Hebrews 12:29: The End Result of "On Fire" for God

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. - Hebrews 12:28-29

When I was a young boy, my brother and I had a winter-time ritual. We would sit with our backs to the fire in the fireplace, warming ourselves until we could stand it no further and then we would run to the bathroom and lie down in the coolness of the bathtub. Then, when our backsides had recovered, we would go back and try it again. It was a silly game, but then again, brothers are competitive in a lot of ways.

How many times have I heard that people want to be on fire for God? To burn for Him because our God is a consuming fire. But they also want it to be painless. Like my fireplace, we want to stay close to God until we can't stand it and then go cool off. We want a campfire, marshmallow-roast, Ben-Gay warm spiritual experience, at our convenience.  We are fascinated by the finite and the futile and flammable.

...each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. - 1 Corinthian 3:14-15

The truth is, God's fire is painful because we are too invested in the chaff. Eugene Peterson says, "Chaff driven by the wind is the closest description of nothing that is available to the imagination. No weight, meaning or use....Does chaff exist? It is the dried-up husk of something that once bloomed, bore fruit, and brightened the landscape."[1]

We cling to chaff...to nothing. We have put so much of our heart into it that when it burns, we are seared. When the things that can be burned have been burned, what God has been forming in us remains.

In forest areas in the United States, forestry officials use controlled burns to reduce the impact of wildfires and prompt the natural cycle of regrowth. "Controlled burning stimulates the germination of some desirable forest trees, and reveals soil mineral layers which increases seedling vitality, thus renewing the forest. Some cones, such as those of Lodgepole Pine and Sequoia, are serotinous, as well as many chaparral shrubs, meaning they require heat from fire to open cones to disperse seeds."[2]

It is a dangerous prayer to tell God that you wish to be on fire for Jesus. God does not commit random acts, nor malicious arson, but rather uses controlled burns that leave the long-term growth potential placed in us by the life-giving Spirit unveiled. Are you willing to pray this serious prayer?

[1]Eugene Peterson, As Kingfishers Catch Fire, "Psalm 1: Blessed"
[2]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_burn, retrieved on 1 October 2017

Psalm 138:8: God's Story In Me

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me. Your steadfast love, O Lord endures forever. Do not abandon the works of your hands. - Psalm 138:8 (ESV)

We don't get to see Ruth often because we don't live close. She is one of the few people who has known Helen and I since before we were married, and, as such, she has a unique perspective on our life story. After breakfast recently, she had written this verse out for me-a reminder to me.

God's Story, Not Mine

It is a reminder that it is God's purpose, not mine. The win is when God gets full credit for who he is and what he does. It his "his name and word" that are on the line (vs. 2, 4). My reputation is expendable. When I try to re-write the script so that my story is foremost, I will be disappointed.  In the psalm, even the gods (vs. 1) and the kings (vs. 4-5) give up the spotlight to God, whose Q score leaves them lost behind the decimal point.

In the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, two minor characters from Shakespeare's Hamlet are absurdly elevated to the starring roles. The spotlight is on them and they get the the monologues. Hamlet, Ophelia, Claudius? Mere bit players! Or so they would make seem. Because whatever their individual plot lines, the play is still Hamlet's. His story drives the plot and their story is a merely sub-plot--no matter how elaborate--within his.[1]

God will have the starring role. Period. The question is: will I take the supporting role graciously? (Phil 2:9-13) For me, when people are pushing and clamoring for more spotlight, my tendency is to join them in the brawl. Its sort of a habit--a sort of significance, wall-flower fear. The sort of habit that says if nine people have some profound prayer to offer, I guess I'd better also. If three other people complain about their spouse, I need to come up with some fault so I can join in. If you went to Maui, I went to Paris. If you figured out the bug in the code, it wasn't very difficult anyway, was it? But if I solved it, it was the bug equivalent of the grand unified theory or the P=NP problem.

Why must "I must have my share in the conversation"?[2] I don't. Today is not about me, and it might even be someone else's sub-plot. But it is my part, uniquely set out for me by God.

God's Ability, Not Mine

This verse is also a reminder that God's has the ability to pull it off what he plans for me. His plans are not like a Sunday football game that is played "if conditions permit." The author of the psalm has seen this first hand. When he didn't know what to do, he asked and God answered (vs. 3a). When he wasn't sure if he had the internal willpower to do it, God reinforced (vs. 3b.) When others overlooked or ignored him, God didn't (vs. 6). When his life was threatened and people threw up obstacles, God pulled him through (vs. 7).

Have you ever had a two-body problem suddenly become a three-body problem? This happens when I'm working on a project in the back yard of my house--a simple two-body problem consisting of me and the task at hand. Then Helen interjects an opinion of what should be done or how it should be done and suddenly what was a simple two-body problem has become a three-body problem which, as everyone knows, has no general solution. Or, at least not one that makes everyone happy :-)

Yet fundamentally, all of our problems in the life of Jesus followers are three-body problems because we have invited God into our lives. When we did that, our life became more complicated--more than a matter of solving problems to our own satisfaction. But it also gained the potential to become more satisfying and more influential because no problem really worth solving is a two-body problem.

I've come to realize recently that out of cowardice--there's no nicer word for it--I often try to simplify in the worst possible way by factoring God out of the problem. I'd like to do what I want, or do it my way so I just fail to mention it to God or wait for his opinion. It's not like he can't find out, right? But honestly, its my way of trying to keep control. This habit isn't just with God, either.

Life isn't simple or safe. I can use the chainsaw on a crooked ladder while Helen is gone, and it works most of the time. But the one time I fell and ended up unable to move on my back with bruised ribs, I wondered why I didn't wait for her.

How many times have we ruefully asked ourselves why we didn't work it out with God? As Paul says, "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Phil 2:12b-13)

When God fulfills his purposes for me, he guarantees what is needed. Some of the scars are needful, and others are self-inflicted.

How God Feels About Me

Finally, this verse reminds me how God really feels about me. The writer reminds God "your steadfast love, O Lord endures forever." Ouch. It is one thing to know that God is good. It is another to know how he feels about flawed people like us. It is the question Satan was really asking Eve in the garden, "Is God good? Does he really have your best interests at heart?"

The writer appeals to God's own character: his steadfast, loyal and permanent love--love that is not based on our track record of obedience, but on on God's long-standing promise to his people. That kind of God, the writer reminds God, does "not abandon the works of your hands." (vs. 8)

Paul echoes this: "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ." (Phil. 1:6)

That cowardice comes back in me: I'm not sure I can handle God's direct attention! He is a "consuming fire" (Heb. 12:29) and we say we want to be on-fire for God, forgetting how fire burns. We are fragile and he is God. Only my confidence in God's regard for me lets me trust what he is pulling me through.




[1] Hamlet, William Shakespeare, Act V, Scene II, line 411. They both end up in the tally of the dead by the play's end.

[2] Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen, Volume 2, chapter 8 (ch. 31), Lady Catherine de Bourgh speaking.

Matthew 6:11: Today, Grace Arrived Because God Thought Of Me Days Before

Give us today our daily bread. - Matthew 6:11

When I was a young boy it was my mother's regular habit to inspect our rooms-and even our closets-before we were allowed to watch our hour of television. So it was on one occasion that she discovered my cache of vitamins, granola bars and other miscellaneous items. Marching me before the closet door, she demanded to know what this was all about.

"In case I should want to run away." I informed her.
"Are you planning to run away?" she asked.
"No, not really." I replied tersely.
"Then why?"
"Just if I should need to?"
"Well, if you think you need to, we should talk about it."

Then she promptly gathered all my hoarded items and put them away. We never spoke of it again.

The sermon at our church was on verse 11 of the Lord's Prayer by pastor Kent Carlson provoked my recollection. What would such a life-style of keeping back bits reveal about our opinion of God and our satisfaction with his provision for us.  I'm sure my mother was worried what was inside my young head when she found my running-away cache. Was it a commentary on how I saw our relationship as mother or our situation as a family at that point?

