Dave Dishman

Guidance from Overlooked Men and Women of the Bible

Category: Leadership (Page 19 of 22)

How do you think about politics?

June 6, 2016 / / 0 Comments

In the back of my book, GO – Following Jesus to the Ends of the Earth, I have a section that contains my “manifesto,” which is a fancy word for my guiding life principles. One of them goes like this – As a follower of Jesus, I run my political beliefs through a sieve of scripture and the teachings of Jesus. My politics are subservient to my faith in Jesus.

In the midst of this unbelievably crazy political season, how do you make your political decisions? Do you have a solid basis for casting your vote for national, state and local leaders and issues? The scriptures do not give direct answers to every issue, but they do give insight and wisdom for those who will make the effort to dig in and think and learn and grow.

Give it a try. Take the issues and candidates you care about (or don’t care about) and see how they pass through the grid of scripture. Keep an open mind and ask the Lord for wisdom. You might be surprised at what you discover.

 

John the Baptist got a raw deal

May 23, 2016 / / 1 Comment

In a cathedral in Seville, Spain, I ran across this painting. Sorry it’s not a great photo, but you get the idea. It’s a painting of John the Baptist’s head on a platter. I’ve been reading about John the Baptist recently and I’m always impressed with his devotion to Christ, right up to his death. Did you know that he first met Jesus when both were in their respective mother’s wombs? And John jumped for joy when he heard Mary’s voice? It’s a remarkable story that you can read about in Luke 1:39-45. Being a Christ follower from the womb is impressive.

A wild-looking man, John lived on locusts and wild honey and wore a camel skins, which was odd even back in the day. He pulled no punches as he called on people to change their lives. Herod locked him up in prison and eventually took his life, angry at John’s calling him out for taking his brother’s wife as his own.

Such a short yet powerful life. Jesus tells us that there has been no one ever born who was greater than John the Baptist. High praise for someone who has a brief sojourn across the pages of scripture and who ends his life in such a grisly style.

Pondering

March 14, 2016 / / 0 Comments

The book of Luke in the New Testament describes to us the thoughtfulness of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Twice, as she learns of the divinity of her son, she “ponders these things in her heart.” I’m certain that you’d do a lot of thinking and wondering if it was looking like your child was actually God in the flesh.

Like Mary, we need to be people who ponder the things of Jesus in our hearts, people who take time to be reflective. I need to make the time and find the right places to ponder. The TV kills pondering. So does the computer and phone. Screens overwhelm pondering, too distracting to eyes and the mind.

Just as I take time to go to the gym, working out in order to stay healthy and productive, I need to make space and time for reflection. It’s best practiced as a daily habit, a time of no screens and distractions. But if that’s not possible it needs be at least a regular habit. Like smoking but much better for you.

The more valuable things of the Lord, things like depth and insight and wisdom come from this practice. These yield hope and expectancy of our future. Make time to ruminate, slow down, think, reflect. Take time to ponder and your thoughts of the Lord will begin to bud and bloom in new and profound ways.

The Magi – wise men indeed

March 7, 2016 / / 0 Comments

I was reading recently in Matthew chapter 2 about the Wise Men, or as they are also called, the Magi, who seek out the new born Jesus. They left home to pursue their search based on study of the stars and signs. Some folks look to the stars for guidance, as if the patterns of the stars themselves yield wisdom. Others look for the wisdom beyond the stars.

The Magi watched, studied and understand that there was a God who created what they observed. They knew of the prophecy found in Matthew that a ruler would come from Bethlehem. They studied, watched the skies, read books, thought, pondered and then acted on their knowledge. They sought God and found Jesus.

It’s sometime said today that “wise men still follow Jesus.” A good leader thinks on the Lord, ponders the things of the Lord, reads of the Lord and looks to nature for evidence of the Lord. A good leader knows that sometimes you go on a journey to find the Lord. Think, study, act. It takes all three to change the world.

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