Achuckallen

Instigating Better

Leadership

Politics and Theology

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October 21, 2021

We live in a strangely spiritual world here in America. On the one hand, we are more spiritual than ever and yet less religious than ever before. We are a country founded on Christian principles, yet we have and still fight over race, gender, and faith systems.

I doubt that a backwoods pastor|author|speaker like me can help that dysfunction, but I’d like to take a shot at what is a gross misrepresentation (maybe) of how our theology can get our faith in trouble when we replace it with politics.

I’m a political junkie. There, I said it. Whew! But I’m so disgusted by the way we have replaced our convictions with policy and politics. Please don’t hear me say that they do not intersect, but listen to me when I say that we have gone way past the point of reason.

I grew up in the home of a politician and pastor. I watched my dad serve as a voice of reason and delineate the difference between the two. Dad never seemed to replace his convictions grounded in his faith with the party politics, even though he was a state chairman of one of the two major parties. He somehow found a way to be a Republican without blindly going along to get along.

Here are the “things” that I fear we “evangelicals” are dangerously close to or have already crossed the line in.

  1. All policy matters. All policy affects all other policies. To choose a party, person, or policy, we must see the person’s whole and the entirety of the platform.
  2. The idea that any single person is qualified to run the country is truly a silly concept. The people the person surrounds themselves with are of equal or greater significance than just the person.
  3. To assume that as a Follower of Jesus, you must support one party and park your brain regarding the immediate contextual concerns is ridiculous. There are extraordinary people of faith on both sides of the aisle.
  4. We must be confident that we do not worship any person, plan, party, or policy. Let our worship be connected to God alone.
  5. The voice of American Christians is far more vocal when it comes to our political preferences – or favorite news channel – than we are about the wonderful Christ we claim as Savior. No explanation needed, I fear.
  6. We must be willing to question our motives when it comes to our politics. The Christian life doesn’t change leaders every four years. He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is not subject to voters and their whims.
  7. Character and decency matter as much as toughness and savvy. It’s an age-old challenge. But I am confident that the ends rarely justify the means. How we lead is as important as what we accomplish.

Let us not confuse our politics with our faith-filled convictions. We are a great country. Let’s not slip into another political has been and depart from the framework of integrity, decency, and honesty.

Peace, Chuck

Happy People Don’t Do These 4 Things

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AChuckAllen

It seems odd to suggest that in this world, you can accelerate happiness in your life. But you actually can create a sense of peace and genuine happiness within your soul if you so desire. If that’s the case, then why are so many people unhappy?

In a recent article from Discovery Magazine, I read the following; “The richest countries are not happiest, the healthiest countries are not always the happiest. The happiest countries are the ones who do have the highest levels of a whole range of things,” says John Helliwell, an editor of The World Happiness Report and professor emeritus of the Vancouver School of Economics. “They include, especially, a willingness to trust each other to work for each other and to come together in times of difficulty.”

From that and our everyday life experiences, we know this to be true. I’ve heard from countless people that “money can’t buy happiness.” Or my favorite, “stuff can only make you temporarily happy.”

I’ve written plenty of things you can do to increase your happiness, but here are four things that genuinely happy people DON’T DO.

  1. Genuinely Happy People Don’t Compare Themselves to Others. Eckhart Tolle once said, “Stop looking outside for scraps of pleasure or fulfillment, for validation, security, or love — you have a treasure within that is infinitely greater than anything the world can offer.” Staying in comparison mode will rob you of the lovely soul that the Divine created to be you. God made no mistake when you were created. Every molecule that helps make you the incredible, fantastic you are unique, and wonderful has a purpose that only you can deliver into this world. To compare your awesomeness is a discredit to both you and God. You know what you’re worth, right? Happy folks do because they don’t seek validation outside of themselves. Happy people understand that it comes from a sense of self-awareness — in their way.
  2. Genuinely Happy People Aren’t Selfish, They Serve Others. Every study on the planet proves this to be true. Give a bit of your time, your skill, your kindness, and yourself, and watch happiness wash into your soul. A Chinese saying goes: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” Our passion should be the foundation for our serving others. It is not how much we give away but how much love we put into giving it. It should not be simply a matter of choosing the right thing, but also the importance of deciding what is suitable for us. God said that He loves a cheerful giver. Like all of life…it’s a matter of our hearts.
  3. Genuinely Happy People Aren’t Rigid. Every time I meet a happy person, I seem to discover this truth – they are naturally flexible. If I could add one piece of scripture to the New Testament, I’d add another Beatitude to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. When we remain flexible, we remain less stressed and less anxious. Hence, we are happier. Staying fixed in our certainty can steal the happiness from our soul. Discover the joy and margin found in your flexibility. My addition? Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
  4. Genuinely Happy People Guard Their Yes and No. Happiness is often connected to having a margin in our calendar and schedule. When we say yes to everyone and everything, we might be fueling an addiction to please people. I’ve discovered that this addiction is as powerful as alcohol, cocaine, or nicotine. Without guarding our yes and no answers, we give away our margin, grow frustrated with others, and punish both ourselves and those we love. If you want to choose happiness, guard your yes, and no’s.

