I’m memorizing the “armour of God” passage that’s found in Ephesians 6:10-18. I chose this section because I’m convinced that temptation is a lifelong struggle. I’ve been able to develop some degree of willpower over the years, but without the power of Christ, I’m still a slave to sin. I need more than personal effort to keep myself from falling. 

As I’ve studied the words in the first few verses and repeated them over and over again, I’ve noticed things that I never before saw in this passage. For instance, the word “stand/withstand” appears in verse 11 and then is quickly used three more times in verses 13 and 14. The image that now comes to my mind is not that of an attacking warrior, but of a soldier who is standing in the confidence of knowing that his armour is outfitted with God’s power and presence. The enemy cannot prevail so long as he stays alert and uses his weapons accordingly.  

But in order for this to happen, the soldier must do something that I never before realized. He must “do everything” (NIV). Standing firm will be the result of “having done all” (ESV).

What then is the “thing” that needs to be done? This is the question I’ve been asking myself as I keep repeating this verse and committing it to memory. And it has led me to study this passage so that I will gain a better understanding for how I can keep standing when the evil one attacks.

This experience has made me grateful for the various ways that I can read and interact with God’s Word and it makes me think about how each practice relates to another. 

I’m fascinated with the story of Jonah and it has nothing to do with the fish. Don’t get me wrong; I have nothing against the fish—it plays a critical role in the story. I just find it challenging to relate to this part of the story.  

Jonah, on the other hand, is easy to relate to. He’s more dramatic that I am, but I see himself in his story nonetheless. Jonah is a runaway and I find that I too have my moments of running away from God. 

I’ve never boarded a ship destined to Tarshish, but I have developed other ways of turning away from God. I’m guessing you’ve done this too because most of us are experienced runners. 

Most of us can spot a runaway without much difficulty, but it’s harder to see this in ourselves. Based on Jonah’s story, here are a few signs that might help you discover if you’ve begun to wander. 

1. You’re willing to sacrifice a lot for a questionable purpose  

Jonah flees to Tarshish which is noteworthy for two reasons: it’s in the opposite direction from Nineveh and it’s clear across the Mediterranean Sea. Jonah’s voyage would have been very long and very expensive which indicates that he’s willing to sacrifice a lot to avoid Nineveh (the detail about Jonah paying the fare helps us understand this point). 

The call to follow Jesus is intertwined with the call to live sacrificially. However, it’s possible to sacrifice things that don’t move us closer to Jesus. We must ensure that our sacrifices truly have God-honouring purposes before taking action. 

When you make a costly decision, do you invite others into your decision-making process or do you have a habit of doing this on your own? 

2. You point to your feelings to justify your actions 

It’s not uncommon for people to experience physiological side effects when something in their life is unhealthy. But the absence of indigestion or sleepless nights shouldn’t give us complete confidence that our direction is perfectly aligned with what God is asking us to do.  

There are few ideas that scare people more than the thought of becoming a mentor. Being a mentor is often associated with having great wisdom and being ready to deliver profound advice on a moment’s notice. While these skills are certainly helpful, the qualities of an effective mentor are quite basic. In fact, I am confident that you have experience in each of the skills that are foundational when mentoring others. Here are four skills for helping people take next steps based on the Leader Breakthru Coaching approach.

Skill #1 - Listening

We all know that listening is important. Yet, most leaders are not listeners. We typically pre-conclude and make recommendations because we think it’s more efficient. Leaders like to fix people and things quickly.

Active listening is holding off judgment and really trying to hear what the other person is actually saying and even thinking. To do this, we need to practice the 80/20 rule – listen 80% of the time and only talk 20%.

Here are five tips for listening better:

1. Listen with your mind – Pay attention to what the other person is saying. Don’t let your mind drift to other matters, even though they may be pressing. 
2. Listen with your body – Body language often communicates more than our words. Active listening means that we are facing the person and maintaining appropriate eye contact (and not looking at our cell phone).
3. Listen with your words – It’s important to summarize what you think the other person is saying, so that you know you’re hearing correctly (and so the other person knows you are listening and care about the conversation).
4. Listen with your intuition – As you are listening, you will sometimes begin to “hear” things beneath the surface. Your intuition will notice subtle cues that will help you say things that nudge the conversation in productive directions.
5. Listen with the Spirit – If you’re a follower of Jesus, you can be confident that the Holy Spirit is guiding you. Ask Him to give you insight into the conversation and then to guide your responses.  

Take a moment to look at the picture below. What do you see? What’s happening in this person’s life?