Doing the right thing the wrong way

After reading a transcript of President Obama's remarks on immigration from last night, I agree with what he is doing from a policy perspective.  Showing compassion to families is the right thing to do, but that doesn't mean the President's action is wise or will produce the kind of results he wants.

Even if you do the right thing doing it at the wrong time and in the wrong way is still poor leadership. This President does not want to govern. All he knows how to do is campaign. That's why for all his promise of being a unifying figure he has only added to the sense of division in the country. Campaigns necessarily divide us. They are the art of getting to 50% plus 1. Wise governance is what unites us and I don't believe that he is capable of that even if he wanted to do it.

Many have criticized Obama for not waiting and giving the newly elected Congress a chance to act and work with him. It would have presumably given his unilateral action greater justification than acting between Congresses after a bad election for his party. Here's why I think he didn't...the influence of the Tea Party in the GOP caucus will be less in the new Congress. Sure you'll still have some bomb throwers, but GOP candidate recruitment was much different this cycle than in the past two. The new Republicans as a group would be much more likely to work with him than the old. These new members would especially help Boehner in the House and most folks believe that Boehner would have been willing to deal on this issue in 2013 if he wasn't afraid he'd lose his leadership position. If Obama didn't act now, he may have risked forfeiting the electoral advantage that Democrats perceive they have on this issue. That was a risk the campaigner in chief was not willing to take.

5 Things Dads Should Pray Over Their Daughters Daily

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5 Things to Pray Over Your Daughters Daily

1)  Her Salvation.  Dad, if you are a Christian and any of your children do not yet know Jesus Christ as their Savior, it is spiritual malpractice if you do not pray for the Lord to draw them unto Himself every single day! I’ve spoken to far too many heartbroken parents about their lost children to take this for granted.  The stakes are far too high to ignore.

2)  Her Calling.  Culture tells us to want more for our children than we have obtained for ourselves.  This is a noble aspiration to an extent, but far more than wanting success for our children, we should want them to discover and follow God’s calling on their lives.  God has a plan for all of His children.  A life lived in obedience to God’s call is a success greater than man can measure.

3)  Her Husband.  Men, we have to face it.  We won’t be the only man in her life for very long.  It is never too early to begin asking the Lord to prepare a Godly young man who will love your daughter for a lifetime and provide the spiritual leadership her family will need.  If you doubt the importance of this, just speak to any Father who has watched his little girl go through the tragic pain of a divorce. 

4)  Her Mother.  You want to let you daughter see what it means for a man to love his wife?  Let it begin by hearing you pray for her mother.  There is no bigger influence on a little girl than her mother.  Ask God to give her strength to live that example well.  If you have a Godly wife, then let your little girl hear you thank God for that gift.  Your daughter needs to know you love her mother and the high value of motherhood needs to be affirmed.  Don’t let a day go by without it.

5)  Her church.  God has not called us to live the Christian life in isolation.  He has given us the gift of Christian fellowship through the church.  Men, Jesus loved the church enough to die for it. Your little girl needs to know you love the church too if you expect her to love it after she leaves your home. With so many young people leaving the church after they leave home teaching your children to love the church has never been more important.

The Most Ridiculous Discussion in Christianity

I just wasted 15 minutes reading a comment thread on another website dealing with what I think is the most ridiculous discussion that I hear regarding Christianity and church.  The discussion was on what is the proper clothing for people to wear on Sunday morning.

It is sad that this is such a divisive issue for some people.  Some folks insisted that people should wear the best clothes they have because it shows respect and pleases God. Others insisted just as forcefully that "dressing up" keeps some "unchurched" people from feeling comfortable.  The tone and triviality of the discussion has motivated me to share some thoughts on it here.

1)  God is much more concerned with the posture of your heart in worship at church than He is about what you are wearing.

2) If you dress up for church, do it for the right reason.  If you just want to be seen or show off your nice things you aren't doing anybody any favors much less pleasing the Lord.  I admit that I generally dress for church the same way I would for court (remember I'm a lawyer by trade).  My reasons for this are:  a) I want to model to my family the same amount of respect for God's institution as I show for those of man; b) I have found in my life that my dress does affect my attitude.  When I am dressed up my mind feels more alert than when I'm in jeans.  I want to be at my best when I'm at church most especially when I am teaching and this helps me to perform better; and c) I personally just like wearing a suit.  Notice that none of those reasons are directly Scriptural or have to do with making me more worthy than anybody else.  They are all matters of personal conviction and preference.  To make any more of it than that is to be a self-righteous jerk.

3)  If you dress down for church, do it for the right reason.  If you just want to be different from old, stuffy hypocrites in "traditional" churches or if you just want to brag about how hip and counter-cultural you are then you aren't pleasing the Lord either.  That said, I do believe there is something to be said for intentionally creating a culture in a church and that the cookie cutter culture churches have employed for a long time in America does not fit some people as well as others.  There's nothing  wrong with having a contemporary worship culture any more than there is with eating chocolate ice cream.  Vanilla just isn't everybody's favorite and I get that.  It is great to give people a choice. 

