It's Not about the Coffee

I had the privilege of attending the 6th Creating Great Places to Work Conference last week.  The theme of the conference was "Leadership: Engaging Hearts and Minds".  I would like to share and reflect on one of the plenary sessions by Howard Behar, who was a senior executive at Starbucks for many years.  He was instrumental in establishing the Starbucks culture which stresses on the importance of people over profits.  If you think of your staff as people (instead of labour costs), they will achieve results beyond what is thought possible.  Starbucks is not in the Coffee business serving people.  Rather it's in the People business serving coffee.


There were 10 principles of personal leadership but he shared only three:
1. Wear One Hat: our success is related to our clarity and honesty about who we are, who we're not. This relates to our life's goals and purposes; if they're aligned with the organisation, we can definitely go far to accomplish great things.  In the spiritual context, when we see how our gifts and talents can contribute to the overall church mission, we would dedicate our time and energy to fulfill it. What kind of legacy do you hope to leave behind?
2. The person who sweeps the floor should choose the broom: People are not "assets", they're human beings who have the capacity to achieve results beyond what is thought possible.  People who are directly connected with their work know what is needed to improve productivity.  Sometimes, there may be a need to go against the tide of learned opinions.  Listening to suggestions at the ground level is vital to the success of any organisation.  Are there things that can be done differently in the various church ministries that would lead to growth?
3. Care, like you really mean it: It is not a sign of weakness but strength.  Without trust and caring, we'll never know what could have been possible.  It is also important to accept accountability when things go wrong.   When you demonstrate care and concern for others, it would return back to you in untold ways.  Eccl 11:1 says to cast your bread on the waters and you'll find it after many days.  The Loved to Love project of our church is a good way to demonstrate care and concern for others in our community.  Is there anyone in our circle of influence that we can show love?


May God use each one of us, wherever we're placed, to be a shining light for Him. Ultimately, it's people who are precious to the Lord and we should treat them as such, despite all their sins and blemishes.

God watches over us (Psalm 48)

This psalm begins by declaring the greatness of God and one who is worthy of praise. He dwells among His people in Jerusalem (Mt Zion).  God is indeed her fortress and strength (v 3) and certainly ours too!  When the enemy comes to assail Jerusalem, they would be struck with terror and fear because of the awesome presence of God (v 4-7).  His name and praise shall ring throughout the earth (v 10).


As believers in Christ, He has also promised us protection from all the powers of the enemy (Lk 10:19).  Yes, demons may be foul and hideous in nature, but our God is awesome in glory and  majesty.  It is His holy presence that the demons tremble and fall.  Notice that it says that no power of the enemy shall hurt us but instead we have power and authority (invested in us) to trample on snakes and scorpions.


When we are afraid, for whatever reason, know that God is near, just a prayer away.  He watches over you and me - begin to think about His love (v 9), His past mercies and grace shown toward us.  As the song says, "Think about His love, think about His goodness, .. that's brought us through."  You would comforted to know that God would be your guide forever through thick and thin (v 14).  

The Gospel of Luke

Luke, the beloved physician, portrayed Jesus as the Son of Man, who is the Savior of the world. He was a close friend and companion of Paul; the only Gentile author of any NT book.  He also wrote the Book of Acts and was with Paul at his martyrdom.  He addressed both his writings to Theophilus, meaning "friend of God" or "dear to God".  As you read this book, know that it is meant for you as well since you're dear to God.


Luke's purpose was to give an accurate account of the life of Christ for the spiritual well-being of Theophilus and to remind him of what he already knew.  He also revealed the compassionate side of Christ through His sacrificial offering on behalf of the world.   Luke was an accurate historian who relied on eye witnesses' accounts as well as the Holy Spirit's inspiration to help him write in systematic order.


The key elements in Luke's account are the parables.  And he also had a unique interest in individuals such as Zaccheus (19:1-10), the penitent thief (23:39-43), the prodigal son (15:11-32), the pentient publican (18:9-14), the good Samaritan (10:29-37) and the one thankful leper (17:11-19).  Likewise, God has His eyes on you, no matter what the circumstances you're going through.  And we too should be concerned about individuals!


What struck me as I read the first chapter was the couplets of ideas that were given:
1) Two angelic visitations - one to Zacharias and one to Mary (v 11,26-27).
2) Two seemingly innocent questions (v 18, 34).
3) Two conceptions (v 24, 42).
4) Two seemingly impossible conceptions - one suffered from barrenness and the other a virgin.
5) Two prophetic utterances - one by Mary and one by Zacharias (v 39ff, 67ff).


The wonderful promise given by the angel Gabriel, "For nothing will be impossible with God."   (v 37)
Are you suffering from barrenness?  Either literally unable to conceive or experiencing no success with getting an employment or stagnating in your job or getting no headway in your relationship.
Continue to pray and seek God like Zacharias, remain humble like Mary.  When God acts, no one can stop the flow of His blessings.  And when that time comes, you'll rejoice like Mary and Zacharias of old.  Hallelujah!

The Epistle of 1 John

Written by the disciple whom Jesus loved, John, in his letter to the Christians in Asia Minor, talked about the tests of fellowship with God.  Our fellowship with God can be seen in our life of faith and honesty (1:8-10) which is expressed by obedience to God's commands and love of the brethren (4:21).


Outline of 1 John
Ch 1: Requirements for fellowship with God who is Light
The first premise for fellowship with God is to acknowledge that He is light (pure/holy) and to confess our sins to Him.  When we do so, the precious blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin (v 7,9).


Ch 2: Requirements for fellowship with God who is Righteous
Because God is righteous (v 1), we should shun sin and not get ourselves entangled with the system of the world (v 15-17).  The way to defeat the tempter is to read and hide God's Word in our hearts (v 14).  "Young men" refers to those who are growing in their faith.  "Fathers" refers to those who are mature in their faith.  John is not talking about chronological age here, but spiritual.
 
Ch 3 & 4: Requirements for fellowship with God who is Love
God's love enables us to be born into His family as His children (3:1).  The wonderful promise is that we shall be like Him, pure and holy (3:2).  The hallmark of being a true disciple of God is our love for God and the brethren (4:7,20).




Ch 5: Requirements for fellowship with God is to know Christ
Our faith in Jesus Christ overcomes the world (v 4) and He imparts to us eternal life (v 13).  The wonderful promise is that we can come confidently into God's presence to ask and receive from Him (v 14-15).


Let us truly have fellowship with God and His children.  This we do so by displaying unconditional love to one another. 

A Cat's Tale