Ways of seeing

Perspective and vision are interesting things. Eyewitnesses of an accident can both see the same thing but are sure they saw different scenarios than the others did. As Christ followers we are constantly challenged to "see" life, circumstances, events and news from an eternal perspective rather than a human perspective. Many Christ followers never catch the reality that "seeing" from kingdom eyes is very different from "seeing" from merely human eyes.

You remember the account in the gospels where Jesus and the disciples are overwhelmed with the crowds of people hungry to meet Jesus and desperate to have their circumstances changed. The disciples were tired and it seems a bit cranky and saw the crowds as a distraction and a hassle. But Jesus, "looking at the crowds was moved with compassion for they were like sheep without a shepherd." The disciples saw from human eyes while Jesus saw with kingdom eyes.

Human sight is at its core selfish. It sees those things that either help us or hinder us, are to our advantage or disadvantage, give us power or rob us of the same. Kingdom sight is utterly unselfish. It is about giving rather than receiving, it is about serving rather than being served - as the disciples who asked for the honor of sitting at Jesus' right and left side when in heaven found out. Or as those listening to the parable of the good Samaritan discovered.

There is also a time perspective to human versus kingdom seeing. Human eyes are concerned about how the circumstances of life impact me. Kingdom eyes are concerned about how the circumstances of life build God's kingdom, even if to our temporary detriment.

Those who are martyred for their faith understand kingdom sight. They realize that there is something far more precious and significant than even their own lives and are willing to lay down their lives for the sake of Christ and his kingdom. Hebrews 11 is a testimony to those who lived their lives with kingdom vision rather than human vision.


How we see deeply impacts how we live. Our world is driven by fear and a desire to protect ourselves and our interests at any cost. Following Jesus is driven by faith and a willingness to pay any price to be where Christ wants us to be - realizing that to be where Jesus is - is both the most dangerous and most safe place we could ever be. That is why some Christ followers can see circumstances from a perspective of faith, while others see the same circumstances from a perspective of fear.

How we do something as mundane as assimilate the news on CNN or Fox is influenced by whether we are watching with human or kingdom eyes. Human sight assumes that the news is all bad, that the world is going to hell in a hand basket and is pervaded with a sense of gloom and fear.

Kingdom eyes see the same news and they realize that God is still sovereign and that in fact, God uses all the events of the world, good or bad to build his church. They know that no event occurs in our world, good or bad that does not first pass by the hands of God and that he does not use to build his church.

How we view people around us depends on which eyes we are seeing them through. From a human perspective many people are simply losers who have little value to us or society. They may lack the education, sophistication, status or whatever it is that gives one "value" in our world.

Kingdom vision sees the same people and it instinctively says, "this person is precious to God, Jesus died for her, and I will honor her." A study was done of hierarchies of value in a hospital setting. Surgeons were at the top, janitors were at the bottom. The level of respect, eye contact and interaction were highest at the top and lowest at the bottom.

Recently I was waiting in the TSA line at the airport. The TSA agent looked at my license and said, "Do you know a Dr. Addington who was a surgeon?" I said "Yes, it's my dad." He said, "Dr. Gordon Addington"? I said "Yes, that's him." He said, "years ago I was a janitor at United Hospital and your dad befriended me. He even invited me to spend Christmas with the family."

My father had been using his kingdom vision and in doing so upset the value proposition of human vision.

It is an intriguing exercise to go through one's day asking "How would Jesus view this person or this circumstance? How would kingdom vision differ from human vision?" They are very different and they yield hugely different responses.

Which way of seeing is your default?

The view from 39,000 feet

Because I travel often I have the joy of negotiating numerous airports around the globe. From the time I get to the airport I want just one thing - to be at 39,000 feet. By then, I will have negotiated the lines, crowds, security checks (sometimes two or three) the hot waiting room and pushy people. There is a world of difference between the airport and 39,000 feet.


