The Inspired Leader: 101 Biblical Reflections for Becoming a Person of Influence (22 page)

JEFF CLUBBS WAS home sick from his job as a Social Studies teacher when six people came to his door in Des Moines, Iowa. President Obama was coming to town the following Wednesday and wanted a home to host him. They chose the Clubbs’ house. Jeff and Sandy Clubbs are ordinary people. Jeff is a teacher and Sandy is a college athletic director. They have an 11-year-old son and a 9-year-old daughter. One hundred people could attend the event in the Clubbs’ backyard and the Clubbs were allowed to invite 80 of them. “My first thought was I wanted to have my kitchen redone.” said Sandy. In preparation for the presidential visit, 30 additional phone lines were installed, security devices were stored in the basement, computers were set up in the upstairs office, video equipment was positioned in the kitchen, gas lines and overhead wires were mapped out, living room furniture was rearranged, metal crowd-control fences were erected, and a row of potted evergreen trees was strategically positioned. Security checks were run on the guests. The Clubbs’ daughter Skyelar taped a sign outside her bedroom door: “If you’re a girl or the Prez come in if not knock.”

One doesn’t merely pull another chair up to the kitchen table when the president stops by! How do you prepare to meet with God? When the Israelites were going to encounter God, He instructed Moses,
“Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. And let them be ready for the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people”
(Exodus 19:10-11). God later commanded Joshua, “
Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you
” (Joshua 3:5).

Almighty God expects His people to prepare for their meetings with Him. Too often we simply flip open our Bibles and skim a few verses before dashing off to work, not even expecting our mechanical efforts to bring about a life-changing, profound divine encounter. We have a day set aside for worship but do we prepare for that encounter in any significant way? Weary from staying up to watch a late movie on Saturday night, we grumpily complain about the lack of parking as we arrive at church. Entering the auditorium we are bombarded with a cacophony of sounds as people excitedly rehearse yesterday’s football games, describe their recent hunting trip or catch up with their friends. When the worship service begins, we rush to find our seats, search for our wallet to find something to place in the offering, whisper to our spouse about where we’ll go to eat after the service, set our cell phones to vibrate, and try to find our Bible.

Too often people are walking away from their quiet time or worship service in exactly the same condition they entered it. Scripture warns, “
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap”
(Galatians 6:7). A wise person will prepare their hearts in advance for an encounter with their Creator and Lord. How much more could we experience if we focused our thoughts, confessed our sins, and prepared the soil of our hearts to receive and respond to God’s word (Matthew 13:8-9)? If God matches the encounters we have with Him with the level of our preparation for them, what should we expect? Just as we would never enter a board meeting unprepared, it is an affront to almighty God to think we can commence a time of worship while completely distracted, yet experience a life-changing encounter.

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

1. What steps do you take to prepare for a meeting with God? Are your divine encounters random, or do you prepare for them?
   

2. How do you approach having a “Quiet Time” with God? What do you do to prepare yourself? How do you ready yourself before attending a worship service? What else might you do?
   

3. Have you ever left a church service and felt as if you got nothing out of the experience? Why do you think that is? Is it merely the fault of the pastor and worship team? Or, are there things you are doing (or not doing) that are hindering the divine encounters you could be having?
   

IN JUNE 2010, the Glide Foundation held its annual charity auction to undergird its $17 million dollar budget. Focusing on alleviating the suffering of the impoverished and homeless of San Francisco, the foundation heavily depends on this yearly fundraiser. Over the last several years the most profitable draw on the eBay auction block has been lunch at the Smith and Wollensky steakhouse in New York City with investment guru Warren Buffet. The 2010 winner paid $2.6 million for the privilege. Says Robert Chatwani, who directed the record-setting auction: “I tell you… some people really want to have lunch with Warren Buffet, huh?” It seems doubtful that much time will be spent discussing the weather, sports, or even the quality of the steaks.

One year the winning bid was $1.68 million and in 2008 the lunch date cost $2.1 million. Why have people been motivated to spend so much money to have a little time with Buffet? Undoubtedly bidders hope that Buffet’s genius for investing and his willingness to share some of that insight over lunch will pay rich dividends. What would you talk with Buffet about if you could talk with him?

If you could spend time with anyone in the world, who would you choose? What would you discuss? Finances? Politics? Entertainment? Gossip? Theology? Trivia? What percentage of the time would you speak and how much of the time would you listen? What questions would you ask?

What if you had the opportunity to spend private time with God? What if you could ask Him your most pressing questions? What if you could listen while God shared what was on His heart? How much time would you be willing to spend with Him? What if the only time He had available was early in the morning? What if the only available time on
His
calendar happened to be at a busy time for you? What would you do?

Of course, you
do
have the opportunity to spend time with God. And, He is open to questions. He has given His people a standing offer, “
Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know”
(Jer. 33:3). Unfortunately, we are busy people with important things to do. Sometimes we simply can’t work Him in to our hectic schedule. Sadly, God could say of some of us, “. . .
and I spoke to you, rising up early, and I called to you, but you did not answer
” (Jeremiah 7:13).

Busy people don’t like to waste time. John Rockefeller intoned, “A man has no right to occupy another man’s time unnecessarily.” It was said of J.P. Morgan, that “his imperious stare could reduce interlopers to jelly… his aura was so fearsome that crowds parted before him on the street.” After saving a businessman from financial ruin, Morgan interrupted the man as he profusely thanked him saying, “No, it is a busy day. There’s no time for that. Good morning.” There was no mistaking when Morgan was finished talking with someone!

People typically value the time they spend in the presence of respected businesspeople. They tend to make the time count and they choose their words carefully. Every time we enter God’s presence we have an unbelievable privilege. God spoke and fashioned the universe. He counseled the giants of church history. His word will one day draw history to a climactic close. The next time you enter into a conversation with almighty God, what will you discuss?

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

1. How do you view your time with Christ each day? Is it something you discipline yourself to do? Or is it an exciting, meaningful time you enjoy spending with your Lord and Savior?
   

2. How would you evaluate your current times spent with Christ? Are they adequate, disappointing, unfulfilling, boring, or life-changing? What adjustments could make your time spent with Christ more rewarding?
   

3. Do you find greater enjoyment spending time with friends, watching sports or news on television, going to sporting events, or spending time with Christ? (Be honest!) Why is that? Do you spend time with Christ out of guilt or because it is an enjoyable experience? Reflect on your times with God and ask Him to show you what adjustments you can make so they are more rewarding for you in the future.