My wife, Helen, told me of an occasion where her mother brought her home an apple from the far-away household where she worked. The apple was so unique and precious that Helen would admire it and smell it. She admired it so much that she could not bring herself to eat it until--finally--the emaciated, rotten apple had to be discarded.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. - Matthew 6:26

What is it that the pea-sized brains of birds know that our 3+ pound brain can't grasp? That today has enough supply for what he wants for us today. That our lives are a necessary celebration of God's goodness. That our needs are met through vast, incomprehensible systems of nature, labor and commerce which God manages to the benefit of his children to arrive each day. That we receive far more than we remember to ask for. 

We can't eat tomorrow's bread. I will not take it for granted that today's bread, or shelter, or health this morning arrived on schedule, but instead regard it as the grace it truly is.

Give us, Father, what we need today. I'm so glad you do-that many days before, you started thinking of what I would need today so that I wouldn't need to worry, because you are good. Amen.

Proverbs 24:32: We Can Only Possess What We Experience

We can only possess what we experience.

Truth, to be understood, must be lived.

There is a difference, a qualitative difference,

Between what I know as a fact and what I know as truth.

It stands as a great divide to separate my thinking

From when I'm thinking foolishly and when I've understood.

- Charlie Peacock, Experience, The Secret of Time

My wife worked for the Department of Agriculture in a rice-growing country. As a young, unassigned researcher, she was the chosen recipient of a bag of potatoes and a guide to growing potatoes. She read the book intently, from cover to cover, because she had no real experience with potatoes or their requirements. Potatoes weren't like rice. There were few potatoes available in the markets. Her family's generations of rice-growing experience was of little use.

So, book in hand, she experimented, planted, harvested and presented her results. Some things worked. Other things didn't. The book had word and diagrams that pointed at truth. But it did not become truth for her until those tubers and that soil and that fertilizer passed through her hands.

Life works this way. We have guidelines-heuristics-rules of thumb-proverbs-that others have gathered for us, that we use to shortcut decision making and bypass mistakes all the time. These guidelines are necessary, but it is experience that leads us through that to the other side. "As long as 'received teaching' doesn't become experiential knowledge, we're going to continue creating a high quantity of disillusioned ex-believers. Or on the flip-side, we'll manufacture very rigid believers who simply hold on to doctrines in very dry, dead ways with nothing going on inside."[1]

The book of Proverbs is wonderful. It shortcuts straight to the bottom line in life. It distills pages of theology and hours of reasoning into a few words designed to instruct. Those words point the way, but you have to watch a few fools in their folly, or be one yourself before the gut level impact of the truth comes home.  The pattern of the wise can be described, but its rewards require first-hand experience.

Truth cannot grab us until it has been filtered through our lives-until our lives have depended upon it. Consider: It is one thing to know that poverty exists, know the effects of poverty and the means of its alleviation. It is another to be poor.

Experience requires time. I often wished I was more mature than I am, where the truth I knew flowed seamlessly into the choices that I made. I wish that there was never a time when I was not mature (mainly so I wouldn't need to forget my penchant for the epic faux pas). Thankfully, though, time and the grace of God have smoothed some rough edges and weathered away stubborn flaws.

Proverbs says, "Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness." (Proverbs 16:31) Living in an age that idolizes youthfulness, we sometimes forget that the core problems for people have not changed: anger, love, selfishness, bitterness, grief, desire, self-deception, envy and malice. Those dynamics have not altered, and wisdom acquired in those storms still holds true.

I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: - Proverbs 24:32

 What I experience now is really all I will carry with me into eternity.  I pray that my hard-earned graying hair speaks to truth that has settled deeply in my soul. Amen.

[1] Richard Rohr, The Divine Dance (What Hods Us Back from Genuine Spiritual Experience?)

Psalm 40: Waiting Is Active

I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. - Psalm 40:1

Around my house, I would not be characterized as a person who likes to wait. I'm usually the first person in the car. I'm usually the one who has timed things down to the minute. I am the one who has comments about those people in restaurants who only make up their mind what to order when they've reached the counter.

For me, waiting is not a passive thing--waiting is active. I must consciously restrain myself from fidgeting, pacing, or grumbling. When waiting, I am full of nervous energy. I feel uncomfortable in the nothing periods before the something happens. In a word, I am impatient.

While I have become more capable at restraining the outward signs of my impatience, inwardly I am still focused on the then rather than the now--a bubbling cauldron of anticipation. Rather than being patient, I have adopted the appearance of stoicism.

Recently, I have started to watch how I respond to waiting, not outwardly, but inwardly. Sometimes, I just bubble - replaying my plans or worries or frustrations. Sometimes, I try blankness, a mental state with deliberate lack of focus. Sometimes, I try to distract myself by engaging my attention through some small chore, activity, or FaceBook or a game--keeping busy.

But these activities waste much of the value of waiting. Many times God can't seem to get a word in edgewise because I am so busy. So he introduces a wait into my life, so I can hear him. Then I promptly ruin a perfectly good waiting period by finding ways to fill it.

Look at the things David was able to do during his waiting period:

1. Learn a new song from God (Ps. 40:3). 
2. Avoid spiritual shortcuts (Ps. 40:4). 
3. Take a break from doing stuff for God and, instead really, hear from God (Ps. 40:6). 
4. center himself on God's agenda rather than his own (Ps. 40:7-8).
5. Encourage others (Ps. 40:9-10). 
6. Talk honestly with God about his problems, including the ones that were self-inflicted. (Ps. 40:12ff).

When I notice that I am struggling with waiting (I don't always notice it when its happening), I try to pull back and use the opportunity God is giving me.

Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. - Proverbs 16:32

Amos 4:13: You Didn't Come Back To Me

“Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel, and because I will do this to you, Israel, prepare to meet your God.”

He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord God Almighty is his name. - Amos 4:12-13

What is God like? This is a question which has dominated the thinking of people for most of recorded history. Maybe there was one god in their thinking, maybe there were many. Whichever, the question as to the nature of God (or gods) and what he/they require has skewed nearly every field of human endeavor in one direction or another-art, government, religion, music, architecture, and festivals. Only in recent years has the notion of God has receded from the popular imagination.

God is not silent. We are not listening. In the book written by the prophet Amos, God has tried nearly every possible means of communication to get through to the people he loves, to warn them about the direction they're headed, to save them from self-destructive behavior, to cry and weep the type of people they have become, to find a way of forgiveness and reconciliation. But the refrain from Amos, chapter 4-five times-is "yet you have not returned to me."

Let's not rush over that phrase. Some people look at the prophets and they see an angry God. Always "you did this, therefore I'm going to bop you on the head." Cosmic little bunny foo foo. But that misses the point. At the heart of the message of every prophet is a God who is heart-broken over men and women--his people--who have forgotten the special relationship they have with God.

You can't just put the God relationship on maintenance mode. You can't do that with your spouse. You can't do that with your kids. You can't do that with your close friends. And you certainly can't do it with God. He notices. He is hurt. He is not some spiritual force, a law of nature or a principle--he is a person. And because of who God is, neglect in that relationship hurts us, because our DNA was designed to thrive in an environment of loving interaction with God.

Someone once said that there are two types of people: those who believe in the power of words and those who don't. If God wants the relationship with you so bad, what language is he going to have to speak in order to communicate the urgency and necessity of fixing things up with him? Well, he has the prophets, like Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and all those other weird short books at the end of the first half of the Bible--the Old Testament.

Then, if words don't work for you--if actions speak louder than words--he will switch to a language you do understand: your bottom line, your health, your family, your business. Amos, in the 4th chapter, lists a scenario where, literally, one farmer is getting rain for his crops and just over the fence line, another farmer is experiencing drought. The whole thing is set up to remind the farmer of that story they used to learn back in Sabbath school about the plagues in Egypt.

God is not silent. We are not listening. He continues to "reveal his thoughts" by any means necessary because there is nothing more important for you-as a person-than to be restored to a life-fulfilling relationship with God.

