A movie script tells the story of four shipwrecked men in their life craft in the ocean awaiting rescue. They had depleted their emergency supplies and were dehydrating in the open sea. They had been warned not to drink from the ocean or the salt in the seawater would kill them.

After several days, one of the men could take it no longer. While the others slept, he desperately cupped water with his hands from the sea to his mouth. But salt requires seven times more water to be flushed out of the human body. The man practically grew thirstier as he drank. Eventually, he died of thirst while consuming the saline solution!

That seems to be a picture of the growing discontent among those who are drinking from the fountain of material abundance. The production department of materialism cannot fulfill the promises of its advertisements. Consumers in search of satisfaction in turn become consumed and hollowed by their own appetites.

One salient value in consumerism is marketability. What is fundamental here is competition, and much of it is based on packaging and image appeal.

This is fleshed out in the family when love has to be earned, competed for, won or proved. The parent withholds love unless the child finishes his vegetables, or scores higher grades than her cousins, or behaves in ways that will not make the parents “lose face.” The child soon learns there is nothing inherent in him to deserve love; love must be bought by performance.

We realize the importance of packaging in a grocery store. Usually the better-packaged (and more expensive) items are placed on shelves at eye level. Items cleverly marketed readily attract the consumer. Similarly, at the workplace, packaging is all-important. We itemize our capabilities and list our qualifications in a resume, then position ourselves strategically to market ourselves as products. Again, we seek acceptance and self worth through performance.

Even before we reach middle age, our identities are wrapped in our vocations. It is therefore not surprising many feel a loss of personal worth or meaning when they retire or are retrenched. They feel they no longer command the respect of their friends and family.

Some of us go through life needing to prove we are worthy of love and acceptance. How sad when we have to feel we are never good enough.

Conditioned by a consumer outlook, we treat others as objects instead of persons. When we interact with others as objects, we manipulate them, use them as stepping-stones to fulfill our ambitions, demand, force, and if necessary, destroy them. When we devalue others, we ultimately devalue ourselves.

We see others as products through the lens of consumerism. And since our deepest longings can never be fulfilled in any product, mere consumption is never enough. We will need “more” of a product, or we look for a “new improved” product. Our appetites are never satiated.

Essentially, these longings are spiritual in nature. The yearnings for spiritual reality are quite clearly voiced in many of the popular songs. The lyrics of “Show Me The Way” are poignant:

Every night I say a prayer/ In the hope that there’s a heaven/ Everyday I’m more confused/ As the saints turn into sinners/ All the heroes and legends I knew as a child/ Have fallen to idols of clay/ And I feel this empty place inside/ So I pray I’ve lost my faith.

Show me the way/ Take me tonight to the river/ And wash my illusions away/ Show me the way.
As I slowly drift to sleep/ For a moment dreams are sacred/ I close my eyes and know there’s peace/ In a world so filled with hatred/ That I wake up each morning and turn on the news/ And find that we’ve so far to go/ And I keep on looking for a sign…

People in the city who realize they are “souled out” are ready for a message of hope. How then do we reach them for Christ?

1. Be Real
The message is only credible if carried by people not caught in the same rat race, who are secure in God, and therefore can afford to look beyond themselves. Before we speak the Word, we have to incarnate the Word; to embody values different than the manipulative ones of our use-and-throw consumer society.

Yet, the credible witness in an urban culture is still struggling with society’s values. She is not the paragon of virtue or the epitome of success. He does not have all the answers to the predicaments of life. She knows that canned answers do not satisfy the troubled soul. Instead, she honestly seeks to be God’s person in this world. This person’s witness is true to God’s Word and yet at the same time rooted in genuine human experience. The consequence is an uncompromising loyalty to God’s standards and a deep compassion for people trapped in the web of human circumstances. We cannot put on a facade to give the impression we do not encounter difficulties that overwhelm us. We have to be real to be credible.

2. Be Discerning
We have to be wary of the hype in a consumer environment. We have to learn to look beyond what is on the surface, and check on our impetuous responses to purely existential appeals.

This ability to discern comes from a well nurtured inner sanctuary that is attuned to another voice and marching to another drumbeat. Every rabbit pulled out of a hat will not impress such a person.

