character(8/0)
Monastic rule of life
The Order of the Common Life has four rhythms and twelve commitments that comprise their Rule of Life. I still have my reservations. Yes, I think these are good things, but I’m not sure that this expression of spiritual disciplines is right for me. It feels like something could be missing, and a few of these are values that I’m not likely to follow through with, like lectio divina or shared work.…
Attributes of God
When I was a new Christian, I compiled a link list of God’s attributes from books I had access to, like A.W. Tozer’s Knowledge of the Holy. It’s not an exhaustive list, nor do I necessarily agree now with every implicit theological leaning it represents, but I think it’s a helpful catalog. God is One [Deu 6:4; 1 Ti 1:17; Rev 15:4; 1 Cr 1:25; Job 15:15; Mar 12:29-30; Luk 8:23; Isa 40:12,28; Col 1:17; Act 17:25; Col 2:9; Gen 1:2; Heb 4:13; Isa 45:5-6; Deu 4:39; Isa 43:10b; Isa 46:9; Ps 90:2; 1 Jn 3:2; Jn 14:6]…
Leaders hire at or below their own character
Leaders hire at or below their own character. The cost to develop skills in a person with sterling character and energizing passion is minimal compared with the drain from a skilled worker with flawed character and little passion. Even were this common knowledge among hiring managers, the information alone is insufficient to change hiring strategies. This is because people don’t hire character that goes beyond their own attainments. Many potential reasons for this exist.…
Pivots demand more forceful response to disobedience
Character flaws at pivotal moments deserve immediate, extreme feedback. Scattered throughout the Scriptures are stories of forceful response to sin that shocks the reader. In the Old Testament, Achan and his whole family are destroyed for hiding valuable idols. In the New, Peter is called Satan for rebuking Jesus, and Ananias drops dead for lying about the price of land he sold. Intermixed with stories of shocking mercy, it’s a challenge to understand how these dramatic events could come from the same merciful God.…
Corporate growth disperses spiritual foundations
The title of the book this week is Soul at Work, but it’s definition of ‘soul’ is vague beyond application (Benefiel). The stories I can appreciate, but their business selections are too typical. A non-profit organization for the homeless with a heart in spirituality and non-violence? It’s more surprising to find a secular environment with the same purposes. The author’s most recognized selection, Southwest Airlines, is also notable for it’s lack of spiritual motive.…
Heavenly reward makes better workers
There is a surprising absence of writing about the saint’s heavenly activity. At times we catch a glimpse through the eyes of a shocked prophet so riveted on God he sees little else. However, a fascinating description of our heavenly activity is referenced in Jesus' parable about the faithful steward. There he promises an increase in responsibility for anyone who has been faithful on earth. And what constitutes this responsibility? “You shall have authority over ten cities.…
A stunted view of god limits imitation
A stunted view of God’s character limits our imitation of him. “If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did” - John 8:39 From history class to daily news we are bombarded by messages of corporate abuse. Robber barons warn against the corruption of business ownership. The faceless brokers and investors who fueled the housing craze that deceived hundreds of thousands of lower income families into impossible mortgages give pause that our entire economy is rotten.…
Globalization demands leadership integrity
The complexity of global economics emphasizes the need for business leaders of character. The world of business is rapidly becoming too complex to manage. The history of nation-states influence the rise and fall of economies in ways never before connected. Cabrera and Unruh mention the effect on the European Union’s (EU) currency by one of the EU’s smallest members ({cabrera-global}, loc. 279). Might global effects also be surmised from the chaos within Libya or the Syrian civil war?…