Governing God's Way

Jesus, the King of Glory in the natural was "out of place" the entire 33 years he lived on earth. But every phase of his life was purposed. He was "out of place" among his family. "Out of place" among his fellow Jews. "Out of place" wherever he went. But his focus was not on his place but on his purpose. So should be ours.

Each of us has been given life and with that life - purpose. We will sometimes be rejected, ostracized, talked about, feel like we are "out of place" among peers, at our job, among colleagues, even our family.

We are where God purposed us to be even when we have messed up, even when we are in uncomfortable environments and especially when we feel alone in doing what is right according to His word.

Joseph of Arimathea, a leader, purposed by God, positioned by God, unwittingly fulfilled one of the greatest prophecies of God. He was "purposed" by God in the position he was in to carry out one of the most important events in all of human history. God has purposed and positioned you. Listen. Be blessed. Be encouraged. You are right where God has purposed you for His greater purpose.

Who is this Jesus? 

Up to and including Resurrection Sunday, my goal is to bring clarity and bring it down to ground level, the person and leader Jesus the Christ was as fully God and fully man. Through daily postings of 5 principles of leadership from Jesus and through this weekly podcast.

None of his leadership principles were rooted in religion. His life wasn't a religious one. In fact, it was the religious who hated him and who would eventually wrongly accuse and crucify him.

He was and is, and is to come -- King. He was God in the human body of Jesus.  Fully God. Fully man. The King of Glory!

He left us with so much truth. How to live and how to lead.

If you don't know him. He is the most important person you will ever know. And he left us as leaders, the blueprint for leadership.

The characteristic most identifiable with the very character of God - the characteristic He looks for in leaders he promotes. What every leader and aspiring leader should know!

All of life is seasonal, even our work. Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 3:1: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven..." Christians In Public Service was founded in 2013 by public servants for public servants in a season for a time and purpose. That season as with all seasons has given way to a new season. This episode introduces the new season and you will learn how to know when a season in your life has ended and God is calling a new one into existence. 

Don't confuse achievement with success. God's measure of success...

Jesus said in John 9:4, "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day; the night comes, when no man (or woman) can work."  We must do the same. We can retire from our job - perhaps even quit or get fired from our job. But we can neither quit nor be fired from our work. There is a difference, and  this episode explores and explains why we should never look forward to "retiring." When it comes to our work, there is no such thing.

We all have advisors. As leaders we need them - but what if the advice is wrong? Miscalculated? With ulterior motives? Learn a great leadership principle taken from the life of first century leader, King Hanan. Know when what you are being advised is of God or from the Adversary. 

If people follow you because they are paid to follow you, you're not a leader but a paycheck. Great leaders? People will follow them to the moon and back even if they didn't receive a dime because what they receive in return, money could never buy. The greatest leaders throughout history could never afford to pay the thousands who followed them. Yet, together, they changed their world. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is a great example. David hid out in caves, had no money to pay his men, yet hundreds of men followed him from the cave to the kingdom. What endears people to leaders? What will endear them to you? This podcast tells you. And it has nothing to do with money.

Satan is real. Satan hates you. And when it comes to taking out God's people -- especially those in authority, his plan is sure. His plan has worked since the beginning of time. And many if not most are completely unaware of how he works, when he works and how his brilliancy outshines, outmaneuvers and outlasts the best of leaders. No leader - no matter how many degrees on the wall, endorsements behind their name, years of serving and leading, wealth or pedigree - no leader since the original, Adam, is off-limits. He even tried his tried-and-true plan of takedown on Jesus in the wilderness. But Jesus had his number. This podcast will equip you the same.  If you lead, take heed -- you have a diabolical, crazy smart adversary who knows you better than you know yourself --- get to know him the same so that you can fight back and win.

The Honorable Ron Kirk is the first African American elected as Mayor of the City of Dallas. He led the amazing transformation of a sleepy downtown Dallas to a city within a city - brimming with a bustling nightlife, parks, trendy restaurants and attractive downtown living. Unheard of before his term as Mayor. He led major expansion of thoroughfares, led the effort in pulling off what many said could not be done - bringing together voters and populations long at odds, divided by race and socio-economics, across the north/south divide; and, with tremendous opposition winning by a hair, the referendum to build the American Airlines Center, Victory Park --- resulting in a domino effect of economic development, business relocations and the Dallas that many have come to love today. Catching the eye of President Barack Obama, the President would name Mayor Kirk as U.S. Trade Representative.

