Insights Magazine: Issue Eight, 2023

Christian leaders with character continue to be in demand.

Seven Building Blocks for Leaders

by Charles R. Swindoll

Ican’t think of a better model of leadership than Nehemiah. I once sat down and looked over Nehemiah’s shoulder for a couple of hours, reviewing the things this ancient Jewish leader recorded while rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem. As I read, it dawned on me that his journal is a storehouse of leadership insights. The first six chapters of Nehemiah ought to be required reading each year for all leaders as well as those who wish to be.

In his book, I found seven essential skills that today’s Christian leaders can use as stones on which to build their own strategy for leadership.

The first foundation stone is a passion for the project . Passion includes vision, enthusiasm, drive, determination, creative dreams, and innovative ideas. Leaders with passion can grasp the big picture without becoming enmeshed in or preoccupied with all the details. Nehemiah could hardly sleep as he imagined himself accomplishing God’s objective. His passion was off the chart.

The second building block is the ability to motivate others . Getting along well with others is a crucial part of leadership. This would include such skills as verbalizing ideas, dreams, and concerns; articulating goals succinctly and simply; and demonstrating organizational strength and boundless energy. Leaders who motivate inspire others to do their best. They quickly affirm and remember to give credit where credit is due. Nehemiah was strong at all those points.

The third stone is an unswerving confidence in God . Nehemiah’s journal is filled with prayers—silent ones, short ones, specific ones. He never failed to remind the people of the Lord’s presence and protection. Leaders who are genuinely Christian consistently turn others’ attention to the Source of strength—the One who can accomplish the impossible, the awesome Provider. Confidence in Him does not waver. Their faith is contagious. While they may occasionally doubt their own ability, they do not doubt God’s invincible commitment to His work.

Resilience and patience through opposition mark the fourth piece. Nehemiah endured it all: sarcasm, suspicion, gossip, mockery, threats, anonymous notes, open letters, false accusations—you name it. None of it moved him. No leader can survive if he or she cannot stay patient and resilient through criticism. It is important to be firm in purpose without becoming cranky, vengeful, or meanspirited. Anger expressed for the right reason and at the right time is appropriate and healthy, but holding a grudge is neither.

The fifth stone to lock in place is a practical, balanced grip on reality. While the good leader may have dreams and ideas, he or she doesn’t live in a dreamworld with a fixation on the ideal. The actual facts—the hard pieces of evidence—are in clear focus. As Nehemiah began his opening speech, it was obvious to all that he was no air-headed cheerleader: “You see the bad situation we are in” (Nehemiah 2:17 NASB1995). He told the workers to stay at their jobs, but he wisely stationed others

to protect the wall from attack. Smart. Discerning. Tough. He acted without overreacting. He remained gracious yet unbendingly firm. Good leaders maintain that needed balance between being positive and being aware of the negative.

Number six is a willingness to work hard and remain unselfish. All Christian leaders have at least one thing in common: diligence. They also know the value of calling it a day (diligence and workaholism are not synonyms). Because of his hard work, Nehemiah was “appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah” (Nehemiah 5:14) even before the wall was done. He accepted his appointment humbly, refusing special treatment and willingly sacrificing for the good of the people. Nehemiah led a clinic on servant leadership.

Finally, leaders must have the discipline to finish the job. Good leaders are finishers. They know how to concentrate on essentials without allowing perfectionistic details to block the path. I am certain that some of Nehemiah’s stones were a tad crooked and a few of the joints may have been loose. Perhaps a gate or two wasn’t perfectly level and maybe no doubt a hinge or two squeaked...but that baby got done. Mission accomplished. The end. Done!

And when the task is finished, good leaders celebrate...they have fun! In Nehemiah’s case, they had a blast walking on the wall, marching and dancing, shouting and singing—they even invited two choirs whose “songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God” (Nehemiah 12:46) could be heard from afar. What a grand party!

