We often think of wisdom as intelligence, but we would be mistaken to bring that definition to this literature. When we look at the vast number of topics covered under the heading of "wisdom," it is easy to despair of finding common ground, for the heading covers artisan skills, scientific knowledge, etiquette, philosophy, psychology, politics, sociology and jurisprudence, just to name a few. Furthermore, the text insists on more than one occasion that the "fear of the Lord" is the beginning or foundation of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 15:33). Does this suggest that none of those disciplines coupld be successfully engaged without fear of the Lord?
As we consider the way that people thought in the ancient world, perhaps we can best capture the Biblical way of understanding all of this by thinking in terms of worldview integration. In the ancient world, including Israel, order was an important value. Creation brought order to the cosmos; law brought order to society; etiquette brought order to human relationships; politics brought order to governance and authority. Ancient wisdom can then be understood as the pursuit of understanding and preserving order in the world. Wisdom is present when order is perceived, pursued and preserved. The people of the day wanted their worldview to fit together like a puzzle—fully integrated, with each piece placed in proper relation to the others.
They saw the fear of the Lord as the keystone to this integration process. To "fear the Lord" means to take his person and role seriously. Order in the cosmos could only be understood through acknowledgment of the One who brought order. Order could only be preserved in society and in life by understanding God's requirements and expectations. In this way, wisdom can be seen to transcend the basic knowledge or skill related to particular disciplines.
A fool (or any of the other synonyms used to describe such a person) was one who brought disorder into any of the pertinent realms by their behavior or thinking. Furthermore, a fool would be one who did not fear the Lord and therefore tried to find coherence in something or someone else—usually themselves.
Taken from NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible |
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How Are We Made in God’s Image?
That humans are made in the image of God is one of the most important Biblical revelations for Christians — and it is also one that has been viciously attacked by those outside the faith. It’s true that the endless murders, rapes, assaults, genocides and other forms of violence and cruelty in our world seem to taunt us: How could humans be created in the image of God when we commit such evil acts? How do we explain wars and abuse if we share the same characteristics as God himself? Some people even claim that while we may be more sophisticated and advanced than the rest of the animal kingdom, our ultimate value is no greater than that of any creature, since we’ve all evolved naturalistically and without any divine imprint.
Imago Dei means “the image of God.” Ultimately, this phrase refers to two things: the characteristics of the human spirit and our ability to know the difference between right and wrong, good and evil.
Our human spirit provides evidence that God’s traits — his love, justice and freedom — are alive in us. Human nature is utterly without peer on earth. As Dr. Ian Tattersall says, “Homo sapiens is not simply an improved version of its ancestors — it’s a new concept.” At the most basic level of this nature is our self-realization, grounded in our self-consciousness, our ability to reason, and our emotions, such as anger and love. Our consciousness enables us to see that we have inherent value apart from our utility or function.
Another quality we share with God is the moral ability to recognize good and evil, which God exemplified through Adam and Eve. We can therefore act freely in a morally good or evil way. We can choose either to reflect the moral image of God or to reject it, but either way, the ability to make the choice reveals our underlying similarity to our Creator.
It cannot be overstated just how different humans are from the rest of creation. The vast chasms separating consciousness from unconsciousness and morality from amorality speak to the strong evidence that we are indeed made in the image of God. |
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Leading Change: More Reasons People Resist Change (Part 3 of 5)
Last week we discussed two reasons people resist Change:
- People will express resistance differently based on how well they anticipated the cost of change.
- Change feels like death to some people.
This week, let’s look at two more reasons that some people and churches resist change and what you can do to lead through the resistance so you can realize your vision:
3. Resistance to change can be overt or covert.
Some people have the courage to speak out against the change. They may choose to do this in an open meeting of church members and leaders. As difficult as this can be for the pastor to handle, it can be far more dangerous to handle a covert resistance. Most everyone has been in a meeting where people agree with a change and they congratulate each other on the group’s collective wisdom—only to watch them go back to their homes to tell their family and friends what a dumb idea they have just wasted time discussing. This covert resistance is impossible to manage, because it can’t be confronted.
One of the most painful experiences I have had over the years was experiencing covert resistance. Often leaders wrongly assume that, “if people are quiet, if they are not pushing back, and if they are not publicly opposing the change, they must be on board at some level.” “Friends trust me” – those are the famous last words of a naïve pastor or church leader leading people through a change. The painful part of the experience comes when the covert resistors finally verbalize to the pastor or church leader all the problems they have with the direction. By they time they come out with it they have a lot of energy built up and it often comes out badly. Most leaders at this point feel betrayed; “Why didn’t you speak up before now? I thought you were on board.”
4. What people say may not be what they mean.
Remember that a negative reaction to change is usually governed by a perceived loss of control. However, most people are rarely comfortable expressing honest emotions in a large group setting. As a result, a church member who argues that the changes are happening too fast for the church may really be saying, “I knew how to play by the old church rules, and I’m scared that I may not be as comfortable under the new church rules.” So, even if you address the stated issue (change is happening too fast), you might not be addressing the real cause of his resistance. So, the question is “how can I draw covert resistors out and into the discussion in a positive way?
Practice Sincere Listening
The key to managing resistance is sincere listening. This approach addresses all the issues we have raised about resistance:
- It recognizes the inevitability of resistance, so it addresses resistance honestly and consistently.
- It acknowledges that resistance will be experienced differently based on positive or negative reactions to change.
- It reflects how resistance can be expressed overtly or covertly and advocates that overt resistance be encouraged, to get problems out in the open.
- It warns that people may not be comfortable expressing their true reasons for resistance and encourages creating an atmosphere that allows honest communication.
In the early stages of leading change, enthusiasm can run high, therefore sincere listening can also help minimize the impact of uninformed optimism with a true accounting of what the likely costs of the change will be. While this may create a season of lengthy listening and response sessions, that is a better outcome than having your strategy for change fail during implementation because your church had unrealistic expectations of the cost and benefits of the change.
Also, as you practice “sincere listening” you will want to work on team communication to insure that the all the leaders of the church understand what each step of the change strategy entails and that they feel comfortable expressing honest resistance openly. This level of communication will also enable you to understand whether your leaders are having a positive or negative reaction to the change.
Finally, sincere listening means that throughout the change process, you are consistently working with your leaders to help them understand the individual implications of the change initiatives so that you can recognize the resistance, surface it, manage it and get it behind you.
This week's article is written by Rodney Cox, President of Ministry Insights and submitted by Russ Olmon, President, Ministry Advantage. For more on this and other helpful subjects, go to www.ministryadvantage.org
For over 20 years Ministry Advantage has been one of the premier church resources that provides coaching and training for pastors and church leaders helping them turn their vision into reality. |
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