The PF Women Team at our Annual Team Retreat ~ 2018 Today on Seth Godin's blog, he said: It's tempting to decide to make a profit first, then invest in training, people, facilities, promotion, customer service and most of all, doing important work. In general, though, it goes the other way. Yes, it does. If you are waiting to make a profit before you do these things, in my experience you're not going to make a profit. So many organizations, ministries and churches are struggling with financial issues. I know your pain. As anyone who follows our story knows, our ministry was in a ton of debt four years ago when I came on as director. Since that time, we've gotten out of debt and turned a profit every year. God has done amazing things through out team, for which we give Him the glory! I find that what Seth is saying here is absolutely true, with one disclaimer. For Christian leaders, spiritual disciplines must always be first. Before we started i...
Don't ever let anyone talk you into suppression no matter how wise or even anointed they sound. They may even use spiritual lingo like, "in God's timing you can share what is in your heart, but that time is not now." Wow. Since when did God die and leave them in charge of who can express their heart? Imagine if the world waited twenty more years to hear from Mattie Stepanek.
God didn't create you to suppress you! The enemy is all about containment and God is all about freedom. This theme actually runs throughout the whole Bible.
It's both dismaying to me as well as amusing to see people bristle at the unprecedented opportunity that abounds for people to share their thoughts today. I wrote about this in another blog post recently when I turned on the TV just in time to see a well known speaker at a Christian university blasting young church planters who were blogging and developed an influence on others they deemed inappropriate. They felt that these students and young pastors should be looking to those in official posts at the University.
Social media has revolutionized the world in that it gives all of us a voice. Well, let's be clear that God has already given all of us a voice -- but social media, which technically comes from God because nothing ever surprises Him or happens without Him giving someone the idea -- has elevated it to a whole new level.
Somebody people consider a "nobody" can start blogging and if they write consistently and are good at it, people will listen.
This makes two kinds of people uncomfortable:
1) Those who are in authority who aren't good at social media, don't know how to use it, or can't keep up with those who know how to use it -- and are threatened when those who do become an influence through it. People tend to criticize what they don't know how to do or don't understand.
2) People who are already influencers on a great scale (authors, speakers, etc.) and want to be an exclusive voice or at least put their stamp of approval on those who do become a voice.
When these two types of people are uncomfortable they start talking about how only certain people have a voice and try to silence those who aren't in the group they deem to be the blessed ones who get to share.
What's the problem with this? It's completely unbiblical.
Again, God didn't create you to contain you. What you think, what you have to share not only matters, but it matters a lot.
Martin Luther once said, "if you want to change the world, pick up your pen."
Plenty of people have. Previously unknown people. People some people would love to see stay unknown. Fortunately they don't get to decide that -- God does.
If Martin Luther were alive today he might say, "If you want to change the world, start a blog."
I beg you, speak up.
There are people who desperately need to hear what you have to say.
Comments
You know it's as silly as telling a musician not to write songs, not to play them and not to record them. It's also saying to an architect, don't make blueprints. Oh and let's not forget all those creative engineer types to not come up with some cooler mobile device because we already have the iPhone and iPad.
I say right on! or better yet write on!
No one can say it like you can.