Ambassador Kirk shares with us techniques and tools, attributes and skills necessary to lead well - especially needed in the tumultuous political climate today. 

An intriguing conversation on what it takes to lead, connect and motivate.  A conversation every public servant leader would do well and be blessed to listen. It doesn't get any better. What it takes to lead and finish well.

One of the major ways you will know God has called you to do something  will be a nagging sense of inadequacy to meet the demands of the task, let alone accomplish it. Feelings of inadequacy are often confirmation that you are right where God wants you to be to accomplish what He has purposed you to do --- but only through Him!

A change in plans beyond our control will prove to be a blessing, though at the time it seems like the end, defeat or total loss. God never loses nor do we when we trust His change in our plans. Listen and be encouraged! 

Hell-raising it seems is the order of the day today. This isn't new. Hell-raisers joined in with the Hebrews in their trek across the wilderness -- and it cost them dearly. Be careful how you join in with people today who always have an ax to grind or feel the need to raise hell. It can cost you dearly.

Challenge that giant everyone says can't be defeated. Run for that office. Go for that promotion. Do what others say is impossible. God has equipped you for YOUR path. Don't live to regret not having taken it.

Stop looking to people for validation because elevation comes only from God.

Some things some people want to do, but won't because of your presence. That is exactly why God has placed you there!

If you wait until you have "enough" you will never have "enough." God has already provided everything you need to do the work He has given you to do. You really do have enough!

You sense God has given you the answer you've prayed for but you are afraid to act on it. He is telling you today what He told Moses in the wilderness, "Go forward!"

 Resist the pressure to fit in to be in.

A conversation with two power couples in Texas politics - Jim and Chief Justice (Ret.) Carolyn Wright-Sanders, former Chief Justice, Fifth Court of Appeals of Texas; and Aaron and Honorable Erleigh Wiley, Kaufman County District Attorney.

An inspirational and informative conversation for our time.

Marriage. What it takes to be the strong spouse of powerful women always in the spotlight and the need to sacrifice so much.

Leadership. Overcoming unimaginable challenges and odds out of the eye of the public while still maintaining the professionalism and commitment demanded in high-profile positions. 

The value and rewards of finding and walking in your purpose. The absolute faithfulness of God. 

Public servant leadership at its finest. 

Listen and come away in awe of how God really does order our steps and meet seemingly the most impossible need in the most improbable ways.

As a leader, when God is going to use you mightily, He is going to first send you through some mighty tough stuff. Count on it. Not to harm you, but to prepare you for an even greater work!

Helen Giddings is President of Multiplex Inc., a specialty concessions company, which she founded in 1989.  

Ms. Giddings served in the Texas House of Representatives for 26 years.  During her last term she served as Vice Chair of the State Affairs Committee and member of the House Appropriations, and the Calendars Committee.  For three terms, she chaired the Business and Industry Committee. The Speaker of the House appointed her to the Texas Legislative Council Governing Board, the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families, and the Joint Interim Committee on Alzheimer’s Disease.  She is the past Chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and currently serves as Honorary Consul for South Africa.

With a profound interest in the arts, Ms. Giddings has served on many boards including the African American Museum, Dallas Symphony Board, Dallas Summer Musicals, Dallas Historical Society, and the Dallas Theater Center.  Her contributions led to the African American Museum naming a room in her honor and the City of Lancaster naming its Amphitheater for her.

Strongly committed to public service, she has served as the Board Chair of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce, Vice-Chair of the Dallas Transit Board, member of the Dallas Planning Commission, State Bar Grievance Committee, and the Dallas County Grand Jury.

Ms. Giddings serves as Chair of Black Women Empowering Black Women, which is a committee of the Western Area of The Links, Incorporated.  Additionally, she chairs the Women’s Leadership Summit, and serves on the Methodist Health System Board.

Ms. Giddings has been featured in Black Enterprise and has been recognized by Ebony Magazine as one of the 100 Plus Most Influential Black Americans.

