FUMBLING THE BALL

“Live [compassionately], friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out. Stoop down and reach out to those who are oppressed. Share their burdens, and so complete Christ’s law. If you think you are too good for that, you are badly deceived.”  (Galatians 6:1-3 MSG)                   

Churches that focus on compassion and love, that are rooted in the spiritual dimension, over time enhance their ability to offer creative and life-giving ministries and mission, but churches that focus solely on ministry and mission can lose their souls if they forget to love people involved in them. A major component, then, of spiritual leadership is being a compassionate leader…

There’s a comment made in many churches that I’ve always hated: “So-and-so dropped the ball on that one.” What this means is that a person agreed to do something, but then failed, for whatever reason, to accomplish it. What bothers me about the phrase is that it shows a lack of compassion. The phrase has its origins in football: a player fumbles and “drops the ball,” which messes up the offense. The reality is that in football, people fumble. They don’t fumble intentionally. It’s always a mistake. Sometimes they fumble because they are trying too hard to do too much. Sometimes they fumble because they lose sight of the ball. Sometimes they fumble because they are anxious or afraid. Nobody fumbles on purpose. But on good teams, when players fumble, it is up to the rest of the team either to get the ball back or to prevent the other team from capitalizing on the fumble. Good team leaders tell the rest, “Don’t worry about the fumble. Just focus on what we need to do, and eventually we’ll get another opportunity. And if we fumble again, we all have to get the ball back.”

Compassionate leaders recognize that people don’t fail on purpose. They fail for a variety of reasons, including not knowing how to do something, trying to do too much, losing sight of the goal, or lacking confidence. Good leaders have compassion and let people know that it is OK to make mistakes or fail, that a new opportunity will eventually present itself, and that the person is still valued and important. 

-- N. Graham Standish in “Becoming a Blessed Church: Forming a Church of Spiritual Purpose, Presence, and Power”

#6482

A SECOND CHANCE

“Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’”  (John 8:3-5 NKJV)

I can’t imagine how the adulterous woman felt when she was about to be stoned. All eyes were glued on her, accusing her; and the crowd was playing judge, jury, and executioner. She must have felt alone and hated. She didn’t need accusers; she needed help and forgiveness.

Jesus told the crowd, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7b NIV) All eyes shifted to Jesus when He spoke up. Jesus reminded the people that they too were sinners. Thank God for Jesus, who saved her, forgave her, and offered her a second chance. When we fail, we can be glad that Jesus is ready to do the same for us.

Sometimes we follow the crowd and judge others because we don’t want to be associated with the person who did wrong. Instead, we should take a cue from Jesus and offer people mercy, kindness, and encouragement to change their lives for the better. Isn’t that what we want when we fail? 

-- Tim Carroll in “Devozine” magazine, May/June 2009

#5036

I AM GLAD YOU ARE HERE

I was running on a beach early one morning, discouraged by the lack of progress in my own life and feeling that I was still wrestling with the same selfishness and fear that I had many years ago. Because it was so early, the beach was deserted. Then I saw a man walking toward me -- a big old guy, bald as could be, wearing only a long pair of floral swimming trunks, great big paunch leading the way. He looked like Santa Claus on summer vacation.

I intended to just give him the jogger’s nod of acknowledgment and keep moving down the beach, but he was having none of that. Looking me right in the eye, he stuck his right arm all the way out to the side and silently held a huge hand in the air. He walked right up to me. He was insisting on a high five. The man had attitude. I smacked his hand with mine, and he gave me a nod of satisfaction, as if to say, “We’re connected now. It is good that we share this beach together. I am glad you are here.”

Immediately I had this thought – whether or not it is from God, only God knows: I am glad you are here. I am not neutral about your existence. This is a little picture of grace. Do not be discouraged, not even about your own failings.

To this day, every time I remember the man on the beach, I think about God.

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”


#4628

GOD’S REMARKABLE PENCHANT

“The Lord your God is indeed God in heaven above and on earth below.”  (Joshua 2:11)

The Bible seems never to gloss over the failings of its characters, nor to explain them. It gives us the unadorned facts, and it leaves the rest to us. And I marvel still more that God so often takes the rather messy stuff of our lives and manages to bring good of it. This doesn’t excuse our messiness (read that ‘sin’), but it does remind us that God is not undone by our weakness, our stupidity, or our wickedness. Rather, God has a remarkable penchant for mixing grace with our basest ingredients until the will of heaven comes to pass. 

-- J. Ellsworth Kalas in “Life from the Up Side: Seeing God at Work in the World”


#4534