trying. In your mind you have resolved that it will never change and there is nothing that you can do about. So on the pile the issues go, one upon another. Until, before you know it, you have hoarded “issues.”
Leaders don’t have “clutter blindness†but they do develop “issue blindness.†This is where issues that need to be dealt with go ignored and their brains stop trying to deal with it. Here are some suggestions to consider about your “issue blindness.â€
1. Invite a Friend Into Your Home.
Hoarders hate for people to come into their home. They are embarrassed about other people seeing it. All of those piles they have stopped seeing and dealing with get brought to the surface. If the person you ask to come over for a visit is honest then they will be able to tell you what areas of your organizations need to be “cleaned up.â€
But honestly, you probably already know what needs to be done, and you have simply stopped trying to fix it. Knowing that your friend is coming will energize you to finally fix it after all.
2. Organize Room by Room.
Hoarders feel overwhelmed with the mountain of work and often are paralyzed with anxiety of not knowing where to start. So, the professional organizers start with a room, empty it out completely into the yard, organizes the stuff (things to keep, things to throw away, and things to sell), and then they organize and plan the room as it should be.
So pick an area that needs to organized, break it down to its simplest parts, and rebuild it as it should be. Don’t try to fix everything all at one time. This will stress you and the people who are helping you. Instead pick the most glaring problem and deal with it. Most issues that have been put off cannot be dealt with in one meeting or in a week. So put in on a dry erase board in your office, schedule a follow up meeting, or ask someone to hold you accountable on the issue — Just keep it in front of you until it is dealt with. Don’t allow it to go back onto the pile of other issues you haven’t dealt with yet.
3. Be Smart About Your Emotions.
With most hoarders there is an emotional trigger. It could be the death of a loved on, the loss of a job, abuse of some kind, or depression, but usually something happened to trigger the hoarding behavior.
What happened in your leadership that may have caused you to stop trying to deal with certain issues? Go back and deal with the emotional issue, then go on to fix the existing issue. Did someone push back when you tried something new? Is there someone who embarrassed you in a staff meeting or church business meeting or someone made you feel that you were of little value to the organization, then you unconsciously decided just to quit trying. Whatever it may be, we are called to do our best for the Lord. We are not just to get by with mediocre quality in our organizations. There is a reason why you stopped working on specific issues. Â Make sure that you are not mad at someone, have given up out of frustration, or simply quit caring.
4. Understand the Consequences of Not Cleaning Up.
What drives many hoarders to clean up their homes is the fact that if they don’t they will lose their homes, apartments because of the unsanitary condition. While this is tragic, in church life if we ignore certain issues (especially if they are easily fixable) then people will not return after an initial visit. If the nursery is not painted, greeters are rude (or even worse no one speaks to them at all), they get lost on your campus, or something along these lines then there is an opportunity lost to share the gospel and influence their family for Christ.
For a hoarder to stop trying is to lose one’s home. For the Christian leader to stop trying is to lose one’s purpose. To lose one’s purpose is to lose passion — which is devastating. Start your clean up today.
Romans 8:37-39 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.â€
[1] Katherine Harmon of Scientific America.
The Leader and Communication; Joshua 22
One of the life lessons that I have learned from being in ministry is that communication (even too much) is extremely important if not essential. In the lapse of information, people’s minds tend to fill the void with something negative or untruthful. Â We see an example of this in the book of Joshua.
After years of fighting together in pitched battle, traveling hundreds and hundreds of miles over rough terrain, and in the end being victorious over their enemies, Joshua’s army was ready to disband and each tribe go to their proper homes. To commemorate what God had done in their lives, and to stand as a reminder for future generations of God’s goodness, one of the tribes built a monument. This good intention set off a wave of trouble.
Joshua 22: 10-12 “And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size. 11 And the people of Israel heard it said, “Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel.â€Â 12 And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.”