This ability to discern is even more needed in the religious realm today. We need to know that God is not in every storm, or every existential hype. There is a tendency to marginalize the Christian who is not “flowing” with the big happenings or participating in some spiritual circus act. The rhetoric is exclusive and threatening; that if you do not clown with them you are less than spiritual and resistant to God’s Spirit. It takes discernment to recognize the current hype as the ancient witchdoctor prescribing a spiritual cure for all life’s ill, resorting to witch hunts to point blame for problems. Surely we need to be wary when what goes on at the altar of Yahweh is similar to what goes on in pagan temples.

In Paul’s letter to the easily hyped Corinthians, he regularly associates the greedy with the idolaters (1 Cor 5:9,11). In pagan practice then and now, idolaters pray to their gods to gratify their greed. If one deity fails, they conveniently pray at the altar of another. In idolatry we manipulate the supernatural to do our bidding, while in true worship we submit to God. We need Divine guidance to discern our spiritual milieu today so as to be sure we are sharing the historic Christ and not idolatry dripping with success.

Spiritual hunger goes beyond mere existential gratification. The Water of Life is deeper than any spiritual fountain display. It must be fed deeply to the soul already made hollow by consumerism.

3. Earn The Right To Be Heard
In this age of information overload, we cannot assume that people will listen to us. Accepting the Gospel presupposes admitting to a need. No one would be readily vulnerable to others. Only when there is trust will one be ready to disclose personal pain and disillusionment. That trust must be earned.

We earn trust when we are genuinely concerned for people. When our friends realize we really care, and that they are not just a statistic in our evangelistic ambitions, they will be more willing to open their hearts to us.

If we are sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, it will show in our sensitivities to our pre-Christian friends. Any spiritual discussion touches the deep recesses of our souls, and the door there has to be opened from within. Our Lord has been pictured by the Apostle John as knocking on the door of our hearts. The Holy Spirit’s ways are not imposing and overbearing. When He leads us to others, you can count on Him to be gentle.

Only such a witness can offer the Water of Life to the still desperately thirsty people around us who are drinking unabatedly from the unsatisfying fountain of consumerism.

Peter Chao is the Founder-President of Eagles Communications.

In his song Then Jesus Came, Oswald J Smith captures how Jesus is the game-changer and life-turner in three incidents:

One sat alone beside the highway begging
His eyes were blind, the Light he could not see
He clutched his rags and shivered in the shadows
Then Jesus came and bid the darkness flee

From home and friends the evil spirits drove him
Among the tombs he dwelt in misery
He cut himself as demon powers possessed him
Then Jesus came and set the captive free

Unclean, unclean, the leper cried in torment
The deaf, the dumb, in helplessness stood near
The fever raged, disease had gripped its victim
Then Jesus came and cast out every fear.

Against all odds, the tide turned and the impossible became reality when Jesus came into the life of the blind beggar, the demoniac, and the leper. The recurring phrase, “Then Jesus Came” is a signature of the dawn that breaks the crippling darkness of night. When all else fails, Jesus is the ultimate game-changer and life-turner. That triumphant certainty is expressed in the chorus of Smith’s song:

When Jesus comes the tempter’s power is broken.
When Jesus comes, all tears are wiped away.
He takes the gloom and fills my heart with glory.
When Jesus comes, the darkness flees away

Life has an uncanny way of throwing a curve ball at us. Fate has an evil streak that destroys us even as it prospers us. We all live in fear of some capricious power that will snuff out life at its prime, curtail pleasure at its peak, and jeopardize good fortune that is on a roll. We feel vulnerable in our mortality and helpless against such debilitating power. The odds are against us to surmount such a formidable force.

Irreversible Condition

When the doctors tell us they cannot do anymore to help us, we know that the bets are off, the condition is irreversible, and the eventuality is inescapable. The blind do not see the light, the crippled do not grow limbs, and the dead remain dead. Those are conditions that are permanent and irreversible. Fear grips our hearts, tears fill our eyes, and darkness engulfs our horizon. It is when we “shiver in the shadows” that Jesus comes and “bid(s) the darkness flee.” The presence of God in Jesus makes nonsense of the odds we calculate, the prognoses of experts, and the patterns of human experience. There is no human predicament that God’s power cannot reverse.

