Leadership

Thomas Barr continues our series on what it looks like to be a disciple by studying Matthew 11 and identifying the specific words Jesus used to invite us in—come, take, learn, and find.

In our final week of this collection, Ben Stuart tackles how to tactfully handle conflict in a way that honors God, gives dignity to the other, and allows you to be honest. We are going to have to speak, but we are given a blueprint on how to speak the truth in love.

This is part one of Structure that Leads to Flourishing—an excerpt series from Ben Stuart’s book Rest & War.  How do we go about what we are on earth to do? We need a plan of attack. We need to harness our calendar for the greatest of all causes. We need to organize our days. This may not sound particularly spiritual or profound. But what I am advocating is not simply putting dates on the calendar. I am calling us to order our world, and it begins with deciding what we’ll put our hands to throughout the day. This is not simply about the modern practice of keeping a calendar. This is about figuring out how to sync up eternity in our heart with the wristwatch on our arm. Lack of preparation opens us up to the dual attack of unproductivity and stress. We feel like we have so much to do but also do not know what to do. So we check our email or social media two hundred times a day, or take long lunches that have no strategic purpose. We feel busy but not productive. We are like an octopus on roller skates. There is plenty of movement, but it is not necessarily forward! Several years ago I read a book that discussed lion tamers. The author set out to answer this question: Why do animal trainers carry a four-legged stool when they go into a cage of lions? We understand what the whip is for. We get the pistol—that’s for if things end up not really working out. But why the stool? The answer was fascinating: “He holds the stool by the back and thrusts the legs toward the face of the wild animal. Those who know maintain that the animal tries to focus on all four legs at once. In the attempt to focus on all four, a kind of paralysis overwhelms the animal, and it becomes tame, weak, and disabled because its attention is fragmented.” Some of us look just like this. We’re doing a bunch of random activity, or we’ve got analysis paralysis. But we are meant to live far more purposeful and productive lives! I have heard people say that Jesus had a ministry of interruptions. I absolutely disagree. Jesus did not go around letting other people set the agenda of his day. He often told people no—more than you might guess. The morning after a late night of healing people, the disciples pressured Jesus to get back into town and keep healing. The people were demanding it. But Jesus’ answer was no. He told them he must preach, so they would be moving on. The crowds did not hand him his cause; his Father did. And miracles were meant to authenticate the message. He preached and healed in Capernaum. Then it was time to head to the next spot. A man tried to slow him down once, basically saying, “I want to follow you, but let me bury my dad first.” Jesus said, “Let the dead bury their own dead” (Matthew 8:19–22 NIV), and he kept walking. He didn’t even break stride! When another cried out, “Tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me,” Jesus responded, “Who appointed me . . . an arbiter between you?” (Luke 12:13–14 NIV). This guy was trying to set Jesus’ agenda, and Jesus wasn’t having it. Arbiter was not on his list of identities. However, when a blind man cried out, “Son of David, have mercy on me,” Jesus stopped in his tracks and called the man to him (Matthew 20). Why? Because that request aligned with Jesus’ strategic purpose. He was the Son of David and he had come to give mercy. The activity matched his identity. Jesus was willing to adapt his schedule but not outside the boundaries of his calling. Jesus was not wandering around spouting quotable lines and randomly hanging with people. He was methodically and strategically implementing a plan for the global spread of his message. And he executed his plan brilliantly. He set his agenda by priority, not proximity, and we are meant to do the same. You and I have been commissioned by God Almighty himself to steward his creation. We need to learn how to be strategic like Jesus was, to set our agenda by priority, to get serious about stewarding what God has given us the very best we can. Paul told the Ephesians to “[make] the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16 NIV). Life is too precious to waste time. We are meant to leverage every moment for redemptive purpose. Proverbs 12:24 states, “The hand of the diligent will rule.” We are meant to be rulers in our environments, not victims. And diligence is an essential, celebrated, and commanded quality of rulers. Jesus told the parable of the managers entrusted with talents (Matthew 25). The master expected his managers to take those talents and invest them in a way that would be maximally profitable. This was an illustration of our lives under God. We have been given days. We have been given resources. We have been given talents. And we are meant to organize them in such a way that yields the maximum potential out of all life under our care. This stewardship begins with our own lives, by cultivating ourselves. So say this with me: “I am not the victim of my schedule. I am the master.” Say it out loud. “I am not the victim of my schedule. I am the master.” Say it like you believe it! This is neither arrogance nor wishful thinking. This is the child of God raising his or her voice to agree with the Maker’s command. Take the resources within your reach and maximize their potential. Start by harnessing your time. To keep reading this excerpt from Ben Stuart’s book, Rest + War, click here for part two and click here to grab a copy of this special resource.