Now this raises a whole boat-load of questions: Who does God think he is? What right does he have to do this kind of thing? How can God claim to be good and still allow all of the stuff that's listed in this chapter?

That's good. Keep those questions coming. Because it comes back to the fundamental question I asked at the beginning of this article: What is God like? Much of the Bible is written to give us a no-holds barred answer to this question: Is God good? That is the question, isn't it? From the serpent in the garden until the end of Revelation, the Bible records incident after incident of God's dealings with us. It doesn't try to sugar coat anything with an "life with God is gravy" message, but still the Bible's answer is a resounding, "Yes"

It is not enough for the Bible to say it. We must say it. God is good. We trust-that relationship word-a good God. God is a whatever-it-takes God. Amos calls him Lord God Almighty-the one who can and will do what he wants. And what he wants-more than his son's life-is for you to be close to him. It is a dangerous presumption for you to ask God to prove himself to you, and then do nothing when he reveals himself. Stripping away every excuse, our heart is revealed--either barren stubbornness or else brokenness.

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. - Psalm 34:18 

Exodus 31: Novelty Is Revealing The Temporarily Hidden

But there's no such thing as the unknown-- only things temporarily hidden, temporarily not understood. - James T. Kirk, The Corbomite Maneuver

For my company, I regularly put on a half-day workshop on the topics of patents because of my experience. One of the key requirements for an invention is that it must be novel. It must not be obvious. Someone from my field (a "man of the art") must look at the existing materials or components and look at the resulting invention and agree that it is new.

Now, as an apprentice of Jesus, this seems a bit ironic because I am sure that God is not surprised by what I've invented. At no point did God look at my finished work and scratch his head and say, "Gee, I wish I'd thought of that." No, God is the engineer and he invites me to delight in discovering what he already knows. I am following after Him.

There are two aspects the creative work product where we are invited to enjoy beauty. I call these the craft and the art. These may not be the right technical terms, but I use them because they are broad enough to include many fields of endeavor which are not traditionally thought of in terms of beauty.

The first is craft. That is, there is a beauty that is found in a work crafted or put together. The brush stroke or well-honed line of prose or the arched span of a bridge or portal. Or even an elegant line of code, a well-arranged interior or beautifully integrated garden. One of my favorite books is Beautiful Code. Software may not be everyone's cup of tea, but there is a definite appreciation-programmer to programmer-for the way lines of code come together to implement an algorithm with no more lines and no fewer lines than necessary.

The second is art. Art is something that creates an environment in which others can thrive. Good paintings or photographs draw you in and view the world from a new, enriching perspective. Good books or theater or movies lead you to truth through the drama of the characters. Good software lets you interact with data seamlessly.

Let me give you an example from the Bible.

See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts - Exodus 31:2-5

God picked out Bezalel because he was an excellent craftsman. He was recognized as skilled and artistic. Other craftsmen saw what he did and could recognize the beauty of the designs in metal, precious stones and wood. This is craft.

Then the Bible continues:

Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you: the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent...and also the woven garments...and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. - Exodus 31:6b-11a.

Notice the environment that their craft was creating: an environment for worship-in the architecture, in accessories, in the clothing, and even in the smell. This is the art. It can also be found in a palace (1 Kings 7), in words of wisdom (Proverbs 1; Psalm 119), in the human body (Psalm 139) and the stars (Psalm 19), of which is put into place as an environment for thriving.

I still try to be novel and create new things--at least new to me. Often I ask God for help in the craft and art of computer programming, because I know he enjoys my delight in what I find after him, in both the art and the craft.

John 2:24: Full Disclosure?

Impressions are vitally important in the Church, it seems. We must make sure that people think we are spiritual, or at least desirous of being spiritual. We want them to believe our families are attaining all the right goals and ideals. We hope that people see us as if we have it together in our marriages, our jobs, and most of all in our walk with Christ.. - Pastor Craig Miller[1]

The acronym TMI tells me that I am sharing Too Much Information-details not appropriate for the situation or audience. Sometimes things come out of my mouth that members of my family wished were not a part of public discourse. Maybe it is about them. Or maybe it is about me that makes them question if their is (or should be) a familial connection.

Why? Because we want to control how other people perceive us and some "information" gives people the wrong impression. We (or, at least, I) want people to think that I am smart, compassionate, and in touch with modern culture. This is impression management - "a self-crafted means of getting others to believe what we want them to believe about us — but not necessarily believing what’s true."[2]

Not just for the insecure or precipitously famous, impression management is a skill that we all develop because we quickly learn that people react to you based on what they see rather than who you are.

We can see this in marriages. Vernon Edmonds used the term marriage conventionalization: "The extent to which a person distorts the appraisal of his marriage in the direction of social desirability."[3] That is, how hard does each spouse work to create the impression that you have the marriage that everyone else expects you have.

So there is this tension between, on one hand, wanting to be authentic with people and, on the other, knowing that not everyone can be trusted. One only has to remember what was repeated inadvertently by our kids in public. Church people can be a tough crowd because they have a whole other set of expectations. Even Jesus dealt with this tension:

But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. - John 2:24

Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said... - Luke 20:20a 

Ok. That makes me feel a little better. Why? Because they barely knew him. They weren't committed to him or, worse, were actively against him. Disclosure is tied to trust. Later, when he had spent three years with a group of twelve guys apprenticed to him, he finally said:

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. - John 15:15

Even then, it hurt, because one sold him out, one denied him and the rest abandoned him in fear. But Jesus established circles of disclosure: the three (Peter, James, John), the twelve, the seventy-two (Luke 10), and then the crowd. In each circle, Jesus is authentic but not exhaustively so. The transfiguration is for the three (Matthew 17); his high-priestly prayer (John 17) for the twelve, his commission (Luke 10) for the seventy-two; the parables for the crowd.

Why? Jesus spoke what was necessary for those who heard, at the time they were ready to hear it. 

Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. - Matthew 7:6

Often Jesus would tell a story to one group, but only give the detailed explanation to his disciples. Again, authentic disclosure, but different levels of disclosure.

How does this work in life?

1. Speak with purpose. Your life story is meant to be used for God's glory. Not for yours.
2. Speak truth, but only as much as will make sense, given the listener's familiarity with your character and life situation.
3. Speak with compassion. Are you practicing hearing your words as if you were them?

I'm still working on how this works out and have that my modeling of another person's situation is often flawed so that what I intended for good is sometimes useless or even harmful. This is humbling and makes me grateful for the insight and words given by the Spirit of God to translate my good intentions into words that match.

[1] Pastor Craig Miller, The Road to Wholeness Is Blocked By Good Impressions, The Village Pastor (blog), https://gbcvillagepastor.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-road-to-wholeness-is-blocked-by.html, retrieved on May 7, 2017
[2] John Ortberg, The Life You've Always Wanted, Zondervan (2002)
[3]Vernon H Edmonds, Marital Conventionalization: Definition and Measurement, Journal of Marriage and Family, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Nov., 1967), pp. 681-688

James 1:19: "Yes, And" Attitude

One of the famous axioms of improvisational comedy is the use of the phrase "Yes, and" at the start of your response to what another person says. As Scott McDowell describes it, "No matter what your fellow actors present to you, instead of negating it, belittling it, or disagreeing with it, your job is to say, “Yes, and…”  Accept the scenario as it’s presented to you (regardless of where you wanted it to go), and then to add to it. "[1]

I first heard this phrase in a valedictorian speech for my daughter's graduation. But, while some business thinkers have grabbed on to this as a tool for brainstorming[2], it has become my new proverb for listening well.

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry - James 1:19b

How does "Yes, and" help with that?

