Hey guys, it's been a while hasn't it.
There was just something that I thought I shouldd share with you:
I was studying a couple of days ago when I came across a Business theory to do with change. I thought it might have some relevance to someone, I knoww it does to me. Behind the business jargon, there are some really important messages.
----------------------------------------
John Paul Kotter is a professor at Havard Business School, who is widely regarded as the world's foremost authority on leadership and change. Kotter says "The change process goes through a series of phases that, in total, usually require a considerable length of time. Skipping steps creates only the illusion of speed and never produces satisfactory results."
Kotter summarises these eight phases as follows:
1. Establish a sense of urgency
Talk of change typically begins with some people noticing a vulnerability in the organisation. The threat of losing ground in some way sparks people into action, and they in turn try to communicate that sense of urgency to others.
2. Form a powerful guiding coalition
Change efforts often start with just one or two people. and should grow continually to include more and more who believe the changes are necessary. The need in this phase is to gather a large enough initial core of believers.
3. Create a vision
Successful transformation rests on "a picture of the future that is relatively easy to communicate and appeals to customers, shareholders, debt holders and employees. A vision helps clarify the direction in which an organisation needs to move".
"A useful rule of thumb: if you can't communicate the vision to someone in five minutes or less and get a reaction that signifies both understanding and interest, you are not yet done with this phase of the transformation process".
4. Communicate that vision
Kotter suggests the leadership should estimate how much communication of the vision is needed, and then multiply that by a factor of ten.
"Deeds" along with "words" are powerful communicators of the new ways.
The guiding principle is simple: use every existing communication channel and opportunity.
5. Empower others to act on the vision
Allow people to start living out the new ways and to make changes in their areas of involvement. Allocate budget money to the new inititative.
Remove any obstacles there may be to getting on with the change. You can't get rid of all the obstacles, but the biggest ones need to be dealt with.
6. Plan for and create short-term wins
Since real transformation takes time, the loss of momentum and the onset of disappointment are real factors. In successful transformation, leaders actively plan and achieve some short term gains which people will be able to see and celebrate.
7. Consolidate improvements and keep the momentum for change moving
As Kotter warns, "Do not declare victory too soon". Until changes sink deeply into an organisation's culture new approaches are fragile and subject to regression.
8. Institutionalise the new approaches
In the final analysis, change sticks when it becomes "the way things are done around here", when it seeps into the bloodstream of the corporate body.
Thursday 17 November 2011
Sunday 18 September 2011
Fragile but not broken
There are times in life when circumstances hit you, regrets split you and no job description seems to fit you, leading you towards your breaking point. You can't bow down to these feelings, you have to find that strength within.
What do I mean by that? Well, it could mean different things for different people, but for me it means changing my mindset from a negative one to a positive one. I used to be the most optimistic person I know and now I've been infected with pessimism - I don't like it. It's affected the way I see myself, to the point that when other people say things about me I don't even believe them. That's not cool. This whole self pity thing really doesn't go with my soul, so why am I wearing it?
A lot of things have been said to me which have had a negative effect on me, but is man bigger than God? Not even. Isaiah 2:22, in the Bible, puts it this way: "Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?" The context is that as great as man pretends to be, as lofty as they make themselves in their own eyes, God can easily destroy them because He is much greater. And I think as much as I hear it and as much as I try to understand and believe it, I still behave as if man has the ultimate say in how my life will turn out. And why, because I'm interviewed by men? And men have marked my exams? And men own companies? Rubbish, men cannot dictate my future, but God can. I've let some things sink in which I shouldn't have, I almost stopped believing in myself, and for what reason?
God is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can ask or imagine, but these days something in me has been preventing me from even asking or imagining. This is not healthy for my soul - not at all. So for me, finding the strength within first of all means shaking off the doubt I can do without. After that, I will be free to find it. And for me, that strength within is the authority which Jesus Christ has granted me through His Holy Spirit. That is what is going to restore my confidence and drive me on to be the man that God purposed me to be.
