Anything and Everything

The late-night wake-up call from the Holy Spirit surprised me.

The late-night wake-up call from the Holy Spirit surprised me. Unaware that the simple sentence held life-changing power, I rolled over and went back to sleep. When morning came, I found the thought still vivid. Sipping my coffee, I turned the words over and over again in my mind. What would happen if …?

Don’t worry about anything; let God take care of everything.

Down through the ages, believers have battled the mental monster of worry. The culprit destroys picnics, rains on parades, ruins sleep, trashes health, tarnishes relationships, and takes the ever-loving life out of life.

So what if—just what if—we got serious and let God take over? E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. What if we truly let Him rule our lives, run our events, and bear the burden of our burdens?

Don’t worry about anything; let God take care of everything.

Good idea, but how? Here are a few suggestions:

When scenario sickness sets in, picture God as the Coordinator of the scenario and not yourself.

When painful thinking descends, turn the needle away from the pain and toward the promises of God.

When mental mulching starts putting down roots and draining your resources, release the dilemma to our all-sufficient God.

“Heads up! This requires intentionality.

”

— Debby Thompson

And though this is not simplistic, it is, in fact, simple. “Life is not hard; it is just impossible.” So, only God’s supernatural resources can give us the life quality He longs for His precious children to have.

Don’t worry about anything; let God take care of everything.

Anything and Everything is not the dreaded SOP (Standard of Performance) known in our frenzied performance-driven world. And, while the ideal goal is for constant, continual, and consistent freedom, any teeny tiny step of growth away from worry and toward God will bring joy like ice cream on a hot day. As we—with intentionality—let God take care of everything, everything in life gets better. Problems don’t go away, pain continues to plague, hearts are still broken, checks still bounce, and disappointments continue to exist. But, and here is the difference, you and have a game plan that works:

Don’t worry about anything; let God take care of everything.

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

“I want you to be without care” (1 Corinthians 7:32 NKJV).

“The Lord Himself give you peace always in every way” ( 2 Thessalonians 3:16 NKJV ).

What causes you the most worry? How can the statement “Don’t worry about anything; let God take care of everything,” make a difference for you today?

Lightning Strikes Group Dynamics

As sights along the river changed, so did the weather, and much too quickly, dark, ominous clouds came rolling in.

Sliding our canoes into the river, we laughed and commended ourselves for integrating shared experiences into the fabric of our typically structured Growth Group curriculum. The sunny summer day provided a picture-perfect background to our adventurous outing. Soon, though, our opportunity for growth in group dynamics would shove its way into the fiber of our relationships.

Join me on the riverbank where we put in our canoes.

Less experienced canoers paired themselves with those possessing more confidence and expertise, and two-by-two we paddled our way down the scenic, peaceful Little Miami River. The entire waterway belonged to us. Dip, swing. Dip, swing. Dip, swing. Sunlight sparkled off the water, and laughter connected the crafts. No one seemed surprised when the friend manning a kayak shot out in front. As a pacesetter in all aspects of life, her position seemed fitting.

Regarding the rest, one pair, stuck at a fallen tree, later dragged bottom in a shallow spot. Still another twosome shot through rapids with more speed than expected. And, periodically, heads turned to confirm the safety of the duo lagging behind.

But that is not all.

As sights along the river changed, so did the weather, and much too quickly, dark, ominous clouds came rolling in. The menacing claps of thunder overhead shook like kettle drums in a concert hall. And of course, the companion to thunder is lightning. Right?

With the different weather conditions came different opinions on what course of action we should take. Ideas and suggestions filled the heavy humid air. Hmmm…

At the first sandbar, our troupe paddled to shore, dragged the canoes—the aluminum canoes—to the bank, and launched into a decision-making discussion:

• Should we take our chances and keep going?

• Should we wait out the storm on the bank?

• Should we phone for the canoe company to come a get us?

The brainstorming added its own electricity to the environment.

With my agrarian background—whether on a golf course, in a rice field, or on a riverbank—the weather demands respect. My family knows firsthand what it feels like to lose a friend struck by lightning. So for me, the matter seemed abundantly clear.

We should stay out of the water, out of the aluminum canoes, and wait for the turbulent weather to move through, regardless of how long that would take.

However, others in the group felt differently. One person deemed our situation completely safe; lightning never posed a threat in her past. A different individual urged us to press on, regardless; time-sensitive commitments pressed in on her schedule. Another, the information gatherer, made futile attempts to get radar updates on her cell phone. Surely our answer could be found in reliable data! And then, the group’s peace-loving member verbalized a complete willingness to yield to the majority decision, whatever that decision might be.

The drama intensified with each clap of thunder.

Here we were, a group of adventurous, well-trained, God-loving, strong, opinionated women, marooned on the side of a river, hovering under a cloud of inclement weather, expressing polar opposite opinions on how to resolve the dilemma facing us. None of us signed up for a course in group dynamics when we checked in and got our life jackets at the canoe rental. But here we were, students, lo’ even classmates, in the reality of life.

Looking back, one asks, “What did our riverside classroom reveal?”

1. Each of us brings our life experiences into the dynamics of a group.

2. These life experiences definitely affect our decision-making grid.

3. Differences can actually strengthen and equip us in making strategic decisions.

How did this work out?

The ability to move forward with a wise decision came from the mutual respect we valued toward each other. Rather than give way to emotion, tension, and the exertion of self-will, we listened calmly to all perspectives, prayerfully formulated a conclusion, and agreed to move forward collectively, not individually. In the end, based on the radar provided by The Weather Chanel, we eventually climbed back into our canoes, merged into the current, and headed downstream.

Though tentative, I eventually relaxed. But rest assured, a welcomed relief flooded my being when our party rounded the last bend and stowed the paddles.

Yes, even today, our Growth Group shares a knowing chuckle when we hear a rumble of thunder.

Living With Eternal Intentionality®

What dynamics do you bring to a group when making a challenging decision? When have the differences in perspective led to a sounder, wiser perspective?

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).

My Four Favorite Questions

How can you improve your leadership in the kitchen, in the office, in the car, with the neighbor, or with the board by developing the skill of asking great questions?

Guest Post by Bob Tiede

I often get the feeling that many leaders would like to develop the skill of asking great questions, but don’t think they have the time. They perceive that they would have to pursue graduate school and get a Master’s in “Questionology,” in order to “Lead With Questions.” I love to share that I can teach them to start “Leading With Questions” in 30 seconds, simply by memorizing my four favorite questions:

• What do you think?

• What else?

• What else?

• What else?

It may sound too simple, but it really works! Ask people what they think, then continue to drill down by asking:

• “Wow—please tell me more?”

• “This is good—I am taking notes—keep talking?”

• “Please don’t stop now—you are on a roll—what else?”

With each additional “What else?” they become more comfortable sharing, and you actually get to their very best input—the gold nugget—the third or fourth time you ask “What else?”

Try this out and let me know how it works!

Meet Bob Tiede: Bob has been on the staff of Cru for 48 years. He currently serves on the U.S. Leadership Development Team and is passionate about seeing leaders grow and multiply their effectiveness. Bob's blog, LeadingWithQuestions.com is followed by leaders in over 190 countries. Bob and his wife, Sherry, live in Plano, TX, and are blessed with 4 incredible children and 6 remarkable grandchildren. You can reach Bob at bob.tiede@cru.org.