Our hearts are quick to judge the person who attempts to “turn over a new leaf.” We cynically dismiss their efforts with a cavalier comment, “The leopard can never erase its spots; nor the tiger its stripes.” Our self righteousness condemns to a prison of our own design the people we perceive as incapable of changing for the better. “Once a thief, always a thief” is our pronouncement of others’ irreversible condition.

Fortunately, we have witnesses to lives transformed by God’s grace. Convicted criminals have been arrested by God’s love and submitted themselves to a new conviction within their hearts. Terminally ill patients have been given a new lease on life without medical intervention or explanation. Material provisions have been supplied in inexplicable fashion from sources unknown to the beneficiary. Only God’s intervention is adequate explanation for any dire human condition that has been reversed.

Irretrievable Loss

Anytime we lose something of value, or someone we love, a gaping void aches in our hearts. Even when the loss is temporary, the pain may be deep and the empty heart reverberates with longing. But when the loss is permanent, the pain may be inconsolable as what or who is lost is irretrievable or irreplaceable.

Trusting people have lost their life savings to unscrupulous con artists. Their loss irretrievable, they look forlorn as they wonder who will take care of them, and how their future needs will be met. Even more painful is love that has been betrayed. We invest so much in love. We give so much of ourselves to the person of our dreams. But, when our lavish loving is unrequited or worse, betrayed, we feel used and we despair for meaning of existence. We feel that life is not worth the living as a loss of self esteem and purpose in life overwhelm us.

Loss of opportunities or years of time, although intangible, are equally irretrievable and calamitous. A wrong decision at a critical juncture in life, an unrepeatable opportunity that we turned down, a life wasted in dissolute profligacy. These can lead to grievous regret that could render one ineffective and unfulfilled in life.

To His people in Israel, whose land had been devastated, God observed, “A nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness. It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It has stripped off their bark…the fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the oil fails.” But, despite the irretrievable loss, the Lord promised, “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten – the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm…you will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God…” (Joel 1:6-7,10; 2:25-26).

When God comes, the losses are redeemed, the opportunities are returned, and the hopes are renewed. When Jesus comes “all tears are wiped away; He takes the gloom and fills my heart with glory; When Jesus comes, the darkness flees away.” There is no loss so great that Jesus cannot restore.

Irresistible Grace

The Gospels portray Jesus as a compassionate Savior who enters human predicaments to redeem those caught in those dilemmas and restore their situations. Jesus is gracious to those who are weak and vulnerable, oppressed, and disadvantaged. His grace is irresistible to all who desperately need a change of heart or circumstance. The dead found Jesus’ call to life compelling. The blind could not resist the light. The sick gravitated instinctively towards health when Jesus offered that option. All human life moves towards Jesus because “…in Him all things hold together” (Col 1:17). Outside of Jesus, we all come unhinged, unglued. We simply fall apart in every arena of human life without Him. We yearn for fulfillment and cohesion because we are made in God’s image, a reflection of wholeness, meaning, and direction. Our souls recognize that completeness in Jesus and we are drawn irresistibly to Him. Every dark night waiting for the light is waiting for Jesus. Every yearning for healing is a longing for the Savior. Every reach for fulfillment is a stretch towards Jesus. Because Jesus is the game-changer and life-turner.

When Jesus comes, the darkness flees, the captives are set free, fear is cast away, the evil power is broken, the tears are wiped away, and the heart is filled with glory. For with God, nothing is impossible!

The New International Version of the Bible has been referenced.

Peter Chao is the Founder-President of Eagles Communications.

“Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. All things are wearisome, more than one can say. The eye never has enough of seeing, nor the ear its fill of hearing. What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecc 1:4-9).

We are condemned to repeat our mistakes, end where we started, turn our wheels without getting anywhere, always moving but never arriving. Try as hard as we might, we can never escape this circuitous meaninglessness that fills life “under the sun.” The Wisdom writer attempts at finding purpose in philosophy, pleasure, labor, power, and wealth, but comes up empty. Energy is sapped and we are weary for trying to find meaning in human exploits and achievements.

