Last month I read a book that has profoundly challenged me in my thinking on pastoral leadership. Axiom, by Bill Hybels, is a collection of 76 leadership proverbs that Bill has amassed over his years of ministry. These sayings are common language among his staff because they create a common understanding of the expectations they have for one another. Each chapter is only a page or two and aside from a brief explanation is accompanied by an example of its use.
I found it great reading, and found myself thinking and applying many things while I was apart from the book. It would come to my memory and I would meditate on it. One line stood out and was worth the read just for its simple wisdom. The funny thing is that it was not Bill's axiom it was someone else's. In one instance Bill found himself in South Africa and heading to Brazil. The only problem was that he was carrying an old passport that was just about to expire. The new one lay in his office in the Chicago area and had his Brazilian visa in it. He was barred from going directly to Brazil. After discussing alternatives with the customs agent he learned that he could fly from South Africa to Dakar, Senegal, then to D.C. go to the Embassy and receive a new visa, and then fly to Brazil. That's about as far out of the way as you can go. He looked at the men he was traveling with and started to back out of the trip all-together when a companion said, "Bill we're not asking you to take a beating or shed blood. We're only asking you to watch a bunch of airplane movies." He watched the movies flew around the four corners of the earth and got to Brazil and enjoyed a great move of God.
I've been thinking about that axiom a lot. "We're not asking you to take a beating or shed blood..." When I'm faced with difficult and frustrating circumstances I'm regularly calling this statement to mind.
This book is a 10! I highly recommend it and it is officially nominated for Most Influential Book Ben Rainey read in 2010.
--Ben
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