Investing in Others

Coffee and conversation were the key elements of my day yesterday. I spent the first few hours of the morning sitting in a local pancake house meeting with various people.

The first hour and a half were spent with my accountability group as we discussed the past two weeks - the highs and the lows - and challenged each other to become better men of God.

For almost an hour after that, I met with one of our team leaders in the church to discuss budgets for 2007. During this conversation, we discussed our hopes and dreams for the future of the church and for our families. We shared about our past experiences in life and how these experiences have shaped us and prepared us to serve God and our fellow man.

Later that morning, I spent two hours at the local Caribou coffeeshop - one of my favorite places in the world - with a member of the church. Our discussion touched on numerous topcis including our families, church membership, baptism, ministry invovlvement, and career choices.

These diverse conversations resulted in a great deal of personal reflection throughout the rest of the day. The primary focus of my thoughts revolved around one central theme: my chosen profession.

I regularly encounter people who ask me what I do for a living. I generally respond that I am a teaching pastor in a local church. For most individuals who inquire, this answer is sufficient. Some want to go deeper, so I explain that I also oversee the staff and work with other leaders in the overall development of the church.
However, I think there may be a better response to this question of what I do for a living. It may not be as succint or easily understood as teaching pastor, but it is appropriate...

I invest in the lives of other people.

John Maxwell utilizes a similar answer when he is asked about his chosen career. He responds, "I add value to other people." When I reflect upon any given week, almost everything I do centers around investing in - or adding value to - other people's lives.

When I teach on Sunday morning, I am investing in the lives of my listeners with the intent of making them more committed followers of Christ.

When I meet with my Men's Bible study, I am investing in the lives of these guys to make them better leaders in their homes, in the church, and in the marketplace.

When I meet with someone at a coffeeshop or a local restaurant, I am investing in their life to help them understand their purpose in this world and how best to live that out.

When I meet with the staff on Monday mornings, I am investing in the lives of my co-workers to help them understand the broader scope of the church and the processes for moving forward with the vision God has given us.

One question that naturally flows out of these observations is this... how do I continue to grow as a leader and teacher so that I can continue to add value to other people? The answer is multi-faceted.

I grow as a I meet with my mentors - those individuals who invest in me. I grow as I read and learn about life and love and leadership. I grow as I observe the world around me.

I grow as a result of each and every conversation and encounter I have with other individuals. As I learn about their stories and what God is doing in their lives, I grow in my understanding of who God is and how much He loves us and cares for us and disciplines us and protects from our own stupid choices.

But most of all, I grow in the times of solitude, prayer, and reflection. I grow when I stop investing in the lives of others - when I stop doing - and simply be in God's presence. During these times, I ask Him to reveal Himself to me more and to shape me into the person He wants me to be. It is these extremely personal moments with God that allow me to invest day after day in the lives of those around me. (Read Matthew 14 to see how solitude, prayer, and reflection helped Jesus weather the storms of life.)