That is one of the reasons that I regularly take a day or even half a day by myself to take a 39,000 foot look at my life. In our organization we call it a "Personal Retreat Day," or PRD. It is a time to get out of the crowds, activity, stress and deadlines to literally "get above it all" for a time to evaluate how well we are doing in the midst of our activity.


Our activity and our pace of life often mitigate against thoughtful analysis of how we are spending our time, where we are missing something vital, strategies for being more productive or just time to stop, think, pray, meditate and listen to the still small voice that will not compete with the din of our daily lives.

Here are the kinds of things I evaluate on my PRD:
-My marriage and family
-My spiritual life
-My personal and work priorities
-My calendar and invitations that affect my calendar
-The team I lead and the team I am on
-Relationships

In other words, the PRD is an opportunity to get above the fray and take a holistic view of life from a 39,000 foot perspective in order to ensure that when I land again I am living intentionally rather than accidentally. It gives me a time when I can reprioritize my time and energy when they have gotten off track. It gives me time to talk to the Father about issues I am struggling with.
Without the perspective and peace of 39,000 feet, I cannot be as productive as I need to be at ground level.

What is your 39,000 foot strategy?

Convictions that matter

I have a bedrock conviction. Actually two: First that God is sovereign. Second, that God is good....all the time! No matter what.

Last Saturday, a young man from a church I love in Knoxville, TN was heading down a zip line at 45 miles per hour. Someone had not moved the ladder used to get up to the zip line and Zach hit it smashing his helmet, and his skull and is clinging to life in a Tennessee hospital. My son's girlfriend held him in her hands as they waited for the paramedics to arrive. I don't understand why this would happen to a wonderful young man full of faith and energy.

Today I received an email that a dear friend of mine, much younger than me has prostate cancer. He is a wonderful father, husband and pastor. I don't understand why.

In the last several weeks I have heard that two other friends of mine have severe cancer. I don't understand.

I could go on. Last December and January God preserved my life against all odds after 42 days in the hospital, 35 of them in ICU. Five times at least I should have gone home to Jesus. I don't understand.

At 52, I have watched and experienced much that I don't understand. Life does not let one see around the next bend. Life is not fair, nor often explainable. At least I cannot explain it.

And so, I return daily to two convictions. That God is sovereign and he sees the horizon in ways we never will till we are with him. His sovereignty gives me confidence in the circumstances I face - even in the midst of tragedy.

But His sovereignty by itself is not enough because a sovereign God could be capricious as life often seems to be. That is where the second conviction comes in, breathed through the pages of Scripture. That God is good....all the time.

Sovereignty without goodness is no comfort.

Sovereignty coupled with His goodness is ultimate security. In His goodness and in His sovereignty I can rest my circumstances and those of others even though I don't and won't understand. Understanding something about Him relieves me of the need to understand all of what happens in life. In His goodness and in His sovereignty I can rest - whether in joy or in sorrow.

I don't understand the road we often travel. I do understand enough about the God who made that road enough to trust the road. Whatever is around the next bend.

Zach and Tony and Roger and Carol and Paula, I pray for you tonight. My heart hurts for your struggle. My heart rests in the goodness and sovereignty of God. And that is where my life rests as well.

The roads we travel

I love this picture of an Irish road! It is a picture of life in many ways. It is not smooth or predictable but bumpy and unpaved. You can see for a bit but never around the bend. It is one lane so you never know what you might encounter around the next corner. There is a wildness and beauty and unpredictability to it - just like life!

More than ever before it has been the road of my life in the past year. From a forty two day hospital stay hovering between life and death (December and January 07-08), to the uncertainties of health after my discharge and the unpredictable twists and turns along the way - including surgery next week and numerous hospital visits along the way.

Don't get me wrong. I have no complaints. God is good - all the time, no matter what is around the next bend. But I have been reminded, again and again in the past year that in the end we simply live by faith, because we have little or no control over the circumstances of life.

It is a gift to fully understand what it means to live by faith. When we have reached the end of ourselves and have nowhere else to turn but to confidence in a good, all powerful, loving and holy Father, we have received a great gift. It is at that point that what we believe in our head becomes truth in our bones! The gift is wonderful because "without faith it is impossible to please God."

