This town was surrounded by beautiful, rolling hills and lush, productive farmland. The air was fresh and clean. There was lots of sky, and we enjoyed glowing sunrises, spectacular sunsets, and beautiful moonlit nights. There were prosperous farmers who lived in large, lovely homes with all the conveniences anyone could ask for. They looked out of their picture windows at their oil wells pumping black gold 24 hours a day. Everyone had several big cars in their driveways and we ate sumptuous meals. The people were elegantly dressed. The church was beautifully furnished.
You would think if there were any place in the world where people would be content and satisfied, it would be in this town. No doubt these people could teach me a thing or two about mental health.
To my surprise, I was swamped by people who requested counseling. There were many troubled hearts in those beautiful homes. [Read more…]
Before I went to college years ago, I spent a lot of time studying the Bible. I came across words like anger, resentment, fear, bitterness, rebellion, murmuring, dishonesty, lust, jealousy, fornication, and stealing. The Bible referred to these words as “sins,” or works of the flesh.
Are you someone who desires to communicate the Word of God to distraught people who have lost their way? If so, according to Hebrews 4:12, you have the right tool. “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
Leadership and management involve making up your mind what you need people to do to accomplish organizational objectives. Explaining to them what their job is. Describing to them what constitutes satisfactory performance. Checking to see that the work is done. Recognizing quality work. Correcting poor work. Getting rid of the ones who don’t do their work. Sometimes those tasks can be difficult, but they are required of leaders.
Are you heading into a project and wondering how to manage it? It can be simple if you follow a few basic management principles. These principles involve scanning the horizon to find the right people, and taking the trouble to see to it that there’s training available for them. Then you must take a chance as they apply their minds to your business.