New Name

Recently (i.e. this morning) I decided to give the blog a new name. The purpose of the blog has not changed. I still am seeking to think God's thoughts after him in order to restore the image of God in me. But with the help of a friend and collegue, I realized that the latin phrase "restituo imago dei" actually translates "I restore the image of God." That doesn't sound presumptuous, does it? I also get weird faces from friends when I tell them about my blog. So, for the sake of theological precision and of keeping my friends, here's the new name of the blog - Repair the Ruins (http://www.repairtheruins.blogspot.com/)

The name comes from something I read by J.C. Ryle about the image of God.

"We can acknowledge that man has all the marks of a majestic temple about him - a temple in which God once dwelt, but a temple which is now in utter ruins - a temple in which a shattered window here, and a doorway there, and a column there, still give some faint idea of the magnificence of the original design, but a temple which from end to end has lost its glory and fallen from its high estate" (Holiness, 4).

Since our first parents rebelled against God, the image of God in man has been in ruins, has lost its glory, and must be repaired. While in all of us there are faint reflections of our potential, the image of God has been distorted and corrupted by sin. We have lost the ability to use our potential his way. That's where the gospel comes, for no other way can bring us back to God's original intention for us. May God continue to give me grace to restore the image of God in me and those whom I love so much!

Great Ideas that Shape Leadership

I was not a leader growing up. As a teenager, I was the image of the sluggard in the book of Proverbs - never starting tasks, never finishing them, and always making excuses. I lived according to my own rules to satisfy my own desires. As my parents watched me waste my life away during those years of rebellion against God, they were heartbroken, frustrated, and exasperated. What can change such a life other than the power of the Gospel (Romans 1:16)!? Looking back on what I was like in that season, I guess I can learn a little bit about what God is decidedly NOT, and also what leadership is decidedly NOT.

I want to begin another series of posts about another topic which needs a biblical worldview: leadership. I tell you a bit about my past, because I am not the same person now. I love leadership, and I want to understand more how I should think about this topic. Why? Well, God is restoring the image of God in me, and I think leadership is one way I can reflect what God is like. Here is one great idea to consider when shaping a biblical worldview of leadership:

God is sovereign (Psalm 24:8; Jeremiah 32:17). Like I've done with understanding other great ideas, I want to turn to Wayne Grudem and get his help in understanding what Scripture says about this topic. Here's an excellent quote from Grudem's Systematic Theology (BTW this book really has been one of the most influential books in my life): "God's sovereignty is his exercise of rule (as "sovereign" or "king") over his creation" (217). Like a benevolent dictator ruling over his realm, the sovereingty of God is his exercise of authority over creation.

So what, though? What difference does this idea make in leadership? In my next post I want to reflect one just one implication for leadership. Before moving on, though, I should share something else I learned from Dr. Grudem. I think I would be mistaken if I said that only the sovereignty of God shapes our view of leadership, because God is unified in himself. In other words he cannot be divided into parts (Grudem, 177). When God acts in any way, all his attributes are reflected. Some are more emphasized than others, though. When we lead, then, I think we emphasize the sovereignty of God more than other attributes (like wisdom, goodness, etc.), but that fact does not nullify other attributes we reflect when we lead.

"Now what?" to the Trinity

We show what we truly know about something when that something shapes the way we live. Recently, I've been considering one great idea that can shape our approach to sports and coaching: The Trinity (by the way, I think this presuppositional idea shapes the way we lead as well). In this post, I review one implication of the Trinity for sports and then I want to suggest one way we might coach and lead differently in light of this truth.

Implication #1: Because God is one and exists as three persons, the individual players on our teams are different from one another and should be assigned differing roles. In this way as God's image bearers, we reflect the Triune God. But now what? How will we coach differently?

Communicate roles and make those roles meaningful. Like each person of the Trinity, the players on our team will have different roles. Determine those roles after evaluating their strengths and weaknesses and communciate those roles to the players. As much as you can, set your players up for success, but also put challenges before them. Adjust those roles when circumstances change or when a player shows you something. If you can, talk to your players with one or both of the parents present. As often as you can, tell your players what you think about the job they're doing in their roles. Encourage and be honest. After a game follow up with players who didn't play or who made lots of mistakes.

Also like the Trinity, the roles of each player should be meaningful. All team members contribute. If they don't or can't, then we do not serve them by inviting them onto a team. In other words, don’t keep a player who will not contribute significantly on the present team and in the present season. Oh, when I say "contribute", I mean giving something that helps the team achieve its goals, including winning. Since winning in sports is one goal (not the chief goal), I do think players should have something to give in games that helps the team win, maybe not in every game, but in a lot of games.