I am awake tonight, long past my bedtime, tired and discouraged. The past ten months have been a long hard grind. That is the reality of life sometimes, there is no reason to pretend otherwise.

But the road continues on past what I can see and I know that in the end, God is sovereign, God is good and all I have is trust in Him and in Him I have everthing I need to have. It is both poverty and riches at the same time. It allows the discouraged heart to be an exhilerated heart all at once!

I would much rather have the two lane Irish road than the eight lane highway. I cherish the adventure of real life and real faith and even the potential danger around the bend. In my need to trust, I gain the gift of God. In my need, I find God's plenty.

We are equals

Editor comment:

The following blog from contributing writer, Lindsay Norman is a followup to her recent blog titled "Subtle disempowerment." This is not a discussion on the theological issues of egalitarianism or complementarianism which is one that has implications for church leadership. This is a discussion about how we honor, treat, respect and work with women in the Christian workplace - like ReachGlobal. God cares how we treat one another: we are all made in His image.

Contributing writer

Lindsay Norman, Reach Global

As a follow up to the blog entry “subtle disempowerment,” I wanted to offer some practical ways we can empower women. However, I want to unpack the word “empower” first. This word conjures up many images: feminist, dominance, control, angry women, etc. I want to tell you what this word means to many gracious and humble women in ministry, and what other words and phrases have been used synonymously with this word.

When I and those in the ministry I serve make references to empowering women (we can include empowering minorities and young leaders as well), what it refers to is the following: treating people as equals, speaking to and about people as equals and allowing ALL people’s gifts to be honored, valued and utilized in the Church.

When there are references to “coming to the table,” “having a voice,” “wanting to be heard,” these all reference the same idea: I want to be treated as an equal, spoken to as an equal and want my gifts to be honored, valued and utilized in the church.

This means if a man has the gift of hospitality or administration, he should utilize those strengths. If he feels called to be a stay at home dad, he should follow the Spirit’s call to do this. If a woman has gifts of leadership or teaching, she should utilize those strengths. If she is called to work full time instead of stay home as a homemaker, she should follow the Spirit’s call to do so.

None of these scenarios should result in guilt as long as we are utilizing the strengths and gifts God has given us to glorify Him, edify his church, and reach our communities and families.

With that in mind, here are some suggestions for how to take steps toward gender (and I would argue ethnic) equality.

Spot potential female leaders and take the time to mentor them into leadership roles.

Use language that is inclusive: when referencing all people in the room, refer to them as staff, leaders, friends, etc. (whatever might apply).

Spend time listening to thoughts, experiences and input from women of all generations and ethnicities. Don’t try to offer solutions right away. Just listen.

Include women in the decision-making process in your ministries.

Help women gain the knowledge and understanding of their spiritual gifts. Then give them a platform to use them.

Create committees and teams to collaborate on key organizational issues. Include men and women on those teams.

Provide leadership seminars and training for women that do not just focus on women’s ministries.

Do not assume that women in a meeting will take care of taking notes, meeting prep, follow up details.

These last couple of suggestions are for women:

Women, own your voice. If you have thoughts or input, use it for constructive and strategic change. Take responsibility for your thoughts and input.

At work, and in the ministry setting, expect to be treated as a ministry/business professional first. Many people (not just women) expect their work in ministry to fulfill personal needs of friendship and family. Sometimes there is a desire to integrate personal and ministry life when at work.

I am not saying we should not have friends or family at work, or that we should not discuss personal issues at work. What I am saying is that should not be the expectation. We as women should not be disappointed if our boss or coworker does not ask about our personal lives. When you are at work (even in ministry), you are a professional worker first and should treat others the same way.

Let’s continue to dialogue on this. I’d rather have this topic be a gracious, honest dialogue than a one-way direction of thoughts and suggestions. Any time we discuss issues such as gender and ethnic equality, let’s make it constructive and for the purpose of glorifying God and working toward reconciliation and understanding.

