8 Hallmarks of a Prideful Spirit

1. A Spirit of Pride will use humor to speak negative confessions over people, places or things it does not understand.

2. A Spirit of Pride will use humor to degrade others and make light of another person’s position, success or accomplishment.

3. A Spirit of Pride is uncomfortable with other people’s promotion and victories.

4. A Spirit of Pride has very little tolerance for change or “The New.”

5. A Spirit of Pride has a preconceived notion of acceptable change and promotion.

6. A Spirit of Pride is prone to stagnation and often becomes bitter, blaming others and their environment for disappointment.

7. A Spirit of Pride gains strength by inciting a reaction from others and through heated debate.  It is a baiting spirit that attempts to lure others through offense.

8. A Spirit of Pride’s close cousin is a Spirit of Familiarity.

Continued: Ways to Increase Your Value

Continued from the At Work Series: Pt. 1

4.  Take Chances

One of the great things about the apostle Peter was his courage to step out and “just do it.”  At times that got him into trouble due to ignorance.  However, more often than not, when you are willing to step out of the boat in obedience (Matthew 14:28) you will find that you can do things that you never thought possible.  Really what you will find is that you were destined to do and be much more than you could have imagined.  Make a personal commitment to never turn down an opportunity because the task seems too daunting.  When God is setting you up to grow He will never present you with assignments that you feel prepared for.  However, if you have been faithful in the season of preparation (1 Samuel 16:19-23) you can be sure that God is about to do something truly amazing in your life and in the life of others around you.

5.  Invest in Personal Growth

There are very few things more detrimental to momentum than a team that is unambitious and uninterested in personal growth.  Leaders who serve in one season of their life often get mesmerized by positional leadership and begin to coast.  They eventually lose any and all of the influential leadership they once had.  The only way to be of value to your family or organization is to lead and contribute from out front.  That does not mean that you must be in the front position.  But it does mean that there has to be something in you that others need.  It is impossible to nurture and grow that “something” without an undying commitment to personal growth.  Through personal growth God will plant the seeds of promise that will one day nourish the family and generation you serve.

6.  Make People Your Priority

Its hard to argue with the familiar leadership attache, “People are your most valuable asset.”  For the believer, people are God’s greatest creation because he imprinted his very image in each one (Genesis 1:27).  It is easy to get wrapped up in what you “feel called to do” or what you envision.  This is an important focus, yet it should never come at the cost of losing sight of people.  When goal and outcome are your only focus you will crush, ignore and marginalize any person that stands in your way.  Often times these “people obstacles” are actually tests and shaping moments God is using to adjust your direction. When you focus your attention on people you begin to see as God sees and will be better positioned to know and understand how best to see the vision through to completion.

4 Responses that Steal Away Reward

There is a natural cause and effect to living out the principles in God’s word.  Discovering Truth is described by Jesus as a man finding a great treasure in a field, then leaving to sell everything he owns to buy the field (Matthew 13:44).  Most Christians catch on to the blessing that comes with obedience.  However, all too often we see the valuable treasure we have stolen away by the careless way we respond to finding the treasure.

Here are 4 reactions that steal away our REWARD.

Gloating

If you are faithful and endure, at some point you are going to be right when “everyone” else said you were wrong.  There is a great benefit to hearing and discerning God’s voice then dedicating yourself to following Him no matter what the cost.  When what God said has proven true the rewards of validation and influence will be yours.  The carnal response to this victory, however, is to gloat.  You were right, they were wrong, you told them so!  Gloating will steal away whatever validation and influence you would have received.  When you gloat you open your mouth and essentially take credit for what happened as if you had anything to do with the outcome.  People will be distracted by the stench of your humanity rather than the Glory of God’s divinity.

Revenge

In 2 Tim 3:12 Paul reminds us that “…all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”  So at some point you are going to catch it square in the nose.  It may not seem like it but this too is like finding a treasure in a field.  There is no real way to re-enact or replicate seasons of persecution for Christ’s namesake.  It is truly an honor to do something for God and be isolated, scorned and rejected as a result.  When the season of persecution lifts there are great rewards of maturity and stability that come into your life.  But revenge will steal away your new-found treasure.  Revenge will negate the suffering that was killing away your carnality.  Instead it will ignite your carnal soul and feed it with hatred and self-gratification.  Resist the temptation to get even and you will receive your just reward.

Self Defense

When you are attacked with false accusations and wicked lies you are faced with a difficult choice…Defend or Stay Silent.  It’s possible that many people you know and care about have heard the false report and may be confused, even tempted to believe the lie.  Most people respond immediately by setting the record straight.  They mount up a defense and shout it out from any platform available.  But what you may not realize is self-defense just adds fuel to the manipulating spirit at work and it steals away God’s opportunity to validate you before men.  A silenced tongue in the midst of harsh words opens the door for God to step in and speak on your behalf.  His defense will yield a much better result than any “saving face” we could accomplish.

