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Solipsism is the belief that nothing exists outside of yourself. If you, while reading this article, believe that this article and everything around you are figments of your imagination, you are solipsistic.
Sounds strange? No, it is very real.
Engine Charlie Wilson, former CEO of GM, once said, “What is good for GM is good for America!” Engine Charlie was indulging in solipsistic thinking on behalf of GM.
Grades in school may be another example of solipsism. The purpose of school is learning. We create a surrogate indicator of learning: grades. Then we collude with each other to pretend that grades are an accurate indicator that learning has or has not taken place. We no longer even question the legitimacy of grades.
Another example is sweeps week. Twice a year there are weeklong surveys of TV viewership. The ratings during sweeps week are important because they determine what the networks charge for advertising. The solipsism is this: We pretend that the programs during the sweeps week are representative of the network’s regular fare and that the ratings during sweeps are indicative of something real.
Another example: The Discipline of Market Leaders, a book that made The New York Times list of best-selling books. This occurred because those behind the book were able to identify which stores around the country were used by The New York Times as their sample for calculating which books were best sellers. By buying up their book at these stores, they could artificially inflate the figures. The solipsism: pretending that The New York Times list accurately depicts the sales of books (and that the volume of sales of books is an accurate measure of what is worthwhile to read).
Organizations often indulge in solipsistic thinking when they engage in planning. Managers pretend that the only important measures – of customer satisfaction or business success – are the measures they as managers agree on. The history of business is replete with companies that met their goals and targets and still failed. This was because their measures were reflective mainly of their inner world, their solipsism.
Leaders must be sure their measures of success or failure reflect the real world outside themselves and their organization. There is a difference between having a vision and suffering from a hallucination.1
Just like our counterparts in secular business, church leaders must utilize caution when setting goals and choosing which programs to devote resources to.
Questions should be asked:
- Is what we are doing truly reflective of our real target audience?
- Are we simply repeating what we think works for us, and being oblivious to the needs of the world we are trying to reach?
- Does a new slogan really revive or even justify an irrelevant program?
- Is this impacting the Kingdom of God, or simply funding the operational cost of a system?
- Am I leading from the cutting edge, or following behind oblivious to the dark?
Solipsism dominates the thinking in most every church and religious organization. Because of solipsism we develop a culture that we are comfortable with. The peril of solipsism is that in cloistered cultures of thinking people tend to start believing the world does not exist outside of our circle. The gauges we use to measure success become skewed. This creates a gap in our ability to connect to the world around us. Like Engine Charlie Wilson, we get to thinking, “What is good on our platform is good for the world”.
Jesus was never bound by solipsistic thinking. He remained holy while mingling with sinners. He reached beyond the boundaries of His peers and changed the religious thinking of the world.
Believe it or not the world around you does exist. It is dark out there. Be a light unto it. That is what Jesus would do if He attended your church. If what you have been doing has not been working and you are feeling frustrated at the results; consider giving up your devotion to solipsism. You have to get out of the box in order to change the world around you.
Reference:
Scholtes, Peter R., 1998. The Leader’s Handbook. New York: McGraw-Hill
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Are You Taking Care Of Your Home?
There is truth in the saying that you live life in forward motion but you understand it looking backward. I know for myself I would certainly have done many things differently had I the opportunity to do things all over again. However, like everyone else, you only get one chance at this circle of life.
Those who have a teaching father or mentor have an inside edge on doing things right the first time . . . if they have the willingness to listen and apply Godly advice to their life and decisions. Unfortunately, such is not the case for most individuals.
Leaders are a unique breed. They are fueled by passion. They feed off the energy of accomplishment. The adrenaline can be addictive. It is not uncommon for leaders to be so enraptured by the doing that they lose track of their state of being. Many people who succeed at leadership therefore fail at the more important things in life such as family and personal development.
The scripture asks, "And what shall a man profit if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?"
