Crappy Cars & the Contents of Our Hearts

All this can be yours, but act now!

There is a car for sale in the hills of Virginia. It is a faded black VW Bug with some sort of flame-thrower strapped onto the back. A haphazardly hung slice of cardboard displays a crudely scribbled sign that reads: For Sale.

Now, I know this is America and we have a right to sell whatever we want to the highest bidder, but this purchase, aside from some comedic value, has zero appeal to me. Perhaps some look at it and see an opportunity; I see a liability.

I see car repairs, towing fees, and annoyed insurance companies. I see sweat, aggravation, and a splintering barage of profanities. I see the evening news headlines reading, "MAN BLOWS UP CAR JUST TO WATCH IT BURN!" & "MAN BUGGED BY VW, DESTROYS CAR, CLAIMS CHINESE CONSPIRACY."

In case you haven't noticed, I am not going to buy this car...

Does this mean this car is a total waste?

Are its best days behind it?

Should we write it off because we cannot deem it any worthy value by our own standards?

???

I know a girl who is wrestling with a tough decision. She feels God pulling her in a direction and has been looking for advice. She has sought counsel on the subject from some key people in her life, both in her family and in the church. I don't know exactly what advice she has been given, but I know she has walked away from those conversations feeling hurt, confused, and wrong.

Wrong???

Just because she thinks God is leading her...

I am all for wisdom in a multitude of counselors. The Bible teaches this and I have seen it play out successfully with people, but wise counsel is much more than giving a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to someone's dreams. When we talk about dreams, we are talking about the contents of a person's heart. This demands the utmost care and attention, especially for those who wear a mantle of authority. God says that he will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4); a leader's job is to cultivate those desires.

If God gave those desires, then I don't want to crush them. I want to nurture them. Yes, temper them if necessary, but, ultimately, I am a vision facilitator, not a vision decider.

Whether it is the bright, young student who could be a worship leader, but her character is in question, or the walking Bible Dictionary who is ackward around people, or anyone in between, each person deserves some room to dream--even if you know that dream is completely unrealistic...

Somebody will value that little black VW enough to keep it -- even if that someone happens to own a junkyard. Value in people, on the other hand, is measured beyond utility, but in the currency of the heart. Gain the trust of a person, and that person will fight on your side in every situation you face in your leadership. Attempt to control that person, no matter how subtly, and you will create just another church burn victim.

That girl may change her mind in three weeks about what she feels leapping in her heart, but for any of us who speak into other's lives, it is paramount to remember that how we speak to, and treat, people lasts far beyond whatever "advice" we give.