The Wisdom writer testifies, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor…Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done…everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun” (Ecc 2:10-11). This pointless pursuit could be compared to chasing after soap bubbles. The bubbles shine in their glorious hue as they rise in the sunlight. But the moment you reach out to grab them, they pop into nothing. The human heart sinks in despair when we realize that our achievements and acquisitions are vacuous, and that we are as fleeting as the bubbles: “There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow” (Ecc 1:11).

The inevitability of emptiness greets all at the end of a lifelong pursuit of ambition or the carefree quest of wanton pleasure. Whether you are carefully plotting to succeed in life, or you throw caution to the wind in gratifying every sensual desire, every human exploit “under the sun” crashes in disappointing despair. We are all familiar with tell-tale symptoms:

Aching Void

The efforts we expend to satisfy the deep hunger in our souls and minds turn futile when our inner gauge returns quickly to empty after a brief sensation of joy at the moment of achievement. As the coach to the first bob-sled team from Jamaica cautioned his athletes, “If you are not enough without the gold, you will never be enough with the gold!” You will need to keep on winning to fill that void.

Nothing Changes

We ponder, plan, and pursue every conceivable strategy to bring about change and make a difference. But, at the end of it all, nothing changes. That was what Elijah experienced. After a big showdown on Mount Carmel and the power of God descended in glorious splendor, nothing changed in the palace, the locus of power. Instead of repenting, King Ahab still bent to the will of the evil queen Jezebel who threatened to kill Elijah and the other prophets of God. So, Elijah ran to the desert to sulk, stew, and sink in depression. Imagine, one moment he was fearless before the prophets of Baal; the next he was running away in fear from a woman! One instant Elijah was filled with hope for change; the next he was in despair that nothing can ever be changed. What a waste of energy and time. What’s the use of even trying again?

Let It End

If life is empty, why go on living? If there is no significance to my existence, why continue to be? The Wisdom writer offers his verdict after surveying life: “…the dead, who had already died, are happier than the living…but better…is the one who has never been born” (Ecc 4:2-3). He has the definitive answer to anyone who asks perplexingly, “To be, or not to be…?” The “Grateful Dead” takes on significance for those with such morbid contemplation.

If it is so bleak for all “under the sun,” what is the way out of despair and despondency? Is there light at the end of this dark tunnel of life? Or are we condemned to a painful, empty, and gray existence? Fortunately, the Wisdom writer offers a way out. If everything under the sun is meaningless, why not live above the sun?

That is shorthand for living with eternity in our hearts and view. After all, as the Wisdom writer observes, “…He has also set eternity in the human heart…” (Ecc 3:11). That means we take a long view on human existence. We recognize we are made in God’s image, and for Him. Life events make sense and take on significance only when we factor Him into human equations. The apostle Peter reminds us that, “…With the Lord a day is like a thousand years” (2 Peter 3:8). This offers the perspective that what happens in one human day has eternal significance. We are no longer flotsam and jetsam drifting aimlessly on the ocean of life. We are people of destiny and purpose when we are children of God.

The biggest difference living “above the sun” makes will be in our motivations and intentions, though our activities may appear similar to everyone’s. The Wisdom writer asserts that, “…there is nothing better…than to be happy and do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil – this is the gift of God” (Ecc 3:12-13). God is not a killjoy. He is the giver of all good gifts. But contentment is now possible. The change is not in outward activities. It is in the heart. That is God’s gift.

But, that gift of contentment corresponds with our determination to live for Him, to align our desires with His design, and to be motivated by His purposes.

There was a boy who had a loving relationship with his dog. When the boy fell ill, the dog stayed with him day and night till he got well. The boy’s pastor was so impressed by the dog’s commitment to its master, he had the boy bring the dog to church one Sunday. The boy brought the dog and laid it up front. He tossed a ball into the aisle and the dog laid still.

The pastor instructed, “Rusty, fetch!” Nothing. Religion would not make him fetch. An attractive young lady winked and in a sweet, tempting voice said, “Fetch, Rusty.” The dog wagged his tail, but did not move. The dog would not be tempted by sex. A bank president came and tried, but money could not move the dog. Finally, the boy said, “Fetch, Rusty,” and the dog shot down the aisle and got the ball.

Who are you fetching for? Who are you living for? What motivates you?

That makes the difference between contentment and meaningless, miserable business. That makes the difference between living “under the sun” and “above the sun.”