Christian leaders with character continue to be in demand. Ezekiel recorded God’s plea for leaders who would “stand in the gap before Me for the land,” but, tragically, He “found no one” (Ezekiel 22:30). His search continues today. Let’s determine to be the men and women for whom God is searching to close the gap. Let’s be the Nehemiahs of this generation—leaders who get things done for God’s glory, standing strong on the building blocks of leadership.

Article adapted from Charles R. Swindoll, “Closing the Gap,” Newsbreak, First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, vol. 12, no. 45, (November 22–28, 1992). Used by permission of Insight for Living Ministries. All rights reserved worldwide.

Christianity is not a religion of easy-livin’, soft music, downhill slides, and tranquil times.

Having the Grace to Say “Yes”

by Bryce Klabunde

Ryan’s parents just gave him a car! He wants to pick me up and drive to the mall. This is so cool! Can I go? —Jason, age 15

When your children and grandchildren ask you for an object or a privilege, their request presents an opportunity to express grace in your relationship. But how can you give permission without being permissive? And what if the request really makes your skin crawl as a parent? Instead of a trip to the mall, what if your son wants to go on an out-oftown trip for a wild party weekend? Instead of a puppy, what if your daughter wants a tattoo?

Examine Your Heart

When your children make a request, it can feel like they are stomping on the car accelerator. “Let’s go!” they blurt out. They want to move forward as quickly as possible. Your immediate reaction is to slam on the brakes. “Let’s stop!”

Many times, your parental intuition is correct. You need to help your children slow down and think through the potential consequences in order to make wise decisions.

However, as you review your recent no responses to your children, have you been saying no too much? Not every request is as serious or long-lasting as a tattoo. Before you weigh the request, examine your heart. Are you saying no simply because a yes answer would inconvenience you? Saying yes to your children often means saying no to yourself, and that’s difficult to do.

Weigh the Consequences

A good gauge for deciding whether to say yes is to weigh the probable consequences of the request. Make a mental list of the pros and cons. When your small children beg for some tickle-time or a romp on the

playground, you may feel too tired to say yes. Think of the benefits to your relationship! Playtime communicates love, acceptance, and understanding to small children. Along the same lines, allowing teens to have a measure of independence creates an atmosphere of trust and develops their sense of responsibility.

Sometimes, though, the cons outweigh the pros. If your children’s actions will violate Scripture, hinder their Christian witness, or damage their health, the most gracious answer is no. Then, along with your answer, offer a positive alternative. If body piercing, tattoos, and wild parties are out, what could be a healthy choice? Give your teenager time to present a second request on which you both can agree.

Yes, with limits . If your children ask you to play games, for example, you can say yes, but limit play to a certain amount of time. You can set other limits, depending on the request. You can limit the amount of money they spend, the distance from home that they travel, or the time they stay out before returning.

BEFORE YOU WEIGH THE REQUEST, EXAMINE YOUR HEART. ARE YOU SAYING NO SIMPLY BECAUSE A YES ANSWER WOULD INCONVENIENCE YOU?

Make Your Yes Creative and Fun

What about intelligent, precocious children? Their non-stop requests can wear you out! Try to tap into your children’s interests and abilities by giving them fun projects that capture their enthusiasm. For example, one grandmother asked her energetic granddaughter to take care of the store gumball machine. The little girl’s spirit soared! Instead of hearing “No!” from her grandmother every time she begged for a job, she heard “Yes!” and their relationship became much more enjoyable.

Another set of parents started a worm-farm business with their entrepreneurial son. More worms died than survived, but their efforts encouraged their son’s interests, and today he is a well-respected business executive. You never know what talent you may ignite in your children with a simple—and creative—yes!

Say Yes Wisely

A good rule of thumb is this: When possible, say yes—but do so wisely. Here are a few ways that wise parents and grandparents say yes:

Yes, with responsibilities . Your yes to your children’s request may imply a yes in return—an agreement from them to take care of a pet, for instance, or to pay for the maintenance of a car. Yes, but later . You may agree to their request, but decide that the timing would be better at a later date. However, don’t say, “Yes, but later” as a way to put off your children. Better to deny their request right away than to keep them hoping for something you can’t or won’t do.