Neglect

In the parable Jesus shared, the man finding the treasure went and sold everything he had and bought the field.  He took action on what he knew was valuable.  Often times we discover the principles and practices buried in God’s word and are amazed by the reward they contain.  We get excited about our discovery but that excitement never extends further than the back door of the church.  We fail to act on the discovery because of the price required.  Being inspired by truth is never the same as being transformed by truth.  Once you find one of God’s true treasures there will be an immediate payment required if you are going to benefit.  Don’t wait!  Whatever it takes, pay the price because there is a “great recompense of reward” to be had!

Steps to Productive Confrontation

Never waste a good FIGHT!  Tension, discord, relational conflict and emotions running over are often viewed as unproductive and unfruitful situations.  So, most people spend their public life avoiding conflict resolution and their private life steaming about how mad they are.  The truth is that these intense situations offer something that a hug and a song around the camp fire could never offer…REAL PROGRESS.

If we can master the art of confrontation then we can deepen the intimacy of our relationships and increase momentum and productivity.  Here are a few key elements to successful confrontation.

1. Deal with Yourself

   Before you lash out at the offending party, spend some time digging into what you have done to contribute to the madness.  Often times the lack of communication on our part led to the misunderstanding.  Other times we have been blind to our own insecurities that have triggered the anger inside of us boiling over.  Take ownership of your responsibility in the conflict.

2. Choose the Right Time and The Right Way

   Thanks to technology and internet social networks there are tons of ways we can “call out” someone without having to look them in the eye.  Avoid this if at all possible.  Perry Nobles has some good thoughts on this topic.

3. Communicate Redemption

   When we finally do work up the nerve to talk with the offending party we are tempted to come in with guns blazing.  This will sabotage the process of productivity.  You don’t need to be piping mad to say what needs to be said.  You don’t need to remember your “zingers” in order to communicate just what you mean.  Start out by expressing your value for that person and your commitment to the relationship.  Let them know right off the bat you want to work this out and not just “put them in their place.”  (Power trips are just weak leaders in disguise.)

4. Draw Out Confession, Don’t Lecture

   I am sure you have worked up all the reasons why the individual is wrong and why you are right.  I am sure it is a compelling argument.  However, if you are a leader attempting to deal with someone who is being divisive, rebellious or just plain ignorant it is much better to have them describe their actions and then attempt to explain them away.  In this way you draw them out of the fabricated reality that exists safely inside their head and force those imaginations to be exposed to the truth.  Foolishness, rebellion and hatred cannot survive when it is exposed to truth and love.

More tomorrow.

Practicing Submission: Battling Rights

What is the litmus test for choosing right?  Is it character, integrity, purity, honor?  All these are notable qualities that should be guiding lights in our lives as Christians, but ultimately they cannot be the final filter for choosing “right.”

Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations —  “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using — according to the commandments and doctrines of men?  These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. (Colossians 2:0-23) NKJV

The problem with honorable and “good” is that they can just as easily serve the purposes of religion rather than serve the purposes of God.  There have been many times when I could have made a choice that would have seemed “right” to a lot of people I loved and respected.  I could have made the decision and only God and I would have known it was a compromise…A Compromise of Submission.  By all natural accounts I had the right to take the opportunity in front of me and pursue my dream.  But if we are going to live a life of surrender then we must start by giving up our “Rights.”

Ask Yourself…

1. What has God been trying to teach me, shape into me, in my current situation?  Have I yielded to those lessons?
2. In the light of God’s desires for my life, is this the wise thing to do? (Read Andy Stanley The Best Question Ever)
3. Will this choice give me short-term relief or long-term fulfillment?
4. Am I truly willing to give up what I wanted in exchange for what God commanded?

Practicing Submission

To suddenly not care whether your voice is heard, your dreams are realized or your desires are acknowledged is completely foreign to western culture.  We have seen many technological and historical advances by way of our pioneer/”John Wayne” approach to life.  No doubt western thought has taken a hold of the power positions in this world.  And with each passing generation the thought of self-sacrifice and laying one’s life down fades into the history books and biographies of men and women dead and gone.

The loss of the surrendered life has wreaked havoc on our societies.  Everything from fatherless homes to pagan nationalism to corporate greed can be traced back to men unwilling to be broken, unwilling to surrender to anything other than self-gratification.  Generations of men became cold and hardened because they were never touched by the power and freedom of a heart submitted completely to God.

Testing of Your Faith

James 1:2-4

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (NKJV)

Effective Response to Testing

The moment you decided to live your life for God you made yourself a target for all things ungodly.  Neither the culture we live in or the minions of the devil will stand idly by while you live out God’s purposes for your life.  Everything about Godly living is counter cultural to the fallen world we live in.  Therefore, it should be no surprise when our faith is tested.

There is a good reason James tells us to count times of testing as “”joy.”  There is nothing like a test that can cause a believer to graduate to the next level.  You don’t know if you are growing as a disciple unless have been tested.  Testing your faith gives you the chance to see just how well you have used your times of preparation.  Have you been diligent?  Are you ready for more wisdom, opportunities or influence?  Only a test can prove it.

In times of testing here are few keys to successful navigation.