Delegating Design

Those that know me even a little know that I am a control freak. I like to be in charge of the big picture and I like things to run well in the details. Its just who I am. What I'm learning, thanks to some people who have had the courage to help point out this fatal flaw, is that I need to change.

Sure, there are dozens of people who serve in the ministries that I am a part of. However, for the most part, they do things that I cannot or do not want to do - sometimes things that I do want to do, but that they do much better than I do. At times, I have applauded myself for my delegating abilities as I've given away things like these.

Times are changing - things are very busy in our church and our family and I'm learning that delegating and lessening my grip as a control freak means giving away not only things that I do not want to do, but also things that I do like to do but someone else can also do. Andy Stanley, in his book Next Generation Leader, says [my summary] that for the most part we should only do the things that we are uniquely gifted to do and allow others to do the rest. In other words - most of my time should be spent on the things that only I can do, and I need to learn to allow others to do the things that they are capable of. The biggest flaw of the control freak isn't holding on to to much and hurting themselves, its holding on to things which someone else could do and not allowing them to serve God in those areas.

So, with these thoughts in mind, yesterday I spent a few hours teaching two of our high school students to create and design in Media Shout. I really enjoy running Media Shout and creating in it. However, there are other people who can do this - who also enjoy the challenge, and who are able to serve God from their giftedness this way.

I'm learning.

Romans 3

No comments from me this time, only awe at what God has done [and is doing]:

Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. [Romans 3:23-25, Msg]

Prizes

After some good advice from someone I know, I'm reading Romans in the Message. I love the flavor of the message, and love the passion of the Apostle Paul in his words to Rome.

Today, I couldn't help but be struck by the content, as Paul speaks openly and directly about those who do not follow God. Paul says that our downward track as humanity began by a refusal to treat God as God, not by a lack of seeing or understanding his presence with us -

People knew God perfectly well, but when they didn’t treat him like God, refusing to worship him, they trivialized themselves into silliness and confusion so that there was neither sense nor direction left in their lives. [Romans 1:21]

In light of our current social context - the VMAs from a couple nights ago - its interesting to see Paul's words on the matter:

And it’s not as if they don’t know better. They know perfectly well they’re spitting in God’s face. And they don’t care—worse, they hand out prizes to those who do the worst things best! [Romans 1:32]

There it is, front and center. People have every ability to know and worship God for who he is. However, we choose to ignore him and live directionless lives filled with prizes for those who do the worst rather than the best. When you think of the lives we do live versus the lives we could live, its no wonder that we are such a hurting generation.