Yes, but it needs to be fair. Some children make a lot of requests. You can easily overlook the others who are shy or less decisive. If you say yes to one child, find a way to say yes to the others as well.

This week, when your children make a request, pause before the word “no” forms on your lips. Unless you absolutely must say no, try saying yes. And don’t forget; be creative and have fun!

Taken from Bryce Klabunde, “Having the Grace to Say ‘Yes,’” Insights, September 2004. Copyright © 2004. Used by permission of Insight for Living Ministries. All rights reserved worldwide.

Guard Against Deception by Knowing the Bible

by Robyn Roste

As a teenager I played a computer game whose hero has to rescue a city overcome with deception through the skilful application of Scripture.

At first, it’s easy to spot the lies and save the citizens. But as the game progresses the lies become harder to recognize and the hero requires more and more help through prayer, Bible verses, and the support of those already rescued.

I saw the game as silly and fun. It wasn’t until later I noticed the impact it made in how I read the Bible and applied Scripture to my life, even to this day. It taught me how to guard against deception by listening to what people say and then checking it against what the Bible says.

When you hear something nearly true, or partly true, it’s easy to accept it as true. That’s the thing about deception: sometimes

it’s hard to spot, as small as uneasiness or something not sitting quite right.

For example, how often do you hear or say, “God helps those who help themselves,” “Cleanliness is next to godliness,” or “Money is the root of all evil,” and attribute it to the Bible? Do you ever stop and wonder where it’s found? Knowing what the Bible says is critical to being confident in your faith, strong in the face of the world’s chaos, and guarding against deception.

The phrase “God helps those who help themselves” seems to come from Aesop (620–564 BC) in his fable Hercules and the Waggoner In this tale, Hercules tells the Waggoner, “The gods help them that help themselves.” Not biblical. What does the Bible say?

“Those who trust their own insight are foolish, but anyone who walks in wisdom is safe” (Proverbs 28:26), and “This is what the Lord says: ‘Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord’” (Jeremiah 17:5). It seems like the Bible disagrees with the idea that God helps those who help themselves, and instead urges us to depend on God.

And what about “Cleanliness is next to godliness?” The earliest records of this quote point to the Methodist founder John Wesley who lived from 1703–1791. Although this could be the citing of a biblical concept from Leviticus, which frequently speaks of cleanliness and impurity, or the idea of cleanliness in relation to the cleansing of a believer's life found throughout the New Testament (1 John 1:9, John 15:3, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Ephesians 5:26–27), this exact quote is never found in Scripture.

“Money is the root of all evil” is trickier. The expression derives from 1 Timothy 6:10a, which says: “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” You could say this boils down to mere semantics, but it’s an important distinction. By changing the subject of the sentence from the love of money to money, the meaning changes. The Bible isn’t saying money itself is evil but the love of it, which is the root of all kinds of evil.

Words are easy to mix up, and you may think it doesn’t matter because people know what you mean. But what if they don’t? And what if your word choices change the meaning of your sentences causing conflict or offence? Knowing what you mean and meaning what you say will help you avoid misunderstandings.

Studying the Bible as well as applying it to your life isn’t easy. It takes a commitment and discipline many of us would rather avoid. But it’s worth the effort because knowing what God means and says through the Bible will help you guard against deception.

Robyn Roste is the communications director at Insight for Living Canada.

THAT’S THE THING ABOUT DECEPTION: SOMETIMES IT’S HARD TO SPOT, AS SMALL AS UNEASINESS OR SOMETHING NOT SITTING QUITE RIGHT.

J.I. Packer

by Bill Gemaehlich

Agreat man of faith who encourages me to cling to the inerrant promises of God’s Word and faithfully seek Him through difficult times is J.I. Packer.

