In, But Not Of - IV
Your Life from 7 P.M. to 8 A.M.
The end is near.
Over the past few weeks we have been considering a life of power and influence for the follower of Jesus.
I wish to thank those who have participated in this conversation and a special thanks to those who have disagreed. Your comments sharpen our thinking. Keep it coming. Well, here we go with a final summary of Mr. Hewitt’s excellent book, In, But Not Of. Mr. Hewitt began the last section of his book with three quotes. Here they are…
“Nothing is as certain as that the vices of leisure are gotten rid of by being busy.” –Seneca
“To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization, and of present very few people have reached this level.” –Bertrand Russell
“The more we do, the more we can do; the more busy we are, the more leisure we have.” –William Hazlitt
Choose a Church, and Join It� Genuinely – Chapter 31
Choosing a church to belong to isn’t as hard as choosing a spouse for life, but it can have just as much of an impact. Joining a church, making an honest commitment to a group of believers is a gigantic task…and the very reason why most followers won’t commit to a group of fellow followers.
Big mistake.
Join a church. Become a servant. Give yourself. Share your resources. You have to be part of a community to receive the gifts of that community. That’s how it works.
Find Interesting People - Chapter 33
Speaking of people…there are dull people and interesting people. Seek the former and with great patience, endure the latter because dull people bear the Imago Dei. Interesting people make your life full, but enduring the dull makes your soul full and is a Christian obligation. Warning: darkness is interesting. Dark-souled people are very interesting. If someone is interesting to you only because of what they do in darkness…better they are avoided for your soul’s sake.
Manage Your Flaws - Chapter 35
I use to train managers who managed people. I always began by saying, “the first person you have to manage is yourself.� Manage your weaknesses or they will minimize your career or worse, they can kill your career, your relationships, your life and even your soul. There are multiple temptations for those under 35 with uber-libidinous energy. Pick good friends and choose your habits wisely.
Be Slow to Show Your Knowledge - Chapter 36
“It is not the Christian life to wound, embarrass, or play one-upmanship with colleagues, friends, or even opponents, but it’s a common vice anyone can easily fall into.� – Hewitt, page 166.
The Essence of Good Taste is Never to Be Offended by Bad Taste - Chapter 38
Practice Flattery and Encouragement - Chapter 39
Flattery has a bad rap. No one enjoys cheap insincere flattery, but everyone appreciates sincere honest flattery. Warning: flattery is directed upwards, which means it can be risky. So learn how to do it correctly.
Mark and Continually Review the Limits You Will Not Trespass - Chapter 45.
This is one of the best, most practical chapters.
And here’s my personal favorite chapter (a repeat of Chapter 38).
To Repeat: Be Slow to be Offended - Chapter 47
Leaders are not easily offended. Remember that life is full of filth, sex, violence, smut, greed, and awful people.
Life outside the church is pretty bad too.
Do you want a quick end to your promising career? Then be offended easily. Let people know how they offended you. Tell them how much they hurt your feelings. You’ll enjoy the feeling of moral superiority in the unemployment line. Now before you write a morally superior comment to disagree, remember that moral superiority is an impossible position, because of the gospel.
Look at it this way, I ues to wondered how the God of Exodus 19 could be the God who ate and drank with “sinners.� How did Jesus “put-up� with the bad behavior of others?
Simple.
Jesus was not easily offended by bad behavior (and of course, he did love them, too). Think how often Jesus was invited into the lives and homes of people. How often are you? Warning: careers and relationships can easily be destroyed by hypersensitivity.
One Last Thing
I am a first generation American of Mexican descent, whose parents were once illegal, who has 95% of his family still in Mexico. So as male Hispanic who is a follower to all other minorities who are followers…get over yourself.
Really.
Get over yourself.
If your feelings get hurt, but you’re not bleeding from the eyes, get over it. Whenever you think someone is racially insensitive…get over it and apply aggressive forgiveness.