The Christian Mind and Google

A scenario you have probably seen recently—you and your friends are debating certain issues and you come up on a question.  Where do you go to find the answer?  Just Google it.  That seems to be the first response these days.  If it relates to an event, entertainment, food, money, relationships, politics, the economy, and the like, we find today that often we go to Google for help in finding the answer.  It’s quick and easy.  Also, you don’t have to work hard for the answer.  What a joy!

Is it the same among Christians today?  When we want an answer to a question about the Christian life, do we Google it?  If there is a matter related to any of the same categories above and you are looking for an answer from a Christian perspective, do you Google it?  What about deeper issues of our faith and doctrine?  Let’s Google it and take a chance that what we see is biblical and correct.  What is the effect on the Christian mind when we do this?

This has been nagging me a lot over the past few years as a believer.   I have a hard time reconciling this with diligent, systematic Bible study.  After all, we are supposed to involved in studying the Scriptures, aren’t we?  Now I can even read the Bible in Tweets.  Maybe some of our brains can’t handle more than that anyway.  Leave it to the preachers to teach us.

But wait, now we just stay at home and get the preacher’s podcast.  I can lounge around in my pajamas Sunday morning and play the service in the background while petting the dog.  Get me a cup of Joe, the morning news, and my preacher on webcast.  Man, this Christianity thing is great!  I wonder what Jesus would do?  WWJD?

Well, apparently we are no longer asking “WWJD” but we are asking “WWGD,” that is, “What Would Google Do?”  The book has been written, I am not kidding.  The author Jeff Jarvis has prophesied in the new book What Would Google Do? that if we are not asking the question we are going to be left behind in the dust of some prior model of obsolescence.  Google is our new model for thinking, according to Jarvis, and it is hard to find a sector of life and business that has not already been affected by its influence.   Jarvis goes on to say, “Google is changing our societies, our lives, our relationships, our worldviews, probably even our brains in ways we can only begin to calculate.”

That’s where I got concerned for Christians.  We are new creations in Christ, the old has gone, the new has come.  Our minds should be set on what the Spirit desires as we live with the Holy Spirit within us; the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace (see Romans 8:5-8).  We read Scripture, we pray, we turn our minds toward God, toward His goodness, toward life in the Son.  Yet we seek quick answers to spiritual things by Googling it.  Dangers abound when we do.

Fight the reflex.  That’s right, fight the reflex to Google an answer to a spiritual question.  Go to the Source.  We are told to “take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).  We are even told we have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16).  Dwell on this a bit, and when you have a question go to God’s Word.  Ask the Lord to know your mind, to know your thoughts, and to lead you in the way everlasting (Psalm 139).

I know what I am saying may sound contrarian, but I maintain that Jesus was a contrarian.  So I am returning to WWJD next time I am seeking an answer.  I hope you will follow.

The Economy: Searching for Answers

It’s July 4th and all’s well—I guess.   I don’t want to give a hearty amen to this statement because I have been reading Business Week.  So many questions, yet so many incomplete or less-than-hearty answers.

Have you noticed the lack of commitment by all the business experts?  Here’s an example, “All this austerity will pay off—eventually.”  Or Jack and Suzy Welch’s answer to the question “When will this *@&^ recession end?”  They answered, “How about sometime in 2010?  The problem with being more precise, you see, is the mixed picture out there.”

I would agree with that.  But just give me a straight answer.  I want to know whether the stimulus plan is working—plenty of hemmin’ and hawin’ when it comes to an answer to this question.  How many more banks will fail?  It depends on how you define “fail.”  Is there any hope for the automobile industry?  Maybe if they can come up with new and exciting products.  When will unemployment stop rising?  We may be near the bottom of readjustment, so we should see this trend slowing.

There is one question from this issue of Business Week that reveals where the American public seeks an answer.  They are seeking their answer from the White House, which may indicate that we are drifting toward increasing reliance on our federal government to solve everything.  The question:  “What one issue would matter most in your presidential vote?”  Over 50% of the respondents to the Pew Research Center poll answered, “Economy/Jobs.”  Moral values rated, but only at 10%.  Compare these figures to the same poll in 2004.  Terrorism/Iraq/Afghanistan garnered 36%, the economy 21%, and moral values 27%.