James Innell Packer was born in Twyning, Gloucester, England on July 22, 1926. He was raised in a nominal Anglican family. At the age of seven, he was struck by a van and received a serious head injury. Packer recovered but carried a visible dent in the side of his head for the rest of his life. This injury left him unable to do some things but he developed an avid interest in reading and writing and became an excellent student. At age 18, he won a scholarship to Oxford where he studied at Corpus Christi College.

Packer committed his life to Christ in October 1944, while attending an evangelistic service sponsored by the Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union (OICCU). It was later during his studies at Oxford that Packer discovered Puritan writings. One of the most significant things he learned through his study of Puritan theologians was a deep affection for Christ, which permeated his ministry. Packer received a doctorate from Oxford for his dissertation on the soteriology of Puritan theologian Richard Baxter. He was later ordained in the Anglican Church and he became a prominent leader in the Evangelical movement within the Church of England.

Packer is best known as an author and wrote over 300 books. His first book, Fundamentalism

LET US, LIKE J.I. PACKER, SEEK TO GLORIFY CHRIST IN EVERY WAY.

and the Word of God , began as a talk to a group of students and was a defense of the authority of Scripture. Packer continued to defend the doctrine of inerrancy throughout his life and said, “Think of theologians as the church’s sewage specialists. Their role is to detect and eliminate intellectual pollution, and to ensure, so far as man can, that God’s life-giving truth flows pure and unpoisoned into Christian hearts.”1

In 2016, Packer’s eyesight deteriorated due to macular degeneration to a point where he could no longer read or write. When asked about the loss of his eyesight he said, “God knows what he’s up to.... And I’ve had enough experiences of his goodness in all sorts of ways not to have any doubt about the present circumstances.”2 This is a timely reminder of God’s sovereignty no matter what.

Packer went into the presence of the Lord on July 17, 2020. He was a man of uncompromising integrity who fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. When asked late in life what his final words to the church would be, he replied, “I think I can boil it down to four words: Glorify

Christ every way.” 3 Let us, like J.I. Packer, seek to glorify Christ in every way.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

(2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV)

1. Packer, J. I. 1987. Hot Tub Religion Cambridge, England: Tyndale House.

2. Mesa, Ivan. The Gospel Coalition. January 14, 2016. thegospelcoalition.org/article/j-ipacker-89-on-losing-sight-but-seeing-christ/

3. Mesa, Ivan. The Gospel Coalition. January 14, 2016. thegospelcoalition.org/article/j-ipacker-89-on-losing-sight-but-seeing-christ/

Bill Gemaehlich is the EVP/COO operations at Insight for Living Ministries

Can I Do Anything by Faith?

by Steve Johnson

Jesus said a number of things that, at face value, lead us to believe that with faith we can do anything.

• “If you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible”

(Matthew 17:20)

• “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes”

(Mark 9:23)

• “...you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours” (Mark 11:24)

• “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted!” (John 15:7, 16; cf. 14:14)

The Apostles wrote something similar. John wrote “...we can come to God with bold confidence. And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him” (1 John 3:21–22). Paul declared, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).

That all sounds great but there seems to be another side to this that suggests even with faith, we can’t do everything.

Jesus had perfect faith and in the Garden of Gethsemane asked His Father to remove the cup of suffering (Matthew 26:39). But He didn’t remove it. Jesus had to endure the agony that caused Him to cry out, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” (Matthew 27:46).

Stephen was stoned to death, James was killed with a sword, and all of the Apostles endured persecution and imprisonment–things they undoubtedly would have avoided if they could have been delivered from them by their faith (cf. Hebrews 11:36–40).

tells me it is OK to ask for things when we are uncertain whether it is in harmony with God’s will. That is provided, like Jesus, we are fully surrendered to God’s will and can say, “I want your will to be done, not mine.”

BY FAITH

Paul was a man of faith. He asked God to remove his thorn in the flesh, but the Lord gave him added grace instead of the deliverance he requested (2 Corinthians 12:1–10).

