Cure or Disease

Are you living your life to be part of the cure or are you part of the disease?

Many people in this world are struggling with various problems. Problems can be physical, financial, social, emotional, problems on the job, or problems at home. Problems can be likened to a disease that impacts life in general. A disease is not only harmful, but if untreated will continue to grow until it kills. This could be literally or in the sense that it kills the spirit of a people. More than anyone else, a leader's job is to help solve problems and try to cure the disease around them.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, the great American poet once said, “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well."

When we see others in need, we can respond in one of three ways:

1. With helpfulness.
2. With antagonism.
3. With indifference.

The last two of these responses actually make us part of the disease, because either of these responses just makes the situation worse. Either we accelerate or exacerbate the problem by antagonizing it or by ignoring the problem and not helping we allow it to continue to grow to its conclusion. If we judge others or condemn them, that is also contributing to the problem. If we are indifferent to the needs of others or try not to be knowledgeable about the problems others may have, we are no good to them. This also perpetuates the problems.

We need to act on our good intentions, when we see others in need. We need to help with whatever help we can offer. We don't all have everything, be we all have something. We need to look for even the small things we can do for others to help them or bring some level of relief. We can affect the climate around us and make a difference in the world. Live with purpose and intention. Be a leader.

One other quote that came from Ralph Waldo Emerson is, "To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived -- this is to have succeeded."

Are you living your life to be part of the cure or are you part of the disease?

 

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What Are You Worried About?

The Bible tells us that without God we can do nothing and that with God, we can do all things. In the Old Testament, the account of Jacob and Esau reveals some marvelous truths about this aspect of leadership. Early in life, Jacob exploited his older brother by negotiating his first born birthright for a bowl of soup and on another occasion he tricked his dying father into giving him the patriarchal family blessing, which was planned for Esau. Needless to say, Esau was bitter over these events and had promised himself that he would kill his brother, once his father passed away.

Meanwhile, Jacob’s mother sent him far away to their homeland to seek a wife from their own people. Jacob encountered God on his journey and God promised to bless Jacob. Jacob arrived at his family’s homeland and he married two wives; Leah and Rachel. As was acceptable in that day, he fathered children not only from his two wives, but also their personal handmaids. God blessed him with 11 sons and a daughter and their family became wealthy.

After 20 years, Jacob decided to return home to Canaan. As Jacob and his family traveled towards Canaan, he was very aware that he would probably have a confrontation with his brother and he assumed that his brother would still be holding a grudge. Jacob sent messengers ahead to Esau to tell him that he was coming; hoping that he would be friendly to him. The messengers returned with the ominous news that Esau was coming to meet him with an army of 400 men. This terrified Jacob and he started strategizing about what he could do.

First, he divided his whole clan with livestock into two groups, thinking that if Esau attacks one group, perhaps the other can escape. Then, Jacob prayed and reminded God of his promise to take care of him and treat him kindly and to multiply his descendants to more than the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore.

When he woke up the next morning, he had a new idea. He selected 550 different animals from his flocks and herds to send to Esau as a gift. He divided these animals in groups and assigned them to servants. He sent each group on ahead and left distance between them. He told the servants that when they meet Esau, they are to tell him that these are a gift to him and that Jacob is right behind him. Jacob thought that all these gifts might perhaps appease Esau.

This drama played out that day and Jacob went to sleep again in his camp. Jacob was clearly troubled, because he got up in the middle of the night and decided to take another step to protect against the potential attack of Esau. Jacob moved his wives, their children, and all of his possessions to the opposite side of a river they had crossed. Jacob returned to his camp all alone.

Into the night, Jacob wrestled with God for a blessing and God renewed his promise to him and blessed him. God changed Jacob's name to Israel. Israel named that place Peniel, which means 'face of God', because he felt he had come that close to God.

As the day broke, Jacob rose up and joined his family. He looked up and saw Esau approaching with his 400 men. Jacob had one more strategic idea. He grouped his 4 wives with their sons in this order; each of the maidservant wives, then Leah, then Rachel the wife he loved the most. Jacob went out in front to meet his brother. When he met him, he bowed to the ground seven times in respect. Esau ran to meet him and threw himself at Jacob, embraced and kissed him. Then, they both wept. God had blessed Esau over the years, too, and he no longer held any grudge against Jacob.

The main thing we can learn from this story is that we need to do everything we can in the physical and then trust God for the rest. Jacob exhausted every idea he could think of to protect his family in the face of the potential deadly confrontation with Esau. He also spent time in prayer to make sure he was in God’s will and to seek His help. In a recent sermon I heard recently, Pastor Dave DeHaan made the comment, “Don't expect God to do the things you need to do and don't try to handle the things that only He can handle”. This is so true.

Pray for God’s direction. Use all of your God-given talents and abilities to do the things you know to do or are able to do. Once you have done all that, pray and put the situation in God’s hands. Step out in faith, knowing that God promised never to leave us, nor forsake us.

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