Have You Left Jesus In the Car? By R. Scott Rodin

Three Danger Signs that You Have Left Jesus in the Car?

By R. Scott Rodin~

I had a friend recently who lamented, “I drive to work listening to Christian music, praising God and sensing that Jesus is right there in the car with me. I pray out loud and enjoy some great fellowship time. Then I park at work and leave Jesus in the car. All day I work through frustration, disappointment and conflict. I leave exhausted, go out to my car, turn on my music, and Jesus is there again for the ride home. So why can’t I take him into work with me?”

How many of us leave Jesus in the car? Why do we choose to face the greatest challenges of the day without the One who said that ‘without me you can do nothing’? (John 15)

If we are to be faithful steward leaders, we must look for the following warning signals that we are going it alone in our life and work. It is a dangerous place to be, for us and for our people.

‘Me, Myself and I’

When you read through your ‘To Do’ list for the day does it sound like this, “I need to get that done, they are counting on me for that project, I will have to work hard to get that done, my work on this project will be demanding…” See the pattern?

What is missing is a mindfulness of the presence, power and provision of the God who called us into this work. When you catch yourself in this ‘going it alone’ mindset let the Spirit confront you, then reread your list without using the first person singular. See if it doesn’t transform the day’s preparation into a discipline of mindfulness, marked by a diligent seeking after His guidance, listening for His direction and submitting every challenge to His care and counsel.

‘Be Anxious for…’

A second warning sign is the onset of anxiety, fear or stress. Why would we be fearful in the presence of Jesus? What could possibly cause us anxiety if we are communing with the God who promises to deliver us from all trouble? How could we be stressed in the service of the One who declares to us that His burden is easy and His yoke is light? The key here is acknowledging who is in control. The more we seek to control our work, our processes, our people and the outcomes of each, the more we prove we are going it alone. We strive for a control we can never achieve while ignoring the One who always was and always will be in control of all things. We pretend we are owners and leave the true owner in the car. And as owners seeking control, we will always be rewarded with fear, anxiety and stress.

The steward leader understands that if God is the owner of everything – our work, our people, our strategies, our finances, our struggles and our future – then our first and most important work is knowing His will for all we do. Commit today to know the victory that comes through surrender and choose to reject the ownership attitudes that usher in the fears and anxieties for which Christ came to set us free.

Absorb and Deflect

Here is a simple test to see if Jesus is in your workplace or in your parking lot. It goes like this; owner leaders absorb praise and deflect criticism, steward leaders absorb criticism and deflect praise. Simply put, owner leaders are in bondage to their ‘go it alone’ approach to leadership, and as a result they seek applause and bristle at criticism. Steward leaders find freedom in the mindfulness of their reliance on God and are set free to accept critique and let others get the credit. When we work in a constant mindfulness of Jesus’s presence and power it works in us both humility and courage. Without it, we are thrown back upon ourselves and our own cleverness and skills, which always disappoints.

These are the three warning signs that tell us we have left Jesus behind through either neglect or intention. Commit today to come against these leadership killers with a humble and contrite heart, ready to turn back to the God who never left, the Savior who never forsakes, and the Spirit who always provides.

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R. Scott Rodin PhD., has a passion for helping God’s people discover the freedom and joy of the faithful steward. He is president of The Steward’s Journey and Kingdom Life Publishing.

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