Don’t settle for temporal happiness when you were created for meaningful, purposeful, and eternal happiness. Get grounded in your faith, your family, and your community. Then stop comparing yourself to anybody, give yourself away, get flexible, and guard your yes and no.

Peace, Chuck

Two Lessons I’ve Learned Since My Last Birthday

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October 11, 2021

I turned 62 years old yesterday. In the past 365 days I’ve learned so many things about this world, and about me. Out of all the various lessons learned, these two have become the most significant in my life. I pray that they will be an encouragement to you on this Monday..

  1. You only have a few people that truly love you. Invest your life into being the very best you that you can be – for them. I have hundreds of meaningful acquaintances. I have dozens of meaningful relationships. I have a few really good friends. Even fewer extraordinary friends. And then there is my family. I’m beyond blessed. Six daughters, seven grandchildren, and an amazingly wonderful wife. I love what I do, who I serve, and where I live. I’m as perfectly imperfect as you can get, and yet, I’m happier than I’ve ever been. What is the key to this life I am describing? Realizing how incredibly grateful I am and expressing that in the following order: 1) God, I’m grateful for these people today. 2) God, I’m grateful for these two things today. Start every single day with gratitude. I promise you that this small addition to your morning routine will radically change the trajectory of your attitude and your perspective.
  2. Social media isn’t your friend. It will cause you to waste time, act impetuously, present yourself as you are not, and create new insecurity, and lack of security. Determine to cut your social media time to less than 15 minutes each day for one week, then less than 10 minutes the next week. Replace whatever time you would have spent on social media with reading a book or magazine. Maybe even the Bible. This is equally true for your preferred news channel. Both social media and so-called news channels will rob you of peace and joy. Walk away from both of these peace and time thieves.

Both of these simple changes will provide a greater degree of peace, time, joy, and contentment in your life. It really will! If you are like most Americans, you could use a considerable increase of peace, time, joy, and contentment. Why on earth would you not try and invite these four elements into your life?

Peace, Chuck

Three Life Skills Nobody Taught Me

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October 4, 2021, | AChuckAllen.com

You know you are getting to “that age” when you talk about what you’ve learned the hard way. Before you know it, you’ll be explaining how hard you had it as a kid, and kids these days don’t know how good they have it. Yikes! I’m not ready for that stage just yet, but I have learned three life lessons that nobody taught me or could teach me. These lessons were indeed learned in the more complicated way of experience.

  1. It’s always better to make things right, as opposed to proving you are right. Seriously, this is one of those lessons that you can teach, preach and plead. But you learn it the hard way. This one will save you a ton of heartache. To be in the right relationship with someone is far better than being correct.
  2. Arguing with a police officer is never a good idea. You say, how did you not know that? Because I am stubborn, hot-headed, and not the sharpest hook in the tackle box. If an officer in rural South Carolina stops you after midnight, it’s never a good idea to offer your honest thoughts on his quaint little town.
  3. Recognizing a Mountain from a Molehill. I’d heard all my life that you shouldn’t make a mountain out of a molehill, but nobody taught me how to differentiate between the two! Here is the key. Does weighing in, contributing to, or differing with make an immediate difference? Does my injecting more words or opinions actually provide help, encouragement, or truth to the conversation. OR? Am I simply talking more and asking everyone else to listen? I now know that many of my opinions do not add to a solution or truth, they are simply opinions. Knowing which is which helps hugely!

Go in Peace, Chuck

10 Things I Learned in My 20’s But Believe in My 60’s

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  1. Take care of your body now or you’re going to ache when you’re older.
  2. Don’t waste one second trying to keep up with anyone. Nobody will care in a few years.
  3. What goes up will someday come down. Failure is inevitable. Learn from it.
  4. Forgive more freely and you’ll live more freely.
  5. You’ll never regret spending more time with your family.
  6. Lose your weight and eat healthy now. The older you get, the harder it is to lose weight.
  7. Peace is the greatest commodity in this life.
  8. If you don’t have anything good to say, it’s your fault.
  9. Read your Bible daily and you’ll be happier every day.
  10. If you’re sick, stay home. Nobody wants what you have.

Peace, Chuck

How to Fix the World

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AChuckAllen.com

I know! Who would possibly think you could fix all of the world’s problems in one article? Well, I’m not so naive as to believe that you can improve the world with the following seven ideas, but I’ll guarantee you, these seven would radically make our world a better place to live in.

