Ready...or not?

"I'm ready, God, so ready."

Have you ever prayed like that?

I think for many of us, it's a last-ditch effort kind of prayer. It's the, "I'm still here, God, do you hear me?!? Do you see what I'm going through?!?" kind of prayer. It's probably a prayer of desperation--for that long-awaited job, spouse, financial stability, salvation of a close friend or relative, healing, relationship repair...you name it.

Last night I was reading a prayer that started like that in the Bible (David's prayer in Psalm 108 according to The Message version) but that's not what it was about...well, not exactly.

Here's how it goes:

I'm ready, God, so ready,

ready from head to toe.

Ready to sing,

ready to raise a God-song

"Wake, soul!"

...I'm thanking you, God,

out in the streets,

singing your praises

in town and country.

The deeper your love,

the higher it goes;

every cloud's a flag to your faithfulness.

Soar high in the skies, O God!

Cover the whole earth with your glory!

Whoa.

David's "I'm SO ready, God" was expressing his desperation to thank and praise God.But that's not where the story ends:

And for the sake of the one you love so much,

reach down and help me—answer me!

Hold up--David was desperate to praise God...when, at the same time, he was also desperate for help? He was psyched to thank God...when the answers weren't there yet? Wow.

Let's see how God responded to that:

That's when God spoke in holy splendor:

"Brimming over with joy,

I make a present of Shechem,

I hand out Succoth Valley as a gift.

Gilead's in my pocket,

to say nothing of Manasseh.

Ephraim's my hard hat,

Judah my hammer.

Moab's a scrub bucket—

I mop the floor with Moab,

Spit on Edom,

rain fireworks all over Philistia."

Translation? God's basically saying to David (a warrior), "I'm giving you new territory. I've got allies for you in my back pocket. And I'm taking out your enemies."

I kind of wish the prayer ended there.

But I'll be honest--I'm really glad it doesn't. Because it goes on to show a little bit more of David's humanity. After God spoke and basically said, "Don't worry--I'm taking care of you and your situation," David did what a lot of do...he kept on talking:

Who will take me to the thick of the fight?

Who'll show me the road to Edom?

You aren't giving up on us, are you, God?

refusing to go out with our troops?

David's questions here are interesting to me. He is the man after God's own heart--but he's also still a man. A human being. And like a lot of us, he doesn't just want God to answer--he wants the details. He doesn't just want to know what's going to happen...he wants to know how.

The prayer ends as David says:

Give us help for the hard task;

human help is worthless.

In God we'll do our very best;

he'll flatten the opposition for good.

The good news? In the end, David trusted God and admitted the limitations of humanity. However, I also love that David didn't let his limitations stop him from doing his part.

I hope reading this passage (and my little commentary along the way) encouraged you. I know looking closely at David's example and God's way of speaking and answering prayer in this passage was a good reminder for me--to focus on thanking God just for who He is, to listen, to trust His plan for my life and to do my best with whatever "hard task" I encounter.

Are Christians Afraid to Think?

A few weeks ago, I found myself in a group where two people were discussing a story shared by a guest speaker at their church.

One questioned the example, "That doesn't make sense to me. It doesn't sound like anything I've heard or read before."

"It's totally true," her friend replied.

"Aww...do you believe everything you hear?" the other said with a teasing tone.

"If it comes from the pulpit, I do." End of discussion.

Something about this conversation bothered me. It was just a casual "debate" between two friends. It wasn't dealing with a major issue of faith. I don't think either of the people involved in the discussion were that serious about their positions. But the logic of, "I just believe whatever I hear from the pulpit" or, taken further, "It's not right to ask questions about anything I'm told at church" didn't sit right with me.

As much as I wish it were true, there's nothing inherently sacred about a pulpit, platform or political office. Great pastors like Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke about dreams from a pulpit ... but so did pastors who were white supremacists. Great politicians like Abraham Lincoln encouraged a country to unify ... but so did Hitler. And all of these speakers--from the great to the horrific--had Christians following them.

Don't get me wrong--99.9% of the time, I completely agree with my pastors and leaders--and trust them as much as I trust my family and very close friends.

"Please (don't!) check your brain at the door ... "

But I think God wants Christians to be more than robots. When we get saved, no one says, "Welcome to church. Please check your brain at the door and take a seat in one the cozy chairs. Just chill, sit still and absorb whatever your pastor/leader/teacher tells you."


We shouldn't be afraid to ask questions--it actually helps us grow and can make our beliefs stronger. Asking questions doesn't mean we're stupid. It doesn't mean that we need to constantly change our core beliefs. And it definitely doesn't mean that should disrespect our leaders. The best students, the most innovative leaders and the best listeners are all good at asking questions. Asking questions simply means that you have a desire to learn--to get to know God, His Word and even your own beliefs--better.

It's one thing to say, "I believe X because my pastor/leader/mom/a televangelist said so." But people who change the world don't just believe something because someone else told them to--they know what they believe.