Of course the economy would rank higher in this year’s poll.  And it would seem reasonable for Terrorism/Iraq/Afghanistan shrinking to 8% as we move further away from 9/11/01.  My concern is the shrinking emphasis on moral values.  Just take a look at some of the moral issues we see around us, in particular among political leaders.  If we can’t have politicians who know how to act responsibly on a personal level, then we likely will not have politicians who can address major issues with the economy in a responsible manner.

We need men and women who will serve this country with dignity, that will set a proper example for the next generation.  Yes, the economy is perhaps the most significant issue of the day.  But let’s not throw out our morals.  This might just be the time when we consider that the really important things in life are the intangibles.  Our lives will be the richer for it.  Oh, and happy July 4th!

Stick With the Basics

Staying current makes for a tiring pursuit.  I mean, there are so many avenues of information out there and we need discernment to know which path to take.  Nevertheless, I continue down some path each day that leads me to thinking about topics with relevance to both our generation and the next generation.

One such topic is making a living.  Yes, that thing we do upon finishing some level of education and enter the real world.  Maybe this is a Westernized notion, but we do need shelter and food on the table and the means to getting this here in the U.S. is through a job.

From some of my reading, I sense there is a redefinition of “making a living” in the works.  Particularly among the next generation, there appears to be a type of entrepreneurship going on that espouses linking a new startup venture with some technological discovery that will make millions.  For example, the rush to create new applications for the I-Phone seems to be a particularly ripe area for making money these days.  The number of new applications does appear to have a limit though.

Some like to refer to these entrepreneurs as “heroic,” that is, someone who ventures away from the common path to seek a new path of riches perhaps driven by a vision to make the world a better place for all of us.  Now this might be a stretch.  Can an I-Phone app make for a better world?  These things have a life span, you know, and they ultimately end up being replaced by something newer, faster, slicker.  Last time I checked my world was just fine even before the I-Phone.

This brings me to the point for the next generation—stick with the basics.  Begin by asking questions like, “What are the basic things needed in my life, the lives of the typical person or family here in this country?”  Or, “What are the basics for a successful business?”  We have pushed to the edge so much in recent years that I fear we have gotten away from an understanding of the basics.

Perhaps this is further clarified through a Proverb I read this morning.  “He who works his land will have abundant food, but he who chases fantasies lacks judgement” Proverbs 12:11.  Fantasies refer to schemes for making easy money.  Is that where we are today with the scads of schemes for making a buck on the web or with these unending myriads of applications for electronic devices?  Again, you can only carry these things out so far before they end up consuming the consumed.

The notion of “working the land” is what I would refer to as a basic.  Working the land implies a steadiness, a knowledge that there is a God who provides me something to do with my hands and helps me in this daily act of “making a living.”  If you work the land, you are dependent on good weather and regular attention to caring for the things you planted.  It seems that some of the next generation want to bypass the planting and get on to the reaping.  That is a rather short-term view.

Let’s return to the basics.  It may be more satisfying than you can imagine.

Are Jobs the New Assets?

Time Magazine, along with other media giants, deserves credit when they get our attention.  After all, isn’t that what communications is all about?  In the March 23 edition, the headline read “10 Ideas Changing the World Right Now.”  I looked at the headline curiously, wondering if the ideas would solve all of our economic issues or if they were just speculative enough to prompt further analysis from experts and amateurs.  If you are curious, check out the article to see where it leads your thinking—here is a link.

At the top of the list, Number 1, was this:  Jobs are the New Assets.  Was this supposed to make us feel better about the dwindling property and investment values we see around us?  Or was this a step toward some economic theory about human capital?  Maybe it’s a little of both.  It’s probably time to get out your Econ 101 book and revisit the section dealing with human capital.

The idea deserves merit.  Jobs define us, they give us an identity.  No longer will I look at my balance sheet for purpose in my life, I will look at each day with a job as something precious.  Is this too much a short-term perspective?  No, I think this thought contributes to the long-term notion that jobs represent the best assets a company holds.  If you have jobs, you have production.  If you have jobs, you have billable hours.  The corporate world lacks this long-term perspective when it rewards risk-takers with large bonuses at the expense of a steady, perhaps slower view that rewards dedication, dependability, and long-term value building.

