Paul, Benaiah, and Leadership

I was reading 1 Corinthians 6 this morning and I asked these questions:

Why do we have such a hard time being satisfied in God? What makes us want more of what we already have enough of? Why do we look past God's provisions for what we think we need?

Then I read chapter 2, "The Odd Thing About Odds" in In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson and came across these thoughts:

*Lion chasers know God is bigger and more powerful than any problem they face in this world....That is how God reveals his glory - and how He blesses you in ways you never could have imagined.

*God has no dimensional limitations, and if we could wrap our minds around that truth, it would transform our outlook on life.

*Maybe it's time to stop creating God in your image and let Him create you in His. The more we grow, the bigger God should get. And the bigger God gets, the smaller our lions will become.

*God wants you to get where God wants you to go more than you want to get where God wants you to go.

*Lion chasers aren't afraid of doing something that seems ridiculous to others - because they know anything is possible with God.

Although my questions came from Paul's dialogue about sexual immorality and Mark's thoughts spring from Benaiah's tussle with a lion, my mind makes a connection between the two. Both concern our connection with God and how well we are keeping that connection healthy. Paul wants the Corinthians to know that those who are united with the Lord are one with him in spirit (6.17) and no longer need to look elsewhere for fulfillment, affirmation, or encouragement. Mark draws the conclusion that when we believe in God, we should believe that our God is big enough to defy any odds and defeat any lions.

So where are you seeking fulfillment and acceptance? What lions have you told God are too big for him to handle? Why?

I know that as a pastor I want the people in my church to like me and to think that my teaching is good, but then I read Paul's words and wonder why I don't trust God to be everything that I need. As a husband and father I want to be an asset in my household, not a liability, and I wonder how I could get a better grip on the priorities of my life.

Three "lions" in my life: preaching relevant, thought-provoking sermons; connecting with non-Christian 20-somethings; and balancing time for family and work.

As I spend time leading and as I study leadership, I am continually amazed at the amount of personal reflection I need to do along the way. I have to remind myself that I am nowhere near an expert on the subject (nor do I pretend to be), but I do want to pass along the things I am learning. But to do that I must process what I read thru my contextual lenses in order to successfully and coherently pass along the great wealth of information available. Leadership is never the same from one day to the next and that means I will always have something to read, learn, and digest. Praise be to God!

Grace&Peace

PS - If you don't own a copy of In a Pit, get one HERE!