The best time to consider the impact of leadership upon you and your family is now. It cannot wait any longer. Today needs to be the day that you do what is best for those you love the most.
Ponder this sobering thought. At the end of your days who will be there to weep over you? Who will carry you to your final resting place? Who will bury you and weep afterward over regrets and missed opportunities? The answer is your family. It won't be those you neglected your family for.
Ponder another sobering thought. If your spouse or one of your children died today would you bury them with regrets over missed opportunities? If you are like most leaders the answer probably is yes. Please don't say this can't happen to you. It can.
A few years ago I landed at a large airport. Soon after deboarding I noticed multiple ministry colleagues in the area. As I spoke to them they informed me they were there to meet another colleague who had been on an overseas mission trip. He was to land soon and they had to give him the sad news. His wife was killed in a tragic automobile accident on her way to the airport that day to pick her husband up from his missions trip.....
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Are You Taking Care Of Your Home?
There is truth in the saying that you live life in forward motion but you understand it looking backward. I know for myself I would certainly have done many things differently had I the opportunity to do things all over again. However, like everyone else, you only get one chance at this circle of life.
Those who have a teaching father or mentor have an inside edge on doing things right the first time . . . if they have the willingness to listen and apply Godly advice to their life and decisions. Unfortunately, such is not the case for most individuals.
Leaders are a unique breed. They are fueled by passion. They feed off the energy of accomplishment. The adrenaline can be addictive. It is not uncommon for leaders to be so enraptured by the doing that they lose track of their state of being. Many people who succeed at leadership therefore fail at the more important things in life such as family and personal development.
The scripture asks, "And what shall a man profit if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?"
The best time to consider the impact of leadership upon you and your family is now. It cannot wait any longer. Today needs to be the day that you do what is best for those you love the most.
Ponder this sobering thought. At the end of your days who will be there to weep over you? Who will carry you to your final resting place? Who will bury you and weep afterward over regrets and missed opportunities? The answer is your family. It won't be those you neglected your family for.
Ponder another sobering thought. If your spouse or one of your children died today would you bury them with regrets over missed opportunities? If you are like most leaders the answer probably is yes. Please don't say this can't happen to you. It can.
A few years ago I landed at a large airport. Soon after deboarding I noticed multiple ministry colleagues in the area. As I spoke to them they informed me they were there to meet another colleague who had been on an overseas mission trip. He was to land soon and they had to give him the sad news. His wife was killed in a tragic automobile accident on her way to the airport that day to pick her husband up from his missions trip.....
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Five Things Every Pastor Should Be Thinking About
The word 'pastor', or any other form of it, occurs only nine times in the Bible, and once in the New Testament.
We find this reference in...
Ephesians 4:11
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
The Greek word for pastor is, "poimen," which simply means a shepherd. The Hebrew word for pastor also means shepherd.
In modern day church culture, a pastor has also become much more than that. Unfortunately, the pastor has taken on every part of the five-fold ministry himself, thereby taking on offices not intended for him. This has led to much confusion and frustration for many who are pastors or feel led to become a pastor.
In modern vernacular, a pastor has become ' a one man, do it yourself, even though I am not really qualified to, kind of leader.' As Lee Stoneking stated, we have become a 'pastor driven organization.'
With that in mind, the very first thing that every pastor should consider is:
1. Is my office of pastor fulfilling God's role for a pastor?
A pastor is primarily a shepherd, somebody who cares for, protects and provides for every sheep in his flock.
· He is also the overseer of the flock.
· He is one who has experience.
· He must have a ready mind.
· He must manage the affairs of his flock.....
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Five Things Every Pastor Should Be Thinking About
The word 'pastor', or any other form of it, occurs only nine times in the Bible, and once in the New Testament.
We find this reference in...
Ephesians 4:11
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
The Greek word for pastor is, "poimen," which simply means a shepherd. The Hebrew word for pastor also means shepherd.