1. It reminds me to reaffirm what I just heard and indicate that I agree. I don't always agree, but I find that 90% of the time, I actually do agree, but was too impatient to say so in my hurry to move on to the following implications. Being an engineer, I like to optimize my conversations with other people and build on what they have just said, taking their previous statement as a given. Fewer words. But it doesn't always work. Many times I have found that my partner in conversation doesn't take that for granted. They are often left trying to parse my words to discover whether I am agreeing or disagreeing with them. A simple word "Yes" tells them I heard them, I have understood what they said and that we are substantially on the same page. Then the word "and" lets them know I am building on that thought.
2. Thinking about "Yes, and" as my default response allows me to try another person's perspective. In my job, there was a plan that management was considering that I thought was foolish; putting our company in a vulnerable position. The objection was a roadblock from my considering the other issues related to our course of action. My boss called me into is office and said, in effect, "So, if we do this, how do we give the company the best chance at success?" I said, "It is so dumb..." He said, "Yes, yes, but assuming that this is what we're going to do, what can we do to give us the shot?" Defaulting to Yes, and" forces me to consider seriously what it would mean to agree with the assumptions that someone else is putting forward and what it would mean for me to build on top of that. Considering that slows me down and gives me a better view.
3. It lessens the chance of getting angry. Why is it that my default responses start with "No" or "Yes, but..."? In the midst of a discussion my focus can switch from finding a solution to winning the argument. How often has my need to be right has led me to say "No" for no other reason than to set myself apart from another person? Because I didn't like them or my feelings had been hurt, I was determined to not be "Yes, and" with them. It also avoids Hanlon's Razor, "Never attribute to malice that which is better explained by stupidity" (and, I would add) ", even my own."

Of course, I don't always agree. I don't want to mislead. I want my "yes" to be yes (Matt. 5:37) But starting from "Yes, and" and then deciding if I want to change it leads to better listening, more careful consideration of other possibilities and fewer angry situations.

[1]Scott McDowell, The “Yes, And…” Approach: Less Ego, More Openness, More Possibility, http://99u.com/articles/7183/the-yes-and-approach-less-ego-more-openness-more-possibility, retrieved on May 5, 2017
[2]"Yes, and...", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes,_and..., retrieved on May 5, 2017

Hebrews 13:2: Treat People As Permanent Features Of My New Life

Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. - Hebrews 13:2

It is easy to write off (or tell off) people on the road. After all, you may never see them again. You don't know them and they don't know you. Cashiers, attendants, ushers, ticket takers, pedestrians, fellow elevator travelers--so many people flow past us, their roles and our interactions prescribed by job, geography, time and cultural convention. The way we treat these people--they are people, not just roles or functions--shows what we think of God.

This is obvious in the way we treat strangers. The Bible reminds us that the "stranger" can be the messenger of God. Strangers might be angels (Heb. 13:2), or Jesus himself (Luke 24:13ff) or a fellow traveler. Jesus said, "...I was a stranger and you invited me in...whatever you did for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." (Matt. 25:35)

How does this work in real life? My friend and colleague, Kevin Davis, taught me one way in my job: "Treat the people with whom I interact as permanent features of my new life."[1] We both travel a lot for work, and there are tons of interactions with customers, potential customers, overseas co-workers, hotel staff and restaurant workers. We may see them again in a few months, or maybe never again.

But Kevin uses each visit as a chance to start a relationship or build on one. "...[T]reat everyone as a permanent friend. Learn as much about them as possible. Keep a little spot in your heart just for them. Your heart will grow to make room for all of them," he said. Why? "At one point I realized that every person can teach me something new if I let them."

So, make the effort to reserve space--to learn, to care. It can be frustrating, because I want to, but it is not my natural tendency. I am too often friendly, but not interested in being a friend.

Lord, prompt me to build relationships with those passing through until it is my habit and then my character; not to gain me anything except what you would teach me through them.

[1]More about this by Kevin at The Day (https://medium.com/happy-trails-yall/the-day-c232dc59b540), retrieved on April 30, 2017.

Jeremiah 10:23-24: Lord, Change Me Gently

I know, Lord, that our lives are not our own. We are not able to plan our own course. So correct me, Lord, but please be gentle. Do not correct me in anger, for I would die. - Jeremiah 10:23-24 (NLT)

Since I was a younger man, I have remembered one request I that made to God: Lord, change me gently; don't break me. I wondered whether this was the coward's path to spiritual transformation; or a purgatory without epiphanies; or what God had intended when he set up the whole sanctification business in the first place for sinners like us.

Now I see that Jeremiah was wondering the same thing. He wants correction, but he wants to survive the process. The gentleness he refers to isn't ignoring or diminishing the core character issues, but emphasizes God's actions towards his children, as opposed to those who prey upon his children (see verses 25-26)[1] As the traditional Jewish definition of justice has it, "To each person what he deserves; to each one what is appropriate."[2]

Nearly 30 years later, I can say that I am both happy and frustrated by my prayer. Many of the same issues are still there. They don't go away; I combat them daily. But many are gone, replaced by the fruit of God's spirit. Would I change my prayer? I don't think so. I'm too afraid to try it the other way, but I'm also too afraid to stay the way I am. Thank God that he plans my course.

The one who calls, calls as to his son. I trust in that.

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:14

[1] The phrase "please be gentle" is the NLT's way of dealing with the interpretive question of the difference between "justice" that Jeremiah wants for himself (cf. "in justice", ESV, NASB) and the "anger" he wants for his enemies. "Gentle" tries to express this contrast in terms of control. Where as "gentleness" is "strength under control", the nations receive the "pouring out of wrath" in the following verses. But I think that the NIV's rendering "in due measure" captures the sense better. In this sense, Jeremiah is saying, in effect, my sins deserve fair punishment (as someone who loves God, but has failed him). This is in contrast with the nations (who do not know God and devour Israel), who deserve so much more.
[2] As cited in Joy At Work, Dennis W Bakke (2005)

Jeremiah 7:24: My Retrograde Heart

But they did not listen or pay attention; instead, they followed the stubborn inclinations of their evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. - Jeremiah 7:24

One of the dangers to the calling of any follower of Jesus is the retrograde heart. My heart tends to fall back and not fall forward. My heart is (as the dictionary says) "tending toward or resulting in a worse or previous state." That influence--my heart's influence--just puts me in a spiritual spin cycle.

Rich Mullins captured it well in his song, The Maker of Noses, when he said:

And everyone I know wants to go there too
But when I ask them how to do it they seem so confused
Do I turn to the left?
Do I turn to the right?
When I turn to the world they gave me this advice 

They said boy you just follow your heart,
But my heart just led me into my chest
They said follow your nose
But the direction changed every time I went and turned my head
And they said boy you just follow your dreams
But my dreams were only misty notions
But the Father of hearts and the Maker of noses
And the Giver of dreams He's the one I have chosen
And I will follow Him

At the same time, the Spirit is renewing us day by day (2 Cor. 4:14), fulfilling God's promise that our heart of stone would be displaced by a heart of flesh (Eze. 34:36). So the spiritual discipline of solitude is designed to remove distractions so that we can hear the quiet voice of God that we are so unaccustomed to hearing. For me this most readily happens on long business flights or long drives with the radio turned off.

Now, the cynical among us might dismiss this searching for a "still, small voice" as wish fulfillment or self-talk, not really the voice of God. While I believe that God can and does speak, that skeptical voice does raise a good point: how do we know the difference? Frankly, "listening to my heart" and "listening to the Spirit of God" can sound the same. To make it worse: The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? (Jer. 17:19) Our unchanged heart masquerades as the voice of God!

I have been there, thinking I was hearing God when, in fact, I was listening to a script prepared by heart that sounded holy and godly, but in fact was false. I wish I could hear it clearly, like Peter in the early church. He is walking to the temple and he hears a poor and crippled man asking him for money, stops, makes a brief speech and then heals the man (Acts 3). So here is the question that bothers me: How did he know? How did he know to stop that time and heal that man? I mean, he didn't stop for every one of the beggars or sick. How did he know that when he reached out his hand to pull the man to his feet that he would be able to stand that time? Who told Peter? God, obviously. But that require a level of intimacy with God and a level of awareness of God's voice that I don't have. I wish I did, but I don't.