Public servant leadership at its finest. A trailblazer. Listen and be encouraged. Never quit. Never doubt yourself. Never fear.

The Devil is his title. Satan is his name. And he is after the control tower of our life. Our mind. If he can control our mind, he will control our life.

As the control tower dictates what happens in the cockpit and on the runway - so does our mind dictate what happens in our life, for all of our life.

A pilot isn't going anywhere until he or she has been cleared by the control tower. And our life isn't going anywhere if it isn't cleared by our control tower. Our mind.

If the control tower is off, the entire flight will be off course and may even crash and burn. That's what the Devil wants - to take control of our mind so that he can run our life into the ground.

If we allow him to take control of our mind, he will take control of our life. How? Because from the mind comes our emotions. Whatever controls the mind, controls the emotions. Emotions control attitude and our attitude controls our actions. If he can control what you think he already knows what you will do.

Never let the Devil have the last word. If you do, it will be the last of you. This podcast teaches you how to effectively talk back to the Devil -- taking our cues from Jesus. Taking authority and putting him in his place - under our feet!

"At the end of the game the king and the pawn go back in the same box." - Italian Proverb

No matter how important we believe ourselves to be, how brightly we may shine in the limelight, or how hard we may toil in dim anonymity, death is the great equalizer.

In the end only this will matter to God -- Did we do what He positioned us to do for His glory? And, did we genuinely and selflessly serve His people? 

That’s what Nehemiah did. It’s why in the end --- after he had overseen the rebuilding of the wall; and, had taken care of the needs of the people even at the expense of his own comfort and ease, he prays to God in Nehemiah 13:31 his last recorded words, “Remember me, O my God, for good.” That’s legacy in leadership.

You and I should be living and serving not for the next office, title or position, but for our legacy. 

When it's all said and done, how will you and I be remembered? On your first day in office, you should be thinking about your last. And serve with the end in mind...

No matter the office, no matter how long we serve or how well we serve, the glory one day will fade. And only when our plans and purpose align with God’s plans and purpose will we have been counted a success. Five things every public servant leader should know, learning from the legacy of the longest serving Governor of our State - former Texas Governor Rick Perry.

In an effort to not look bad or worse, be thought of by people as being bad, we won’t admit wrong. The greatest defense we have is not to take offense to something we know we’ve done wrong. Because once we do, we have taken the bait of the Enemy, the bait of Satan and we become entrapped by cover-ups and deceit – which he knows and we all too late learn, will have no good end. Though what we did may have been bad, the worst thing we can do is try to cover it up. Own your past so that no opponent can ever own your future. No one can hold over you what you've owned up to. Run toward, not away from accusations and learn how to flip the script on your opponent.

Learn what to do when an opponent smears you in order to embarrass you, shame you or harm your reputation by something you’ve done in your past, and how to flip the script and come out on top. 

How many times have you had to cry out to God, -- "Lord, help me just one more time... God, do it again!" I have.

When most people hear or think of Samson, it’s always in the vein of Samson and Delilah and many know the story, of the deceptive Delilah and how she tricked Samson and had has hair cut – many believe, the source of his incredible strength.

His hair wasn’t the source of his strength, but symbolic of supernatural strength that could come only from God.

While Delilah certainly played a strategic role in Samson’s life aborting or so widely thought, aborting Samson’s leadership role as Judge over Israel, her role was cast by God to bring about his divine will.

The devil is even God’s devil and every one of us are born and purposed by God to play a part in His kingdom’s unfolding story on earth.

Samson was the most feared leader of his generation and physical strength-wise, unmatched in any generation to this day.

The life and leadership of Samson is a beautiful word picture not of a deceptive lover, but of an awesome and covenant-keeping God; making and keeping an incredible covenant with what would be an incredibly brash and compulsive leader who, did not keep His part of the covenant, yet God kept his --  even until the end of Samson’s life.

Let’s learn from the leadership and life of this unique leader from the book of Judges. You will be surprised.

This 7 minute podcast is so important. Before you even THINK about saying what you're going to do or planning to do, preface it with these 4 key words. For real. No joke.

Outranked. Why humility, not hubris is one of the most key and important characteristics of leadership.