Part of the next generation’s challenge with jobs will be to protect their human capital.  Don’t overlook the fact that skills require development.  Education helps.  An apprenticeship makes sense.  You can’t sit around in coffee shops day after day and expect to develop your human capital.  Get up and get moving toward some vocational outlet that intrigues you and maintains your interest.

Another thought about protecting your human capital’s worth:  stay healthy.  Years of smoking and drinking age you quickly.  Look at someone who does this stuff for 20 years and you’ll see the wear and tear on their physical bodies.  The scary part is not what you see, but what you don’t see.  Statistics from the Urban Institute in early 2009 show that about a third of all Americans develop some health-related limitation in their fifties and sixties.  As a result, many workers do not retire on their own timetable.

Some of the next generation seem to think they can ignore healthy habits.  It is strange, but many of those who call themselves “green” and seem more concerned about global warming than they do their own bodies probably lead the way in unhealthy habits.  The “greenies” tend to ignore their need for rest and use drugs and alcohol like they are necessary parts of a balanced diet (please excuse this short rant).

So, if you are your best asset, take care of yourself.  The next generation awaits.

What Would You Accomplish With Billions of Dollars?

I am watching with great interest the hoopla surrounding the “stimulus package” being offered by the Democrats in our U.S. Congress.  According to Daniel Henninger’s excellent analysis in today’s Wall Street Journal, this American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (just 700 pages of reading) is more a “self” stimulus bill than it is an economic stimulus bill because of how much would be spent on rebuilding the government’s infrastructure.  For example, the boast within the bill that says 3 million jobs will be created fails to clarify that these jobs will all be on our government’s payroll with the federal government as their boss.  Is this economic stimulus?  Sounds sketchy and a bit scary to me.

Whatever happened to zero-based budgeting?  You know, where we figure out what is needed first and then assign a cost.  It seems we have reversed this process to something like, “How much money can we spend or print?” and then let’s start putting everything into categories of spending.  We can’t operate our own homes this way.

I looked over some of the numbers in the stimulus package and have never seen so many zeros in all my life.   There is $6,000,000,000 for the construction, repair, and alteration of Federal buildings.  How about $375,000,000 to rebuild trails on our Federal lands?  Or we have the Weatherization Assistance Program chiming in at $6,200,000,000.  By the way, what is that $500,000,000 of expenses included within this?  No detail, just half-a-billion dollars of expenses.

Perhaps in contrast, I became aware that Wycliffe Bible Translators launched the Last Languages Campaign.  This campaign focuses on translating the Bible into 2300 languages that remain on their list of people groups without a Bible in their native language.  Bob Creson, President of Wycliffe, gathered their staff together to pray and plan this campaign.  It was fueled by a donor who asked the question, “If I gave you $100,000,000 for your work, what would you accomplish?”  This is cold, hard cash.  The Last Languages Campaign will enable all of these remaining languages to have a translation started by the year 2025.  The price tag is $1,000,000,000 (give or take a few dollars).

This represents billions of dollars that will accomplish something far-reaching on a scope that influences many people groups on the face of the earth.  It is not an “invest in ourselves” mentality like the Democrats are proposing, but rather an “invest in others” plan that will influence untold cultures and societies for the better.  The lesson for us, and for the next generation, is to look at how we invest in others and how we learn to be a conduit for good while we inhabit a short time on the face of this earth.  The present fades away, the eternal endures.  This must become our focus.

A Message for Nonprofits from President Barack Obama

In his inaugural address this week, President Barack Obama included a message that should induce hope in the hearts of nonprofit leaders.  He stated, “What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility—a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world.”  To paraphrase, Americans must dig deep to share the responsibility for the situation we find ourselves as a nation and we must, in a dutiful way, support the causes that are near and dear to our heart as a testimony to the world.

This message will likely produce conflicting feelings of hope and despair for nonprofit leaders.  The hope is that Americans step up to the plate for their favorite causes and lend their support.  The despair is bound up in the uncertainty of the economy and whether Americans will respond to the message of hope they hear from our leader as 2009 progresses.

In his commentary in today’s issue of The Wall Street Journal, Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, points to the Philanthropic Giving Index (PGI) perhaps as an indicator of where we may be heading in 2009 in the bigger scheme.  This index published by the Indiana University’s Center on Philanthropy shows that the PGI over the past six months dropped from 83 to 65 on a scale of 0-100. PGI is determined by nonprofit leaders and is similar to the Consumer Confidence Index.  As a tool, the PGI is useful but does not indicate where the pain may be or by how much donors may lower their giving.