There is no time to wallow in self pity and the like. There isn't enough energy to be wasted on doubting yourself. I'm speaking to myself, but I'm also speaking to you. Get up, shake it off and move forward. Find the strength within. Don't be afraid to try things differently. You may be fragile but you don't have to be broken.
Carpe diem.
What do I mean by that? Well, it could mean different things for different people, but for me it means changing my mindset from a negative one to a positive one. I used to be the most optimistic person I know and now I've been infected with pessimism - I don't like it. It's affected the way I see myself, to the point that when other people say things about me I don't even believe them. That's not cool. This whole self pity thing really doesn't go with my soul, so why am I wearing it?
A lot of things have been said to me which have had a negative effect on me, but is man bigger than God? Not even. Isaiah 2:22, in the Bible, puts it this way: "Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?" The context is that as great as man pretends to be, as lofty as they make themselves in their own eyes, God can easily destroy them because He is much greater. And I think as much as I hear it and as much as I try to understand and believe it, I still behave as if man has the ultimate say in how my life will turn out. And why, because I'm interviewed by men? And men have marked my exams? And men own companies? Rubbish, men cannot dictate my future, but God can. I've let some things sink in which I shouldn't have, I almost stopped believing in myself, and for what reason?
God is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can ask or imagine, but these days something in me has been preventing me from even asking or imagining. This is not healthy for my soul - not at all. So for me, finding the strength within first of all means shaking off the doubt I can do without. After that, I will be free to find it. And for me, that strength within is the authority which Jesus Christ has granted me through His Holy Spirit. That is what is going to restore my confidence and drive me on to be the man that God purposed me to be.
There is no time to wallow in self pity and the like. There isn't enough energy to be wasted on doubting yourself. I'm speaking to myself, but I'm also speaking to you. Get up, shake it off and move forward. Find the strength within. Don't be afraid to try things differently. You may be fragile but you don't have to be broken.
Carpe diem.
Monday 20 June 2011
Am I doing enough?
Recently it seems I'm not the only one going through a time of reflection. People all around me are asking themselves pertinent questions, some of which they cannot answer themselves. For some people I've spoken to, there is a feeling of failure and a desire to do more; others find encouragement in how far they've come. It's only natural to evaluate oneself every so often. It's a healthy thing to do, especially when the outcome is a practical effort to improve. It also happens to be the middle of the year. If you set specific goals and objectives at the beginning of the year, you would probably expect to have seen some progress in some of them by now. If you haven't seen as much progress as you would have liked at this stage, it's easy to get a bit down.
I was speaking to someone recently and she confided in me that she felt quite rubbish, and that she didn't feel she was doing enough in the church. I honestly did not know what to say. Firstly, because I know this person very well, and I personally had the view that she does too much. Secondly, I was thinking if she doesn't do enough then what hope do I have? Because of the scale of her disappointment in herself, I came to the conclusion that it must be a spiritual attack. The devil is trying desperately to slow Christians down in any way he can, and one way he does this is by making you feel inadequate. This is what he was trying to do to this lady.
When someone genuinely feels like they are not doing enough in the kingdom, the hope is that they will address quickly by trying to do more (if this is the will of God). But more often than not it produces a heavy guilt which gives birth to inertia. It doesn't take long to get from 'I'm not doing enough' to 'should I even bother? This is too hard?' This is not how God wants us to think, He doesn't want us to beat purselves up about what we are not doing, He wants us to do the things that He wants us to do. Yes, as Christians we shouldn't be complaicent, and we should constantly be examining ourselves to see that we are producing fruit, but complaicency is not an action, it's an attitude. Not participating in recognised church ministries does not make a Christian complaicent; what makes them complaicent is a lack of desire to serve God. These are two completely different things: for instance, a Christian who seemingly does nothing at church could be praying for the church everyday in secret. Is this not vitally important for the church?