Hubris is a dangerous thing, causing not only embarrassing downfalls, but it will make a fool of us.

No matter how popular, smart, good-looking we are - how many and what degrees we have, races we've won, how high we rank on the political scale; or what our title is, there will always be someone who outranks us.

Get a new view of humility. Get a new view of you.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. understood what I hope this podcast help people to better understand, that justice and righteous and equity are all of God. And God will not share his glory with government and certainly not with people who leave him out of the equation.

If there is no enemy within the enemy outside can do us no harm. - African Proverb

Three leaders. Three heads of state. Three kings. King Solomon, King Rehoboam and King Jeroboam.

Powerful. Influential. Blessed. As a leader, so are you. The big three - three kings. But as we learn from the life of these leaders, power, influence and blessings are no match for the big three internal enemies of every leader - disobedience, arrogance and insecurity.

These three enemies brought down the most powerful public servant leaders of their generation. And if left unchecked, they will do the same to all who lead.

If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm. The kicker is, most of us don't even realize we are enemy carriers.

Listen and learn about the big three from the lives and lessons of the Big Three.

A lot of times, the question for public servant leaders is not, "can I, but will I?" We are blessed to be a blessing - doing for others what is within our power and means to do. Leaders should be givers. Our leader, Jesus the Christ, was a giver. He gave the ultimate, his life; paying a debt that we owed but could not pay. Obviously for most of us, it would never be that we would have to pay with our life a debt of another, but God will always bring about a situation, circumstance or need in the life of another in our charge, on our team, or a colleague that He has blessed us to easily meet or make better - if we would. The question though is, would we do that?

Season 2 kicks off with the timely topic of the danger of forming unholy alliances; and, as a public servant leader, of surrounding yourself only with those who will tell you what you want to hear. As a public servant leader, you have to be careful with whom you align and you must have the courage to surround yourself with staff and advisors who will tell you the truth, even when truth is the last thing you want to hear. This episode explores a point in time in the life of the two most powerful leaders of their day - King Jehoshaphat and King Ahab. Two leaders, two philosophies in leadership, and two strikingly different outcomes. As a leader, your people aren’t doing you any favors by lying to you.

A  great coach never coaches to the scoreboard even when it looks as though his or her team may lose. Great coaches have studied their opponents from afar long before their team takes the field and have already planned the x’s and o’s of how they are going to take them out. They don’t panic because of the opponent, they execute their plan in spite of the opponent. No matter how formidable your opponent or difficult the obstacles - keep your eyes on the coach, not the scoreboard.

After every public victory, there will be private envy. Don’t think for one moment just because you’re the head the tail will wag when you win. It won’t. They won’t. As a public servant leader, there always will be someone envious of your success. But what do you do when it's the boss? Learn from David how to succeed when you work for an envious and insecure boss.

As a public servant leader, you may wear the label Democrat or Republican, but if you name the name of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life, the world systems are against you. If you follow the lamb, Satan doesn't care if you call yourself an elephant or donkey, he's coming for you - and especially as you serve and lead in his world system of government. Not with the world, Contra Mundum!

Surely, if Jesus was who John thought He was, had faith to believe He was, and had proclaimed to the world who He was, he and others wouldn’t be going through all of this. Don’t we at times feel this way?

When we become exhausted, both physically and emotionally, we become like Elijah, discouraged, and depressed. When we become discouraged, and depressed because of fatigue, we become ineffective and fearful. And all the wrong and negative “what ifs” flood our mind and shut us down. That’s what the enemy wants.  God’s remedy?  As we near the end of a very exhausting and brutal year, God’s remedy for you and for me is the same as it was for Elijah... rest.

God’s people have always and will always in public service, live and serve underneath the canopy of intimidation - from citizens, constituents, rivals, bosses, even colleagues. Especially if there are at stake influence, money or positions of power. Count on it.  But don’t be fooled, don’t be fearful, don’t give in to it and certainly don’t run from it. They can't touch you...

No matter if on paper you’re the leader or if your name and title are on the door – you will only be what you inwardly believe yourself to be.  Has God made you the head, yet you still see yourself as the tail?

