I wrote Friday about trust. To go deeper into the word, Gary Hamel, writing in his latest book “What Matters Now,” says, “Trust is not simply a matter of truthfulness, it is also a matter of amity and goodwill. We trust those who have our best interests at heart, and mistrust those who seem deaf to our concerns.”
That has been a problem with leadership in the Christian church for centuries. Especially so maybe today. In the United States it has become possible for preachers using the reach of TV to build empires accumulating much wealth. But it’s hard to emphasize that and have followers think you have their best interests at heart. The empire eventually crashes.
We are supposedly living with the “Me Generation” in charge. There are many people who think “me first.” This attitude is often reflected in our political leadership. When I was studying sales (to become one of them), I was taught to tune into my customer’s radio station WII-FM — what’s in it for me. Too often that is what the salesman is thinking–but about himself, not the customer.
At this time of year especially, think about Jesus–not to mention Peter, Paul, John, Stephen and the others. They certainly didn’t exhibit the WII-FM attitude. Thank God.
It is a challenge to us to try to live counter to the prevailing culture of self-centeredness. When we lead, do we exhibit truthfulness, amity and good will? That’s a good thing to stop and think about.
Faith Venture 
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