Apart from this, God has called different people to do different things at different periods. They may be involved in church ministry but going through a time where they feel ineffective. Maybe God wants to divert their attention back to Him because they were 'distracted with much serving' like Martha in Luke 10:40. Some, God may tell just to be part of the congregation until they have grown enough to take on responsibilities. There shouldn't be a race to grow. As a visiting pastor at our church said last weekend, 'God lets us grow gradually. Wouldn't it be weird if we were babies and we just turned into full-grown men and women overinght, but still thought like babies?' Heck yeah was my answer, the same principle applies. There are some people who God calls to serve in more than one ministry for a variety of different reasons e.g. to teach them teamwork, humility, trust, respect for authority, love etc. You just wouldn't know.
Equally, that you don't see someone actively involved or standing on a platform does not mean they are not serving God; nor are those at the forefront of activity automatically servants of God. The latter may be seeking their own glory, hence serving themselves, or dare I say it, indirectly serving Satan. Believe or not, some people even immerse themselves in activities and surround themselves with churchfolk deliberately to avoid spending time alone with God - they may not know how to. This is an issue as we all need to have personal relationships with Him. No one is going to escape by piggybacking off another's salvation. Each one will stand and give his/her own account before God, so it's necessary for all to know Him intimately. Relationship is vital.
Another person I've spoken to recently who feels she has really grown spiritually attributes this in part to the activities she's been involved in. Her involvement in these activities have helped her mature. The positions of responsibilty she holds means that her relationship with God has to be a good one, both so that she can handle the responsibility, and so that she remains effective. The main factor for her growth, therefore, has been the strength of her relationship with God and not the activities/ministries themselves. It is very important to grasp this, as it is so easy to get caught up in routine and forget the reason you do what you do.
However, it isn't always the case that positions of responsibility in the church cause one to grow, it depends on the person's motive and how vigilant the ministry team is. As I alluded to earlier, there are many people who simply hide behind ministry to seem busy, or to avoid relationship. For instance, imagine if a church had 2 services and one lady insisted on teaching a Sunday School group for both services every week. When will she hear adult preaching or fellowship with other people in the church? People would eventually realise that there was and issue and ask questions.
It's not for us as Christians to judge based on what we see with our eyes. Neither should we be discouraged or feel inadequate because others seem to be doing a lot. What we should be doing is making sure that we have a relationship with God. 'Seek first the kingdom of God and all things will be added to you.' A lot of people tend to think of this verse referring to us getting what we need or desire, but how many see this as including responsibilty as well?
I believe that when we seek God earnestly, and with our whole heart and we get to know and love Him, he then trusts us enough to give us responsibilties, which, by the way are a privelege.
So maybe 'am I doing enough?' is the wrong question to use to evaluate ourselves. We can never do enough, especially for God, that's why people are not saved by works. Perhaps the more helpful self-appraisal questions are 'Is my relationship with God getting stronger?', 'What are my motives?', 'Am I ready to take on new/more responsibilities?'
Check, check, check.
I was speaking to someone recently and she confided in me that she felt quite rubbish, and that she didn't feel she was doing enough in the church. I honestly did not know what to say. Firstly, because I know this person very well, and I personally had the view that she does too much. Secondly, I was thinking if she doesn't do enough then what hope do I have? Because of the scale of her disappointment in herself, I came to the conclusion that it must be a spiritual attack. The devil is trying desperately to slow Christians down in any way he can, and one way he does this is by making you feel inadequate. This is what he was trying to do to this lady.
When someone genuinely feels like they are not doing enough in the kingdom, the hope is that they will address quickly by trying to do more (if this is the will of God). But more often than not it produces a heavy guilt which gives birth to inertia. It doesn't take long to get from 'I'm not doing enough' to 'should I even bother? This is too hard?' This is not how God wants us to think, He doesn't want us to beat purselves up about what we are not doing, He wants us to do the things that He wants us to do. Yes, as Christians we shouldn't be complaicent, and we should constantly be examining ourselves to see that we are producing fruit, but complaicency is not an action, it's an attitude. Not participating in recognised church ministries does not make a Christian complaicent; what makes them complaicent is a lack of desire to serve God. These are two completely different things: for instance, a Christian who seemingly does nothing at church could be praying for the church everyday in secret. Is this not vitally important for the church?