Ministries and religious nonprofits should take heart, however, according to further research by Mr. Brooks.  The logic goes like this:  conservatives give more than liberals because conservatives are more religious.  Extracting this from its political implications, folks who attend church services and who consider themselves religious tend to out-give those who are not by more than $1,100 per year.  Mr. Brooks further shows that these same people decrease their giving less during economic downturns.

I am not sure of the age demographic for all of this information.  I suspect that the younger generation that responded favorably to the fund-raising appeal of the Obama campaign heard the words “hope” and “change.”  They thought electing a new president would result in the change.  Now the task is to get this next generation to step up and become responsible supporters of the causes they hold dear.  For next generation believers, it is time to consider what stewardship really means and which ministries merit their support.  This is the mandate for us all.

Madoff, Merckle, Wealth, and Suicide

Grim news hits hard. It appears that the unraveling of another business empire claimed a life this week in Germany. Adolf Merckle, a 74-year-old multibillionaire, apparently took his life after a failed attempt to restructure the finances of his family’s conglomerate.  Officials found his body on a train track.

I thought back just a month or so earlier to news about a French financier’s suicide in relation to the Bernard Madoff scandal. He oversaw a fund largely invested with Madoff that lost close to $1.5 billion.

There are others. On the same day as the Merckle news, The Wall Street Journal listed 4 apparent suicides of high-profile business officials occurring recently. WSJ probably figures obituaries sells newspapers these days.

How can we take this news and use it as a teaching point for the next generation?

First, let’s stress the importance of keeping your identity free from notions of personal wealth. This is nothing new, for it seems that men continue to yearn for the type of power and recognition that wealth has to offer.  A person’s identity needs something much greater than this earth has to offer.

Next, focus on developing quality relationships with balanced people. I wondered many times about the relationships these reported deaths have left behind. Are there family members with broken hearts? Any other friends who might come forward to share something positive about these men? Strange, such reports elude our attention.

Also, develop personal interests other than the ones money can buy. I can think of a few that require relatively little investment of money: reading (check out local libraries), gardening, cooking (you’ve got to eat), walking, listening to music, developing a skill, outdoor recreation, etc. Creativity helps. Don’t give in to notions that you are not creative.

Finally, cultivate your spiritual life. My personal relationship with Christ takes on new meaning when the media shouts the word “uncertainty.” I know what certainty is, and that is having a hope and a future because of the saving grace of God expressed through Jesus Christ. This makes life worth living, this gives life worth. This is the type of wealth you want to share with others.

Next generation, please realize that change rests with you. Notions of wealth reside within each generation, so ask God to help you change your heart and influence the hearts of others with true notions of worth.

Thinking About Fertility Rates, the Economy, and the Next Generation

A factor that gets little attention in the press today is the relationship of fertility rates to the economy.  This point struck a chord yesterday when I had the opportunity to hear economist Stuart Varney address a gathering of near 1000 accountants and financial professionals in Atlanta. With a bit of humor and unsettling reality, Varney explained why he thinks the fertility rates of the world should be of top concern.

A little background here—for a country to merely remain even in terms of population, it requires a fertility rate of at least 2.1.  There are 45 countries in the world that are well below this rate.  These countries include much of Europe, Russia, China, and Japan among others.  Translated, this means that population growth is negative for these countries.  The U.S. maintains close to a fertility rate of 2.1 only because of the number of immigrants here.  Of all the countries, the lowest fertility rate according to one report I read was in Spain, which was near 1.15.

Think this through with me for a moment in relationship to the economy.  An older, graying population that is living longer these days will need healthcare, housing, pensions, and other retirement benefits.  The model for providing these needs includes economic input from the younger generations.  If the populations are declining, who will help fund these needs for the older generation?

The governments think they can help. But again, with declining populations the tax rates must be much higher to even make a dent in these needs. Today, the governments sit in the unenviable position of trying to figure out the current economic crisis and it appears they struggle each day to fix on a strategy that is elusive.  The quest for a solution lingers no matter what is done.

