At some point this week, this month or this year, something good will come your way.  A promotion, an opportunity, an advancement, a raise, a new relationship, a new level of ‘success’.

What if every time something like that happened, you were to say to yourself: this is a trust.

Not “I deserved it”.  Not “I’ve always wanted this.”  Not “all that hard work finally paid off.”  Not “finally, I’m getting what’s coming to me.” Not even “wow this is cool” (okay, you can say that…just don’t stop there.)

What if instead, we just started saying “This is a trust.  I know he didn’t just give it to me for my benefit, he entrusted me with.  It’s a trust.”

What’s at stake is whether we believe that life and opportunities are about God, or whether we believe they are about us.  Our culture says they are about us.  But the scripture would say something different.

If you live like everything that comes your way is directed your way mainly for your benefit, you believe:

• This has come to me mostly for my benefit and the benefit of my family.
• I can use it any way I want.
• It doesn’t matter how I use it, because it’s mine.

If you view things as a trust, you believe:

• God likely didn’t give this to me solely for my benefit.
• I need to use it in the way that best honors God and others.
• It matters how I use it, because it’s not mine and I’m accountable.

I want to get into the habit of viewing all good things that come my way – every opportunity, reward, relationship, ability, advancement and gift – as a sacred trust.

How about you?  What do you believe about the good that comes your way?  How do you process it?  What helps you think this through?

Everyone who’s been to church has had a bad church experience.

Sure, you can find exceptions to the rule.  But most of the people you’ll meet won’t be the exception, they’ll be the rule.

What if you and I, in all of our interactions (personal and organizational), behaved as if that was true?  How would it change us?

Some thoughts:

1.  We might be more honest.  I’ve taken to telling people who are new to Connexus and new to faith that we will disappoint them.  We are a very human community, but my hope is that we will be able to admit it, own it, and deal with it honestly.

2.  We might plan around it.  We would take disillusionment as the norm, not as a surprise. If your assumption is that people have been burned, you react with more openness, more compassion and more transparency. 

3.  We would confess more honestly.  If you can admit your failures, you’re one step closer to solving them.  What we won’t confess won’t get dealt with.  Embracing our fallen-ness better prepares us to embrace our redemption.

Been burned by bad church?  What would help you overcome the sting and want to be part of an authentic community?  What could you do as a leader to help overcome it?

Talking to a friend of mine last week who shared a blunt observation: every organization faces one of two options – slow death or deep change.

It hit me hard because it was so stark.  But it also hit me hard because it’s so true.

Even successful organizations who are not intentionally going through deep change are headed toward slow death.  Now occassionally we find ourselves part of a movement that is not heading toward slow death, but rapid death.  That’s easy to spot.

But what if every successful, moderately successful or plateaued organization embraced the concept that the two choices facing them were deep change or slow death?  In fact, the more successful you are, the more seriously you need to take this truth. The greatest disincentive to change is success, because people only change with the pain associated with the status quo is greater than the pain associated with change.  No pain, no change.  And if you are successful today, why change?

Slow death…deep change.

Got me thinking into 2010 and beyond.  How are we going to change?  If we (and every church) keep missing the 90% of the population of Central Ontario that don’t go to church, what will we change?

Even got me thinking personally, how am I going to change as a leader?

Slow death or deep change.  Do you agree?  What do you think most needs to be changed?