by Clarence E. Stowers | Dec 16, 2011 | regular
I am a voracious reader. In fact, I love to read and I never pass up an opportunity to visit bookstores. I will literally sit for hours, scan book & magazines, and fill my Moleskine notebook with pertinent information. This week I invite you to join me and take a peek in my notebook and see my thoughts.
As promised, every Friday I’ve decided to share my “Top 5.” I’ve thought a lot about success and what it takes to be successful. Since success is hard to conceptualize and is subjective, I’ve discovered there are similar costs most are willing to pay in order to be successful.
Here’s what’s swirling around in my mind this week:
- You can’t be CHEAP and successful at the same time. College costs money. Books cost money. Conferences & Seminars cost money. Putting yourself in a position to be stretched and grow cost money. One of the qualities that I’ve always noticed in successful people is that they were personally willing to pay a financial price.
- You can’t be LAZY and successful at the same time. You must be willing to put “some skin in the game. This means you get your butt out of bed and make it happen! Also, remember that rest is essential because success is a LONG journey.
- You must be mentally strong. Your success journey will be one of the most emotionally draining things you will EVER do. You will discover that you can go from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows with one email or phone call. Your heart and motives will be called into question. Critics will attack. Haters will hate (that’s what they do).
- You must devise a plan to combat spiritual warfare. The enemy IS NOT happy about what you’re trying to accomplish. His strategy is to kill, steal, and destroy. He attempts to kill the dream in the beginning…before the seed takes root. The more successful you become the greater the intensity of spiritual attack on your life.
- You will bear scars. Jesus asked His followers to count up the cost before they decided to follow Him. Why? Those who God uses greatly, He scars them deeply. Behind every successful person are scars they’ve accumulated along the journey. Success will cost you something!
Questions:
Are you ready for the journey?
Have you considered the costs?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Dec 15, 2011 | regular
Ed Stetzer recently compiled a list of 48 questions to ask yourself for honing your personal accountability. Unfortunately, each year we hear of preachers, politicians, and athletes who compromise their integrity and make life-ruining mistakes. Sadly, many of those mistakes could have been avoided with the right accountability systems in place.
For all 48 questions, you will need to check out Ed Stetzer’s original post. Here are my top 15 personal favorites:
- Have I spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?
- Did the Bible live in me today?
- Am I enjoying prayer?
- Have I given priority time to my family?
- How do I spend my spare time?
- Am I a slave to dress, friends, work, or habits?
- Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
- Have I been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?
- Have I been exposed to sexually alluring material or allowed my mind to entertain inappropriate thoughts about someone who is not my spouse this week?
- Have any of my financial dealings lacked integrity?
- Have I secretly wished for another’s misfortune so that I might excel?
- Have I damaged another person by my words, either behind their back or face-to-face?
- Is there anything that has dampened my zeal for Christ?
- Is Christ real to me?
- Have I been completely honest with myself?
What are some of your accountability questions?
by Clarence E. Stowers | Dec 14, 2011 | quote
Real encouragement is reminding someone how far they’ve come not how far they have to go.
by Clarence E. Stowers | Dec 14, 2011 | regular
I often hear pastors and church leaders say: “Leading a church would be great if it weren’t for church people.” That may or may not be true, but, there is no such thing as leadership void of people. The challenge most church leaders face is that we’re pulled in so many directions by so many people and since we’re human, we’re bound to disappoint someone.
Here’s a truth that will keep you sane as a spiritual leader:
We have responsibility to people,
not for people.
Mark Waltz, in his book Lasting Impressions, does a nice job describing the difference:
- When I’m responsible to people, I understand they have a choice. When I’m responsible for people, I think I should decide for them.
- When I’m responsible to people, I know they must figure out their next step. When I’m responsible for people, I try to tell them what their next step is.
- When I’m responsible to people, I allow them to bear the brunt of the consequences for their own chosen actions. When I’m responsible for people, I assume the guilt, or worse the shame, for them.
- When I’m responsible to people, I engage in their journey, offering encouragement and teaching. When I’m responsible for people I try to direct their journey, never allowing them to wrestle, mess up or make a wrong turn.
- When I’m responsible to people, I talk to God on their behalf. When I’m responsible for people, I talk to people a lot on God’s behalf.
One of the most basic boundaries we can maintain is our skin. I am responsible for everything inside my skin. You are responsible for everything inside your skin. It is a fundamental demarcation between “me” and “you.” Sometimes pastors feel like they have to have all the answers, solve all the problems and make everything right…for everyone. If you fall into this category, my heart goes out to you today. It is a very frustrating thing to feel responsible for the thoughts and actions of other people. It is quite liberating to know that I only have a responsibility to other people – to love them, to be honest with them, to be a friend and support. What’s going on inside them is “all theirs.”
by Clarence E. Stowers | Dec 13, 2011 | regular
The iPhone 4S (my preferred device) and a host of other smartphones all promise to help us accomplish more. Unfortunately, we live in an age where we’re encouraged to purchase gadgets that allow us to do many things at the same time.
It’s called multitasking and, in my opinion, it’s overrated and may be the greatest leadership lie ever told! That’s right, I said it!
Multitasking is the ability of a person to perform more than one task at the same time.
When you’re going back and forth between complicated projects, it is impossible to focus properly on each one. “Researches call this task switching, an action, that, itself, requires time and energy. Depending on how many tasks you’re juggling, you could be losing 20 to 40 percent of your time, because you have to reengage your focus and thoughts.” (“Executive Control of Cognitive Processes in Task Switching,” Joshua S. Rubinstein, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, Atlantic City, NJ; Journal of Experimental Psychology – Human Perception and Performance, Vol. 27, No. 4).
I’ve discovered both life and ministry require a certain amount of juggling. Few days play out in an orderly, linear sequence. Speaking on the phone to a member, client, or colleague while you’re reading a report or typing an e-mail might not cost you that much. But, doing so while you’re preparing a report or message might. At the very least, it will slow you down and result in sub par work. To increase your focus and performance when concentration is critical, cut down on multitasking.
A few suggestions:
- Turn off your e-mail alarm (who needs to be alerted to spam or useless facebook updates). Check it regularly when it’s convenient for you – not when it interrupts you.
- Block out time for projects that require intense focus such as sermon preparation, budget forecasting, vision/planning, writing, drafting a presentation, or conducting analysis.
- Forward your calls to voice mail and close your door if necessary. Let people know that you’re working on a project. If you don’t have a door, put up a sign.
- When possible, schedule important phone conversations when you know you’ll have no distractions.
- Never work on something else while you’re on the phone. The person on the other end knows when you’re writing an email while you talk, and it’s probably irritating him or her.
Organize your work so that you can do ONE THING at a time and do it well. The payoff will be substantial!
As promised, every Friday I’ve decided to share my “Top 5.” I’ve thought a lot about success and what it takes to be successful. Since success is hard to conceptualize and is subjective, I’ve discovered there are similar costs most are willing to pay in order to be successful.