Apart from this, God has called different people to do different things at different periods. They may be involved in church ministry but going through a time where they feel ineffective. Maybe God wants to divert their attention back to Him because they were 'distracted with much serving' like Martha in Luke 10:40. Some, God may tell just to be part of the congregation until they have grown enough to take on responsibilities. There shouldn't be a race to grow. As a visiting pastor at our church said last weekend, 'God lets us grow gradually. Wouldn't it be weird if we were babies and we just turned into full-grown men and women overinght, but still thought like babies?' Heck yeah was my answer, the same principle applies. There are some people who God calls to serve in more than one ministry for a variety of different reasons e.g. to teach them teamwork, humility, trust, respect for authority, love etc. You just wouldn't know.
Equally, that you don't see someone actively involved or standing on a platform does not mean they are not serving God; nor are those at the forefront of activity automatically servants of God. The latter may be seeking their own glory, hence serving themselves, or dare I say it, indirectly serving Satan. Believe or not, some people even immerse themselves in activities and surround themselves with churchfolk deliberately to avoid spending time alone with God - they may not know how to. This is an issue as we all need to have personal relationships with Him. No one is going to escape by piggybacking off another's salvation. Each one will stand and give his/her own account before God, so it's necessary for all to know Him intimately. Relationship is vital.
Another person I've spoken to recently who feels she has really grown spiritually attributes this in part to the activities she's been involved in. Her involvement in these activities have helped her mature. The positions of responsibilty she holds means that her relationship with God has to be a good one, both so that she can handle the responsibility, and so that she remains effective. The main factor for her growth, therefore, has been the strength of her relationship with God and not the activities/ministries themselves. It is very important to grasp this, as it is so easy to get caught up in routine and forget the reason you do what you do.
However, it isn't always the case that positions of responsibility in the church cause one to grow, it depends on the person's motive and how vigilant the ministry team is. As I alluded to earlier, there are many people who simply hide behind ministry to seem busy, or to avoid relationship. For instance, imagine if a church had 2 services and one lady insisted on teaching a Sunday School group for both services every week. When will she hear adult preaching or fellowship with other people in the church? People would eventually realise that there was and issue and ask questions.
It's not for us as Christians to judge based on what we see with our eyes. Neither should we be discouraged or feel inadequate because others seem to be doing a lot. What we should be doing is making sure that we have a relationship with God. 'Seek first the kingdom of God and all things will be added to you.' A lot of people tend to think of this verse referring to us getting what we need or desire, but how many see this as including responsibilty as well?
I believe that when we seek God earnestly, and with our whole heart and we get to know and love Him, he then trusts us enough to give us responsibilties, which, by the way are a privelege.
So maybe 'am I doing enough?' is the wrong question to use to evaluate ourselves. We can never do enough, especially for God, that's why people are not saved by works. Perhaps the more helpful self-appraisal questions are 'Is my relationship with God getting stronger?', 'What are my motives?', 'Am I ready to take on new/more responsibilities?'
Check, check, check.
Monday 21 March 2011
Know for yourself
John 4:42 ~
"They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.""
Recently I was asked why, if I grew up in the church, did it take so long for me to accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour. I could've given a number of reason s, but the real reason is that I was believing in Jesus through others, I didn't know Him myself. And how could I have? I hardly ever read my Bible in my own time. All the verses I had knowledge of I'd heard at Sunday School, in the main services at church or from parents and friends.
I accepted what people said was true at face value, but it didn't have any major bearing on my life. All it inspired me to do was live by good morals, it didn't inspire me to seek after a relationship with God. There are dangers attached to believing based on other's experiences/testimonies. They may impact you for a little while, but unless you seek those experiences/truths yourself the effects are likely to wear off quickly.
In John 4:42, the Samaritans said, "... we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world." [emphasis added]. So, in addition to the aforementioned danger, there is also a chance that you didn't fully believe in the first place.
