Being Christ-like

REFLECTIONS
January 25, 2009

A few years ago author, Kent Keith published the “Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership.”

1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self centered; love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives; do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies; succeed anyway.
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow; do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable; be honest and frank anyway.
6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest minds; think big anyway.
7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs; fight for a few underdogs anyway.
8. What you spend years building, may be destroyed overnight; build anyway.
9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them; help them anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you may get kicked in the teeth; give the world the best you have anyway.

As disciples of the Church we would do well to read this list at least once each year. Especially as we endeavor to start new programs of missions and ministry.

Any of the ten items listed could be said true of Jesus and his leadership model of ministry. However, all he did came from the claim of God on his life.

So two additional commandments might read:

11. Do all of these because God has first done them for us in Christ.
12. Do them not alone, but in concert with the spirit and the body of believers. For “ANYWAY’ and in spite of our abilities, God can use us, that extraordinary things might happen.

Dr. Joey K. McDonald
First United Methodist Church
4832 Tujunga Avenue, North Hollywood, CA 91601