Footloose | Ecclesiastes 11.8-10
FRIDAY
Reflection 5 of 5
REFLECT
Oh, how sweet the light of day,
And how wonderful to live in the sunshine!
Even if you live a long time, don’t take a single day for granted.
Take delight in each light-filled hour,
Remembering that there will also be many dark days
And that most of what comes your way is smoke.
You who are young, make the most of your youth.
Relish your youthful vigor.
Follow the impulses of your heart.
If something looks good to you, pursue it.
But know also that not just anything goes;
You have to answer to God for every last bit of it.
Live footloose and fancy-free—
You won’t be young forever.
Youth lasts about as long as smoke.
Ecclesiastes 11:8-10 | MSG
RECEIVE
From Phil Strout’s book Thrive. From his introduction, entitled “Eyes on the Road.” Thrive is a book specifically addressed to leaders, but Phil’s words are for all of us…
According to a study by the Barna Group, there are more than 1,500 pastors who exit full-time ministry each month.
Over 18,000 a year move on to something else.
If we don’t address that, we’re irresponsible in our position as leaders. But it’s not just ministers who have a corner on this market. Politicians, CEOs, coaches, businessmen—none of them started out thinking they were going to lie to people, embezzle money or cheat to win. But at some point, it happens for many of these once well-intentioned leaders. Professional racing isn’t for the faint of heart. Just like in ministry, split-second decisions and timing can be the recipe for success — or disaster. In those cases where something goes wrong and a car spins out, it collects other cars in its wake.
Likewise, when we have people spinning out at any level of leadership, there is collateral damage. People get collected into that mess. We have a responsibility to address, be prepared and train in order to eliminate the collateral damage at best or at least limit it.
So, my dear pilgrim friend, whether you are just beginning your leadership journey, halfway through or in the twilight of your leadership career, I invite you to consider the principles and ideas in this book. Let’s explore how we can be agents of change in the world of leadership in both our personal leadership and the way we train others—
and let us finish well the race that is set before us.
RELATE
“Live footloose and fancy free.” In what ways has your faith walk grown tired and predictable? Where could it stand a wee injection of “footloose and fancy free”?
RESPOND
Abba, infuse my faith walk with new vigour and life; help me to find my feet freer, looser, as I find myself drawn into your kingdom rhythms. Let me hear your fresh invitation into the dance. And give me the courage at this and every age to step out onto the floor with you. Through Christ.
Wind Watchers | Ecclesiastes 11.1-6
THURSDAY
Reflection 4 of 5
REFLECT
Be generous: Invest in acts of charity.
Charity yields high returns.
Don’t hoard your goods; spread them around.
Be a blessing to others. This could be your last night.
When the clouds are full of water, it rains.
When the wind blows down a tree, it lies where it falls.
Don’t sit there watching the wind. Do your own work.
Don’t stare at the clouds. Get on with your life.
Just as you’ll never understand
the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman,
So you’ll never understand
the mystery at work in all that God does.
Go to work in the morning
and stick to it until evening without watching the clock.
You never know from moment to moment
how your work will turn out in the end.
Ecclesiastes 11:1-6 | MSG
RECEIVE
From Phil Strout’s book Thrive. From his introduction, entitled “Eyes on the Road.” Thrive is a book specifically addressed to leaders, but Phil’s words are for all of us…
In his book Deliberate Simplicity, Dave Browning explains what it means to have passion in writing:
“At a writer’s workshop, the moderator asked a group of well known authors this question, what does it take to write a best seller? After a little discussion the consensus was that writers must be in a fury. If you write with passion, your words are intensified. Your message has force. Your readers can better sense your spirit and sincerity. The authors went on to suggest that “if you cannot write with passion perhaps you have chosen the wrong subject.”
It is with a fury that I write about what it means not only survive but thrive in leadership when the most daunting of paths are laid before us.
It is with great sadness that I reflect on some of the spin-outs that I have witnessed.
These were people who I never thought would be taken off course. I am compelled to share what I have learned about being diligent to survive the challenging moments of leadership. Some of those moments can be obvious, others sneak up on you and hit you when you least expect it. For years, I have observed dedicated people arriving at places in their lives where they were not equipped to navigate.
The end result was a wreck—and oftentimes, a severe pile-up in their wake.
RELATE
“Don’t sit there watching the wind. Do your own work.” For you, what is the balance between waiting for the right moment and conditions, and just getting to it? How do you know when to launch?
RESPOND
Abba, give me a healthy balance between preparation and action; let me not go off half-cocked, but do, in fact, let me get to going off! Show me how to seize the opportunities you lay before me this day.
REFLECT | RECEIVE | RELATE | RESPOND 