It doesn’t matter where you are, what you’re doing, or how you’re wired…you can lead with integrity.

It’s easy to get frustrated in your work because

• you’re not working where you want to be working
• you’re not making the money you want to be making
• you’re not making the difference you want to be making
• you are in a dead-end job
• your boss is tough to work for
• you’re not maximizing your strengths
• you work behind a desk
• you work outside in the elements
• you have to answer too many emails
• you’re given too much structure
• you aren’t given any structure
• you have too much on your plate
• you have too little on your plate

And maybe those are all things that you need to work on changing.  Maybe you should change positions.  Or careers.  Or cities.  But one fact remains.

You can always lead with integrity.

Joseph did.

• Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard, left all that he owned in Joseph’s care because he trusted Joseph. (Genesis 39: 3-6)
• Potiphar’s wife tempted Joseph to sleep with her…Joseph chose to run away.  (Genesis 39:6-12)  That takes some character.
• Joseph led and influenced while he was in prison (though he was unjustly accused and prosecuted), gaining the favor and trust of the keeper of the prison. (Genesis 39:19-23)
• When he was finally released from prison, he didn’t choose bitterness, but trusted God and spoke the truth to Pharaoh. Pharaoh said of Joseph: “Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?”  That’s leading with integrity.
• Joseph fairly sold food to the Egyptians during the famine.  Integret-ous?  Yeppers.

Was Joseph treated fairly?  Did he have a loving boss?  Was he consistently working in an optimum working environment?  Was he always able to maximize his strengths?

Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope.

But he led with integrity.  Always.

And so can you.

Integrity isn’t based on your circumstances.  It’s rooted in your heart.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters (Colossians 3:23)

 

Should Christians ban Facebook?

In a recent article on Gospel Today, it was reported that Rev Cedric Miller of Living World Christian Fellowship in Neptune, NJ, told all of his married staff members that they needed to cancel their Facebook accounts or resign their position.  He counsels couples, and has seen a number of them reconnect with old love interests through Facebook.  He wants to protect his congregation, which explains why he made the move to put people’s jobs on the line if they didn’t cancel their Facebook account.

Is that the right thing to do?

I don’t know.

But I do know that limiting somebody’s freedoms is dangerous business*.  When you begin forcing people to do something that the Bible doesn’t force them to do, you’re on dangerous ground (example: “If you’re going to honor God, you have to homeschool your children).  When you begin forcing people to not do something that the Bible doesn’t say not to do, you’re on dangerous ground (example: “Watching R-rated movies is not an option for a follower of Christ.”).  Instead of banning it, I think a healthy look at marriages, and the dangers that exist in a fallen world (including those in social media), would be wiser. Otherwise, you will find yourself on a perpetual rat race, looking for that ‘thing’ that leads your congregation astray. Maybe it’s Facebook this month. Maybe it’s a movie next month.  Maybe it’s candy the next month.  (see 1 Corinthians 4:5-6)  Instead of holding the candy (or Facebook) responsible for sin, I think there’s something else at work.

Jesus said, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Luke 6:45)  Our actions show what we’ve stored up in our hearts.  Our actions show what we’ve been dwelling on, and what has captured our attention.  Our actions show what we believe to be best for our lives.

Banning Facebook is like taking Tylenol every single day for a headache.  Yes, it might work…for a little while.  But at some point, you’ve got to look into why you have a headache every day.  If you take care of the why, the what will take care of itself.  Instead of banning Facebook, look at why the heart is chasing after these things, and why they’re seeking fulfillment in someone other than their spouse.  Who/what are they loving more than God?

Maybe you need to cancel your Facebook account.  But before you do, check your heart.

And please don’t force everyone else to cancel theirs.

Have you ever been a part of a church that placed unBiblical standards on you?

Have you ever placed unBiblical standards on someone else?

* Though I quickly acknowledge that exercising personal discipline, even where the Bible is not explicit, can be wise.

 

I recently wrote a sports editorial piece for a local paper here in middle Tennessee, the I-24 Exchange.  For your convenience, I thought I’d re-post it here on my blog, though you can also find it HERE.  Keep in mind…this was written last Thursday, before the news of Tiger’s indefinite leave from the game of golf.

Tiger Shanks it in the Woods

Unless you live in a hole, you’ve heard the news about “the greatest golfer of all time.”  Tiger Woods was taken to the hospital for an accident he had in his SUV just outside of his Ocoee, FL, home, at 2:25 AM on Friday, December 2^nd (momma always said that nothing good happens after midnight).

It was suspected that Tiger was driving under the influence that night.  Rumors of marital troubles between he and his wife, Elin, only led to confirmation of years of infidelity on Tiger’s part. Elin, at this point seems to be sticking around…for the kids.  His sponsors are sticking with him (though who knows for how long).

Tiger’s life is spinning out of control.  To say that more accurately, Tiger’s life has already spun out of control.  He’s reaping the fruit of years of poor decisions.

Why are we as a society drawn to stories where people’s lives seem to be spiraling into an absolute dumpster fire?  Maybe it helps us to feel better about our own life. Maybe we see ourselves somewhere in the story.  Maybe it’s because we have a morbid fascination with the failure of others. Maybe we’re just thankful it’s not us.

Tiger messed up.  But so have I.  And so have you.  None of us have lived a life immune from bad decisions and moral failures.  Tiger, on his website, says, “I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves. I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect.”  You may, or may not, have cheated on your spouse, but you’re not perfect either.  I’d venture to guess that, at least one point in your life, you’ve been in need of someone’s forgiveness.  You were guilty, and there was no denying it.

There’s hardly a greater feeling in life than being forgiven.  To be granted a fresh start.  To have your slate wiped clean.   It’s as if a heavy, unbearable burden has been lifted off of you.

Is Tiger’s career over?  Is he going to be counted as “the greatest golfer of all time?”  Or has this exposure marred his fame and fortune forever?  Only time can tell.

But instead of our eyes and hearts that are quick to judge, and quick to thirst for more and more dirt, maybe we would be better off extending grace and forgiveness.  Tiger doesn’t deserve that.  But by very definition grace is not deserved.  It is not earned.  It’s granted by the one who has been wronged.

I vote to give him a second chance.  And I’m thankful that others have done the same for me.