Are you like me and never dreamed you would see or experience anything like 2020? Think about it. In just six months we have seen the following:
- School shootings
- Kobe Bryant’s death
- COVID-19
- Quarantines
- Churches, restaurants movie theaters, schools and colleges, and Disney all closed their physical locations
- Sports leagues temporarily suspended operations
- Panic over a lack of toilet paper
- “Pivot” and “Zoom” became everyday terms we used
- Sparsely attended funerals and weddings
- Virtual proms and graduations
- The murder of George Floyd
- Racial riots
- The attack on CNN
- Racial protests
- Churches are seemingly the last organization to reopen widespread
- The mere hint of defunding the police force
- Autonomous zones
- And much, much more…
And this is just in America. Globally it has been just as impactful.
So I want to take a moment, be vulnerable, and write about The Top 6 Things I Learned During The First 6 Months Of (The Crazy) 2020. This is just my list. I’m still learning. So if there is something more you think I need to learn, there is still hope. I’m sure your list is different than mine. We are all trying to figure this out together. Here’s my list:
“GOD Is Doing 100 Things In Your Life. You Might Be Aware Of Three Of Them.”
This is a quote I heard from John Piper back in January. It just put things in proper perspective for me. Even when things are the darkest, God is always working on our behalf, even when we cannot see it. We are never without options. We are never without hope. It may sound like a cliche, but something good might be just around the corner. There could be positive conversations happening about you this very moment and Monday morning you are going to get a phone call. God is doing 100 things in your life. You might be aware of three of them.
As A 54-Year-Old Man, My Calling Is Now All About Investing In The Next Generation Of Leaders
One of the Top 10 defining moments in my life happened on February 7th. I attended a taping of the video course which would accompany John Maxwell’s new book The Leader’s Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders. My notes from the taping are here. As a 54-year-old man, I have about 10-12 years remaining in my career and about 5 years left of significant influence unless I work very, very hard to stay relevant. Therefore, what can I spend the remaining years of my life doing to maximize my impact? The answer – invest in the next generation who will then multiply my thoughts and ideas long after I’m gone. John discovered that was his greatest return – all the leaders he has invested in. They are carrying on his name and concepts. The leaders he has invested in are his legacy. Investing in the next generation of leaders will be my greatest return and my legacy as well.
“The Safest Place In A Fire Is Where It Has Already Burned”
My pastor Ike Reighard made this comment to me in a passing statement in March. He was making a point than when a public argument breaks out between two people or organizations, don’t jump into it. Let it burn out and then circle back at a later time to provide context and key learnings. How true this principle is today. There is a lot of fires figuratively burning right now. The best thing most people can do right now (especially on social media) is to turn off your computer, stop talking, and just listen and learn. I wrote about this in-depth in the post 6 Tips For White Coaches On Beginning Conversations With Their African-American Athletes About Race And Injustice.
Online Church Is A Necessary Reality But A Poor Replacement For Onsite Gatherings
When it comes online church, I give church leaders a lot of credit. They did the best they could with what they were given. They hustled, pivoted, got creative, and delivered professional grade online services. Many church staff became Zoom experts. They made the most out of a difficult situation. But it is not the same as when God’s people physically come together.
Recently, I stood in my mostly-empty sanctuary and was ambushed by emotion. I know “we are the church” but the church building is a special place. It is not like the other buildings in our communities. Behind the walls I looked at were crumpled-up pieces of paper with the names of lost people written on them we are praying. The same is true about the names written on the floor under the carpet at the altar. Written-down under the platform carpet where my pastor speaks are his favorite Bible verses. He literally preaches standing on the Word of God. Bedded deep within the wood at the altar are the tears shed by people praying for miracles, loved ones, and healings. It was on our altar was where a young family who desperately wanted a baby shed tears for God to give them a child. Elders surrounded them, laid hands on them and begged God to give them a child. Today they have a beautiful 2-year-old toddler.
This building is not like other buildings. Something special happens when God’s people physically come together. Something special happens within its four walls. Online church simply lacks the human element no matter how hard anyone tries.
There Is A Difference Between Smart People And Wise People
There is a Wisdom Famine in our nation today. I wrote extensively about this crisis here. Here is an excerpt – So the two (Steve Robinson and myself) of us and our spouses were talking after dinner. I said, “Steve, I’ve heard when you’re around really smart people, don’t find out what they do. Find out how they think. So, talk to me about the language smart people use. It’s different than everyone else.” Steve’s response stopped me dead in in my tracks.
Steve said, “Smart or wise?” I said, “Well that answers that question.” He then talked to me about the incredible wisdom of Truett Cathy and other great leaders he has encountered. I walked away from our time together completely rethinking my decades-long pursuit of knowledge. Knowledge and becoming “smart” is good and I do not regret whatever amount I have acquired. But wisdom is what I should have been after.
Our Only Hope And The Answer To All We Are Facing Is Jesus Christ And The Gospel
The answer to the problems facing our world is NOT new legislation, an antidote, payroll protection plans, voting, economic improvements, or another blog post or leadership book. These are good and necessary but it’s a heart issue. The only answer to the heart issues of racism, fear, anger, violence, idolatry, pride, greed, lust, manhood, and biblical illiteracy and passivity is The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Only Christ and His Word can change a human heart. My prayer is for pastors to remember their primary responsibility is to be the prophetic voice in the cities in which God has placed them and He has given them a specific message for a specific group of people at a specific point and time in human history. Pastors are not communicators. Pastors are messengers from God tasked with delivering that specific message. We need them now more than ever. We need The Gospel.
That’s what I have been learning. What about you?
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