The New International Version of the Bible has been referenced.

Peter Chao is the Founder-President of Eagles Communications.

Our culture tells us to listen to the majority.

However, there is a tendency for crowds to tell a lie. Somehow, the more people there are, the less truth there is. The promise made between two people in a relationship of trust is more likely to be kept than a pre-election assurance made by a politician to his audience. Crowds seem to be unreliable in discerning and reflecting the truth.

Yet the numbers game is important to us. The selling of a million copies is accepted as evidence that the book is excellent and important. The behavior of the majority of people is considered proof of an issue’s legitimacy. Approval by the masses is an accreditation. If it is acceptable to most, then it must be right!

History, however, reveals that truth is reduced in crowds. Frequently, truth is flattened to fit a slogan to agitate the masses. Jesse Jackson’s election rhetoric, “The time has come for us to move from the poor house to the White House” is spectacular and inspiring, but it leaves the gap in between too wide to be credible. To be sure, there is truth in the sentiment; but it is reduced.

Truth is also distorted by crowds. Mobs have a tendency to go off on a tangent. Mass hysteria sways not just the emotions but also the will. The crowd may gather to crusade a just cause, but in the process, the swelling number justifies anything they do. Witness the riots protesting against the Japanese in China some time ago. While there is reason for their anger over the whitewashing of past atrocities in East and Southeast Asia in Japanese textbooks, there cannot be justification for violence by the crowds. Truth is bent to fan passions and feed prejudice in concerns unrelated to the reasons for the riots.

Crowds make us passive. They have strong persuasive powers to make us conform. We bend to their will without thinking. When crowds tell us to get ahead at all cost, even at others’ expense, we believe it instinctively. We do not think of long term consequences. We let others do the thinking for us. We even allow that in our spiritual experiences. We let the religious pundits dictate to us the shape and feel of a spiritual encounter. We allow the spiritual charlatans to inflict guilt on us when we uncritically accept their verdict that their prayers for us are not answered because we have hidden sins in our lives. In Old Testament days, when a prophet’s word does not correspond with reality, the prophet is stoned to death. Today, the blame lies squarely on others! Our passivity has permitted modern witchdoctors who are not accountable to anyone, and freely prey on those who will not think and discern for themselves simply because the majority in the church behave in the same way. To be any different than the crowds is to invite alienation. We are unfamiliar with the Bereans, who were of noble character because they “received the message…and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts 17:11). When we do not verify truth, the crowds have molded us.

While we cannot avoid being in crowds, we can keep from being crowd conditioned. The crowds need not shape our values. We do not have to trade in our names for a number. We must not exchange our souls for our salaries. We resist being molded by the crowds by listening to a different voice. That voice usually comes quietly, but distinctly to those accustomed to it.

That voice promised Abraham a son when the crowds would have concluded that impossible. And from that son, a great nation. Not only a son, but real estate too. “Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring…” (Gen 13:14-15).

While resting, he heard the voice calling his name, “Samuel, Samuel.” Although Samuel was unable to identify it as God’s voice, that voice was distinct. Here is a comforting assurance that we never need worry about being too unspiritual to hear His voice. It is always clear.

When Elijah, the “prophet of fire” was overwhelmed by discouragement, he was refreshed and rejuvenated by the Lord’s revelation, which came not in a strong wind, nor the earthquake, but in a still, small voice.

His voice brings to us a vision for mission, resources adequate for any challenge, and encouragement in weakness. So instead of being conditioned by crowds around us, we should actively seek to be shaped by His voice.

Pliny the Elder once said that the Romans, when they could not make a building beautiful, made it big. That is what the crowds tell us to do: “If we cannot live meaningfully, amass more. So we add dollars to our income, activities to our schedule, and appointments to our calendar. And the quality of life diminishes with each addition. To one who pulled down his barn to make it a bigger, more technically sophisticated warehouse, Jesus said, “You fool!”

If we are to be effective leaders of God’s people, we need to hear clearly what God is saying. Otherwise we will be discouraged by detractors, confused by conflicting opinions, or deluded by our egos. We need to cultivate sensitivity to His voice, so that we will be alerted at His slightest prompting. Being conditioned to His voice is the distinctively significant sign that we belong to Him. Our Lord asserts, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (Jn 10:27). When we are attuned to His voice, we will not be confused by the contradictory, clamoring shrieks around us. We can be resolute, certain and directed in our lives and in our leadership.