As a teen I was quite apathetic, so the change began when I suddenly had all these inquisitive people around me. They were not satisfied with just hearing about the Bible, they would read it and ask God for their own interpretation - something that I had never considered.
One friend from college was especially fond of quoting scripture, and it became increasingly difficult to hang around with him without contributing much to our discussions. And so, the quest for more knowledge began. It was about time too. Hosea 4:6 says in the New International Version, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Self-destruction is not my portion, neither will it be yours.
I'm very grateful for that friend's commitment at the time as he would also invite me to afternoon youth services after I'd attended my regular church in the mornings. It was there that I felt God tugging at my heart's strings when a girl from our college made an altar call after preaching.
I was still reluctant to go forward as I knew many of the youth in the congregation, and suspected that most would be shocked I hadn't made this decision already. This was not a valid excuse, what is pride if not a burden? So I went up, said a prayer, was prayed for, and felt some sort of release.
Almost 6 years on, I haven't looked back. I'm getting to know the real character of Jesus a little more every day, thus feeling closer to God. I can honestly say that over the years my relationship with God has compelled me to dramatically change my mindset. And my new way of thinking has changed EVERYTHING!
There will be trials and tribulations, and times when you wonder why you bother being a Christian - such is life - but let me tell you this:
The rewards during - and most importantly - after the battle, far outweigh the pains of the battle.
Keep on keepin on, the joy of the Lord is your strength.
God Bless,
Sunshine -`o -
"They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.""
Recently I was asked why, if I grew up in the church, did it take so long for me to accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Saviour. I could've given a number of reason s, but the real reason is that I was believing in Jesus through others, I didn't know Him myself. And how could I have? I hardly ever read my Bible in my own time. All the verses I had knowledge of I'd heard at Sunday School, in the main services at church or from parents and friends.
I accepted what people said was true at face value, but it didn't have any major bearing on my life. All it inspired me to do was live by good morals, it didn't inspire me to seek after a relationship with God. There are dangers attached to believing based on other's experiences/testimonies. They may impact you for a little while, but unless you seek those experiences/truths yourself the effects are likely to wear off quickly.
In John 4:42, the Samaritans said, "... we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world." [emphasis added]. So, in addition to the aforementioned danger, there is also a chance that you didn't fully believe in the first place.
As a teen I was quite apathetic, so the change began when I suddenly had all these inquisitive people around me. They were not satisfied with just hearing about the Bible, they would read it and ask God for their own interpretation - something that I had never considered.
One friend from college was especially fond of quoting scripture, and it became increasingly difficult to hang around with him without contributing much to our discussions. And so, the quest for more knowledge began. It was about time too. Hosea 4:6 says in the New International Version, "My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge." Self-destruction is not my portion, neither will it be yours.
I'm very grateful for that friend's commitment at the time as he would also invite me to afternoon youth services after I'd attended my regular church in the mornings. It was there that I felt God tugging at my heart's strings when a girl from our college made an altar call after preaching.
I was still reluctant to go forward as I knew many of the youth in the congregation, and suspected that most would be shocked I hadn't made this decision already. This was not a valid excuse, what is pride if not a burden? So I went up, said a prayer, was prayed for, and felt some sort of release.
Almost 6 years on, I haven't looked back. I'm getting to know the real character of Jesus a little more every day, thus feeling closer to God. I can honestly say that over the years my relationship with God has compelled me to dramatically change my mindset. And my new way of thinking has changed EVERYTHING!
There will be trials and tribulations, and times when you wonder why you bother being a Christian - such is life - but let me tell you this:
The rewards during - and most importantly - after the battle, far outweigh the pains of the battle.
Keep on keepin on, the joy of the Lord is your strength.
God Bless,
Sunshine -`o -
Monday 7 February 2011
What's your motif?
I've had a fantastic start to the year, I must say. Nothing extraordinary has happened per se but I just feel better in myself. Not that when the clock struck midnight to mark the 1st minute of the year I suddenly became positive, not at all. It's just that since then, I haven't had anything to worry about. Or what I would normally worry about I've taken in my stride so far (or tried to, anyway).