Seven ways to FIX THE WORLD.

  1. SLOW DOWN. Seriously, slow your life down and get off the hamster wheel. Constant hurry robs you of your peace and happiness. Always running creates health and emotional sink holes in our lives. Science and faith agree on this. Research on naps, meditation, nature walks and the habits of exceptional artists and athletes reveal how mental breaks increase productivity, replenish attention, solidify memories and encourage creativity. The Scriptues remind us of our need to “be still.” I find myself, and many of my circle of friends are addicts. Addicted to productivity to the degree that productivity hacks become our life’s theology. That’s a dangerous slope to live on.
  2. DON’T BE A BUTTHEAD. I’m passionate about this one. If every morning we chose to not be a butt with each other, life would be so much better. Here are a few thoughts that might apply to you.
    – Don’t Be a Butthead to “That Annoying Person in Your Life” – I think of dealing with annoying people like managing a dam on a river. Every annoying thing they do is water flowing into the reservoir. You can manage that by letting water pass over the dam, or you can let it build until the dam breaks. The dam breaking is you being a jerk and screaming, “I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOUR DIET! CAN’T YOU SEE I’M BUSY?!”
    – Don’t Be a Butthead to a Butthead. When presented with butthead behavior, just take a deep breath and put yourself in their shoes. Your responding in kind just escalates whatever negative stuff that’s in the air. If you can help it, do so.
    -Don’t Be a Butthead Because You’re Having a Bad Day. We all have bad days. Maybe your child is sick, a project is late, or a supplier sent parts that were all damaged in transit. Stuff happens to all of us, but not everyone responds by being a butthead. If the bad thing is your fault, own it, and move on. The worst your employer can do is fire you, and I’d rather be fired for messing up (as we all do from time to time) than for being a butthead. The people around you will see that you handled this setback with grace, and it will be remembered. If you handle stress by being a butthead, that will also be remembered.
  3. TURN OFF YOUR DEVICES. Imagine a day without answering every text like your life depends on it. Or stopping at a traffic light without checking your email. How about this – can you imagine talking with your family rather than comparing your likes and follows with everyone else?
    -Your brain will work better. By now most of you have heard of the many scientific studies that show the brain can’t actually multitask. What feels like multitasking to us is actually the brain switching rapidly among tasks. It feels good, and provides plenty of stimulation–something the brain tends to like. But it makes us the opposite of productive.
    -You’ll get better at solving problems. The biggest concern with constant connectedness is that people stop thinking. It’s very hard to think when you’re constantly interrupted, or distracted.
  4. FIND YOUR SACRED SILENCE. Two ideas with this one: 1) Every day, we all need to have a few minutes to meditate prayerfully, and 2) We could all talk less and make less noise. What a wonderful world it would be if we had less noise in our lives?
    –Silence offers opportunities for self-reflection and daydreaming, which activates multiple parts of the brain. It gives us time to turn down the inner noise and increase awareness of what matters most. And it cultivates mindfulness — recognition and appreciation of the present moment.
    – Silence also has physical benefits. “When we’re frazzled, our fight-or-flight response is on overload causing a host of problems,” says Dr. Sullivan. “We can use calm, quiet moments to tap into a different part of the nervous system that helps shut down our bodies’ physical response to stress.”
    – That means, being still and silent can help you: Lower your blood pressure Decrease your heart rate Steady your breathing. Reduce muscle tension. Increase focus and cognition.
  5. LEARN THE POWER OF GRATITUDE. We humans are naturally selfish, greedy, and ungrateful. If we were to experience widespread gratitude, we would become aware that when you are grateful, what you have is more than enough.
    – “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.” – Harvard University
  6. EXERCISE MINIMALISM. When we become grateful, we exercise minimalism. Minimalism is the art, and appreciation of less is more. We stop buying what we do not need, and we stop comparing what we have to everyone else.
    -Minimalism isn’t just a concept that helps us reorganize our homes and lives in a more effective and aesthetically pleasing manner. In fact, minimalism can be a helpful way to combat mental illness of all degrees of severity, from anxiety to schizophrenia and back.
  7. PRIORITIZE JESUS. I know this to be true. When we get Jesus in the proper priority within our life, we will get every other issue right. Notice that I didn’t say, get your going to church life, right? I didn’t say, look more christianly, or talk more like a church person. It’s this simple – properly prioritize Jesus and watch how all the world’s pettiness and angst are replaced with peace, contentment, and gracious living.
    – When asked what was the most important commandment, Jesus dropped the mic, when He said, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’ The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

I never said it would be easy, but it is simple.
Seven personal steps to better the world – immediately!

Peace, Chuck