We all desire an intimate relationship with God. Too frequently we have resorted to animistic practices, which is the upbringing most of us in East and Southeast Asia come from. In animism, we seek to control the deities by bribing them with offerings so they will maximize our good luck and minimize our bad luck. The deities wield supernatural power, so the one who can serve our purposes best will get our allegiance and oblations. But, it is our agenda that the supernatural powers will serve.

In biblical faith, the converse is true. When we worship, we surrender ourselves to God and His purposes. We do not control Him; we yield to Him. But, we do so willingly, because the God of the Bible is not capricious, but a loving Father. He “…so loved…that he gave his one and only Son…” (Jn 3:16). In giving His only Son, God is not remote but is Emmanuel, God with us. Therefore we do not surrender to a tyrant, but to a loving God. In yielding control of our lives to Him, we enter a relationship with Him that is marked by intimate dialog. His voice becomes symphonic: responsive, attentive, interactive, concerned, integrative, assuring, instructive, and harmonious.

To the compromising Laodicean church, the Risen Christ invites: “I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me” (Rev 3:20). His promise still stands today. If we hear His voice, we will be nurtured and fulfilled in every conceivable way, and be the truly free persons we were meant to be. We will be effective leaders in fulfilling God’s purposes for His Church and His people.

To be conditioned to hear His voice is the mark of spiritual intimacy and fulfillment. To be conditioned by His voice is to live by faith, and to live outside the control and the frenzy of the confusion in the crowds of the world. To be conditioned by His voice is to be true to our leadership obligation.

Peter Chao is the Founder-President of Eagles Communications.

The New International Version of the Bible has been referenced.

The essence and core of a leader’s work is to make contextually informed decisions. Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis in their book, Judgment, assert that “with good judgment, little else matters. Without it, nothing else matters.” Leaders make strategic decisions in the face of ambiguity and uncertainty, conflicting demands, and under the pressure of time. The reality facing the leader is always messy, requiring a resolute decision. And, the decision taken will have pivotal consequences for the organization. It is not surprising then, that Tichy and Bennis are convinced that “a keen sense of judgment is what makes or breaks a leader.”

Michael Useem says that “making good and timely leadership decisions…has long been recognized…as a defining aspect of leadership.” Leaders are defined and remembered by the decisions they make. Harry Truman is memorialized by his decision to drop the Atomic Bomb. Watergate marked the presidency of Richard Nixon. In spite of all the good foreign policies during the Bill Clinton presidency, he is remembered for the Monica Lewinsky debacle. Roberto Goizueta of Coca Cola was demonized for New Coke but was reinstated as a corporate superstar with Coke Classic. Carly Fiorina has her role in “destroying HP’s redoubtable culture” immortalized.

Perhaps the most difficult decisions leaders have to make are judgment calls about people. People decisions take precedence over strategy decisions. If there are no stakeholders committed to the vision and values of the organization, then however good the strategies are, they would not be executed. At the end of it all, it is the people who would fulfill the purposes of any organization. A good team member can correct what is going awry in an organization while a bad one can derail the most brilliant strategy.

Making judgment calls on people is as difficult as shooting a moving target. People and situations never stay the same; they constantly change. Half of all marriages end on the rocks despite making promises of love and fidelity before God and congregation. The noble intention to be true to the vows “till death do us part” is easily rationalized away by a change in circumstances or personal needs. If sacred vows can be cavalierly broken today, what more vocational contracts or interpersonal promises? A person desperate for a job may promise undying loyalty only to move on when a better offer comes along. An employer may offer the best terms to attract a promising prospect only to disappoint her hopes once she signs the contract. All employers look for loyal high performers, and all in the job market search for nurturing companies and employers. But, seldom will anyone admit to growing self maximizing intentions that hinder collaboration and allegiance.

The economy expands and contracts in cycles. Circumstances change with each season. One will favor the employer while the next will put the worker at an advantage. In a recession, the employer will squeeze the worker and stretch the dollar. When the market is bullish, the employees move swiftly to more fiscally rewarding opportunities. There is no guarantee that the worker you nurture in difficult times at great personal cost will remain loyal to you when the economy is buoyant. It is similarly true that no company can be counted on to save your job when the bears are prowling.