In modern day church culture, a pastor has also become much more than that. Unfortunately, the pastor has taken on every part of the five-fold ministry himself, thereby taking on offices not intended for him. This has led to much confusion and frustration for many who are pastors or feel led to become a pastor.
In modern vernacular, a pastor has become ' a one man, do it yourself, even though I am not really qualified to, kind of leader.' As Lee Stoneking stated, we have become a 'pastor driven organization.'
With that in mind, the very first thing that every pastor should consider is:
1. Is my office of pastor fulfilling God's role for a pastor?
A pastor is primarily a shepherd, somebody who cares for, protects and provides for every sheep in his flock.
· He is also the overseer of the flock.
· He is one who has experience.
· He must have a ready mind.
· He must manage the affairs of his flock.....
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Digging Your Way Out of The Paper Pile-Up
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2. To Use Time More Wisely – One of the top time bandits is clutter, because you waste time searching for everything you need.
3. To Increase Creativity – Besides narrowing your focus, organizing the paper pile will give you time to be more creative.
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1. Get Rid Of the Clutter – Get rid of the junk today. If your personality requires clutter for peace of mind, then clutter a shelf or two on your bookcase or credenza.
2. Use A Simple System – One big time-waster is handling a piece of paper multiple times. Have you ever done this with a letter? You open it and read it. Then you set it aside for a while. Then you have to read it again later before responding! To avoid this, you need a system designed to do something with each item, therefore handling it only once. I like this “4-D” system.
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God created the world in six days – but then He didn’t have any paperwork, right? With computers now as common as feedback from your microphone on Sunday morning, the paper pile up is higher than ever. The question is : Are you at the bottom of the pile trying to dig out, or are you on top and in charge? Or, have you been out of control so long that you’ve developed the “throw it all away every three months” strategy? Why even bother? Can organization really improve your ministry effectiveness? Here are three important reasons to unpile the pile:
1. To Sharpen Your Focus. Our minds are consumed by what our eyes can see. When faced with a pile, part of your brain can’t stop feeling overwhelmed.
2. To Use Time More Wisely – One of the top time bandits is clutter, because you waste time searching for everything you need.
3. To Increase Creativity – Besides narrowing your focus, organizing the paper pile will give you time to be more creative.
Six Tips On How To Unpile The Pile.
1. Get Rid Of the Clutter – Get rid of the junk today. If your personality requires clutter for peace of mind, then clutter a shelf or two on your bookcase or credenza.
2. Use A Simple System – One big time-waster is handling a piece of paper multiple times. Have you ever done this with a letter? You open it and read it. Then you set it aside for a while. Then you have to read it again later before responding! To avoid this, you need a system designed to do something with each item, therefore handling it only once. I like this “4-D” system.
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Most people have problems with finances, but they just don’t know why.
According to the latest surveys, over one-half of all families in America are presently experiencing financial difficulties. And the real truth is many do not seem to know why they are having these difficulties. If these type problems are so common, then it would be important to understand the reasons they exist.
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Leadership seems to be the buzzword of our times. Bookstores now have multiple rows upon rows of books concerning this particular subject. Some of the content is very good and can help a person to hone their management skills and work toward becoming self-disciplined in a manner that will prove good for the organization that they are serving. I personally have benefited from some of the secular leadership books that I have read over the years. Despite all of these necessary and good resources only a small, in fact, microscopic amount of these books address spiritual issues in the life of the leader.
There aren’t any spiritual leadership concepts given in the books that Jim Collins has written. Patrick Lencioni does not address the spiritual side of a man who wants to build a Fortune 500 company. Peter Drucker’s works have almost elevated him posthumously to an exalted messiah among the leadership gurus of the last century. If we are not careful, there can be a tendency to think that we can build a church the same way that Steve Jobs made Apple successful. Once a spiritual leader buys into that particular idea that he can build a spiritual church with the same techniques that a profit-driven company is built, he deceives himself and he will create spiritual mayhem with the sheep he is meant to feed.....
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