As Christian Leaders we know that God is committed to shaping us into the likeness of His son and that He will use all things toward that end.

But the question is,

Do we see the everyday challenges of leadership as an opportunity for God’s shaping in our life to occur?

I Didn’t!

For many years I didn’t.

But through some hard knocks in life and leadership and cultivating a completely new mental and emotional shift toward the challenges of leadership - I now have a completely different view.

• Instead of seeing a conflict with someone under my leadership as a battle to be won, I now see it as an opportunity for my own personal growth.

• Instead of viewing the challenges that come with leading as just another aggravation, I now see it as an opportunity to be transformed into the image of His son.

• Instead of my attitude starting with that thought that the issue is about the other person or even about the problem, I now start with the attitude that issue is about what God wants to do in my life through this situation.

• Instead of starting with the thought “who is right or wrong in this situation?” or “how am I going to win this disagreement?” I now start by asking, “God, how do You want to use this situation to shape me into the image of Your son?”

How About You?

Unfortunately, I’ve seen too many Christian leaders become more twisted than transformed through their leadership journey. And honestly, I’ve dealt with the same challenge.

But for us as Christian leaders the question becomes:

• How are we allowing the things that happen in our life and leadership to shape us?

• Are we becoming more hardened or more humble?

• Are we becoming more cynical or more gracious?

• Are we becoming more resentful or more thankful?

• Are we becoming more bitter or more compassionate?

As A Fellow Traveler…

As a fellow traveler, I would encourage you to take some time and be honest to whether life and leadership is transforming you or twisting you?

Living and Leading On Purpose

Ken L Roberts

PS: If I can help you continue to live well as you lead well, I’d be honored. Email me at ken@kenLRoberts.com or call me at 216-374-0016

When I was eight a kid from my neighborhood would regularly invite me over to fight.

With my heart pounding, I would slam down the phone, race across the open field next to my house, dart across a busy two-lane road, jump a ditch, and land in his Billy’s back yard.

Billy would be waiting for me with a pair of boxing gloves.

In Billy’s back yard, was our boxing arena—an 8 foot by 8 foot woodshed: with a broken door, no windows, and a dirt floor. Once inside, like two miniature gladiators, we would lace up our gloves and prepare for battle.

Billy’s reason for boxing was a bit twisted.

He was smaller than most kids his age and what he lacked in size he wanted to make up in toughness. I was bigger than most kids my age, so Billy chose me to beat on him and help toughen him up.

A sick reason to fight, but I gladly obliged.

Even before our fight started, we both knew how it would end—I would win. I always did. As a result, Billy and I had a pre-battle agreement. When Billy got so dazed he either didn’t know where he was, could no longer get up from the dirt floor, or simply said, “Enough beating for now,” we would unlace the gloves, head toward the house (Billy stumbling toward it), and like good friends should, end the day with a cool glass of lemonade.

My boxing bouts with Billy remind me of our own battle.

We get knocked around by life so frequently, the blows coming from so many directions, that we are often left dazed. But what’s so alarming isn’t the dizziness or damage left from the pounding, but our lack of awareness that we’re even in a fight. Being convinced we are in a fight is half the battle and diligently engaging in it is the other half.

If you are in a fight, keep fighting. Your life, and those you love, may depend on it!

Living on Purpose

Ken

PS. If I can help you in your fight, I’d be honored to do so. Contact me at Ken@KenLRoberts.com

WHAT A RECENT SURVEY REVEALED

A recent survey of twenty thousand Christians from around the world revealed that busyness and constant overload were two of the the major reasons that God is being pushed right out of their lives.

Michael Zigarelli, professor of management at the Charleston University School of Business, who conducted the survey, describes a vicious cycle of busyness and constant overload that eventually erodes our spiritual lives.

Here’s how he explains this cycle of busyness.

• Christians are assimilating a culture of busyness, hurry and overload, which leads to

• God becoming more marginalized in our lives, which leads to

• A deteriorating relationship with God, which leads to

• Christians becoming even more vulnerable to adopting secular assumptions about how to live, which leads to

• More conformity to a culture of busyness, hurry and overload.

And then the cycle begins again.

PASTORS AND CHRISTIAN LEADERS AREN’T EXEMPT

This is itself a sad state of affairs, but it gets worse. Tellingly, the survey reveals that pastors and Christian leaders seem to be as caught up in the culture of busyness as anyone else.

A full 65% of pastors (right up there with lawyers, managers, and nurses) are among the most likely to rush from task to task in a way that interferes with their relationship with God.

It’s ironic that the very people who could best help us escape

the bondage of busyness are themselves in chains.

I’M GUILTY!

As a follower of Jesus Christ (and a former pastor), I’m guilty.

At times, and more than once, I’ve been consumed by busyness and in the rush and running from here to there, I’ve left God behind. Just recently I’ve ruthlessly recommitted to honoring one full day a week that’s entirely dedicated to rest, renewal, and realignment. Honoring a weekly day of rest has already helped me return to a life of sanity.

HOW ABOUT YOU?