Not only will economic circumstances change, but personal conditions are subject to shifts. Different seasons in life present needs that must be addressed, requiring a change in social and geographic realities. Emotional insecurities or psychological challenges may demand a change of context so the person can flourish. Intractable conflicts always change the emotional and social terrain of the people involved, and their shared space at work or home. There are so many factors that leaders have to bear in mind when making decisions on the people they are responsible for.

How then do leaders make judgment calls on people? Here is what I find to be most helpful:

1. Clarify Your Own Intentions

While we know cognitively that we must respect the image of God in others when we interact with them, the reality is that in most situations, it is the disfigured image of God in both parties that are engaging in a human exchange. Hence, the suspicions and misgivings in any interaction. I find it necessary to understand my own intentions when I relate or discuss with anyone. If my intentions are compromised, I find myself more suspicious of the other’s motives. When I am more certain of my own grounds, I find it easier to foster trust.

When my conscience is clear, and I genuinely want a win-win situation, and I desire the other person to succeed, I find I make decisions more swiftly and correctly. Even in bad situations, I have not regretted my judgment calls on people once my own moral intentions are clear to me.

2. Understand Where the Other Person is Coming From

It is critical to seek to understand the intentions of the person you are interacting with, although that is very difficult. Very frequently, we can understand better when we consider the past experiences of the person. A corporate executive with no responsibility for the payroll of the company will have different intentions going into a business venture from an entrepreneur who is regularly exposed to fiscal risks. His experience shapes his intentions and behavior. This reality can be extrapolated to any human situation to predict how a person will respond and behave.

Spiritualizing intentions makes it more confusing to arrive at helpful people decisions. It is possible to use spiritual language to disguise manipulative or devious intentions. It takes spiritual discernment to sift and weigh words in human interaction. But, once the other person’s intentions can be estimated, a judgment call follows readily. I have made the uncanny discovery that the more honest I am about my own intentions, the clearer I can discern another’s motives. Both are unequivocally linked.

3. The Right Decision at that Time

Only God makes the right decision for all of time. Mere mortals have to be satisfied with making people decisions that are right only for the moment. The schoolmaster who judged Albert Einstein slow and uneducable may have been right at that moment, but history proved Einstein was moving to becoming a genius! Because people and circumstances change, our judgment calls on them are at best, true for a suspended moment in the person’s life story. We make people decisions on the understanding that God is gracious and merciful and we are but a work in progress. God is not finished with us, or them, yet.

When we were teenagers, we used to sing Joel Hemphill’s catchy Gospel song:

“He’s still working on me/ To make me what I ought to be…/ How loving and patient He must be/ He’s still working on me!”

And because God is not finished with me, or you, or others, all our judgment calls on people are suspended decisions, without prejudice on the final outcome! That may make the leader’s unenviable task of making people decisions easier.

I am relieved that my judgment on people is never final; that is God’s prerogative. When the person concerned turns out differently in time, it does not negate my call, which may have been correct at the time of the decision. When that happens, then God has visited both the person and the organization with His mercy.

Peter Chao is the Founder-President of Eagles Communications.

A young boy asked his father, “What does it take to be a leader?” After some thought, his father replied, “All it takes to be a leader is to have a follower.” The Wisdom writer agrees with this simple-yet-profound insight when he asserts, “The mark of a good leader is loyal followers; leadership is nothing without a following” (Prov 14:28). Kouzes and Posner define leadership as “a reciprocal relationship between those who choose to lead and those who decide to follow…If there is no underlying need for the relationship, then there is no need for leaders.” As in any relationship, what is critical in leadership is trust. Leaders gain trust when they lead with integrity. When leaders in an organization inspire trust, their followers make commitments of loyalty and high performance. For an organization to demonstrate a “spirit of performance,” Peter Drucker indicates that there must be leaders who “possess integrity of character; have a vision for the purpose of their organization…” “Executive integrity is crucial to creating an organization with a high spirit of performance because the character of an organization’s management serves as an example for subordinates.” What then are the contours of integrity?

