What Size Is Your Package?

Have you heard this old adage? “A person wrapped up in himself makes an pretty small package.” The same is not only true for persons, but for any organization as well, especially the church.

The day before the election Robert Geyer and David Ruper asked a jarring question. Robert is a business executive and David is a communication professional. They write about the intersection of faith and life at Red Letter Believers. Their question was simple:

“Is it possible that big government thrives because of a little church?”

I think they are onto something. It’s not little church size-wise though. It’s little church vision-wise that’s the problem. Could it be that as church leaders have gotten wrapped up in themselves, they have forgotten their mission to the world? Is it right to blame government when the church (we Christians) has neglected to do it’s job?

While those of us who mistrust “big government” contemplate what happened on November 4, it might be more productive to reconsider the impact of “little church,” and what we can do to be a little less wrapped up in ourselves for the next four years.

Read Red Letter Beleivers blog.

It Takes a Team

Recently I heard this behind-the-scenes story about a company that had enjoyed notable success and is now struggling to survive. A former employee told me that he and other high-performers had worked their tails off, adding millions to the company’s bottom line. Yet the company’s president couldn’t bring himself to acknowledge their contribution. Instead, in press interviews, he personally took all the credit for the company’s growth.

Needless to say, this didn’t go over well with the sales team, nor did the president’s regular habit of raising their sales goals without raising their compensation. One day they decided enough was enough and left en masse to work for a competitor.

Any leader on a pedestal, no matter how he got there, is in a dangerous position.

(To read more go to The High Calling.)