“Charles! Take that attitude and mouth with you when you leave. The office is expecting you. NOW!”
Charles was a fifteen-year-old student in my seventh grade class. He had given even the most seasoned teachers the runaround the first three months of the school year. I was a rookie, and I had my hands full dealing with his ongoing disruptive behavior. We all celebrated in the teachers’ lounge the day Charles moved to California to live with his mother.
A leader must make lots of decisions. The better decisions we make, the better our leadership, the better our churches and ministries, and the better we’re able to serve those around us. So what can we do to improve decision making? Consider these five ways:
1. Avoid decision fatigue.
Ever had to let go of something familiar and embrace something brand new? Of course, all of us have. If you’ve ever changed churches, you know what it feels like to leave familiar terrain and faces, and walk into the new place and ask for directions. It’s weird to worship with strangers. Years ago, my pastor- husband and I were looking for a church. He was in-between jobs. We were late because we couldn’t find the kids’ classrooms, we thought we’d slip into the service, the prelude was ending but there were no empty seats in the back.
As an only child, I grew up in a small family. My parents both passed away when I was a young adult and my last close relative passed away when I was 40. I was married for a few years and have a son, daughter-in-law and 2 grandchildren – still a pretty small family.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race…” (2 Timothy 4:7).
Are You Committed or Just Involved?
Regardless of our position, title or role, when it comes to our cause, project, plan or relationship, we are either committed to it or we are merely involved in it.
It’s no big secret. There are no shortages of criticisms, critics, or judges. Turn on the radio, pick-up a magazine, watch television, walk around the office or just sit in any food court and you’ll find plenty of people ready to tell us what is wrong with the world. You may hear, or perhaps say to yourself, things like they should eat healthier, control their children, dress appropriately, be more productive at work and of course should do more at home. We are far from perfect and one of most harmful things we do is judge ourselves and others.
“Hurry, Christine! Grab that net over there and help me land this beauty!”
My dad had invited me along ice fishing so I could enjoy the smooth skating surface we’d been blessed with that winter. The bay ice stretched for miles, and I took full advantage of this almost endless rink. But now my dad was struggling with an exceptionally large fish on the end of a taut line.
Last summer, my husband and I stopped to have breakfast at our favorite Waffle House in Cornelia, GA. As usual, they were extremely busy with the morning rush. As we sat down, I noticed that most of the patrons in the restaurant did not have any food. My first thought was, “This is going to take forever!” We were not in a big rush that morning, so we hung around. As a people watcher, I love to just sit and watch people. As I was looking around the restaurant, I saw happy people laughing and appearing to have a great time while they waited on their food.
Don’t do what the hypocrites do
Chapter 23 of Matthew’s Gospel records Jesus’ outrage and strong condemnation of the hypocrisy of leaders, and also gives us a glimpse of the consequences of leaders’ hypocrisy for those who follow them.
Devious Plot
Christian Leaders do get tested or challenged by deceptive enemies; they can learn from Jesus on how they may deal with such tests and challenges. For example, certain men sent by the Pharisees employed a deceptive setup to trap Jesus:
