The father of a good friend was recently diagnosed with a terminal disease. I have heard this word used on more than one occasion. It carries a negative connotation.

However, the word is used concerning more than just health. Having been in more than one airport, I hear about terminals everywhere I travel.

The word is also associated with the forming of transportation. If there was ever an accurate way to justify a “means to an end” this is it.

Death is imminent for all of us. We may prolong it, but we cannot escape the inevitable outcome. Because the outcome is certain, spiritual leadership must form the transportation so others can take the walkway to eternal life.

The greatness of God’s plan is seen in the resurrection.

Through the resurrection, Jesus overcame death and the power Satan held over death.

Through the resurrection, Jesus provided an avenue to give us hope.

Through the resurrection, Jesus, having been to the other side, came back to show us the way.

Sin delivers a terminal diagnosis. However, the resurrection of Jesus provides a terminal to overcome the diagnosis of sin.

I know this is a familiar phrase. We have all heard the application to the appearance of people.

Recently, I was doing some people watching. It is an interesting hobby when waiting for other obligations.

A gentleman about 30 years of age was loading some luggage and I noticed how both arms were entirely covered with tattoos. In addition, he had large earrings and a buzz cut hairstyle.

As my eye was drawn to his appearance I could not help but think; “what on earth was he thinking?” I immediately began saying to myself “one day he will regret having made those decisions.”

Will he regret it? Maybe, maybe not.

Either way, I was reminded of the title above. This man may have been a criminal. He could also have been a Christian. I will never know because I judged the cover before I read the book.

When we judge someone before we get to know them, we make decisions that hinder us in reaching out to encourage a brother or teach the gospel to the lost.

Please learn from my mistake and “never judge a book by it’s cover.”

Sticky notes. A string tied around the finger. Google Calendar. Message alert.

We all have various ways to remind us of scheduled activities we do not want to miss. These activities can be work or family related. We find ways to remind us of times and places because we do not want to miss the event.

From a spiritual perspective, we have events scheduled we should not miss.

Where does our worship of God rank on the priority list?
Where does time in prayer and study rank on this list?
Where do family devotionals fit?

These events are matters of choice. We choose to make them a priority in our life, or place other events important to us before them.

Just a reminder, there is an event scheduled we will attend. The Lord has appointed a day when He will judge the world. Everyone will attend this event. No one will be exempt.

Since we cannot miss this event, we should make a priority out of preparing for it. As Christians, we should be eagerly anticipating it. This is a day we do not want to miss!

In a recent trip to New Hampshire, my airline ticket was labeled “elite access.” The status only allowed me to board the plane earlier than others. However, it had me thinking about spiritual matters.

What does “elite access” really mean?

Being elite must mean something special because it is defined as being considered the best in a particular area or field. Generally, eliteness is associated with power, wealth, or ability. Sadly, the idea behind being elite is based in one’s own power, wealth, or ability.

Spiritual leadership carries an elite characteristic. The idea does not carry any thought of self-centered talent or achievement. This characteristic is about who made our status possible.

Through the sacrifice of Christ the riches of God’s grace were abundantly poured forth to all who come to Him through obedient faith. The result provides us with “elite access” to the throne of God.

Christians make up this elite class of spiritual leaders. Knowing the outcome of Christ’s work on the cross, we have a responsibility to help others share in the access we have been given to an eternal destination. Think Souls!

“And in the end it is not the years in your life that count, it’s the life in your years.” Abraham Lincoln

One word came to mind when I read this quote: Legacy.

How we live our life, not how long we live it, determines the type of legacy we leave behind. Whatever we want to leave behind, we must be living now.

What do we want others to say about us when we are gone?

Are we striving to achieve and leave behind a physical imprint of our life, or spiritual?

How do we want to be remembered?

However we answer these questions, the truth is the same. We must start now! There are no guarantees of tomorrow’s sunrise. There are no crystal balls allowing us to look into the future. We cannot become so disillusioned to think there is plenty of time and nothing to worry about.

Legacy is living today what we want left behind tomorrow.

Is our leadership about the number of years we lead or the type of leadership behind those years?

It is a thought worth considering.

