day 440: Shielding

When you sit in the CEO role or a senior executive position you get "shielded" from many things. I used to get upset with CEOS, Executives and Politicians who were caught unaware of things happening within their organizations and then when asked would say something to the effect of, "I am shielded from those kinds of things?" It's not until you sit in one of those chairs that you learn that there is so much that happens within a company that it is impossible for one person to know it all. That is why we surround ourselves with great people and ask them to take on important segments of the business so that if we are the leader, we sleep well at night knowing that we don't have to know it all. Inevitably, every leader gets bitten somewhere along the way by something that others would think, on the surface, was a detail that the leader should have understood, grasped and managed, but in this one instance someone dropped the ball and the outcome is embarrassing or worse yet looks like the leader wasn't properly informed and managing. Seldom does someone step forward in that situation and say, "we shielded all of this from the boss". Instead it is the boss left trying to explain to people why he/she wasn't all over the details and managing better. Any of us who have led at this level know what it is like. It is like drinking out of a water hydrant every day and trying to know when and where to go deep and where and when to stay above the details so that others can lead and manage without too much interference. What I can say is that if you have surrounded yourself with the right people who share your values and principles and continue to act in a way that is representative of those values and the highest integrity then things should be okay, even when there is a stumble. And, there should never be a reason that someone feels like they have to shield something away from the leader. Only God should shield any of us, but in the other definition of giving us a shield for our own safety and protection. In Proverbs 2:7 He makes a promise; "He is a shield to those who walk with integrity". If you are feeling today like you are caught in that awkward spot between being shielded away and having the real shield of God over you, then taking a look at how much integrity you have might be the answer to coming out of the catch. Walking with integrity is like having God walk in front of us carrying the shield that keeps the evils away. If we can learn to live and work with the highest of integrity then God will deliver on His promise and put His shield over us. That shield is the shield that keeps us protected and secure in Him. Ask God to shield you today, and then today try that shield on for size.

Reference: Proverbs 2:7 (New Living Testament)

day 120: Our Shields

The security guards that protect our work buildings and protect us throughout the day while we are at work many times are given a badge to wear or stitch onto their uniforms. The badge is the miniature symbol of a shield. The shield is what warriors and knights carried to protect themselves when in battle. We all go to work each day with our own shields drawn that we have created and we carry them around with us all day long. Those shields are made up of sometimes impenetrable emotions and defensiveness. Sometimes they are made up of a routine set of 50 questions we always ask that keep people from asking us something we don't want to answer. Sometimes our shields will just be our posture and the look on our faces that tell everyone around us that we are not to be approached. Regardless, we all carry our shields. The question is, "are we carrying the shield that God wants us to carry?" In Ephesians 6:16, we are told: "In every battle you will need faith as your shield...". We all need our shields to make it through the battles and the rough patches that we have with the other people at work. But, we need to be sure that our shield sends the right message to the others at work. In the Sunday School class I teach (4th and 5th graders) we are currently making shields each week and we are decorating those shields with symbols that would represent who we are and what we want other people to see about ourselves. These symbols on shields have throughout time been part of the message to fight off others. When the knight would hold up the shield with the representation of the ferocious lion carved into the metal the other party could not help but be struck by the message of courage and fierceness that was about to come their way. We should all realize that we do the same each and every day and that the shield that others see is reflective of who we are. So, today can we each think about the shields that we put up and ensure that that what everyone else sees is the shield of God's faith, carved and decorated with the symbols of the Christlike demeanor and attitude that reinforces, not detracts from our purpose.

Reference: Ephesians 6:16 (New Living Testament)