How to Hold on to the Greatest Commodity of the Smart World

I heard a podcast in which a futurist was discussing the smart world we are building, and business leadership in it (I wish I could tell you which interview, but I honestly don’t remember). I do remember them saying they believe that the greatest commodity in the coming age will be morality. Those who have it will win and those who don’t will lose. While I think this is always the case we see the value of morality more and more every day.

What is the common thread linking all the recent school shooters? They were fatherless.

What is the quickest way to lose credibility in the current marketplace? Cheat on your wife or embezzle money.

What scares people about all the information being gathered by Google? How will it be used to hurt people.

The hope of the world is that somehow, some way, someone will be able to bring to her a morality that will bring families peace, give leaders integrity, and keep us all safe. Jesus offers this kind of peace, because he is transcendent with a moral code that caused him to give his life and a power that goes beyond death.

Still, even followers of Jesus struggle to maintain their morality in the rise of worldly opportunity and temptation, so here are a few ways we can help each other maintain morality:

1.      Stick to God’s Standards –

So often the reason people are not willing to hear us talking about morality is they hear us expressing our own standards. Now our standards may match God’s standards, but there is a different tone when we share His truth than when we demand people keep a standard we have adopted. It is as different as the Baptist Billy Graham and those from Westboro.

Billy Graham held firmly to the truth of God’s word, but never made that requirement of others. He offered it humbly and powerfully as the way of life and hope but did not demand that all mankind adopt it. He simply held out God’s standard as true and let people decide for themselves what they would do with it.

Too often we are found picketing immorality when we ourselves struggle to maintain righteousness in our own walk. We place heavy burdens of guilt on those who need salvation. Instead of hope, we offer condemnation. This is not God it is us.

2.      Pray Humbly –

For those in authority, whether over large groups, small tribes, or just our family, we need to pray humbly that God will help us to maintain our direction. Each moment we need to be listening for the Holy Spirit to prompt direction.

 Technology is here to stay, and even grow, but how we use it to benefit life and the gospel is up to us. We need to find where God is moving and join Him. This takes daily prayer, both talking and listening.

3.      Don’t Walk Alone –

Especially those leading in the marketplace or community. We must not walk alone. One of the greatest lies that the Devil has perpetrated is that you don’t need other people. So many men in the Western World live alone. When temptation comes, they try to stand alone. Not only is this fool-hearty, it is unbiblical. The Bible is replete with instructions to lean on each other.

Unfortunately, many leaders don’t know who to lean on. I have spent the last 4 years as part of a group called Marked Men for Christ in which we hold each other in prayer and help each other hear from God. I have started a few similar groups in my own church. We seek to help each other hear from God not to teach each other directly.

I also have started leadership coaching. What is a leadership coach? The leadership coach walks beside a leader to help them discover, remember, and pursue truth so they can walk powerfully and humbly. As a Christian leadership coach, my focus is on Christian business leaders and pastors. This allows me to walk with people in their life, faith, and industry and help them discover the best in all of them.

Whether you find a group or hire a coach. Don’t walk alone.

The future is bright for those who are willing to fight for their morality and the morality of those they lead. The world can be changed for the good and become more Star Trek than Hunger Games, but only if we stand for God, in humble prayer, together.