Throwback Thursday

OK, this picture fell out of an old file the other evening. It's Harriet and me on the day I received the Master of Divinity Degree with Languages degree at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Yes, it was a long time ago. 1982 to be exact. Do the math. Like 39 years ago. It happened just in time for a Throwback Thursday jewel. And, it reminded me of God's goodness and Harriet's patience as our journey out of the business world and into ministry began. What a journey. We are thankful.

After The Citadel I did a five year stint with a large bank in North Carolina and two and a half years as Chief Financial Officer of a large county hospital. Our call to ministry was perceived over a period of months and finally resulted in our move to Wake Forest, NC, and our educational pursuits at Southeastern. By graduation day I was also serving as the Pastor at Woodland Baptist Church, several miles outside of Wake Forest. Our daughter Elizabeth was seven years old and son Brian was four. Harriet worked at the local power company. It was truly the beginning of our faith journey and life calling. We remember those years with gratitude and fondness.

You may know my sermon about living in the past. You know, life is like rising in a car. If you stare at the rear-view mirror you'll drive in a ditch. But, this Throwback Thursday social media craze is really a healthy way to learn from the past. It's just a glance. and, that's my other sermon. Effective leaders are life-long learners. When that picture dropped onto my desk the other evening it reminded me of a truth that challenges me every single day. That day, the day of seminary graduation, the day I received my Masters Degree diploma, wasn't the fulfilling end of my life and ministry learning. It was actually the beginning.

Solomon wrote much about life learning. Traditional myth recognizes him as the wisest man who ever lived. His Proverbs are interwoven with texts about personal growth and development, our life education. In the first verses of Proverbs 1 he wrote, "Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance" (Proverbs 1: 5, ESV). The lessons of life are diverse and many. Remember what Solomon advised---

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Proverbs 18: 15, ESV

The rear-view mirror is OK today. It's throwback Thursday. Now, learn something.

Leadership notes.

Leaders come in all shapes and sizes. Culture tends to place them in corporate grids or organizational charts. You know, those who manage businesses, maneuver the political world, and make it happen in economic circles. But, friends, moms and dads are leaders as well, the men and women who guide families, retail establishments large and small, classrooms, day care centers, and every conceivable organization seeking some intent or purpose. It's a broad base concept, this leadership thing. It drives life in every ideal.

There's a qualifier that raises the bar when thinking about leadership. When believers occupy those slots spiritual leadership is the deal. And, that's a sore spot in the way the world works these days. Far too many leaders, even parents, leave their faith in the car or at home when they take their places on the front row. But, the truth is, our beliefs should be the constants in our lives regardless of our calling or life assignment. Personal faith should be the guiding principle in fulfilling our leadership roles. And, that's a hard one for many people. Knowing how to apply spiritual truth to our daily tasks is a lesson plan few of us actually understand. That's why I always suggest several noted books to those believers who are thrust into leadership positions. Make note---

Spiritual Leadership: Moving People to God's Agenda

Henry and Richard Blackaby (B & H Publishing, Nashville, Tn: 2011)

The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict

Ken Sande (Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI: 2004)

Resolving Everyday Conflict

Ken Sande and Kevin Johnson (Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI: 2015)

The Likeability Factor: How to Boost Your L-Factor and Achieve Your Life Dreams

Tim Sanders, Currency Publishers, New York: 2006).

Of course, there are volumes of books and articles covering the many particulars of leadership at every level. I have found these four books to be practical guides for Christians with leadership responsibilities. Give them a read. Be better prepared to lead.

Bah humbug isn't ancient Hebrew.

Several years ago I passed a church member in the classroom hallway. I said my usual "good morning" and he replied "BAH HUMBUG", spoken in all caps, bold print. "Well, somebody's in a bad mood...", I replied. That's when he said, "Preacher...(which is a title everyone knows I detest)...it's an ancient Old Testament word you should know. It means to be in a bad mood. Or worse". So, OK, I get it. If we can find a biblical backdrop for our human follies they seem to be a little more acceptable. Still, "BAH HUMBUG" isn't in either Testament of the Bible. But, there are many curses, imprecations, words of criticism, and other spiritual condition qualifiers that remind us of the consistency of human nature since creation. Call it what you will. We humans know how to out of sorts.

The wording is often polished and given more respectable veneers. But, irritable, cynical, discouraged, sad, angry, puzzled, tired, worn, confused, anxious, in turmoil, depressed, and a catalog of physical ailments introduce us to the dark world of moodiness. It's the stuff of interpersonal stress, colliding values, who's on first interplay, me-myself-and I metrics, word games, and nastier collisions like criticism, name calling, racial injustice, every manner of discrimination, and even horrors like road rage. Our moods can ignite every conceivable human reaction in us. The moody blues!

Of course, Scripture gives us spiritual guidance in mastering our moods. A couple of verses have been instructive as I've experienced the mood swings of pressurized living, the demands of leadership, diabetes, a wait problem, and a weight problem.

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God;

for I shall again praise him, my salvation 6 and my God. My soul is cast down within

me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount

Mizar.

Psalm 42, 5-6, ESV

My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me 21 But this I call to

mind, and therefore I have hope: 22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his

mercies never come to an end; 23 they are new every morning; great is your

faithfulness. 24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.”

Lamentations 3: 20-24, ESV

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

John 14: 1, ESV

Moodiness getting in the way of more noble pursuits? There it is. Hope in God. His mercies are new every morning. Believe in God and Jesus. They're God's solution to the dangers of human moodiness.

Oh, yeah! Bah humbug isn't ancient Hebrew.