So I have to rely on some guidelines I've developed, to help me keep out of trouble. They are not gospel, they are just guidelines based on the Bible, my experience with myself and observations from others who I trust.

1. Whether something is difficult or easy is not an indicator as to whether it should be done or not.
2. My heart is more concerned about the way something looks that what it really is. Personal descent is sometimes the path of wisdom.
3. If my thoughts center around a person, rather than the goal, I'm probably not on the right track.
4. I should expect that God will pull me in directions that I wouldn't normally consider, because He is God and I am not. Some rebukes are painful, others are refreshing. All can be learned from.
5. I don't like confrontation, so I have to watch my heart most carefully when I might anger or disappoint someone by my decisions.

Proverbs 2:11-15: A Little Bit Shady

Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you. Wisdom will save you from [those] whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways. - Prov. 2:11-12a, 15

When I was attending a recent seminar put on by Control System Cyber Security Association International (CS2AI), the presenter, Rahner James, described the type of professional who would excel in the IT security industry as having to be "a little bit shady." This was an updated take on the adage "it takes a thief to catch a thief", presuming that there was a different approach to securing your IT infrastructure if you understood how a hacker might look at it. Your web services don't need to defend against people who use it the way it was intended. Rather, once a system is defined, the hacker finds the cracks in the interfaces and the weaknesses in the safeguards, skirting around the boundaries to gain access. Fair people tend to think others will treat them fairly, while deceitful people assume everyone is trying to cheat them.

One of the attendees of the seminar objected to this requirement. He didn't want to think his moral compass had to be compromised in order to do his job well. I sympathized with him, because I have seen security blindness and I could also see how a glimpse into the dark side might give us insight into the means and motives of attack.

Then James gave an analogy that helped me understand. Hackers, he claimed, divided the world into two categories: sheep and wolves. They are the wolves and IT is the fence protecting the sheep. By challenging the IT security, they are proving themselves--seeing how good and talented they really are. If they win, they are rewarded with financial gain or notoriety. If they lose, they try again, or they get caught. No risk, no reward.

But IT security people see the world in three categories: sheep, wolves and sheep dogs. Sheep dogs have similar genetic makeup and similar instincts and similar tools with wolves, but they win when the sheep are safe and the lose when the sheep go down.

Jesus expressed his own role in slightly different terms:

I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. - John 10:7b-10

Maybe, being "a little bit shady" means remembering the way we are all inclined to be without God. Jesus warned his disciples "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" (Matt. 10:16) We look for the angle. We try to get around rules. We look for loopholes. We take advantage of the goodwill of helpful people. People in security have to have a determination to protect that is as strong as the ambition to penetrate.

What is it like to understand the full extent of evil (Genesis 2), but not be evil yourself? I don't know, but I want to move forward with the right heart motivations.

What is it like to be a good God, see the full extent of deception in the hearts of men and women, and still love those who are a little bit (or a lot) shady? I don't know, but I am sure glad he does.

1 Timothy 6:6: The Tale of Two CTOs

Just as you must pursue contentment, the paradox is that you also must pursue your dreams wholeheartedly.[1]

This morning I was mulling over a recent decision within my company to give me fewer new requisitions for new employees. I requested the new hires because the roadmap for our product was going to strain the limits of my small team: a new product already committed would start in only three months and we were still putting the finishing touches on our last two products. Yet, as I told my wife, I was at peace with the whole situation, and that struck me as odd, since I'm normally more of the worrier. But not today. My wife's comment was telling: "You have grown in this area."

One of the difficulties for me as an employee is the tension between contentment and dreaming. During my first stint as a CTO (Chief Technology Officer), I was invited to take part in a number of seminars and conferences where they asked my opinion about the pressing industry questions of the day because I was a subject-matter expert (SME). Then I would interact with some of the brightest thinkers in the PC industry, from major computer software and hardware companies about what the future would look like.

Then I would return back to my real job and try to convince the senior management that we should invest in some of these ideas: time, resources and people. But the truth was, we were so intent on the minutiae of day-to-day business that lifting our collective head to look at some of these opportunities was just too much work. So I was schizophrenic, discussing these big ideas with industry leaders but unable to get my company interested in them. The gap between my dreams and my actual situation grew until I gave up my CTO job and went back to being a senior architect.

This tension between longing and satisfaction torments many employees. In general, the American workplace encourages discontent by encouraging us to compare and look for the next opportunity. We are often dared to move, but seldom dared to stay. "Contentment ... is your choice to stay and grow and excel, for a season, regardless of current circumstances."[1]

At the same time, running away fromt the tension-toward complacency-stifles the soul. I backed away from the untenable situation into a role where the dreams were smaller but it was a season of growth in other areas.

Then, several years later, the company went through a bit of a turbulent time and I decided to look around for a new position. During one conversation, the interviewer asked me what position I was interviewing for and I was stumped! I had to ask to reschedule the rest of the interview! So I went away and when we talked again, I was ready: "CTO" The dream had been reignited and my fears had abated, so that I was willing again--this time in a larger company.

Even then I wasn't sure of my motives. During times of prayer over the next few weeks I prayed that my heart would be ready to hear God's "yes" or "no" to this new position-to surrender my goals into his hands with equanimity. Honestly, I was ready.

God did place me in a new company. But I will not forget the lessons of contentment vs. dreaming.

This plays into our spiritual lives as well. Paul said:

But godliness with contentment is great gain. - 1 Timothy 6:6

Godliness can be a demanding task master, if we let it. With Jesus as the highest standard, everything can be more, more, better, better, whether personally, working with a church or in serving others. After all, it was Paul who said, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:12) The difference between the dream of who I could be, or how the church could be, can drive you crazy with discontent.[2]

But Jesus also said, "[Y]ou will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:30). Any time I find that the gap between my dreams and my satisfaction is too large, I realize I have tied myself to the wrong taskmaster--it isn't Jesus. Many times, it is the slow, steady plodding through today that brings me to the place where God wants me to be.




[1] As highlighted previously in this blog series. See Leading from the Second Chair, M. Bonem & R. Patterson.
[2] The context, before and after, is dealing with money. Paul applies this general principle of the relationship between godliness and contentment to the specific case of people trying to get ahead financially. Godliness without contentment is discontented, even arrogant ambition. Contentment without godliness is either complacent or misdirected. Without godliness or contentment you have the fool of Proverbs.

Ecclesiastes 5:2: The Gap Between Me and My Words

Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. - Ecclesiastes 5:2a

God grant me space between me and the things I say so that I may choose the best. Sometimes this gap is time, between what I hear and my reaction and what I say. That gap helps with angry, hasty words.

Many times the words that come out are malformed, muddy and unhelpful. My first self-the self that reacts-is authentic, but it reflects who I am rather than who I am becoming in Christ. My second self-the self that considers-uses that God-gifted gap to speak words of life. Our culture values the authentic, because that same gap that can be used for grace can also be used for hypocrisy and image management.

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. - Proverbs 16:24

The first self has been rooted in my life since the beginning and usually has first access to my mouth. The second self-the one being transformed by God-is the latecomer but fueled by the Spirit of God.

Today, my pastor said that we also grant space to others by listening well. My first self wants to fill in that gap with my story. My second self wants to hear their story well.

With my friends and colleagues from the Philippines, Taiwan and mainland China, when I ask a question there is often a pause-a silence. One reason for this is their respect for me, waiting to see if I will continue. Another reason is when the dialog is in English, it is often their second or third language and it takes time to parse the flow of words. I have experienced this delay-to-parse myself on Philippine Airlines flights, trying to understand the in-flight announcements in Filipino. It just takes time.

For me, that 2-3 second silence is uncomfortable. Sometimes I interpret that lack of response as either license to continue or failure to communicate. So, I start talking again and my friend's opinion is never spoken nor heard. A mistake that leaves me impoverished.

God grant the gap to let the second self respond in grace. God grant the gap to let another speak well-heard.