There are leaders, servant leaders, and public servant leaders. What sets public servant leaders apart is that unlike private sector, servant leaders, everything public servant leaders do is subject to public scrutiny and there are so many diverse interests to satisfy. There are no open records requests that probe the actions and lives of leaders in the private sector. Public servant leaders aren't afforded that luxury. Their life is an open book. And if not careful, actions and words will write a book they wouldn't want those they care about to read. This podcast outlines what it takes to lead and succeed as a public servant leader God honors and people respect.

What has God put in your spirit and on your heart to do, yet you won’t because you fear the opinions of people more than you trust the plan and will of God? Our past is preparation for our future prepared by God in time past. And many of us will die having missed it.

Do your words accurately portray who you say you are Christ? Self-portraits are painted by our words and every social media post, text and e-mail is a stroke of the brush.  As a public servant leader, you can bank on having two things - private enemies and fake friends. And both will not hesitate to use against you, words you thought were being spoken and exchanged between friends.  

For good or for bad, given time, we will become most like the ones we stick with the closest. It's time to re-evaluate every relationship. We don't have time anymore to waste on people who subtract and not add to us.

The great tragedy today among God’s people and leaders is we have become such an individualistic, pull ourselves up by our bootstraps society that it is easy to overlook the fact that we need others in order to reach our goals.

We can never allow jealous people to stop us. Nor as followers of Jesus Christ allow jealousy to prompt us to try and hinder others. We each have our own unique purpose.  If you can’t help, don’t hinder and no matter how hard anyone else tries to hinder you, they won’t succeed.

As public servants and public servant leaders, we've all been on the receiving end of false accusations, hurtful, unfair, insulting and hateful verbal attacks. If you haven't YET, you will. This episode teaches you in less than 5 minutes how to handle in such a way whereby you will always come out on top. There is never a need to retaliate - it's bait. Don't take it!

Those who argue with a fool will themselves become a fool. You don't HAVE to have the last word.

It's not how well we handle the big things - but how well we handle the small. As a public servant and public servant leader, someone's always watching you.  What they see you do or don't do when you should or could, could one day come back and harm you or be a source of blessing. Someone's always watching.

Jesus tells us in scripture that the world hated him and so will it hate us. As a public servant and public servant leader of faith, once you stand for truth, you will be hated by many. Far too many of us live for thumbs ups, likes, and smiley faces. If you stand for what's right rather than for what's popular, Jesus has already told us the deal. So how are we to deal with it?

If you let them, people will talk you right out of God's plan for your life. It's not a matter of what people think you should do, but what God has planned for you to do.

Humility, not hubris is one of the greatest assets a public servant leader can have and exhibit. God abhors arrogance and is against the proud. Humility is not weakness but strength. Humility is being gracious when by worldly standards, you have every reason to be proud. Conceit is the Adversary's greatest deceits. Don't be deceived. Those of great integrity are those with great humility. Material things, power, wealth and prestige don't make us who we are - they reveal who we are not.

Being in politics is sometimes like being in high school. In high school, the boys could always tell which girls would be easy and which girls wouldn't. The same is true in politics. Dealmakers can always tell which public servants can be easily bought and which cannot. But one thing is certain, they can't buy what's not for sale. 

Leaders are always the ones giving orders. But at times, it behooves leaders to listen. Wise ones do.

Criticism is par for the course in public service. In today's divisive political climate, criticism is more caustic and personal. Learn how to, as a public servant and public servant leader, effectively handle criticism in ways that honor God and make you the bigger person.

Our Adversary is a master at setting traps - especially for public servant leaders in the public eye. Traps designed to wreck our careers and ruin our name and reputation. We can't outsmart him, he's too shrewd. And without the light of God's word,  we can't avoid his traps because most of the time we are unaware that they are even there. Learn how to avoid them. 

As a public servant leader, who you include in your inner circle can make or break your career. It's not a matter of snobbery, but sensibility. Loose lips sink ships. This is why every successful leader has learned to run a tight ship with a trusted crew. Learn what type of people should be in your inner circle and the type you should throw overboard.

Daniel served as a high-ranking public servant in four administrations, each hostile to his faith. Yet, not only was Daniel successful but he was consistently promoted and his advice was coveted by kings. How did he do it? Learn from the life of Daniel what every public servant leader should know before they have to face the lions.