Even more important, if a non-Christian (or even a new Christian) asks you something about your faith, saying "I believe X because my pastor said so" probably won't sit well with them.

What does this kind of questioning look like?


It means not sitting passively in the grandstands, but being engaged with what you're hearing or reading. It's about approaching life (especially the Bible and Christian messages) with a desire to learn. The kind of thinking I'm talking about doesn't mean being critical or looking for fault.


For example, when I first started working at an investment firm, sometimes I would attend meetings where people talked about concepts or even used words I didn't understand at all. It felt like I was dropped on a different planet where everyone else seemed to speak the same language, but I could only pick up the basics ... kind of like a foreign language camp (not that I ever went to one of those!).

So I started asking questions ... mostly in notes to myself. When I was in meetings and stuff came up that I didn't understand, I'd write down things like, "Look up 'alpha' ", "Ask Jane to explain mutual fund share classes" or "I don't understand why XYZ business unit does something differently. Find out more--and see if we may want to think about adopting their approach."

I think I take a similar approach to taking notes in church--not just writing down the points of the speaker, but sometimes adding my own questions and notes, "I don't understand X. Look up more about it." or "This is a cool verse! What else does the Bible have to say about this topic?" or "This Bible character seems interesting. What else does the Bible say about him? Are there other Bible characters that had a similar experience?"

Keys to keep in mind when you're questioning

• Ask how the topic or issue lines up with the Bible. If you don't know the Bible well, ask someone you trust or check out a Bible search feature for key topics like Bible Gateway). I've also got an older post that covers some questions to think about when you read the Bible (or hear from it in messages) and resources to help (see Google Faith ).


• Consider the source ... For example, is it someone you know and trust? Someone qualified in his/her profession (e.g. are you taking health advice from a doctor)? How does their life line up with what they're saying? (For example, I wouldn't necessarily take relationship advice from someone who has been divorced two times or financial advice from someone whose finances are out of whack.)
  
• ... But understand you can usually learn something from anyone. Credibility can be important, but it only happens over time. Give people the benefit of the doubt. If your main focus is learning and growing, you can usually learn something from anyone--even if it's what NOT to do. :)


• Ask how your question lines up with what you know about God's character. For example, let's say someone tells you, "The most spiritual people are poor--you know, like Mother Teresa" and you wonder, "Is that true?" If you know God as the provider who meets all your needs and the God who wants to make you "prosperous and successful," then you'd know the first statement isn't true.


• Look at the big picture. When you're reading the Bible or listening to a message, keep a big picture perspective--what's the main idea? Don't get caught up in minuscule issues or technicalities.
  
• Realize that there aren't answers to every question. As much as you can learn, there's some stuff that can't be answered or "proven" by anyone on this planet. That's where faith comes in--sometimes you have to trust the truth even when you can't see it.

The Naked Leader

I realize the title of this post may make some blog readers uncomfortable. But be assured--this is not a post about a nudist colony. :)

After a week at a leadership conference, these are the words that stick out in my (admittedly eccentric) brain.

What's a naked leader?

Someone who is:

• Real


• Open


• Pure at heart


• Genuine


• Honest


• Vulnerable

A naked leader is the kind of person you respect. You want to follow them because of who they are and what they represent (the highest level of leadership according to conference speaker John Maxwell).

Whoa! That's a tough description to live up to (and by the way, as I'm writing this, I'm definitely NOT saying that I do).

The "sheep and goats" leader v. The relational leader

Sometimes as a leader, it's much easier to fall back on a resume--or as one of my friends calls it in the dating scene "bringing out the sheep and goats." (My friend has a theory that even modern guys "bring out the sheep and goats" when they're romantically interested in someone--by talking about accomplishments, successes or history). In leadership, being a resume/"sheep and goats" leader is different than actually being a leader or allowing people to get to know the real you.

I think most of us prefer relational leaders. It's quick and easy to be a resume/"sheep and goats" kind of leader. Being relational takes time--but it's usually more effective. It means being interested in others, building trust, walking more than talking.

Three questions for every leader

In one of his sessions, John Maxwell listed the three questions people ask of every leader:

• Can you help me?
  
• Do you care for me?
  
• Can I trust you?

These questions seem pretty basic. But I think for those of us who are Christians or Christian leaders, they are paramount. Because we represent Christ, if people don't know that we care about them, if they don't think they can trust us, how will they know that God cares about them or that they can trust Him? It's a huge responsibility ... and I can never take it lightly.

Leadership really boils down to integrity--does my life match my words? Am I interested in others genuinely, without preconceived ideas or selfish motives? Am I helpful only when it's convenient for me--or simply because I want to bless someone else?

These are the tough questions that I will probably ask my entire life. But it's my hope that even just asking the questions will help me stay aware of these attitudes and actions in my own heart--and that I'll continue to grow.

Leadership is a great responsibility and a great privilege. But even beyond that--leadership is the call of our lives to influence others.