Esther 4: Wide Awake in the Second Chair

If being "deep" in your position means excelling, then "wide" means collaborating. Not content to focus on the narrow confines of your job description, the "wide" worker is looking out for what is best for the entire organization. Your competence (or depth) is what gives you credibility to speak into others.

The show Undercover Boss shows what happens when the CEO of a corporation steps into the role of an ordinary worker in their company. Their normal role as the leader isolates them from pertinent issues for their workers, managers and customers. There is humor and irony as these CEOs see the truth in their own company and how it is affecting its health.

One of the roles of a good worker is listening to what is going on around you and taking the group or organization's pulse.[1] This means listening well. Knowing what people are thinking and feeling in an organization is valuable. Many times, managers and leaders are cocooned from what is going on around them. Maybe it is being filtered-people just don't tell them what they think. Maybe the day-to-day requirements of a leader's position reinforce a focus on particular issues that leave some things un-addressed. But for one reason or another, your boss is missing out on a vital fact: morale is low, friction is rising, solutions are being overlooked, a train wreck is coming. Part of being a good worker is helping avoid surprises. If there is a problem, its better they find out from you before the phone rings.

The Bible narratives describe this role and its effect a few different times. But Mordecai springs to mind. He was hanging around the gate and heard about a plot to kill the king. He gave the info to Esther and the conspirators were caught. Later, he hears the rumors about Haman's plot, gathers documentary evidence and gives it to Esther so she can make her fateful decision.  (Esther 4).

Jesus asked his disciples: Who do people say that I am? (Matt. 16) The disciples came back with what they had heard. Whether Jesus already knew the answer is not clear, but he clearly knew and expected that his followers were keeping the pulse of the crowd. They needed to understand the gap between people's perceptions of their mission (Elijah, John the Baptist, Jeremiah) and the real mission (Messiah, church).

You can see it with Daniel (see ch. 2), even the Pharaoh's baker in the story of Joseph! I don't want to stretch these Bible examples too far. They aren't exact parallels. But in each case listening to hear what people were thinking and feeling was valued, it helped the leader avoid a train wreck and God used it to advance his purposes. It doesn't always lead to their advancement. But it leads to the purposes of God advancing. And this wasn't in church, it was pagan government.

One of the ways I've seen this work is in regard to morale. For much of my career, I've worked either for company A, but my office was actually inside company B, or I've worked at home. One of the great fears for employees like me is that we will be forgotten, passed over and ignored. They often can't take part in our company's parties (because they're remote) and they can't take part in their host company's parties (because its for that company's employees only). When they are talking layoffs, we hope they don't remember us. When they are talking raises and promotions, we hope they do remember us!

As such, I am particularly sensitive to signs that engineers in a similar situation within my company are feeling low. I, myself, look for ways to challenge and encourage them, and I help my bosses remember how certain actions will be perceived by those who aren't sitting in a cubicle in our office. This isn't a major thing, but it is one where I have seen God use my ears to help extend my boss' understanding. This is one way I am growing as a "wide" worker.

----

[1] I was introduced to this term in Leading From The Second Chair, M. Bonem & R. Patterson. For an excellent summary, see Rich Woods, Leaders Book Summaries, http://www.richwoods.org/richwoods/greenhouse/Second_Chair.pdf, retrieved March 9, 2017.

James 4:13-15: Going and Sending

Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” - James 4:13-15

Today, as I was flying to Boston for business and staring out the window, I was praying that God would invite me into whatever he was doing in the place he was sending me. Then it occurred to me that wherever I am going today for work was actually a place he was sending me. Wherever I go, there the kingdom of God is, because of his sovereign claim on my life. So I'd better be sure I was sent.

I think that's why James speaks so strongly to business people. If we think that we are going because of our business, "you boast in your arrogant schemes." (vs. 16).

There is nothing wrong with taking risks, being entrepreneurial, and building a business as long as we realized that God is already on the other side of what we are planning. He has been there already. He has seen the aftermath of your venture. He has seen the result of our plan. And maybe it isn't his plan, and maybe it isn't his best.

So I take a different approach: I am being sent into a situation where God is already at work and he is inviting me to join him, even for the span of a few days. I pray that my eyes will be open to what is happening. I pray that my heart will be humble to trade my agenda for his. I pray that his kingdom will be furthered, not mine. I'm here as a part of my job, but I'd prefer he supercede. As tobyMac says, "Steal my show."

It is curious to me that before Jesus left, his followers were called disciples-followers. But after he left, his disciples were called apostles-sent ones. "As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." (John 20:21)

I could say I made my plane reservations (I did) for my business reasons (I did). But God has his own purposes for letting me go. God does not just rubber-stamp my itinerary as his plan. Rather, he is utilizing my life, in all its journeys, to make his point. If he didn't want me to go, he could have told me (by his Spirit) or diverted me, or stopped me. James notes that I am just a mist. My plans don't stand a chance compared to the power of God, if he wants something else.

We can too easily set up our goal as if it is the reason for going. But today, as I landed in Logan International Airport, I am going because God was sending me into what he was already doing.

Daniel 1: Deep and Wide, There's a Fountain Flowing

Hiring the best did not pull the team together. Each person came aggressive and passionate for his or her own ministry without commitment to the whole. People were not recruited and hired to join a coherent and unified movement. - Simple Church, T. Rainer and E. Geiger

What makes a good staff member. As Simple Church points out, just "hiring thoroughbreds" and "letting them run" doesn't lead to healthy organizations. This is one of the key tensions described in Leading from the Second Chair: Deep vs. wide.

"Deep" is reflected in how well you carry out the responsibilities of your role. Do you do your job well? The software engineer in me liked solving problems well, devising elegant and functional solutions, learning from really smart people and passing on what I knew to others. Later, as a team lead, architect and CTO, there was an interpersonal aspect; working with teams, persuading others, and communicating clearly. People talk with me expecting clear answers and doable solutions. For other jobs, there may be less technical expertise and more people expertise involved. I have come to respect, for example, project managers, who are responsible for schedules and yet don't have the power to make those schedules happen except through people skills. The best show a level of creative thinking, perseverance and willingness to take heat for the team that I truly admire.

"Wide" is reflected in how your awareness of the situation in the rest of the organization. Good workers see the big picture, identify the greater opportunities or pressing problems and take initiative. Organizational silos naturally build up in an organization in order to optimize what that silo does. I like silos. I like the general surgeon model that allows me to hyper-focus on my problems and my solutions and what I need to solve them. But we need to think wider than that.

Why? Because when each business unit or ministry becomes a kingdom, it fosters unhealthy competition rather than collaboration. I've seen reputation-depending, locked-down, no discussion, envious, passive-aggressive, finger pointing, only-vertical communication styles that cripple managers and companies. Division of labor is a useful thing, but the stress brought about by the change inherent in every organization's life cycle inevitably challenges the kingdom boundaries we set up.

This is a tension to be managed, not a problem to be solved. We need competent people, teams, groups and divisions. We also need collaborative people, teams, groups and divisions. And these both need time, attention and resources taken from a finite pool. So we manage the tension.

We see some of these in the life of Daniel:

To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds...In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.- Daniel 1:17

This was an unpleasant work environment. Daniel and his friends were new, recently displaced and from a completely different culture. There was huge pressure to conform (1:10, 311-12). God gave them insight and talent, they were diligent in their studies and their excellence was, in due time, rewarded with recognitions. Like Joseph, they put in extended periods of time without tangible rewards (cf. Daniel 1:5, "three years")

This was a high pressure environment. The boss (King Nebuchadnezzar) was not always reasonable and had a penchant for axing (literally, 2:8), burning (3:21) or "throwing to the lions" (literally) those who disappointed him. Even more discouraging, their job success depended on making the government headed by this self-centered maniac succeed and prosper (cf. Jer. 29) Let that sink in for a moment.

This was a back-biting environment. Success was rewarded but also brought envy. Others mini-kingdoms were being threatened by the rising prominence of the outside recruits.God deliberately stirred up the government and religious leaders of Babylon to accomplish his goals. He brought in young men, tested their character and gave them insight and talent to disrupt the status quo for his glory. But the status quo disrupted right back with gossip, traps and sanctioned violence.