4)  It doesn't matter how you are dressed if the Gospel is not proclaimed and the Holy Spirit is not present.  Friends, if people are leaving your church because some folks are over dressed or some folks are under dressed, chances are you don't have a clothing problem, you have a spiritual problem.  My experience is that when people in a congregation experience the life changing message of Christ and interact with a spirit filled body of Believers, it doesn't matter if they are wearing tuxedos or sweat pants.  If we believe the Gospel can overcome the power of sin and death, then surely the color and design of some swaths of fabric shouldn't pose that much of a problem.

So I got that off my chest...now I can get back to studying for midterms.

The SBC and What's in a name?

As a student at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary I have watched with interest the reaction to the recent report of the name change study committee.  For those who haven't followed the story, last year Bryant Wright (SBC President) appointed a committee to study the wisdom and feasibility of changing the name of the Southern Baptist Convention.  It has been suggested by some that the regional connotation of Southern may be some type of hindrance to ministry efforts beyond the southeastern US.

The committee recently reported its recommendation.  Importantly, the idea of a name change was rejected because of questionable need and legal costs that would mount into the millions.  However, for those churches and missionaries who believe the name may pose a hindrance in their particular venue, they recommended what amounts to an official nickname of Great Commission Baptists.  Nobody will be forced to use the nickname, but it will merely exist as an option for those who want to try.

If you are like me, you might think how in the world would this be problematic to anyone.   Judging from reading the reaction online and around blogs though you'd be wrong.  Here are some of the more common reactions/objections I've seen and my response to them.

1)  "I don't care what they do, I'll always be Southern Baptist."  I hear this a lot and I sympathize with that.  Anybody who has ever heard me say a word knows I'm about as Southern as they come.  I've been attending SBC churches my entire life.  I attend their "flagship" seminary (not sure what that means but that's what they tell us anyways).   I am proud of my affiliation with an organization that does so much to spread the Gospel, but it's not who I am.  I'm a Christian.  Jesus Christ is the only name for which I'll contend unconditionally and I sincerely believe that most if not all of those I hear saying these things would agree with me on that.  But to hear some of these folks it's as if they think the committee is telling them they should apologize for being Southern or that they shouldn't call themselves Southern Baptists.  Friends, nobody is asking us to apologize for anything and nobody is saying we can't or shouldn't call ourselves "Southern Bapists", and most importantly nobody is suggesting that we compromise on the core doctrines that define the substance of who we are.  There's no reason to act like we are under attack from within.

2)  "I've never had any objection to the name Southern Baptist in my ministry".  To that I say, "so what?"  That is an anecdotal statement and proves nothing at all.  Your experience does not cancel out the experiences reported by people in the field who say that it hinders them.  Are we to call them liars without having been in their particular situation?  Surely we can give these brothers and sisters in the Lord that much benefit of the doubt.  Honestly, I don't think the name is a widespread problem but I can see how there might be situations where it is.  What's the harm in putting it to the test and finding out?  It seems worth a shot to me.

3)  "We've got bigger fish to fry".  I've heard this a lot and I completely agree. Many people are rightly pointing out that a name is superficial and point to the real substantive problems facing the SBC (and there are many).  Though this is true its application in this context represents flawed logic and a foolish management style.  It basically says that we can't address small problems until big problems are fixed.  You can't run an organization like that.  It takes time to build consensus and address big problems.  It would be foolish to just ignore smaller problems that might be easily fixable because you are dealing with the big things.  Good leaders can and should multi-task.  Any time spent criticizing the committee for taking up this small issue is much better spent praying for solutions and consensus in dealing with the big ones.

4)  "What we really need is revival".  Amen Brother!  But here is the thing, do you really believe saying that in a critical spirit is going to do anything to bring it about?  Further, do you doubt that the leaders in Nashville and at the State Conventions want the same thing?  If I did doubt that, then I'd probably be looking for a new church affiliation.   I don't think there is any controversy or dispute that we need revival in America (and in our SBC churches).  Yet I see some declaring this as if the matter is hotly contested.  Surely we have more important things to do than to get bogged down in a contest to see who can scream about the need for revival the loudest.

Don't misunderstand me, I passionately believe we need revival and think it is healthy to talk about the need constructively.  Let's acknowledge the need, roll up our sleeves, and get out in the field and work for the harvest.  If somebody is willing to cooperate with me in doing that, I really don't care what he calls himself.

How expensive is happiness?

I get a kick out of now former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, but some of the comments he made upon his departure last night are just sad.

"I want more money. I don't work here for years. No, I want more money. Years -- what, I'm going to die poor with the White Sox? Hell, no." Guillen continued, "Life is about money. People don't believe that. People are happy after they make money."