Subtle Disempowerment

Contributing Writer

Lindsay Norman, ReachGlobal

I have heard it said, “We want you at the table.” I have heard it said, “Your voice and input are significant here.” I have heard it said, “We can’t move forward here without you.” I have heard it said, “Stick with us Lindsay. You are key to helping us make necessary changes.”

Yet some of those same good-hearted, well-intentioned leaders don’t realize that while their words say one thing, their actions say another. As a female in a ministry setting, I am frequently taken aback with how male leaders in the organization do not see, hear or understand how they subtly disempower women, minorities or young, up and coming leaders.

I recently read an organizational communication piece by a leader in a Christian organization. This leader is a dear friend and advocates hard for minority and women’s voices to be heard in our ministry setting. However, this leader was about to send out a piece of communication that reinforced men as leaders and women as cooks and mom’s, largely significant for the food dishes they prepare for male leaders. With some suggestions by coworkers, changes were made and it read much better. In the initial draft, there was subtle disempowerment.

I have been in situations time after time when I am one of a hand full of females during ministry seminars, meetings and prayer times. As men pray, they pray for all the “guys” in the room. References such as these are often defended by male leaders as references to the whole group. However, in my experience as a woman and in my education in social sciences, I can attest that language supports the kind of culture and ethos that is instilled. If language remains the same, culture remains the same. Every time I am referenced as a “guy,” I feel subtly disempowered.

I have been invited to the table at significant meetings in my organization. Many times I am the only one, or one in a handful of women, who can speak into issues. However, I often feel guilty if I speak too much or offer too strong of an opinion. Here are the words of another young, female leader from a Christian organization: “There needs to be freedom for women to be the dominant voice and/or face in a meeting. That experience is very rare in our culture. More often we are strong influencers, before and after the meeting, but rarely at the table itself.” When I feel guilty for being a dominant voice, when I feel pressure to give input before or after a meeting instead of in the meeting itself, I feel subtly disempowered.

This post is not meant to put down men (since I know the audience on this blog is largely male J), but to educate, inform and remind people of the subtle ways sexism (and racism as well) can be embedded in our culture, attitudes and organizations. I am, once again, deeply grateful for T.J. Addington who cares about my voice, deems it significant and allows me to use it to reinforce positive change.

Missions and risk

Across our world today there are many places where Christians are under severe pressure. Right now in India, pastors are being killed, churches burned, believers run out of their villages, their homes and businesses ransacked. In the security of the United States we often do not realize that the number of martyrs for the gospel has skyrocketed in the past 100 years.

Western missionaries are not immune from risk. In fact, an American passport, for instance, once thought to be a security shield is now a security liability in many places.

Our organization has personnel in many countries where security is a real issue. We are told by our security consultants that there is a fifty fifty chance of an "incident" in any five year period. The largest risk is a kidnapping for ransom which is one of the major "industries" in the developing world. Of course, there are always even greater risks associated with radicals who hate Christianity.

Then there are the risks just associated with places in the world where lawlessness is rampant, poverty ubiquitous, medical help meager, transportation unsafe or political instability significant. That describes many places where mission activity is targeted.

Risk is inherent in mission activity. Missionaries bring the good news of the gospel into the territory of the evil one and there is nothing he hates more than the expansion of God's kingdom. As Paul indicated, our fight is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers of this dark world.

It is incumbent on us to pray for safety for those missionaries we know as well as for the believers they work with. We should not take their health and safety lightly. They daily face a spiritual battle and the evil one will do anything in his power to hurt them and blunt their message of hope

Second, we should not be surprised when we hear that a missionary has been kidnapped, hurt or killed. It is one of the risks that those on the front lines are willing to take, knowing that the spread of the gospel is worth even their lives if necessary.

Missionaries and missions work to make wise decisions to mitigate risk. But, risk is inherent in mission activity in a world that is often dangerous and unstable. Every one of us can make a difference in that risk through regular concerted prayer.