In this environment, just remember: God knows it all first. No matter what your field of expertise, God has already discovered what can be discovered and thought what can be thought. God never watches you and goes, "I wish I'd thought of that." Instead, we are following after him. He delights in showing us more. Daniel said, "there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries." (Dan. 2:28a) It wasn't only spiritual stuff that God revealed, but he also taught them "all kinds of literature and learning." One of the sharp contrasts in Daniel's life is between those who give credit to God for their success (Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego) and those who do not (Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar)/

It is satisfying to be the master of your area of expertise or manage your group productively. But you can gain still meet every group goal and objective and your organization can still fall apart. That's were the wide perspective comes in, which we will look at more in depth next time.
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Genesis 41:1: Can't We Speed Things Up Here? (Or, Two Years is Too Long)

“Second fiddle! Without a doubt. I can get any number to play first violin, but to find one who plays second violin with as much enthusiasm is a real problem.  Of course, second French horn or second flute would be similar.  And yet, if no one plays second fiddle, we have no harmony.” - Leonard Bernstein, when asked the most difficult instrument to play.

Jesus challenges how we work as an employee. Under workplace stress, the character of Jesus in us comes out...or not. For the second time in software engineering career, I am a manager. I didn't do so well the first time, several years ago, and my manager removed that part of my job. Many times I have reflected on what happened and asked God to teach me. This is the second time he's asked me to do something a second time, but more on that another day.

God challenged me, first, to be a good worker under for a manager. He did this in my roles as a senior engineer and a church leader. You get along with some; you don't get along with others. Sometimes you get to choose who you report to and then regret it. Other times you don't get to choose who you report to and then find it was a blessing. One thing is true: Under God's superintending hand, each has taught me something God wanted me to hear.

Also, during this period, I found a book, Leading from the Second Chair, that helped to clarify my thinking about what it means to support a leader or manager in both church and non-church settings. In particular, it noted that many of the great characters of the Bible were not leaders, but rather, second-in-commands. Joseph, Daniel, Mordecai, Deborah, Esther, and Nehemiah, for example. Often, they were advisers to people who were not God-fearing, but God put them there anyway.

One incident that I have often reflected upon in the Bible was the life of Joseph:

Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. The Lord was with Joseph (Gen. 39:1-2a) 

[Potiphar] burned with anger. Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. (Gen 39:20a)

Joseph didn't have a lot of choices when it came to bosses. After being carried to Egypt by slave traders, he found himself with a pretty good job with Potiphar (Gen. 39). Then things go south and he gets put in prison and he finds himself in a pretty good job working for the prison warden.

But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. (Gen. 39:20b-21)

While he is there, he makes friends with two important members of the household of Pharaoh, the baker and the cupbearer, who were out of favor because of some court scandal. Poisoning was a occupational hazard for the royal family and these two were at the center of the drama.

Joseph becomes friends with them. While his job in the jail under the warden is ok, he wonders if maybe he could transfer to Pharaoh's department or, maybe, get a parson and job recommendation. So he talks with his friends, but one dies and "The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him. When two full years had passed..." - (Gen. 40:23-41:1)

Why two years? That question has teased me. Here are my reflections:

1. Those were two years with God's presence. In his time in Potiphar's house and his time in prison, the Bible states clearly that God was with Joseph. God is present in these rough times as slave and prisoner, just as much as He is in the better times. Joseph himself reflected later, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Gen. 50:20) Whatever my role and whoever I report to, God is in the role with me. 
2. Those two years were practice. Joseph started as a bad manager. His father Jacob delegated authority to Joseph, which he handled poorly. He alienated his brothers and offended his mother and father (Gen. 37:10-14). God led him through his own house, Potiphar's house and then the prison before leading him before Pharaoh. He failed at home (brothers), then managed small (Potiphar's house and prison) and then managed big (Pharaoh & Egypt). He failed with his gifts at home (dreams), used his gifts small (cupbearer/baker) and then used them big (Pharaoh & Egypt). My current role is training for who I will be tomorrow, and what God will do tomorrow.
3. Those two years were not about Joseph. They were about God. We groan with the weight of the wait. But it is not about me or you. It is about God. He is always at work. He places us in a wait-and-grow mode while he orchestrates all according to his will and then, when it is safe for us to enter his plan, he green-lights our next step. Maybe it is about your boss, or your company, or you colleagues, or the community, or your industry--not about you at all--and he is placing you in a safe place, knowing he can trust you, while He makes his big move. 

There is an element of patience to all of this: the discipline of prospering-in-place, growing-while-slowing, blooming-where-planted. We can miss the benefits of working under our current manager (no matter who they are) if we are too busy longing for the next. There is a time for change, but is it for the right reason.

“Too many leaders focus all their energy on moving to the next chair as quickly as possible, and they miss the opportunity to develop their gifts in the current chair.” - Mike Bonem, Leading from the Second Chair

So, as a manager for the second time, I appreciate workers who have that patience. One day, they may surpass me. Great. But we can learn together while they are here.

Psalm 118:23-24: Make Not My Day, But Yours

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. - Psalm 118:23-24

As I prayed this morning, this verse came to my mind. We are walking into His day, not our day. He made it. We enter into what he has already prepared. If we could glimpse a view of today the way that God views it, it would be "marvelous in our eyes". It would be unexpected and improbable.

We are not creating our future, we are discovering a future. This morning, from the other end of today, God calls, "Come, follow me!"

Hebrews 7:19: We'll Come, not Welcome

As I was sitting on the flight back to San Francisco, I prayed to make God welcome in the airplane with me. Then, with ironic insight, I realized that I should instead thank him for welcoming me. He was already there, and he was inviting me into his plan for that place and those people. We step into the stream that has been long flowing.

While I was trying to invite God into my daily life, he was inviting me into his kingdom plan. Without realizing it, I was changing my spiritual life, into a "Come, join me." But Jesus was saying, "Come, follow me!" on the path he has scouted out in advance (Eph. 2:10). My "Please, help me" to God during the day was really an attempt to re-orbit that day around me-a universe in which the significance of events was measured by their impact on me--a plan where he joins me.

It dawned on me that instead, I join him, not vice-versa. It is his banquet. It is his table that he has prepared. It is his presence that we come into. It is him calling. The Bible says, "But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God." (Heb. 7:19) Trust that God's hope for the day is better than mine. That God's table is better than mine. Trust that God's flight plan is better than mine.

Wherever I am, God is there. He has a plan for that moment; you can join (2 Tim. 2:21) and, by sharing his purpose, you are approaching God with confidence. "Come close to God, and God will come close to you." (James 4:8a)

Isaiah 29:16: Role Reversal

You turn things upside down,as if the potter were thought to be like the clay!
Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, “You did not make me”?
Can the pot say to the potter, “You know nothing”? - Isaiah 29:16

The modern era is characterized by men and women who would like to regard God as their peer rather than as their parent. In doing so, it gives them the right to bring every decision of God into question. "Who is God," they might ask, "that he should have the right to decide what is best for me? I don't like the choices being made on my behalf. Give me the data and, for better or worse, let me work out my own choices to the best of my ability and I will bear the consequences."

The raised fist of defiance, or the sly, passive, quietly doing my own thing--each is a radical departure from how people have traditionally viewed the divine. We have walled off heaven, or considered it irrelevant. As a result, our imagination has become stunted and our view of God has been diminished so much that we can only view Him as a smarter, more powerful, more benign but ultimately still limited version of ourselves. As C.S. Lewis said in God in the Dock:

"The ancient man approached God (or even the gods) as the accused person approaches his judge. For the modern man, the roles are quite reversed. He is the judge: God is in the dock. He is quite a kindly judge; if God should have a reasonable defense for being the god who permits war, poverty, and disease, he is ready to listen to it. The trial may even end in God’s acquittal. But the important thing is that man is on the bench and God is in the dock."