Throughout those times, I’ve adopted a few attitudes and patterns along the way that I believe have been foundational for anyone looking to sustain longevity in their career. These ways of living and leading have been learned through high seasons and challenging ones, and my prayer is that they blow fresh wind into your heart as you work day by day in the lane God has called you to. So, without further ado, here are ten lessons for longevity: Choose to trust In any relationship working or personal, there will at times be a gap in information or understanding about why something is being done or has happened. It is up to us to CHOOSE what we fill that gap with; trust or doubt. If you find yourself wondering why something has not been clearly communicated to you, decide to trust your supervisor or manager. It may just be that details are not final yet, or they are not at liberty to share information right away. It won’t always be easy, but filling the gap with suppositions and assumptions never helps the relationship between you and the other person or the situation at hand. Real lasting damage and denigration can happen when we try to work alongside someone we spend our time doubting. Conversely, choosing to trust your team will strengthen your relationships and organization as a whole. Choosing trust over suspicion is a vital principle to remind yourself of in working relationships and friendships alike. Keep short accounts These words have been gold and apply to our professional and personal relationships. Don’t let hurt feelings, bitterness or misunderstandings grow and remain unaddressed. When you know you have hurt someone or acted poorly, take ownership of the moment and apologize. You will gain so much respect for recognizing this moment. Similarly – when you have been hurt, in love, go to the person who hurt you. Starting this difficult conversation with a chance for reconciliation can change the whole direction of the interaction. Try opening with, “when you did/said ____, it made me feel _____, and there may be a chance you may not have realized that.” Creating an inviting opportunity for conversation and reconciliation is hard, but it’s the hallmark of a healthy Christian. Negatives up, Positives down Never go sideways with gossip or complaints. To keep a healthy team, this is a must. We never solve anything when we start to turn to our left and right to complain. This passing on of “information” is gossip. When you are frustrated, take it to your supervisor. This is being solution-minded and keeps your team/organization moving in a healthy direction. Allowing the negatives to go down or sideways is like fertilizing a garden with something toxic. It never solves a problem and only builds frustration. The other side of this coin is the passing on positive information or even the praise of an accomplished goal. Choosing to share the good and not keep it all for yourself ensures you contribute to and help grow a team’s healthy culture. Don’t miss out on moments In ministry, it is REALLY easy to fall into the execution mindset and step away from experiencing Jesus. Missing out on those Holy moments is also the fastest road to burnout. If you work on Sundays, make it a non-negotiable to attend a gathering to worship and listen. We cannot stop growing and being fed by the Word of God just because we are part of bringing it to other people. Working for a church or ministry is a fantastic privilege, but the exerted effort is meant to be a wringing out of what God is doing within us. When we are running on empty, we have nothing to give. Satan would like nothing more than burned out, dry believers to be the ones leading the Church! You are responsible for your own leadership and development This principle applies to all areas – professional, spiritual, emotional and physical. It is easy to understand this with our physical development – no one will get you into shape other than you. You have to work out; you have to eat the right things. This principle can be harder to see in the different areas of our development, but it’s just as important. It is not solely your supervisor’s or your organization’s responsibility to develop you. If you are not taking ownership of yourself, then their efforts may end up wasted. Find a mentor, read books on different subjects, listen to podcasts, take someone to coffee or lunch who you want to learn from, and ask specific and better questions. When it comes to emotional development, stay in tune with your heart. Pay attention when anger, bitterness, jealousy and other emotions are creeping in. Much like a physical trainer helps you learn to learn healthy patterns, a counselor can help you learn healthy habits for your emotions – this is often the best investment you can make in yourself and will be a gift you give to your future or current spouse or children. Breaks / Margin / Sabbath Just as we are responsible for our growth, we are also responsible for our rest. You are the one who determines when you take breaks, how you create margin and how and when you Sabbath. All are critical for longevity and emotional, mental and spiritual rest (and they each look different). A break is a short time where we step away for a deep breath and fresh perspective. Margins are determining what we allow in our lives. Sabbath is where we find our refreshment in Jesus. Failing to prioritize each of these will expedite our burnout and exhaustion. Keeping a healthy heart and perspective in ministry is the only way forward if you desire longevity. Be the thermostat, not the thermometer Take ownership for setting the tone on your team. Whether you are an intern or you lead the team, you can do this. Where a thermometer does a fantastic job of reporting the current temperature, what your team needs is someone who, like a thermostat, is willing to set the atmosphere of any given room. Rise above what already is. When you come with energy, encouragement, positivity and expectation, you will begin to shift the atmosphere around you and change your team’s tone. Position is never