Integrity as Consistency

Integrity shares the same root as “integral” which means “forming a whole,” “complete,” “essential to a whole.” An “integer” is a whole number; not a fraction or a portion. It points to a consistency of character in public and in private; between a person’s walk and talk, beliefs and behavior, profession and performance. It describes the leader’s essence; the person of the leader at the core. As has been poignantly defined, “integrity is what we do when no one is looking.”

Bill George calls it “authentic leadership.” He says, “Authentic leaders genuinely desire to serve others…They are more interested in empowering the people they lead to make a difference than they are in power, money or prestige for themselves. They are as guided by qualities of the heart, by passion and compassion, as they are by qualities of the mind…They lead with purpose, meaning, and values. They build enduring relationships with people…They are consistent and self disciplined. When their principles are tested, they refuse to compromise.”

Such consistent leaders are principled and there is no need to second guess their response in any morally ambiguous situation. Their clear moral boundaries determine the culture of the organizations they lead. Their human resource policies are fair, compassionate, and empowering. Small wonder we all want to work with such leaders.

Integrity as Priority

Max De Pree asserts, “Integrity in all things precedes all else. The open demonstration of integrity is essential; followers must be wholeheartedly convinced of their leaders’ integrity. Since leaders are always in public view, perceptions become a fact of life. Leaders understand the profound difference between gestures and commitment.” Leaders must not only preach values of integrity, they must also be seen to behave and respond with integrity. All leaders develop a public narrative that is held up to public critique. Whether interested parties interpret a leader’s public assertions as explanation or justification or excuse depends on how high integrity is seen or believed to be placed in his priority.

Integrity as Humility

Jim Collins identifies humility and fierce resolve as natural expressions of personal integrity. He describes such a person as a Level 5 leader: never boastful, but acts with quiet, calm determination. He relies principally on inspired standards, not charisma, to motivate. More importantly, the Level 5 leader looks in the mirror, not out the window, to apportion responsibility for poor results, never blaming other people, external factors or bad luck.

A humble person is cognitive of social and relational realities. Such a leader knows the contributions of others to any successful enterprise. He is quick to acknowledge how others compensate his inadequacies to produce effective results. She is not afraid to empower others by giving them room and opportunities to peak and flourish. Humility is the mark of a secure person. A person full of himself is likely to be empty and incapable of recognizing others in his social or professional reality.

Another indelible characteristic of a humble person is gratitude. Max De Pree contends, “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor” A humble person exudes gratitude easily, naturally, and genuinely. Her sincere appreciation for others and providence acknowledges the reality that we are all “clients of God’s mercy and candidates of His grace.” Only a humble person can see himself as a servant and a debtor, not a master or a patron. There is no surprise why we feel affirmed and empowered when we follow such a leader.

Integrity as Honesty

When a leader has integrity, she is perceived to be genuine and therefore credible. Kouzes and Posner say, “The first law of leadership: If we don’t believe in the messenger, we won’t believe the message.” The leader not only is truly humble in her achievements, but also honest in her struggles. There is no need to be on a pedestal and pretend to be someone she is not. Surprisingly, the vulnerability in being transparent with one’s struggles will increase the leader’s integrity.

Leadership is essentially a relationship between the leader and the follower. What makes for good relationships is trust, and integrity is what makes leaders credible, earning the trust of followers. Kouzes and Posner found in their research that “credible leaders raise self esteem. Leaders who make a difference to others cause people to feel that they too can make a difference. They set people’s spirits free and enable them to become more than they might have thought possible.” Kouzes and Posner also discovered that “The credibility of leadership is what determines whether people will want to give a little more of their time, talent, energy, experience, intelligence, creativity, and support…Only high credibility earns intense commitment. And commitment will ultimately enable people to regenerate great businesses, communities, and economies.” Integrity becomes an indispensable attribute of effective, respected, and admired leaders.

Indeed, all it takes to be a leader is a follower. Ancient wisdom is still valid today when it reminds us that “leadership is nothing without a following.” We follow the people we trust. And, we trust leaders who have high integrity. Leaders with high integrity energize us, stretch us, grow us, and eventually nurture us and hone our abilities to lead purposefully and effectively.

Peter Chao is the Founder-President of Eagles Communications.

The Message version of the Bible has been referenced.