Been Reed - Life and Theology. The musings of a young pastor.

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Sign Your Name on the Bathroom Wall

I was at a national discount superstore recently, and noticed this sign in the bathroom:

I love the idea that proposed: if this bathroom’s not as clean as the one in your home, then there’s a problem. The only thing wrong with the sign: neither the store manager, nor the district manager, give their contact information.

Do you believe in the mission of your organization enough that you are willing to take heat if the strategy isn’t accomplishing the goal?

Or are you so cowardly and closed-minded that you’ll give the perception that you’re open to suggestions, planning all along to respond only to the ones who agree with you?

If you don’t believe in the strategy of your organization, change it.

Then sign your name on the bathroom wall.

Caption please…

November 25, 2009 / Ben Reed / 19 Comments

Hunger, Snickers, and Satisfaction

November 24, 2009 / Ben Reed / 1 Comment

snickers_bar

Snickers Satisfies.

At least, that’s what their slogan says.

But why, after I eat one, am I still left feeling hungry?

Why, if I eat more than one of them, am I left feeling sick?

Because we all know that Snickers bars don’t provide true satisfaction. They satisfy only for a moment. Or, when overindulgence happens, satisfaction exits.

Don’t settle for false substitutes. Jesus Christ is the only true satisfier in this life. (John 6:35)

Power, money, “stuff,” food, sex, influence, busyness, success, health, safety…all leave you hungering for more, .

A Snickers bar tastes good. A meal with steak and potatoes is better.

Busyness seems good. Serving others is better.

Safety is good. Living life to the full is better.

But placing your hope, and finding your soul’s satisfaction, in any of the above will leave you salivating for more.

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25-26)

Can you say that with the Psalmist? Where does your heart find true satisfaction?

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November 24, 2009 / Ben Reed / 0 Comments

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Play to your strengths

November 23, 2009 / Ben Reed / 5 Comments

In leadership, there’s one train of thought that says that you need to work on your weaknesses. Address them so that you can improve them. Make them…not so weak.

This isn’t an all-too-terrible approach. But it’s not the one I’m taking.

Rather, I’m focusing on my strengths. I’m not good at everything. But I am good at some things. I’m not bragging here…really, I’m not. We’re all gifted at some things.

Read this quote from Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath

Our studies indicate that people who do have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general.” (iii)

Why not take the path of least resistance? Has God not gifted you for a reason?

Carl Lewis, please stick to running. You’re good at that.

Did God Do That?

November 18, 2009 / Ben Reed / 9 Comments

Exodus 20:7 (the 3rd commandment), says,

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

I’ve seen some people use God’s name in vain by saying that God has “called” them to do this…or say that…or go there. Ever heard somebody say, “I know I’m supposed to do this, because God has told me to…” and the whole time thought, “There is absolutely no way God has told him/her to do that!”

I believe that God does still speak today. Let me be clear with that.

But we can easily manipulate others, and misuse God’s name, when we attribute things to Him that He would not/could not condone. Often, I believe, when this methodology is employed, it’s a cop-out. It’s a misguided way of justifying sinful, self-seeking endeavors.

In order to know God’s will, we must start by knowing God. Loving Him. And loving what He loves.

Check out this video. I find it funny that Anderson Cooper is disgusted over Heidi Montag’s thanking of God for this performance. My favorite quote from this video: “If God has the time to work on this production, and that’s the best that God can do, we’re all in trouble.” (Anderson Cooper)

Leaders, Know Your Gifts, part 2

November 18, 2009 / Ben Reed / 0 Comments

I’m in a series of posts of leadership strengths. You can read the first post HERE. Our staff took a test called Strengths Finder, and I’ll be posting my results, and subsequent personal thoughts, here on my blog.

I’ve got a word of caution about strengths. Your strengths can become a curse when:

1. They’re used as a hammer. There’s no reason to use your gifts to manipulate others. God’s not pleased with that.

2. You assume everybody is gifted just like you. They’re not. And that’s a good thing.

3. When it’s the only lens through which you view leadership. God has given you certain gifts, and you should use them. But there are ways that He will stretch you, and situations in which your only course of action will be to rely on His strength.

God has gifted His church for the purpose of building up His bride (the church). It astonishes me that He would use imperfect, weak men like me to build the church…but that’s His plan…and I know His plan is perfect.

Here’s the second strength that I tested into on my Strenghts Finder:

Achiever

People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.

Chances are good that you approach your work-related or academic assignments with a great deal of intensity. You are known for putting in long hours and working hard. It’s very likely that you tend to be quite selective about the company you keep. You prefer to spend time with individuals who are trustworthy. You consciously avoid people whose words and deeds indicate they value honesty less than you do. Because of your strengths, you exhibit a strong work ethic. Work probably gives your life a sense of purpose it would otherwise lack.
Instinctively, you argue that hard work influences the course of your life more than anything else. You make your own good fortune by preparing yourself to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Each time you are successful, you can outline exactly what you did to reach a goal. You link together facts, incidents, conversations, or available resources to understand your accomplishments. You resist the notion that life is nothing more than a game of chance. By nature, you exhibit the physical and mental endurance needed to continuously toil long after others have stopped working. You are hardwired to pursue goals until they are reached. When obstacles arise, you become even more determined to succeed.