We are all striving to reach the location. In every facet of life there are peaks and valleys. There are good times and bad.

When we are on top of the mountain, life is good, everything seems to be going exactly as we want, and we are at our best.

The valleys bring a shadow of darkness developed from conflict, trials, tragedy, and controversy. We question our faith. We begin to doubt if there is any hope. We search for answers to questions and no answers are given. Our attitudes are altered and we struggle to make decisions.

Leaders experience both the valleys and the mountain tops. Learning to reach the top and striving to stay on top is the path each leader desires to walk.

We are not alone.
The wisdom gained by others is an invaluable gift.
Tomorrow presents new opportunities.
Strength comes from knowing, not emotions.
God is still on His throne.

Each day, try focusing on the positive, give the negative to God, work on what can be changed, find balance in family, and seek good counsel.

Somehow, it all seems to work out.

Have you ever made a mistake and thought; “I wish I had one more chance to do it again?” It might be easier to ask who has not been in this position.

Face it, we all make mistakes. We say and do things we wish we had not said or done. Sadly, when it comes to life, there are no “Easy” buttons, or “do-overs.” We all have to consider what we are going to do once the mistake is made.

Having the opportunity to receive one more chance depends on how we deal with the mistake.

Acknowledge the mistake.
Take full responsibility.
Evaluate every possible solution.
Take appropriate action toward resolution.
Act quickly!

Too often a prideful approach is taken and results in greater conflict, paranoia, and resistance. Arrogance demands we take our extreme views to even greater extremes creating a “lofty” separation.

However, when we approach our mistakes with humility and a decisiveness toward appropriate actions, there is opportunity for one more chance.

Is this not what God has done for us?

A new class of students began a two year journey this week. The anticipation unfolds into reality. There is an overwhelming feeling too difficult to describe.

What have I gotten myself into?
How will I ever get all this work done?
Is it possible to keep this pace?

When facing overwhelming challenges, even self-inflicted, the most important question to ask is “how well will we finish?”

Spiritual leadership faces many challenges which can and will be overwhelming. These challenges can distract and/or discourage us. We must remember to ask; “how well will we finish?”

Finishing well requires a few simple steps.

Determine the priorities. Discouragement leads to quitting. Leaders cannot allow this to happen. Know what is worth dying for and give yourself to it.

Work hard. I recently read a post about the Mumford & Son’s band. The reason given as the secret to their success is this simple, but powerful truth. They work hard.

Keep your eye on the goal. Challenges bring distractions. Peter encouraged Christians facing persecution to keep their focus.

How well we finish is just as important as how we begin.

Is the beginning of a thing better than the end? There are good arguments supporting both ideas. There is a great deal of excitement in beginning something new. As well, the victory celebration is enjoyed at the end.

A leader sees the goal and communicates it to the group. A leader is instrumental in developing the plans to reach the goal.

The reputation of a successful leader is often measured by the victories achieved, or goals reached.

However, a leader has an important task when striving to reach any goal. What must be done to create buy-in? How can we create excitement in reaching the goal? Will others be willing to work the plan?

The answers to these questions all unfold in the beginning. Victories are enjoyed by those who have earned them. To earn them, there needs to be a great beginning.

We must believe it first.
We must paint the picture and set it before others.
We must examine every possible detail.
We must pursue the course with enthusiasm.

Is the beginning of a thing better than the end? It can be!

“You can’t find the right answer if you are asking the wrong question.” John Maxwell

At first, I thought how simplistic, yet how true. How often do we work at finding the right answer, yet we spend our time asking the wrong questions?

Several ideas will help us in developing the right questions.

1) Think before speaking. It is easy to say the first thing that comes to mind. However, without thinking first we generally ask unrelated questions.

2) Questions must be clear and direct. Vagueness breeds vagueness. To get the right answer, our questions must be understood.

3) Be genuine. Questions are commonly used defensively. When someone speaks and is questioned, they  tend to feel challenged and react on their perception.

4) Do not assume anything. Assumptions will leave us with more questions than before.

5) Learn what should “not” be asked. To ask the right questions, we should learn this point. Questions that remove opportunities and do not allow for clarification should be avoided.

There are answers, but we must learn to ask the right question to find the right answer.