Three Things To Remember Regarding Your Leadership and Communication
1. People (no matter what you have gone through together or for how long) Tend To Assume The Worst.
It is hard for us today to imagine how difficult traveling over the vast distances, dealing with various battle injuries, and constantly moving camp would have been for these people. In my limited experience of mission trips and serving with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, there is a tight bond of brotherhood and compradore. Â But we see from this passage that in spite of all these things and so much time spent together, with in a very short time, they were ready to go to war against them — to kill them.
Communication broke down both ways. The tribe that built the impressive memorial failed to let the other tribes know what they were doing and why. The other tribes assumed the worst, and instead of sending a delegation to investigate the matter, they put on their armor and sharpened their swords.
Knowing that Satan uses these voids of information to disrupt relationships, one of a leader’s “to dos” is to keep people informed. Â If you establish a pattern of doing this and showing your desire for others to know what is going on, trust is established and strengthened.
2. Think About How Your Actions Could be Perceived by Others.Â
No, you are not a mind reader, nor can you predict the future. But before you take an action, or too much time goes by, take some time to think about how you can tell others what you are doing. We live in the age of social media where people tell you everything that is going on in their lives (and many things they should not). Therefore, people expect to have at least a limited entry into your life and for you to tell them what is going on (if not on a daily basis).
Also, perception is 99% reality. Even if you didn’t say it, do it, or even have anything to do with it — if you are perceived as having done so, the results are the same. You have to guard people’s perceptions and the best way to do this is constant meaningful communication.
3. Get Over Yourself.
Some may see this as self-aggrandizement, as if you are pridefully drawing attention to yourself. But this is not the case. In order for others to know what’s going on, and to share the vision God has given you for your ministry, family, organization, etc. then it is necessary to share information with others. Every Facebook,Twitter, blog entry, letter, bulletin blurb, and social media entry is a way to draw others to a work that God is doing and provide them with an opportunity to be apart of it. These entries are also a way to fend off negative thoughts others may have as well.
I have had several leaders tell me over the years, “I don’t care what other people think. I am just going to focus on what God wants me to do.” This passage tells us that you should care what others think. With every piece of communication you can shape the view of your ministry.
The Leader and Culture; Galatians 6:11-14
Galatians 6:11-14
11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. 13 And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?â€
Peter feared the “circumcised†party. In Galatians 6:12 we see that this group was trying to avoid persecution by being circumcised[1] and seeking to force others to do so as well (Romans 1:32). So when they showed up at a church gathering, Peter changed the way he acted in front of them. Since Peter as a Jew would have already been circumcised his behavior must have been in a more rigorous following of other “law†practices. He was acting hypocritically, where his behavior would change based upon who was in the room. Paul says that his behavior as a leader was also affecting other people, “even Barnabas.â€
Normally Paul would have dealt with a wayward brother privately, but what was it about this situation that would cause Paul to oppose Peter “to his face?†First it was not in step with the gospel. Peter could not act as a Christian leader (an apostle) if he preached (or followed) one gospel with one group of people, and another gospel with another (even though Paul explains there really is only one gospel). The Christian leader has to “watch his doctrine closely†(1 Timothy 4:16). Others would have watched his behavior and would follow his example. Paul was concerned that such an influential person was leading others toward this false gospel.
Also, Peter’s spiritual life was in jeopardy; Paul said, “Peter stood condemned.†Paul was concerned about his brother’s heart and his relationship with the Lord. If he continued along this path, Peter would believe in a false gospel, one based on works and not grace, and thereby stand condemned before the Lord. Even is he did not personally believe it, he was leading others to do so.
But did Peter really believe that salvation was found in following the law? Even when he had already believed in Christ? Or was it simply easier to allow himself to melt back into the culture that he had grown up in? Was this a faith issue, or a pride issue (Romans 1:16)?
Can beliefs really be changed like the turning on of a switch? One moment to believe only by faith, then in another moment to believe that salvation is by works (James 1:7). Since groups do not constantly discuss doctrine, these topics probably could have been avoided in order to maintain civility between the groups. The circumcised group were acting superior and separating themselves from the rest of the group, and Peter felt like he needed to maintain relations with this groups and try to make them happy. Leaders must be careful that in their efforts to avoid conflict that they allow the doctrine to become tainted.