Do you find yourself described in this assessment?

Leaders, Know your Gifts!

November 17, 2009 / Ben Reed / 0 Comments

God has wired me differently than He has wired you. It may be true that you and I are the same gender. Or live in the same city. Or drink the same kind of coffee. Or are passionate about similar ministries.

But at the end of the day, I have different gifts than you do. And you have different gifts than I do. And that’s a good thing.

³For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. ⁴Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to hisfaith. ⁷If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; ⁸if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. -Romans 12:3-8

Our staff at Grace Community Church just talked through our results from Strengths Finder. It was cool to see the varying gifts and passions that God has uniquely given the staff here. Over the next few posts, I’ll share my strengths with you. I don’t share them to make much of myself, but to make much of God, the giver of all good gifts.

These descriptions aren’t perfect for me, but they’re pretty close.

Learner:

People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want
to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome,
excites them.

What makes you stand out?
Instinctively, you normally dedicate yourself to acquiring knowledge and gaining skills. You
probably devote many hours to mental labor. Because of your strengths, you can block out
distractions when you are working or studying. You are seldom pulled away from a task. You
probably desire to understand ahead of time what needs to be done. You also expect to
receive background briefings and/or a list of a project’s criteria. Armed with this information,
you move closer to your goal. With ease and certitude — that is, having no doubts — you
determine what is and is not important to know about an activity, event, or project. By nature,
you habitually bring together all sorts of information so you can refer to it later. At the instant
you collect a fact, example, story, or piece of data, typically you are eager to use it. You trust
it is valuable. Your fascination with knowledge has probably been part of you even before
you formed the words to ask your first question. It’s very likely that you might prefer to
enroll in a difficult class rather than register for the easiest one. Perhaps comparing how well
you are doing in relation to others has meaning only when you earn the best grades in the
hardest courses. To some extent, you crave recognition for your knowledge and winning
spirit. Chances are good that you may be an individual performer who signs up for tough
classes. Perhaps your desire to excel is amplified when the only path to a good grade is a
steep one.

Do you see yourself at all in this description?

Save Draft, Click Here

November 16, 2009 / Ben Reed / 0 Comments

I love the “Save Draft” button that I have access to for my blog. Often, in fact, for 99% of my blogs I’ll write a first draft, then save it. I’ll come back to it later on that day, or the next. Maybe even a week later.

Then I’ll save it again.

It helps me to look over it again and catch some mistakes. Refine my thought. Make sure I said what I meant to say. Make sure what I said is constructive, and not destructive.

I wonder how it would work if we had the opportunity to click the “save draft” button in “real life.” Instead of just spouting off whatever came into our head, what if we stopped and waited? Swallowed our pride? Prayed? Asked God to season our words with salt (Colossians 4:6)?

Something tells me that it might work pretty well.

After all, “Do you see a man who speaks in haste? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Proverbs 29:20)

Don’t start a blog if…

November 11, 2009 / Ben Reed / 7 Comments

Yesterday, I gave you 10 reasons your should start blogging. Today, it’s the flip side. There are lots of reasons why people don’t blog. However, that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m going to give you reasons why you should not blog, even if you think you should.

9 Reasons you should not blog

1. Don’t blog if you don’t have anything to say. In the meantime, though, find something to say. Learn to beautifully communicate the mundane.

2. Don’t start blogging if you know you won’t be able to consistently post. My goal is, at minimum, 1 blog per week. I always shoot for 2-3 per week, though. If you won’t be able to consistently post, don’t start blogging. Just wait until you have the time. Blogs that aren’t updated regularly lose readership and influence.

3. Don’t blog just because everybody’s doing it. Don’t just jump on the bandwagon, especially if #1 and #2 apply to you. And yes, I know I said the same idea as a reason to blog HERE. Remember, this is my blog, and I can do what I want.

4. If all you want to do is create an advertisement page. Blogs are meant to communicate more than just advertisements. Websites, billboards, and TV commercials do that just fine, thank you.

5. You have no writing skills. Blogs aren’t terribly difficult to write, especially with the advent of spell check and grammar check.
However, you may need to touch up your writing first. Or, maybe you should have another person in the organization write the blog for you. Not a bad way to loop one more person into the process.

6. You’ve tried it for 6 months, and still see only negligible benefits. Maybe your efforts should be focused elsewhere. What are your goals in writing a blog? Personal? Financial? Organizational? Evaluate effectiveness by your expressed goals.

7. Your blog is always focused on attacking others. I’ve seen these blogs. I don’t read them, so please don’t write them.

8. You can’t handle others attacking you. A blog is your voice. The more people that hear your voice, the more likely you will receive criticism. If you blog consistently, just get ready to be slammed a few times.

9. You only want a one-way conversation. Blogs, in my opinion, are meant to be a dialog. I write my blog so that others will comment. In fact, I completely redid my comments section to enhance debate. If you want a one-way conversation, go talk to your car.

What do you think? Are you convinced that blogging is for you? Or maybe you’ve decided against it? My goal is to help you think.

Are you blogging? Will you start? Will you share your blog address with us?