How about you? Are you letting the cycle of busyness push God right out of your life? It’s like exchanging sawdust for gold. And as you and I both know, it’s simply not worth it.

Slowing Down

Ken

*This material is an excerpt from Ruth Haley Barton’s book, Strengthening The Soul Of Your Leadership

On November 27th I’ll turn 62!

As I reflect on my life, here are three important things I’ve learned about life.

Life Flies By Really, Really Fast

Growing up my parents always talked about how fast life goes by. But, of course as a little kid, you never felt that way. But now….62 years later, it’s hard to believe I’m turning 62. Just saying the words “I’m 62,” and hearing them come out of my mouth - doesn’t seem possible.

• It’s hard to believe my dad is 88

• It’s hard to believe I graduated from high school 44 years ago

• It’s hard to believe I have a daughter 37, a son 35, and a son 30

• It’s hard to believe I’m a grandparent (which I never wanted to become but now that I am one, I love it)

This is why I want to live my life with purpose and help others do the same.

We Have To Run The Entire Race

To be ahead in the first mile of a twenty-one mile race, doesn’t mean much. The same is true in life.

How many people do you know who shined bright for only a short season, but then stalled or fizzled out. A shinning star over a short period of time doesn’t really mean much. It’s the people who move forward - even if it’s inch by inch - over the duration of their life, are to me the most impressive.

It’s not how we start the race, but it’s how we run the race, and even more importantly, how we finish the race.

Life Shapes Us

The question isn’t will life shape us, it’s how will life shape us?

• Will we become hardened or more humble?

• Will we become cynical or more grateful?

• Will we grow to resent life or discover a deeper purpose to life?

• Will we learn to hate or learn to love?

• Will we become hopeless or become more resilient?

• Will we be blown off course or moved toward our destiny?

Life will shape us. The choice is ours.

62 and Counting…

As I turn 62, I’m extremely grateful for the blessed life I’ve been able to live. And I certainly don’t take that for granted.

Looking ahead to the coming years of my life, I want to continue to live with passion and purpose. When I cross from this temporary home into my eternal home, I want to hear my heavenly Father say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

If I can help…

If I can help you live a more focused life so you can live a more fruitful life, I would be honored to do so.

Living On Purpose

Ken

I recently did a workshop for the pastoral team of a local church. They asked me to speak on Live Well, While You Lead Well.

4 Principles To Consider

I offered four principles for them to consider. It seemed helpful to them, so I offer those same principles here for your consideration.

Principle # One: What’s Happening In Us Is The Most Important Thing About Us

God is an inside-out God. He always does things in us before He does things through us. So to have a life of ongoing health and growth we need to be aware (self-aware) of what God is doing in us.

Too many leaders run to fast to really know what’s happening in them, and if we’re not careful, while running 50 mph, looking off to the right and then to the left, we don’t see the brick wall waiting for us just 50 feet ahead.

If you want to live a life of ongoing health and growth, we have to slow down long enough to really know what’s happening in you.

Principle # Two: Who You and I Will Be Tomorrow We Are Becoming That Person Today. 

Each of us have a “Being” side and a “Doing” side. And we should always be cultivating both. We need to ask ourself:

• What areas of the nature of Christ am I cultivating today, so that I can be more like Christ in that area tomorrow?

• What skills am I developing today so that I can be more proficient and effective in those skills tomorrow?

I don’t need a crystal ball to predict who you will be or what you will accomplish. It’s not mystery. All I need to know is what areas you are sowing and cultivating in your life and leadership today. That’s what will determine who you will be tomorrow and what you will accomplish tomorrow.

Principle # 3: Know and Embrace Your Limits

Each of us have limited time, talents, and energy. We also have limited spheres of leadership. So if we are going to have ongoing health and growth in our lives as leaders, knowing our limits, and willingly embracing them will keep us safe and sane.

I’ve found 3 things that have helped me know and embrace my limits:

• Identify - knowing who I am in Christ: I’m a son loved by the Father!

• Purpose - clearly knowing what God has assigned me to do.

• Season - knowing what season of life I’m in. Is it a season of acceleration? A season of advancement? A season or rest? A season of realignment? A season of perseverance? A season of promotion? Etc.

Principle # 4: Live and Lead Out Of Order

Any leader who is going to live an ongoing life of health and growth must live out of healthy rhythms.

Personally, I’m convinced that satan hides in the shadows of hurry, chaos, confusion, and disorder, just waiting for our lives to be out-of balance, then jumps out of the shadows and gives us a good punch to the head (and heart).

In fact, how many leaders do you know who have been “taken out” by the enemy as a result of the accumulative effect of living out of a life of disorder.

Establishing and maintain healthy habits and restful rhythms is key to longevity in the life of a leader.

If I Can Help.

I have a huge desire to help leaders live well while they lead well and to maintain a life of ongoing health and growth. If I can help you, in anyway, I’d be honored.

Here are some specific ways I might be able to help. https://kenlroberts.com/leaders-1

Living and Leading On Purpose,

Ken L Roberts