Two Things to Think About
1. Keep the ultimate goal within sight.Â
Ultimately what counts is that one is a “new creation†in Christ. We are not created anew so that we can return to previous sin, or fit back into a sinful culture. In Christ the mold is broken and we are citizens of a home that is not of this place. We all want to “make a good showing†to others around us, and no one really wants to be persecuted, but we have to be careful that what we are doing is not directly related to looking good in front of others, the community, or other “church†people – so that it changes the truth of the gospel.
Here’s and example:
Matthew 6:5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others.(ESV)†Is prayer wrong? No. Is public prayer wrong? No. Is praying in public so that others will see you (out of pride)? Yes.
2. Be Aware That You Have a Cultural Blind Spot.
Another thing to consider is the culture that you grew up in. Being a southerner and having lived above the Mason Dixon Line for over a decade I can see the faults and blessings of both areas. Sliding back into the warmth of a culture that says, “yes ma’am,†loves it’s sweet tea, high school football, and deer hunting has been like going home. But at the same time leaders are called to hold to correct doctrine, hold the line on sinful behavior, and march forward with the gospel. If you ever see me, like Peter, acting hypocritically in an area of doctrine or culture please point it out as Paul did.
[1] These individuals were not seeking to avoid persecution by being circumcised alone, as Jews they would already have done so. But they are seeking to force others to believe in a keeping of the law, and faith in Christ, as the way of salvation.
Freedom; Galatians 4
Paul explains in Galatians 4 that an heir is no different than a slave while he lives under a guardian. But one day the Father determines his son to be ready to no longer live like a slave takes action to allow his son to live as an heir (no longer restricted by guardianship.)
Galatians 4:1-7 “I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave,1 though he is the owner of everything, 2 but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. 3 In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles2 of the world. 4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!†7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.â€
Paul says that this removing of a guardian and giving rights as a child takes place “in the fullness of time.†But what does this mean? Just as when a boy reaches a specified aged (for the Jews in was 13 with bar mitzvah and 18 years of age for the Romans with a ceremony called toga virilis[1], is given certain responsibilities (i.e. freedom). The apostle is explaining how the law acted as a guardian over God’s people to show them how to live. The law’s intention was to show them their need for a Savior and how to gain true freedom. The law was to teach them of their slavery.
In order for people to obtain this freedom from the law the Father sent his Son, who was born of a woman, born under the law in order to redeem them so that they may be adopted as sons and the Spirit of the Son allows them to call God “Abba!, Father!â€
The Father’s purpose in sending His Son was for the Son to be fully man (while being fully God), to live under the law (and yet keep it in every way), so that he could buy back mankind (redeem), and adopt them as sons who then see Him as daddy.
____________________________________
 Genesis 1-3
We inherit freedom as adopted children. Paul’s argument against the Galatians is that slavery goes against what God has been trying to teach His people through the law, and the culmination of sending His Son.  Freedom is actually how God has intended for us to live since the time of creation.  Mankind was originally created and designed to live in a free environment.
God gives freedom (He actually created it) and Satan’s lie is that we can be happy by putting shackles back on our hands and digging up “the old us†(see Romans 6) and playing with death. Consider Genesis chapters 1-3. In these chapters we see that Adam and Eve have the freedom to choose God or reject a relationship with Him. In sin we have no choice, we are condemned and eternally separated from Him. We also see the freedom to choose His ways over what we think is right and best. But even in sinless perfection mankind chooses foolishly, so what hope do we have in a fallen world with a completely corrupted spirit. We also see the freedom to be in God’s presence (Gen. 3:8). God would come “in the cool of the day†and talk with Adam and Eve.
So why would God send His Son in order to give us freedom again? He desired to restore a relationship with us. John 3:16 says, “for God so loved the world . . .†God wants us to call Him “Daddy! Father!â€; he desires to adopt us as Hid children. He used the law to show our corrupted hearts how we can not keep or follow completely what is required to have a relationship with Him (which is sinless perfection). So Christ came being fully human, kept the full law (not the human add on parts), and died as a substitute for mankind on a Roman cross.