equal to power No matter how far you advance in your career, title or position, we never win if we equate that with power. Leading with a servant’s posture will always lead to an increase in influence. Humility as a leader models for those following you that a leadership position is not to be used as leverage for the leader’s benefit. This kind of humility isn’t about thinking less of yourself; it’s about thinking about yourself less. It is possible to be humble AND demonstrate excellence simultaneously. Build your tool belt Often we may be tempted to turn down a job or opportunity that doesn’t fit our plan. Small opportunities may be God’s way of equipping you for a larger one to come. Prayerfully consider the open doors. Don’t discredit the small and humble opportunities. Most likely, God is giving you the chance to develop a skill you will need for a future, more significant opportunity. For me, this looked like serving as a cook at a summer camp and cooking for 100 campers and staff. Little did I realize that in learning how to do this, I learned how to project-manage, a skill that would prepare me for my future of planning, leading, and executing events. After all, if all the parts of dinner are not ready to eat simultaneously, you can’t have dinner. Successfully pulling off events as large as Passion in an arena or a LIFT Conference with 30 breakouts requires a similar project-management mindset. Responsibility over authority Your responsibility should always exceed your authority. Thinking that something is “not my responsibility” leads to a competitive culture. Having an ownership mentality gives you the desire to make your organization better. Seeing an organizational issue but not feeling responsible leads to unhealthy competition and aggressive competition between teams. Be FOR each other in all areas! You can change so much by changing something small. Often in an organization, people gravitate towards the large or showy tasks because they come with the most recognition, but in truth, it’s the people who take ownership of the details who end up having an impact that exceeds themselves. These are just a few of the lessons I’ve learned over my almost two decades in ministry, and while I experienced them in that setting, I pray that they help you wherever you work. These principles are ones I carry in my profession and personal life and help me to always keep Jesus on display no matter what situation I find myself in. I hope they are helpful to you as you move through your career, and I’m cheering you on as you run your race!

This is part two of Structure that Leads to Flourishing—an excerpt series from Ben Stuart’s book Rest & War. Click here to read part one. Planning helps keep our priorities present in our practices. It reduces stress and it helps us get more done and miss out on fewer opportunities.  So to begin, we start with our titles. We begin with who we are. Our activity is meant to flow from our identity. Boxers box. Dancers dance. Students study (theoretically). Whatever identity you believe is most fundamental to who you are will determine how you conduct yourself in this world.  I encourage you to follow an exercise I did with interns when I served as a youth pastor. I gave them titles that were tied to the directives of our ministry—evangelist, counselor, teacher, servant, and worshiper. These five identities became the headings under which every activity of their week was organized. We gave them a piece of paper with these titles listed as headings at the top of the page, and underneath each heading they listed all the tasks they could think of. More than just a long to- do list, it helped them see how the work they were doing tied directly to their reason for being there.  Then we gave them a second sheet of paper with the seven days of the week broken down into thirty-minute increments. At the beginning of each week, they took their tasks listed under their titles and put them into a specific time of the week.  What first appeared to them to be a tedious act of calendaring ended up becoming their favorite part of the week! Something about seeing their eternal purposes touch down on specific times of their week filled their souls with something we struggle to define but desperately need: a sense of purpose. I promise you that when you see the eternal touch the mundane, it will thrill your soul with a sense of meaning. I want that for you. And it starts here. Identifying your titles. Listing your tasks. Organizing your time.  I personally do this same practice I taught those interns. In the current season of my life, I am in the role of pastor of a church, so my titles look like this: Teacher. Leader. Administrator. Pastor/Shepherd.  Then I include a fifth column for Child of God, and under it I place the subheadings Husband, Father, and Steward of our Financial Resources. During my devotional time on Monday mornings or Sunday nights, I fill out these two sheets.  By strategically planning out my weeks, I’ve discovered I am able to be fully present in every moment. I don’t listen to a friend tell a story while my mind is on the phone calls I need to make. I know I’ll return calls later, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., so in the present moment with my friend, I can be all his. I like having an undivided mind. Jim Elliot said it best: “Wherever you are, be all there.” Scheduling helps me live into this. By giving each task its space, I allow my mind to be fully engaged in whatever moment I am in. This simple rhythm of deciding when tasks will occur in advance brings an enormous sense of relief. There is freedom in this kind of order. There is peace in structure.  This is where being students and stewards of ourselves becomes so crucial. I’ve realized that I am a more patient and loving dad if I can get up and sit quietly with the Lord before my kids wake up. So that’s what I do every morning. To keep reading this excerpt from Ben Stuart’s book, Rest + War, click here for part three and click here to grab a copy of this special resource.

