Quick Solutions or Real Change?

Posted on March 21, 2012 by MinTools

In so many areas of church life it is easy to simply apply a quick solution to or cover over a problem.  Unfortunately, what starts out small then has potential of growing into a major incidence.

Quick solutions aim at outward conformity.  Unfortunately that usually results in the real problem not getting solved, only to fester and possibly manifest itself later in another or worse way than before.

Real change aims at inward transformation which will eventually show itself outwardly.  That produces results which tend to be genuine and enduring.

A Few Examples:

Volunteer or paid staff issues where people are not coming adequately prepared or have a negative attitude

  • The Quick Solution Objective: don’t want to hurt the person’s feelings so you don’t lose the worker
  • The Quick Solution Result:  other people are affected by the person’s actions, possibly stirring up negative feeling in them; the morale of everyone can be dampened
  • The Real Change Objective: spur people on to give of their best to the Lord in actions and attitude
  • The Real Change Result: the person is challenged and is brought into accountability to the Lord not you; everyone benefits if the person changes from the inside out
  • Help for Real Change: Spurring People On with Love & Grace

Disagreements among ministry team or elder board on the best course of action

  • The Quick Solution Objective: try to keep everybody happy, perhaps compromising or covering over key issues to keep peace
  • The Quick Solution Result: the best is often set aside in order to keep people happy
  • The Real Change Objective: find unity out of diversity
  • The Real Change Result: people learn to seek the common good which might mean setting aside personal preferences for what is best
  • Help for Real Change: True Body Life Results in Church Unity

Discipline in children’s ministry

  • The Quick Solution Objective: crowd control, making it through the lesson, tolerating the problem child
  • The Quick Solution Result: does not help the child truly learn and grow; unresolved issues could become worse; could give license to other kids to do the same which can eventually erupt into classroom chaos
  • The Real Change Objective: identify causes of misbehavior and work with the child to correct the problem from the inside out
  • The Real Change Results: the child learns for the future, not mere temporary external conformity
  • Help for Real Change: Discipline Issues: What to Do About Specific Challenges

The next post will look at Requisites for Real Change over Quick Solutions.  Subscribe to receive e-mail notices of new posts.


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What Does it Mean for a Christ-follower to be an Example?

Posted on March 14, 2012 by MinTools

Though Scripture exhorts leaders to be examples (1 Pet. 5:2-3), we should all be examples as Christ-followers regardless of how we serve because we all represent Him (2 Cor. 5:20).  Age does not exclude one from being an example (1 Tim. 4:12) so this applies to every person who trusts in Jesus.

Being an example means reflecting Jesus to those around you in a way that causes them to take notice, not of you, but of Christ in you.  As an example you will:

Exemplify Christ in all you say and do
X-out sin and impurities from your life so people see Christ
Affect others with the love of Christ
Model Christ-like character & conduct
Position yourself under Christ so He is the Head
Line up with Christ in not only what you do but how you do it
Enhance people’s lives because of Christ in you


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The Power of God at Work in the Church

Posted on March 7, 2012 by MinTools

Scripture is filled with verses and examples of the power of God at work in and through His people.  Below are three passages from which we can pull out some wonderful truths about God’s power.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Eph. 3:20-21)

 

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Pet. 1:3)

 

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.  (Col. 1:10-12)

 

The Power’s Source:

  • “Him who is able to do”
  • “His divine power”
  • “His glorious might”
— The character or essence of the Almighty God of whom there is none greater is that on which we rely.

The Power’s Extent:

  • “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine”
  • “has given us everything we need
  • “strengthened with all power”
— We have all we need and then some … a limitless amount of power.

The Power’s Measurement:

  • “according to His power”
  • “through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness”
  • “according to his glorious might”
— The basis we should use for determining possibilities is what He does, not what we do …. who He is, not who we are.

The Power’s Target:

  • “at work within us”
  • “for life and godliness”
  • “that you may live a life worth of the Lord and may please him in every way”
— He uses His power to work both in us and through us in all areas of life.

The Power’s Objective:

  • “to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever”
  • “so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father”
  • “a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way”
— The credit goes to Him, not us, because it was His power at work, not us.

We cannot begin to comprehend all God wants to do in and through the church.  To think that an Almighty, infinite, eternal God would work through weak, finite beings is mind boggling.  Let’s not take it for granted.

More for Church Leaders:  God’s Power for the Church


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The Greatest of These is Love Yet Hope Matters

Posted on February 28, 2012 by MinTools


And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor. 13:13)

Hope is “an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Heb. 6:19). Faith and love “spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven” (Col. 1:5). Yes, hope is essential but it is not the greatest. Had it not been for love, we would have little on which to rest hope.

In the body, remembering that we were all called to that one same hope is what propels us to “be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love” and to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:2-4).

In the busyness and stresses of life, it is so easy to forget or neglect the foundations which means we will not heed to the process of getting from faith to love. — “But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” (1 Pet. 1:9)

For Those of You in Ministry:

Don’t think you are above the need to go back to your roots. If you are going to model the greatest characteristic, love, you must remember that it is only because of God’s grace that you are who you are and do what you do. That same hope to which those you serve were called, is that which anchors you and keeps you humble and spurred on to love.

About Those You Serve:

Unity will be threatened if people do not remember that the essence of body life and loving one another is found in that same hope to which they were all called. Provide constant reminders of that hope which comes from the cleansing of their sins to help keep people on the same page. Make sure you seek to build body life on the right foundation. Body life is not about being the same or all agreeing. Body life is not about fighting the same cause. We can be quite diverse and still love one another if body life is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ and that one same hope we all share in Him.


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