The truth is, God does not owe me a defense or an apology. It may upset me that he uses his power so willfully, without consulting me. I may accuse Him of violating the very moral strictures that He places on me. In the end, I must confess that the moral calculus of it all is too complex for me to be God. I must acknowledge I can't put together a reasonable defense of my own behavior that would satisfy even my conscience. I must trust that God knows what in the heck He is doing and that He truly had my best in mind when he sent Jesus and called me to follow.

Colossians 1:16-17: God of the Next 30 Minutes

“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!” - Abraham Kuyper
There is a time in the morning that is mine. It lasts from about 5:30AM to about 6:00AM, when I get up to start breakfast for the family. In about 30 minutes, my wife will come down and make lunch and in about 45 my daughter will make her brief appearance before rushing out the door to school. The truth is, it doesn't really take me 30 minutes most days. But it is quiet and, these days, it is relatively dark and my brain has a chance to kickstart and my heart is calm.

I have learned over the years of doing this that certain things don't work during this time. For example, I can't look at my phone, because, inevitably, there will be an e-mail from our overseas office that either dominates my (very limited at that time in the morning) thinking or irritates me (I'm not quite as flexible).

I'd like to say that I was a spiritual giant and pulled out my Bible and prayed for that 1/2 hour. I do read, sometimes. I do pray, sometimes. Mostly, though, I enjoy it. The night shift is over. God has been at work for the past several hours, while I was sleeping. The world did not fall apart in my absence. His mercies are renewed, per usual. My mind wanders a bit.

He is still in charge for the next 30 minutes also. That's when other sleepy people show up, hungry, searching for homework and clean clothes. Then the conversations, the calendar, the e-mails and text messages crowd in with the litany of the day's commitments. But if I start with that 30 minutes, I find that the God of that calm is also the God of the chaos that follows. There is nothing that surprises Him; nothing that worries Him; nothing where He wonders, "What is to be done?" He is God of the next 30 minutes. And the 30 minutes after that.

"...all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Colossians 3:16b-17

It doesn't always work. Beautiful mornings shipwrecked by the worries of tomorrow or the hurt feelings of yesterday. When that happens, I look back with regret on that quiet time. But that regret is not a bad thing: it is a reminder of what could be. It is a longing for God to extend His peace over the rest of my time. So, many days I remember to invite him along. "God, will you come with me to X" or "God, will you join me in this conversation with Y" I'm still figuring it out, but I figure that if I let him be God of the next 30 minutes, maybe I can also let him be God of the 30 minutes after that.

Galatians 5: Weeds and the Tale of Two Gardens

My wife tells me that our life is the tale of two gardens. In each situation and with every choice, the question is which garden will respond most vigorously. One of these is full of desires out of control. The other is full of the desires under the Spirit of God's control. Or as Paul puts it, one shows itself through "sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like." (Gal. 5:19b-21a) In the other garden, we have "love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Gal. 5:22b-23a) Each is the natural product of one part of our nature when restraints are removed: our original life without God and our revitalized life with God.

So what is the difference? Jesus taught that there are things that choke out the healthy garden: thorns (or weeds), which are "...the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful." (Mark 4:19) So, what can we learn from weeds:

1. Weeds are a plant out of place. My wife says this often. Many weeds are actually desirable plants: quick growing, easy to maintain and beautiful foliage and flowers. But put that plant in the wrong place, it can be invasive, pervasive and destructive. That is true with our desires: many are the good gifts from God's promoted to an unhealthy position of prominence in our lives. When they are over-important, they are toxic, causing us to use or abuse others. 
2. Weeds are best controlled by encouraging healthy plants. In the area around my home, star thistle is an annoying, prickly, spindly plant that penetrates gloves, grows easily and is resistant to most types of typical herbicides. According to the pamphlet produced by the local horticulture experts, the best way to control star thistle is to replace it with desirable plants. We cannot just kill a bad habit--we must replace it with a good habit. I find that my toxic thoughts are tenacious. It is remarkable how long I want to hold on to them. That is why Paul encouraged "whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Not just accidentally drift over to these things, but intentionally think about them-planting the furrows of your mind with the healthy, beneficial thoughts.
3. Weeds sprout more quickly than healthy plants. That's one of the reasons they are weeds. Tear out your garden down to bare dirt and don't water, prepare the soil or fertilize. Which plants show up first? Nice, healthy fruits, flowers and vegetables? No! Weeds do. Our self-desires is often the first to respond, while the Spirit-nurtured desires sprouts more gradually. Like in any garden, we must watch out so that they are not the "first responders" That's why John had to remind his friends, "Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward." (2 John 1:8)

The good news for Jesus' followers is the promise of the life-giving presence of the Spirit. The natural, expected result of the Spirit's renewed life in us is the good fruit. Many of my prayers ask for just that. Jesus said, "A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit." (Matt. 7:17) Spirit, let your flourishing produce it's good fruit in me and reduce the weeds to ash.

Titus 2:10: Serving the Next

My job provides an environment that helps others thrive. We make software-software that other engineers customize to make their computer motherboards work. People use those computers to a million different things. It isn't fancy--if we're successful, you don't even know that our software exists. It just works. Software is like this--it isn't a glory job. I've often compared it to solving crossword puzzles--mentally stimulating but not terribly important in the grand scheme of things (see here).

I like to think that I write beautiful code. Elegant, even. Not just me: there is a book called Beautiful Code, but the audience for that beauty is limited. Much like one painter admiring the technique of another--brush strokes, color palette, use of materials. Or one pianist marveling at the fingering of a difficult passage of Chopin. Or a craftsman appreciating the joins on a piece of fine furniture. God is genius. There is nothing I invent or discover in software that will surprise him. Instead, he delights in my seeking out of the beauty he placed in creation--even in software--before the foundations of the world.

The best art highlights truth and multiplies impact. The art is not the truth itself. Rather it is a sort of truth wrapper, by which truth is emphasized and delivered. Church architecture can lift the gaze heavenward, teach the core stories of the faith, carry the voice of the teacher and singer and encourage community. Well-designed cars convey speed or stability or prestige while enabling speedy or comfortable travel.

Likewise, the best software highlights truth and multiplies impact. Consider the average auditorium: the air is processed by software, the sound is processed by software, the visuals are provided by software. You don't (and should not) marvel at the quality of the picture reproduction, the comfort level of the room's temperature and humidity or the fidelity of the audio (unless you are the production engineer). Rather, these are environmental wrappers for the message being delivered by the speaker giving the speech.

Sometimes it is hard to see the beauty because there is no direct line of sight between what you create and what is eventually created by someone else. It's hard to see the Ferrari when you build the fuel filter. It's hard to see the supercomputer when all you write (as I do) code on a chip that takes less than a square centimeter, holds less than 1 megabyte (1000th of a gigabyte) and costs less than 25 cents. But there is a different type of beauty that God has shown me: not just the beauty of the finished product, but the beauty of serving the next.

Serving the next is saying: "How can what I make better serve the next person who uses it?" and "How can what I do better serve the next person who experiences it?" I don't know many of the engineers who use my code. But I do know that I can serve them by making my code easier to use, more robust and simpler to use. They may never notice what I did any more than you noticed how clean the bathroom was in the last hotel room you stayed in. But it is still beautiful. It is still praising God. I am creating an environment where in some little way, another person can thrive.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. - Colossians 3:23-24

We must be careful because we can twist this out of mixed motives. One way this gets distorted is watching outcomes or calculating return on investment. That is, we often improve what we do so that people will pay us more money or look on us more favorably or judge whether the effort is worth it. As Jesus said, "And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that." (Luke 6:33)

In creating beauty through serving we are reaping the real benefit and creating the real beauty: the inner life transformed by God "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28)

"But...I need that outcome." Like a salary. Or sleep. Sure. We depend on others who, in turn, serve us--whether it is our company, our customers, our families or our friends. But our paychecks come from God and he has called for lives "so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive" (Titus 2:10b)