In all honesty, this new lease of life has been coming. I've endeavoured to make more and more time for God and I'm learning more about His character each day. He's actually a hilarious character. To say that He's unorthodox would be an understatement. He continually tramples on the perceptions I have on the way He works. He doesn't have to be systematic- He's God. He's continally changing the way I think and I'm steadily realising the need for flexibility in that area.
Sometimes I have a motif of thinking that I don't want anyone to reshape or resize. Let's call this motif a square. The square is safe, all its sides are equal, it tesselates whether you turn it on its side or on its head. I am in control... This is where the problem lies. The previous sentence IS a lie. I begin to feel I'm in control because I have somehow made God fit into this square, I almost hold God to ransom by trying to force certain issues and then when they fall flat I look to the sky.
Whose fault is it? Isn't God bigger than my square of thoughts? The truth is He's the only one in a position to control my life, in the first place:
"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps." Proverbs 16:9
Jeremiah was also aware of this principle and reminds us in Jeremiah 10:23 ~ "LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps."
I tried to fight against certain career paths, courses, etc only to be led right back to them. Often times what we think is best is far from it. And sometimes we know what's best but because of the weight of expectation try to reason against reason. The old cliche "God works in mysterious ways" is so true.
God does not follow motifs. He is not lazy. He doesn't trace or copy and paste. He uses different methods. He made each of us indivually and therefore tailors you-specific-plans. Expand your mind. Enlarge your thinking.
If you find yourself boxed in at the moment, hemmed in on all sides, it may be because you've enslaved yourself in a square pattern of thought. If you feel that's you, open up the square and allow God into your situations, don't minimise His capabilities and stop squeezing Him out. Talk to God and allow him to renew your mind and guide you- that's what He does! Moving from A to G and then back to E may seem illogical to you but God may just be concerned with you completing the alphabet. What worked for someone else may not work for you, and what worked for you in the past may not work for you now. So stop comparing and start listening and learning.
In all honesty, this new lease of life has been coming. I've endeavoured to make more and more time for God and I'm learning more about His character each day. He's actually a hilarious character. To say that He's unorthodox would be an understatement. He continually tramples on the perceptions I have on the way He works. He doesn't have to be systematic- He's God. He's continally changing the way I think and I'm steadily realising the need for flexibility in that area.
Sometimes I have a motif of thinking that I don't want anyone to reshape or resize. Let's call this motif a square. The square is safe, all its sides are equal, it tesselates whether you turn it on its side or on its head. I am in control... This is where the problem lies. The previous sentence IS a lie. I begin to feel I'm in control because I have somehow made God fit into this square, I almost hold God to ransom by trying to force certain issues and then when they fall flat I look to the sky.
Whose fault is it? Isn't God bigger than my square of thoughts? The truth is He's the only one in a position to control my life, in the first place:
"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps." Proverbs 16:9
Jeremiah was also aware of this principle and reminds us in Jeremiah 10:23 ~ "LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps."
I tried to fight against certain career paths, courses, etc only to be led right back to them. Often times what we think is best is far from it. And sometimes we know what's best but because of the weight of expectation try to reason against reason. The old cliche "God works in mysterious ways" is so true.
God does not follow motifs. He is not lazy. He doesn't trace or copy and paste. He uses different methods. He made each of us indivually and therefore tailors you-specific-plans. Expand your mind. Enlarge your thinking.
If you find yourself boxed in at the moment, hemmed in on all sides, it may be because you've enslaved yourself in a square pattern of thought. If you feel that's you, open up the square and allow God into your situations, don't minimise His capabilities and stop squeezing Him out. Talk to God and allow him to renew your mind and guide you- that's what He does! Moving from A to G and then back to E may seem illogical to you but God may just be concerned with you completing the alphabet. What worked for someone else may not work for you, and what worked for you in the past may not work for you now. So stop comparing and start listening and learning.
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