In Christ’s death mankind can taste true freedom once more.
In freedom we can do whatever we want, but what do we do with this freedom?
Romans 6:1-4 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.â€
The walk and relationship with God was intended by God to be a newness of life, not a continuation or a return to behavior and actions that enslave us. The Galatians were seeking to follow the law and it brought them comfort even when they knew that it leads to slavery and death.
Why do we find comfort in slavery? Consider the story of God’s people in the book of Exodus. In Ex. 5:6-21 we see they don’t want freedom because it requires harder work. In Ex. 14:11 they are before the Red Sea and want to return to slavery because they feel in danger. In Ex. 16:3 and 17:3 they want to return to slavery because they are thirsty and hungry. In Ex. 32:1 they make golden calves as idols because they wanted to be in control. Slavery is what we have known for most of our lives, and even when we have freedom in Christ we have a constant struggle to return to death and slavery. In some sick and twisted (fallen) way we would rather live in a horrific world of slavery because we would rather have what we know rather than what we have never experienced. We would rather hold on to the worthless plastic kid’s play necklace in our hands instead of trusting God to give us the priceless diamond one in His hands. He even lays the necklace upon our necks but we look down and choose the plastic one. Why do we do that?
Paul mentions “elementary principles of the world.†These are things like greed, lust, gossip, lying, violence, etc. and all these things bring us momentary pleasure, but at the same time they enslave us and cause us and others harm. The new walk of life should be one of bringing glory to God with our lives. Our lives are to be one of giving, love, truth, encouragement, peace, etc. We can only do these things in a way that pleases God through Christ and the freedom that He gives.
____________________________________
Freedom Can Be Dangerous
Americans have a great freedom that many have fought and died to protect. But what do we do with this freedom? We live in a day of reality tv, fast food, vulgar heros, a sense a entitlement, materialism, American idols, and a host of other trash in our society. But we also live in a day of unprecedented technological and medical advances. There are many unnamed heroes who faithfully serve their communities and nation. In the home of the brave there is freedom to do good to others and serve mankind, bring glory to God, or allow that freedom to lead to one’s demise.
My children are old enough now that they can be left at home for short periods of time. They finally are old enough to have the freedom of not having mom and dad around. But what do they choose to do with this freedom? They could clean their room, help in some way around the house, or they can sit on the couch and watch tv until mom and dad get back home (Matt. 25:14ff). It’s easy for Christians to sit on the proverbial couch of life. We can waste the freedom that we have been given, we can return to slavery of what we know, even though it brings death. Or we can use our freedom in Christ to do something to impact mankind and give God glory with our lives. Which will it be for you? Get up.
____________________________________
So how do we move and live in this limitless freedom?
Use the following outline to walk through the decision or action you are trying to make. Remember that you have been freed to do something beautiful and wonderful with your your life, don’t waste it on foolishness.
Â
“God’s Guidelines for Godly Livingâ€[2]
(How to navigate the “gray areas†of life)
Paul’s Corinthian Principles
(1 Corinthians 6:12 – 11:1)
I.              Will this action edify self?                                              6:12
Will it build me up?
Will it profit me?
Will it help me personally?
II.            Will this action enslave my soul?                                   6:12
 Can it bring me into emotional/psychological (even chemical) bondage?
III.          Will this action exalt the Savior?                        6:13; 10:31
Can I glorify my Lord in this activity?
IV.          Will this action encourage other saints?                      8:13
Is this a potential stumbling block to someone else?
V.            Will this action evangelize sinners?                              10:32-33
Will this help or harm my witness for Christ?
VI.          Will this action emulate my Savior?                  11:1
Is this something I could see Jesus doing?
            Keep in mind 4 foundational principles:
*   wisdom                            *  integrity
*   witness                            *   maturity
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 81
- 82
- 83
- 84
- 85
- …
- 186
- Next Page »