Explores what comes after completing a great faith journey, and learn the ropes to navigating the descent.

Discover the created intent behind our purpose, and how to live for the flourishing of others.

Adapted from Louie Giglio’s talk, Positioned for Powerful Influence. Let that sink in.  Among your co-workers, God has positioned you for powerful influence.  In your neighborhood, God has positioned you for powerful influence.  With your in-laws, God has positioned you for powerful influence.  And in your relationships, God has positioned you for powerful influence. Louie and Shelley Giglio remind us that God has intentionally placed each of us in other people’s lives so they can watch Him transform our lives—because when God changes a life, people see it. Put simply, our witness is strongest when the quality of our lives is more powerful than the quantity of our words. Said another way, pretty is as pretty does. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Matthew 6:21-23 What is inside of us will indeed make its way out of us. The light within us shines out of us, and darkness within us reveals itself. That’s why it’s such a great folly that most of us spend all day worrying about our outward appearance rather than the condition of our hearts. It is the condition of our hearts that most effectively displays Jesus to the world around us.  For the Christian, this is where our perspective has to shift. We have to spend more time considering what our actions and attitudes are putting on display. We have to consider often if we are living according to the commands of 1 Peter 3 or not; if we are treating our spouses the way God has called us to or not; if we are eager to do good and turn from evil or not. Paul says it this way in his letter to the Philippians: In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,     did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing     by taking the very nature of a servant,     being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man,     he humbled himself     by becoming obedient to death—         even death on a cross! Philippians 2:5-8 We are co-heirs with Christ, a title that comes with celebration and calling. Jesus is making us new; it’s time to act like it.

When the Old Testament King, Jehoshaphat, received word that three armies had conspired together and were coming against him in one massive assault, he made a decisive and unconventional leadership move. Every leader around the globe is in a similar predicament. What can we learn from this ancient leader that’s applicable today? The odds weren’t good for Jehoshaphat, and, honestly, they aren’t that great for many families and businesses. Most leaders who have weathered brutal storms know that we’ll get through it. We always do. We will endure the carnage and emerge from the depths to grow and prosper again. But that’s going to take time—a long time. Right now, we could be in the valley of the shadow of death. So, how do we lead through these dark hours? Let’s look closely at the path Jehoshaphat chose. First, he called the people to seek God. The King prayed this transformational twelve-word prayer, “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” We don’t all have the liberty to call our people to seek God corporately. But every leader can privately seek Heaven’s help before leading others into the fray. By nature, leaders are confident, skilled, and battle-tested. So often, we roll out of bed and start leading the charge. It’s easy to wake up, survey the landscape, and immediately focus on solving problems, creating opportunities, and marshaling the troops. Yet, ultimately, any leader is only as durable as the humility that undergirds them—the humility that drives them to first seek help from the Lord. The hallmark of every great leader is the ability to lead oneself. This means facing your limitations and leaning on your Maker. We lead best by allowing God to lead us. Some object: “You can’t be humble in my line of work. You can never show weakness or people will run right over you!” Humility doesn’t equate to weakness. Rather, it’s where we find our strength. Or better yet, humility is the place we access God’s supply. Hurricane-forced winds require exceptional leadership—leadership that begins with this plea, “God, I don’t know what to do. But my eyes are on You.” It’s not always prudent to open a shareholder call or staff meeting with this confession. People are looking for stability in their leaders and are counting on us to project confidence in worst-case scenarios like we face today. But that doesn’t hinder us from privately staying tethered to the reality that we are completely dependent on God. It doesn’t hurt to say it every once in a while to our closest team leaders, either. This posture of humility is essential because it positions us for supernatural assistance. A word came to the King and a battle plan was set in motion. Jehoshaphat was told, “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions, stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.” (2 Chronicles 20:17) God isn’t asking you to over-spiritualize your situation. “Hey guys, we’re just going to trust God with our enterprise and see what happens! Sit back and relax.” No way. Check out all the active verbs: Take up your position. Stand firm. Look. Go out. Face them. Yet, as you go, keep the oxygen of God’s supernatural supply flowing with your every breath. In His Spirit power you can find the power to do what Jehoshaphat did next. He set out. He stood up. He spoke. (v.20) Set out in faith that God is with you. Stand up on the Rock of Ages. Speak with authority because God will not fail. Then Jehoshaphat did one final thing before heading into the battle—he praised God. The King thanked God in advance for the victory God had promised. With God’s help, Jehoshaphat and his army experienced God’s deliverance in the battle. In the same way, God is going to deliver you. Dear God, I lift my eyes to You. Please disrupt my false sense of control and my overblown confidence in my own abilities. I humbly bow and ask for Your supernatural strength, wisdom and courage so I can endure these days and lead myself and others with faith for the future. My daily prayer will be: I don’t know what to do, but my eyes are on You. Lead me and use me as an agent for Your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.

