Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Who's On Your List?

Living out in the Antelope Valley is an experience like no other. Having grown up in the Northwest with luscious green trees and clear flowing streams has made this transition a bit of a shock in getting used to my new scenery. My typical drive to work consists of passing numerous Joshua trees which are basically glorified cactuses and desert flats spanning for miles. Another part of the experience for anyone who moves to a new location is getting to know the people in the local community and falling in love with their culture and heritage.
           
            Most recently in my time with the Lord, I’ve been challenged in a new way. I’ve really been pushed by God to look at how I view myself and others. To be a little more specific, how I view my relationship with the Father and how I view others in relationship to Him. Before you click away because of that confusing comment, allow me to briefly explain myself as I believe you will find a real connection to what I’m about to say.

            I was reading Luke 14:15-24, the parable of the great supper, and in this parable we learn how the host Jesus, instructs His servants to go out to those who are maimed, lame, and blind. Now although we have a lot of people in our communities who have these challenges, I believe that Jesus is talking more specifically about the spiritually maimed, lame, and blind, those who are far away from Him. Maybe it’s those who don’t go to church, those who at our work use profanity or make rude comments. Jesus instructs his servant to go out to those who are far away and invite them to the feast.

            Now as I read this, I felt a conviction inside myself. Think about it, Jesus is willing to love those who most of us don’t feel like loving. He is willing to reach out to those who are furthest from God. I began thinking about all the people in my community who don’t know the Lord and all those who if they were just invited to the banquet would love to come! I also began thinking about the religious leaders who gave the excuses and I wondered am I one of them? Do I think that I will be sitting at the great banquet and all the people that bother me and the ones I don’t love will not? Do I neglect to invite and share God’s love with those who are far from God?

            If we are children of God we should love those who don’t know God and those who are far from Him. If not, then I’d have to ask, are you a child of God? The children of God have a passion after His own heart. So why don’t we have heart for the lost? God’s greatest passion is to find the lost sheep, the lost coin, the prodigal son, those who are furthest from Him; those are who He has the greatest compassion for!

            So as I read this parable I asked myself, Sean, do you believe there are people here in the Antelope Valley who I should be sharing God’s love and grace with but instead I turn them away because I think they are not worthy? Wow, this hurt. I really had to stop and examine my heart. I think there are times when I am no better than those religious leaders. But as a son and child of God, my heart must be after His heart, after the same things He is passionate about.

            This past Sunday I challenged our young adults group with the question, who’s on your list? Who’s the one person that the Holy Spirit might put on your heart to go out and share His grace and compassion with? Who’s the one person that might simply need to be invited to the feast? Maybe it’ll take some convincing, but once they come and experience the Father’s love; their lives will be forever transformed.

            So I pose the question to my readers. Who’s on your list? Who is the person that God might be putting on your heart, the one that might be considered so far from God, the one who doesn’t deserve to be at the banquet, who’s that one that you are willing to reach out and love? Who’s on your list?

Leadership Lesson of the week: As leaders we are to disciple and empower others to be more fully who God has created them to be. Take time this week to pour into one other person and encourage them to reach out to another as well.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

A Simple Remedy To Life's Curveballs

Our lives are filled each day with new challenges, defining moments, and memorable experiences, some more positive than others, but all very real. In the last year my wife and I have worked through many transitions, one of which being the relocation of our lives and careers. During our time of seeking where we would move our life to, we met with several people we considered to be mentors or large influencers in our lives. One in particular, Dr. Jared Roth, gave us a bit of advice that stood in my mind as a defining moment in how we processed our decisions. He told us that at my current age of twenty-five, much of what I learn over the next five to ten years will greatly influence both my leadership style and personal character. Most of these attributes will be learned from the people closest to me including my boss or supervisor, spouse, peers, mentors and coaches in my life. With this in mind I consider it very important to position myself in relationships with key individuals who I want to shape my leadership and character after.
Now as many of us know, this is not always easy. Often we work at organizations with leaders we don’t necessarily look up to, and some of our preferred means of influence are held at a distance whether by physical location, busyness of life, or inaccessibility. So how do we prepare and position ourselves best for these defining moments in our lives, the times when big decisions must be made?
This last Sunday my college friend T.D. Davis (short for Touch Down Davis or Total Domination) guest spoke at our young adults groups here at the Highlands Church in Palmdale. While touching down on some words that are often thrown around loosely, he brought new perspective by redefining them. One word he took the time to redefine was mentor. He brought to light not only the unrealistic expectations and standards many of us have of mentors but he also shed new light on them through the use of Biblical references. There is one thing in particular about what he said that hung on to me, something I just couldn’t shake.
While talking about mentors, T.D. explained how on baseball teams they have what is called the bullpen. Many of us know already what a bullpen is, but as a quick recap it is the area for players that are located just outside of the main playing field. Not to be confused with the dugout where the rest of the team is, the bullpen is and area were the relief pitchers are located. Often they are warming up for the game, just waiting to be called in as reserves. They are the ones that give relief to the main players, primarily the pitcher, and help out when things get hard.
While expanding upon this analogy, T.D. challenged me and the church with the question, “Who’s in your bullpen?” Who do we have in our lives as mentors and coaches, the relief players to help us when things get difficult or when we need advice? Who do we turn to for advice, who do we seek counsel from during our life defining moments? He urged us to begin to think about who we can consider asking to be a part of our bullpen and who we can ask to be available to meet with occasionally for advice. We need to set ourselves up with a strong bullpen now so that when difficult times come we will be ready to turn to them for relief and help. When life throws you a curve ball, a simple remedy for help is to turn to your bullpen for advice.

Leadership Challenge for the week: Formulate a list of key individuals you can ask to be a part of your ‘bullpen’ and begin to build on those relationships.