Monday, February 28, 2005

Lesson 2: The Poser

John Eldredge writes, "The Poser is created out of fear...". Fear to protect our hearts, our character, and our ego. We all do it at some point in our lives - we pretend to live as someone else outside the person we were meant to be in Christ.

John's question gets right to our hearts: Do we have what it takes to come through? Can we tackle the tough physical, emotional, and spiritual battles? As men we answer, "Yes" to the physical one, but waiver with the emotional and spiritual. I don't believe Adam had a physical problem with Eve and Satan; he had an emotional one. Look closely at these words: shock, jealousy, anger, intrigue, joy, saddness, powerless, etc. What effect do these emotions have on men?

Let's get back to who we are supposed to be in Christ. The following message from Rodney uses material from the Lead Like Jesus seminar to help us rid of the 'Poser'.
www.leadlikejesus.com

Below is the "Ego's Anonymous 12 Step Process." I thought this might come in handy in trying to dissolve your "Poser."
1. I admit I have allowed my pride and my fears (EGO) to negatively impact my
role as a Jesus-like leader.
2. I believe that God can transform my leadership motives, thoughts, and
actions to be like those modeled by Jesus.
3. I have decided to surrender my leadership efforts to God, and to
follow the leadership model of Jesus.
4. I have made an inventory of my leadership motives, thoughts, and
actions that are inconsistant with Servant Leadership.
5. I've admitted to God, to myself, and to at least one other person the
nature of my leadership gaps.
6. I am ready to have God remove all character defects that have created
gaps in my leadership.
7. I have asked God to remove my shortcomings and to strengthen me
against the pride and fear temptations of my EGO.
8. I have listed individuals whom I may have harmed by my EGO-driven
leadership.
9. I've made direct amends to people I may have harmed by my EGO-driven
leadership, unless doing so would injure them or others.
10. I will continue to take personal inventory regarding my leadership
role, and when I am wrong, I will promptly admit it and apologize.
11. By practicing the disciplines of solitude, prayer, and study of the
Scriptures, I will seek to practice Servant Leadership as modeled by Jesus.
12. Having had a "heart attack" regarding the principles of Servant
Leadership, I will carry this message to other leaders and practice them in all my affairs.

Above is exact text of their 12 step process. Just replace the Leadership idea with your daily interactions with others and the ideas translate well. Hope this helps in getting rid of the "Poser". - Rodney

1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love.

For the next lesson, please read chapter 4 in the WAH book and Field Manual. We will be talking about, "The Wound". Take good care and remain faithful in Christ.

Monday, February 21, 2005

Lesson 1

Wild At Heart by John Eldredge
Lesson 1
Following along in the Field Manual, answer the questions on pages 10 & 26. Namely, recall your favorite action movie, favorite character in that movie, and the qualities of that character. Could you see yourself in that role or exhibiting those quality traits?

As an example, I really enjoyed watching The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King. I could see myself as Aragorn - a man of bravery, honor, heart, and passion. He is reluctant to assume the role as king, for he knows the men before him have failed. Lastly, Aragorn refuses to allow treachery or deceit enter his heart and therefore knows he must be king to save middle-earth. It's the qualities of this character that define me; not the character itself.

On page 26, John Eldredge takes us deeper. In regards to our "wild hearts" do family, work, or church stifle our longing to be wild? Do any of these try to 'cage' us? Now don't get me wrong: John isn't looking for ways to begin an uprising against the aforementioned. View these as opportunities for improvement. For example, my 'problem' area is church. Church is sometimes full of stuffy posers - fakers. How would a visiting person react to these people? A first impression takes place within 30 seconds. How crucial then is being real and a light for Christ? FYI...a teenager can spot a poser a mile away.

Pray about this lesson and how God can help you. If needed, seek a prayer partner and communicate your needs. The next WAH lesson deals with "The Poser". Read along in the WAH book and Field Manual.
Until next time: Keep fighting the good fight!