Neil Armstrong was sixteen when he earned his first pilot’s license. Sixteen.  Maybe in that small city outside of Wapakoneta, Ohio, the world should have sensed what we now know: Neil Armstrong would go on to defy gravity and, in time, change history itself. Even if they knew he spent his nights experimenting with model planes in a wind tunnel he built in his parent’s basement, could they have ever guessed that he would leave the first footprints on the moon? And if they had been so bold as to imagine that, could they have ever guessed that boys and girls worldwide would memorize the words that came flying back to Earth across the blackness of space?  “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”  If you close your eyes, you can hear it…the kind of static-filled transmission you instantly recognize as NASA that sends your mind hurtling through possibility after possibility.  It’s inspiring, and it should be.  For a moment, just a short moment, one man stood where no one ever had, where few ever would. But it’s a different quote from Neil Armstrong that has captured my attention recently, one given from the heart of a hero who has counted the cost of what it took to stand in that place: “I was certainly aware that this was a culmination of the work of 300,000 or 400,000 people over a decade and that the nation’s hopes and outward appearance largely rested on how the results came out. With those pressures, it seemed the most important thing to do was focus on our job as best we were able to and try to allow nothing to distract us from doing the very best job we could. And, you know, I have no complaints about the way my colleagues were able to step up to that. … Each of the components of our hardware were designed to certain reliability specifications, and far the majority, to my recollection, had a reliability requirement of 0.99996, which means that you have four failures in 100,000 operations. I’ve been told that if every component met its reliability specifications precisely, that a typical Apollo flight would have about [1,000] separate identifiable failures. In fact, we had more like 150 failures per flight, [substantially] better than statistical methods would tell you that you might have. I can only attribute that to the fact that every guy in the project, every guy at the bench building something, every assembler, every inspector, every guy that’s setting up the tests, cranking the torque wrench, and so on, is saying, man or woman, “If anything goes wrong here, it’s not going to be my fault, because my part is going to be better than I have to make it.” And when you have hundreds of thousands of people all doing their job a little better than they have to, you get an improvement in performance. And that’s the only reason we could have pulled this whole thing off. … The way that happens and the way that made it different from other sectors of the government to which some people are sometimes properly critical is that this was a project in which everybody involved was, one, interested, two, dedicated, and, three, fascinated by the job they were doing. And whenever you have those ingredients, whether it be government or private industry or a retail store, you’re going to win.” 32 years after the Apollo 11 mission, Neil Armstrong knew that “…one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind…” only happened because there was an army of people who were:  Interested in the work they were doing.Dedicated to the work they were doing.Fascinated by the work they were doing. And when those three things are true, he said, anything is possible.  So let me ask you this. Can any of those things be said about you? And if you’re in leadership, are these things said about the people you lead?  If they are, let me be the first to say, congratulations! You work in what I’ve come to call, A House of Heroes—a group of people so interested in, dedicated to, and fascinated by the work they have been invited to that they do whatever it takes to make their piece of the story better than what was required.  But what if these things are not true of you or your staff?  That’s okay. Culture is what you make it, and there’s always time to build something new; ask Nehemiah.  Most of us are familiar with the story of Nehemiah. A man of God captured by the Babylonians and serving as cupbearer to the King learns that the city he loves, the city of Jerusalem, was still without a protective wall.  