When I observe the next generation, I see a generation less concerned with wealth creation and more concerned with solving the world’s issues.  I might suggest to them that the economy is one of the single-most important issues.  This is not to say that we want to preserve certain negative aspects of wealth creation, but that we want to consider how wealth creation enables us to address some of the other issues we face. I would ask, “What are the positive aspects of wealth creation?” This might help us adopt a better way to solve economic issues while at the same time addressing other complex issues.  The world is changing, and the next generation needs to be in a position to wisely lead when the baton is passed.  Let’s make sure we help them understand the times and extend ourselves as counselors and mentors.

Wealth Transfer and the Next Generation

From time to time I enjoy hearing the advice offered to the general public by various wealth managers.  It is instructive to hear their views on the basics of wealth management, but further to hear their views on the values of the wealthy and how they handle their wealth in light of these values.

I must give credit where credit is due for getting me on this topic.  In my rapid perusal of current business news, I ran across an older video of an interview with wealth manager Stuart Lucas on the Business Week website.  Lucas is one of the heirs of the Stuart family, whose patriarch E.A. Stuart founded the Carnation Company.  Due to this connection, Lucas actively manages the wealth for at least 18 of the heirs and provides advice to many others.  He has written the book Wealth: Grow It, Protect It, Spend It, and Share It.

One of the issues that Lucas runs across in managing the wealth for this family fortune is teaching everyone to have a concern for their next generation of heirs. In particular, if the values of the family are not passed on along with the money there will be potential problems with the future value of this fortune.  Passing money on to the next generation without passing along sound values could cause adverse effects according to Lucas.

Let’s think together–how do we transmit values to the next generation? Is this not the number one question anyway? Many times among Believers we share a concern for passing along solid values to the next generation, but do we really focus on doing it?  It is a challenge that we must bolster up and address.

It would be interesting to poll some of the younger generation to see what their perspectives are on wealth. Perhaps that is what Jesus was doing when he encountered the rich young ruler as recorded in Matthew 19:16-22.  Through this interaction, Jesus got to the heart of the matter when He encouraged the rich young ruler to consider the poor, thereby laying up treasure in heaven. Then He simply ended by saying, “Come, follow me.”  This produced sorrow in the young man’s heart perhaps as he realized what values he held in his own heart and how he could not get a perspective on a future generation that could benefit from his fortune.

This angst is not the value I want to pass on to the next generation.  We must set ourselves free from the love of the world and its passing treasures, and to pass on eternal values as we teach stewardship principles to the next generation. Investing in eternity is part of God’s plan for us and the next generation.

Faith and Governance: The Roles of the Ministry Board

Wisdom. Dedication. Leadership. Advisors. These are all terms commonly used to describe nonprofit board members. And all of these terms are applicable and relevant. But what about board members of the average nonprofit ministry? Is there one role that is more needed or desired over another? Or should other roles be added to the list?

To start, ministry board members play a unique role that contrasts with the secular nonprofit boards. Ministry board members are involved in spiritual work, that is, the mission of their organization takes its lead from the Lord and so all that comes under the heading of the organization is subject to the Lord’s leadership. This may sound overstated, but you might be surprised at how some board members of Christian organizations forget their spiritual roles.

Yes, there are common obligations for both secular and Christian boards. For example, board members have responsibility for the organization’s mission and strategic direction, for ensuring its fiscal health, for hiring and evaluating an executive director, for being an advocate of the organization, for making and monitoring policy, and for developing resources. In the Christian organization, let’s add to the list these items: ensuring the witness of the institution, promoting a Christian worldview, maintaining standards based in Scripture, and keeping the organization accountable to God.

Ministry board members have a double dose of responsibility. One thing is certain–continued success for the ministry depends on regular prayer and seeking the Lord’s direction above all else. Board members should not take this role too lightly. Spiritual direction is key and should drive all other decisions of the organization.

This spills over into developing support for the ministry. Board members must view fund-raising not as a transaction, but rather a chance to be involved in the transformation of the giver. When we understand that God owns it all and that we have a duty to be good stewards of all entrusted to us, it becomes exciting to be involved in the asking process. This is a direct invitation to lay up treasures in heaven, to have something credited in heaven to the giver’s account.

As ministry board members grab hold of the transformation process and realize the significance of their roles, they will be better equipped to exercise faithful leadership for the organizations they serve.