Another time, Paul suggested to Timothy that he drink some wine as medicine for his physical infirmities–something he would not have done if a simple request to God in faith for sound health would have brought healing (1 Timothy 5:23).

And although Paul expected that God would answer the prayers of His people and deliver him from prison, he expressed his confidence that even if he died it would be for God’s glory (Philippians 1:19–26).

So can I do anything by faith?

Our Lord’s promises in Matthew 17:20 and John 14:14 assure us that we can indeed do anything we want to do or receive anything we want to receive if it is in harmony with God’s sovereign will . Paul, who certainly had enough faith, asked God three times to remove his thorn in the flesh, but it was not God’s plan to do that. Instead, He gave him added grace to bear with the suffering because God wanted to accomplish something else (2 Corinthians 12:1–10).

Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is instructive (Luke 22:42). He knew He was to go to the cross and be abandoned by the Father for the price of our sin because that was the revealed will of the Father. It was why He came to earth. And yet Jesus still asked for the cup to be removed, saying, “If you are willing.” That

By faith we can do anything we want to do or receive anything we want to receive as long as it is in harmony with God’s revealed and sovereign will. How do we know God’s will? He has revealed His will and what He desires of us in the Bible in the form of His commands and principles. But we never know God’s sovereign will until it happens. What about things not revealed in the Bible? Whatever isn’t revealed in the Bible we may ask for in humble submission as long as it isn’t contrary to what He has already revealed in Scripture.

That means it’s OK to ask God for great things because He is all-powerful and may answer affirmatively. It also means we should attempt great things for God believing His power is available to those who trust Him.

And when faced with trials we have the right as His children to ask Him to deliver us from them. When He does, we should thank and praise Him. When He doesn’t, we should submit to His sovereign will, believe He is still good, wise, and loving, and trust Him to carry us through. From God, we can learn when I can or can’t do anything by faith.

Steve Johnson is the executive director at Insight for Living Canada.

WE CAN DO ANYTHING WE WANT TO DO OR RECEIVE ANYTHING WE WANT TO RECEIVE AS LONG AS IT IS IN HARMONY WITH GOD’S REVEALED AND SOVEREIGN WILL.

Can you be a person of integrity and a successful businessperson at the same time?

A Christian should be. Christians are to demonstrate how God would negotiate a deal, try a case, diagnose an illness, teach a class, or build a building. But too often Christians don’t demonstrate integrity to the world. The world doesn’t judge our integrity on Sunday morning. The world judges our integrity by the way we live on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday...God measures our integrity quotient every day of the week.

If you need a standard by which to gauge your own business integrity, Joseph is a perfect example—he demonstrated integrity in every aspect of his life. And by observing his business life, we’ll learn how to order our priorities and test our motives.

Joseph modelled integrity and wholeness in his business dealings—he had the right priorities and motives. Applying these

helpful suggestions will help you to further develop integrity in your business life.

Our highest priority as Christian professionals should be our commitment to Christian principles. If we have to lie or step on people to succeed, then we’ve failed. And when we get to the top of the corporate ladder, we’ll discover that the ladder was leaning against the wrong wall.

Our other priority should be the careful investment of time. Perhaps the hardest word to say in the English language is the easiest to spell: N–O.

Our motives must be pure, continually watching how we relate to people and asking why we said yes or no to each request . As business professionals who are Christian, we must always treat people with dignity and respect, show humility, and remember for whom we ultimately work—the Lord.

On-the-Job Integrity

“Work is an exacting test of our integrity: including our efficiency, organization, determination, and creativity.”

—Pastor Charles R. Swindoll

Puzzle — Word Search

By Faith

Difficulty ■ ■ □ □

Hidden in this puzzle are 26 words from Hebrews 11:29–40 NIV. Words can go in any direction. Words can share letters as they cross over each other.

WHAT ARE THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR LEADERSHIP?