They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:3-4 Scripture says that Nehemiah was so moved by the plight of Jerusalem that he rolled the dice, risked his life and position and petitioned the King for a chance to go and rebuild the wall. Yes, he did all of the spiritual things; he wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed, but he also added a fifth step…he acted.  Because of his faith, Nehemiah would be known to history as the builder of the wall. But he wasn’t alone.    Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. The men of Jericho built the adjoining section. Zakkur son of Imri built next to them. The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Zadok son of Baana also made repairs. The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa. The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada. Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah. Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section. Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section…   Those names listed above are only a fraction of the people listed in the book of Nehemiah, who would help rebuild and repair the wall of Jerusalem. Why? Nehemiah’s work, the work he was interested in, dedicated to, and fascinated by, caused a ripple effect among the people around him. It moved them to take up their role in the larger picture, to find the same interest, the same dedication, and the same fascination in rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem—no matter the role.  One man didn’t rebuild Jerusalem’s wall; a community of people built it, a House of Heroes through the power of almighty God.  And when the enemies of Jerusalem realized that…it moved them, too.  When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. Nehemiah 6:16 See when you and I bring our, “interested in,” our, “dedicated to,” and our, “fascinated by,” and that meets the tsunami that is the power of God, things happen that mystify all people. Yes, it may be the people who scoff at us, but it may also be that the people on Earth who have been searching for God will finally pause long enough to recognize His work when the impossible becomes possible. “But Louie,” you might say, “I’m not the Nehemiah type, and I’m definitely not Neil Armstrong.”  Well, that’s fine, no one is asking you to be anyone other than who God made you. Uzziel was a goldsmith, Hananiah was a perfume-maker; at NASA there were welders, and janitors, and code-writers. And what made the impossible possible was their dedication to make their part, “better than they had to.”  At Passion, our mission is to galvanize everyone who has breath with the passion to spend their brief moment on Earth for what matters most: loving Jesus and echoing His Glory. Your mission may be different, look different, and even sound different. But ultimately, if you want to capture the world’s attention, you will need a House of Heroes who are interested in, dedicated to, and fascinated by the role they play. It may be just you. It was Nehemiah to start, but eventually, that kind of passion will draw like-minded people alongside you. Fifty-one years ago, a Navy frogman Clancy Hatleberg jumped into the Pacific Ocean to pull Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins out of the command module, disinfect them and send them on their way to a hero’s welcome aboard the USS Hornet. Once the astronauts were safely away, Clancy thoroughly cleaned the rest of the module, sent it away, and sank the flotation collar and his hazmat suit in case of any lunar-contamination.  Clancy Hatleberg was a crucial player in the Apollo 11 mission (which you have known about your entire life), but chances are you didn’t know his name until 102 words ago. Clancy Hatleberg is 76 years old, and for the last 51 years, he’s been able to say he was the first person to welcome back the crew of Apollo 11. One of 400,000—a hero.  I pray that you love being on whatever team you are on, that you are linked up with a group of people who are interested in their work, who are dedicated to the mission, and who are fascinated by their role in the larger picture.  If you’re a leader, I pray you build this type of culture—a house for others to join and thrive within.  If you’re a Pastor, I pray that the church you shepherd is one made up of people on-and-off payroll who see themselves as builders and repairers. I pray that as our houses of heroes go on to do the impossible, through the power of Almighty God, that the world notices and turns their eyes to Him.  That’s the kind of work I’m interested in, the kind I’m dedicated to, the kind I’m fascinated by, and I pray you are too.

