Do Us All A Favor And Just Be Reasonable

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.  Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” – George Bernard Shaw

What Shaw is saying is that a reasonable man sees the world changing, doesn’t change his core beliefs, but will change his methodology to connect with those he is trying to serve.  By contrast, the unreasonable man says, “This is who we are.  We’ve always done it this way.  We are right.  No matter what changes, we’re not.  The culture needs to adjust to us.”

By default, progress then depends on the unreasonable man because while the reasonable man is attempting to change, advance, and move forward, the unreasonable looks at him and says, “Stop.  We don’t do it that way.”

Very rarely do I post what is called in the blog world “a rant”.  I would much rather be inspirational in my writing.    But here are a few thoughts:

• I have no room for Devil’s Advocates.  Never have.  Why would anyone ever want to be an advocate for the devil, especially in a Christian leadership environment?
• I can find countless people who can tell me why something won’t work.  I need people creative and skilled enough to make things work. 
• I only have one life.  I want to do something significant with it while I still can.  I can’t handle mediocrity and maintenance.  Jesus was not a big fan of lukewarm either.
• Normal is killing us.
• Acceptance is killing us.
• Passivity is killing us.

Here’s where my head and heart is right now.  I have developed a holy discontent about the following:

• Unemployed grown men
• Grown men who lose their job and have to go home and tell their wives, “Honey, I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
• Married women who need security and lose it because their husbands can’t currently provide.
• Grown men with their shoulders slumped and head down because of lack of employment.
• Foreclosures.
• Parents who lose dignity because they will not be able to give their children Christmas gifts.
• Single moms who are doing everything they can for their children and it’s not nearly enough.
• Hunger.
• Poverty.
• Divorce largely resulting from the financial pressures of unemployment.
• Grown people who are scared.
• Hopelessness.

 Acts 2:45 tells us that there was once a time when people in churches sold their goods and possessions and gave to anyone in the church family who had need.

Pastors and church leaders, let’s be reasonable.  There are many in our churches who need our help.  If the early church could solve the problem of poverty, we can to.  It’s not the government’s responsibility.  It’s ours.

Will you join me?  If you’re interested, email me and I’ll let you know how.

Also, what are you “reasonable” about?  Where is your holy discontent?  What change are you trying to institute?

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