This coming from a man already making around 2 million per year to manage ballgames.  It begs the question, if you can't buy happiness on a 2 million dollar salary, just how expensive is it?

Friends, I'd submit to you that there will come a day when Ozzie won't care a lick about what he has in his bank account, but rather would trade it all for just a little more time with family and friends.   Don't believe the lies the world tells you. There's nothing wrong with money, but life really is about so much more.

Your relationships are what matter.  Your relationship to God, your spouse, your kids, your parents, your other family and friends.   I don't mean this to say that I don't believe Guillen values these things.  Guillen is an emotional guy and speaks without any filter whatsoever.  I think his comments just show how easy it is to get caught up in what we do and the rat race for material "success" that we lose focus on what our priorities should be.

Stuff is nice, but the greatest thing you can leave behind is a legacy of character.  What kind of legacy are you building?

What can you learn from a piece of tape?

I love NASCAR.  I know that it doesn’t seem to be the most cerebral of sports to some folks, but believe me when I say that there is a lot more to it than guys driving fast and turning left. 

This past Sunday I was down in the Sprint Cup garage area waiting to take my family and some friends to the pre-race chapel service for drivers and crew members.  We watched as the teams pushed their cars through the final technical inspection area before they would put them on the starting grid.  There was a slight mist falling but not so much that we were uncomfortable.

Several cars were in line including the cars of Hendrick Racing teammates Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

As we watched, my friend Gary Hogue noticed that Johnson’s car had a piece of tape covering the exhaust pipes that point out from under the side of the car.  Being an engineer by education, Gary surmised that the tape must have been placed there to prevent any moisture from entering the engine.  Gary also noticed that of all the cars in line, only Johnson’s car was taped in this fashion.  Not even his own teammates were taking this precaution.

If you follow NASCAR racing at all you know that Jimmy Johnson’s team has won the last 5 Sprint Cup championships in a row.

I thought about this for the next several hours.  (There ended up being a rain delay so I had plenty of time to think)  I came to several conclusions about that little piece of tape.

1)  The value of associating yourself with people with different views and perspectives is immense.  I’ve been attending NASCAR events since I was a boy, but I never would have noticed the tape or considered its purpose if I hadn’t been standing next to an engineer.  Nothing in my legal or seminary training had conditioned me to see things that way.  If we become too homogenous in the people we surround ourselves with we will necessarily miss out on some things.  Nobody sees everything.  A wise leader will understand where his blind spots are and seek out people to help him in those areas.

2)  It is cliché, but those who excel at the highest levels are those who pay attention to detail in ways that seem odd or obsessive to most of us. The chances of rain getting through those pipes and getting into the engine of that racecar were probably miniscule, but they weren’t taking any chances.  You have to wonder how many other things that Johnson’s team is doing on areas of the car that can’t be seen or in their shops away from the track that their competitors don’t do.  I bet it’s a lot more than putting a piece of tape over an exhaust pipe. Details make the difference.

3)  Don’t allow pride to cause you to become hard headed.   The most amazing thing to me in all of this was the failure of Johnson’s competitors to notice the tape and implement it themselves.  Johnson has won five consecutive championships.  You’d think his competitors would be studying him intensely given his success yet that didn’t seem to be the case.  Why would these other teams miss such an obvious thing?  It surely isn’t laziness or a lack of educated engineers.  Every NASCAR team works super hard and has lots of smart engineers.  The most reasonable explanation I could come up with is pride.  Sometimes smart folks with a lot of drive let pride and ambition cloud their minds.  It’s not just that we want to excel, but we want to do it our way.  We hold to doing things our way sometimes even though others around us are continually having better results doing it differently.  We don’t just want to win.  We want to be vindicated.  Pride can bias our vision and our judgment. Wise leaders will recognize and guard against this tendency.  It’s much better to be an adaptable winner than a hard headed loser.

Now, maybe I’m reading too much into a small piece of tape.  Or maybe I’m not.  After the race concluded Tuesday (it had to be rescheduled due to rain) there was a new driver leading the Sprint Cup point standings.  His name was Jimmy Johnson.  Go figure.

Random Things Final Installment

I'm sure everybody has been breathless with anticipation for me to finish this up...LOL


1. I'm a country bumpkin. Let's get that straight right off the bat. I hunt, fish, like Nascar, drive a tractor, and I've castrated pigs on the farm. And though she isn't as country as I am, my wife once clogged at the Grand Ole' Opry when she was a girl. That's bona fide!

2. Having children is the greatest thing I've ever done. Words can't describe how much I love them.

3. The most important days to come in my life will be the days when my kids accept Christ as their savior. Living an example of Christian faith in front of my children is the most important priority in my life.

4. A good steak and my Mom's onion rings has been my favorite meal for as long as I can remember.

5. I am unapologetically Southern, and it's a good thing too because my accent kind of makes it difficult to pretend to be anything else. Keep your stinkin' yankee oatmeal. I'll be eating grits.