This is part three of Structure that Leads to Flourishing—an excerpt series from Ben Stuart’s book Rest & War. Click here for part one, click here for part two, and click here to grab a copy of this special resource. I will go ahead and share with you the schedule I’ve found works for me, and along the way I’ll point out how being a student of myself helped me become a better steward of myself. Usually my time with the Lord in the morning flows naturally into strategic planning for the day and for the ministry I lead. At 7:30 a.m. I grab breakfast with the kids. We read a passage of Scripture and discuss, then they are out the door by 7:50 a.m. and I am back in the study at 8:00 a.m. I have discovered that my mind is most creative in the mornings, so every weekday I dedicate 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. to sermon writing and strategic thinking. Frequent interruptions from texts or emails destroy the flow of creative thinking in those hours. So I instructed my staff, “Do not reach out to me at all from eight to eleven every weekday morning. If you have a question, write it down. It can wait.” I’ve also stopped checking emails in the morning. I always found that it put me into a reactive mindset rather than a creative one, and it was not a good use of my time. But as a leader, I need to give my staff vision and offer myself to them as a resource so they can accomplish their goals for our organization. So I place meetings with leaders at 1:00 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. On Monday we have a meeting that sets and clarifies the agenda and allows them to get the direction they need from me to execute their plans with confidence that week. Wednesday is a brief check-in to answer any clarifying questions. I lead best coming out of my thinking times in the mornings, so I stack those meetings in the 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. zone. I rarely do lunch meetings now. I realized they typically ate up two hours, even though the meeting was usually about solving a problem that only required fifteen minutes. My counseling meetings are scheduled in the 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. range on weekdays. Usually by three o’clock I can’t think creatively or strategically anymore, but I can listen. These are great times for me to pastor our people. I also stand out in front of our church on Sundays after each gathering and answer questions anyone may have.  Sometimes people ask if we can grab lunch to talk. I have gotten in the habit of telling them no—not to be rude, but because I just know it probably won’t happen. I tell them, “I can’t promise an hour or two down the road. But I am all yours right now. How can I help you?” Normally, all they want from me can be given to them right there. Only occasionally will someone have a problem that is so acute and specific to my skill set that we’ll need to meet during the week. From 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. I work out. I allow myself one night out a week with church activities. Every other night I am with my kids. From 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on those nights, I am 100 percent dad. I turn off the phone and put it away. In this current season my kids go to bed between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m., so that means I only get two to three hours with them on weekdays. I am not going to lose that time to a phone call or email or a TV show. The screens go off. We do homework and eat dinner and share our best, worst, and weirdest moments of the day. Then we read a book together and pray before bed. From 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. I catch up with Donna about our day. We usually sit out on the back porch and talk. Then from 9:00 to 10:00 p.m. I get ready for bed. I don’t take screens into our bedroom since they disrupt sleep patterns. Instead, I write a few sentences in a journal, spend a few moments reflecting on the day in prayer, and read two to three pages of a biography. And by 10:00 p.m., Lord willing, I am out.  Fridays are my days off. I use them to handle a lot of the family stewardship stuff we need to get done. Saturdays are my day of rest. I stay off the iPad and computer—they remind me too much of work! I read a book I like. We go on adventures as a family. Sometimes an adventure is heading out to find a waterfall at a state park, or it’s a walk around the neighborhood. But the kids know that Saturday I am theirs. It is common for us to have twelve meals a week together as a family: six breakfasts and six dinners. My kids are young and I know it will not always be this way, so I don’t want to miss these moments. Does this automation of my schedule stifle creativity? No. It liberates me to channel my creative thinking toward the projects and plans I care about. I don’t have to spend decision-making power each day figuring out when to get up or when to schedule meetings. It is already done. When we organize our time and resources in a way that is efficient and productive, we are free to invest our energy where it really matters: building up our family and friends. That’s why we do it. We calendar as a way of loving the people around us. We structure so that they can flourish. Take a moment before you move on and let the reality sink in that you have a divine calling under God. Your life has extraordinary purpose. You are meant to image God by organizing the resources he has given you so that all the life under your care, including your own, can flourish.  Then ask yourself, How can I cultivate my life this week? What needs to go into my schedule? What needs to come out? What needs to be restructured so I can be maximally fruitful in the hours God has given me? Try making a list of your titles and organizing your tasks beneath them. Then see how they might fit into the time God has given you. I pray that you will experience the joy and deep satisfaction of seeing meaning fill the mundane and eternity touch earth. RHYTHMS OF REST How can you rearrange your schedule to cultivate and maximize your potential? What needs to be removed from your schedule? What needs to be added? What needs to be rearranged?Try the exercise described in the previous section: make a list of your titles, then write out all your tasks beneath them.Take a weekly calendar and see if you can schedule your activities by priority and not simply proximity. This is an excerpt from Ben Stuart’s book, Rest + War. Click here to grab a copy of this special resource.

In an increasingly divided world, how can the church display a unified culture that is worthy of the cause of Jesus? As we continue in our series through 1 Thessalonians, Paul offers the church a framework for unity: servant leaders and supportive followers. We are excited to be led through this 1 Thessalonians passage by Jacob Harkey.