Tips of Wiseberg #2. Simon Sinek. "Leaders Eat Last".
Mar 1
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Guntars Baikovs
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Wisdom. Divine wisdom.
We understand wisdom as God’s good and wise design for our lives, as principles built deep into the very fabric of creation and society. Why would you need it?
Because, it is like a super power, like magical glasses. God’s wisdom gives to you the ability to see clearly and to understand deeply what works in this world and what doesn’t and why it is so.
The interesting fact is that a lot of contemporary research, the good one, describes the same deep principles that God’s wisdom gives you upfront. Which means that to know God’s wisdom is observably and measurably beneficial
for you.
We understand wisdom as God’s good and wise design for our lives, as principles built deep into the very fabric of creation and society. Why would you need it?
Because, it is like a super power, like magical glasses. God’s wisdom gives to you the ability to see clearly and to understand deeply what works in this world and what doesn’t and why it is so.
The interesting fact is that a lot of contemporary research, the good one, describes the same deep principles that God’s wisdom gives you upfront. Which means that to know God’s wisdom is observably and measurably beneficial
for you.
Tips of Wiseberg #2. Simon Sinek. "Leaders eat last".
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Simon Sinek and his book “Leaders Eat Last.”
A very insightful book, as are other books by Simon Sinek. Very insightful!
He describes quite a few phenomena which are examples of how this wise and good design of our Creator works in practice.
For example, Simon Sinek describes in detail how our need for hierarchies and leadership is rooted in our biology. They are. Then he moves to show that it is the feeling of safety that is our main engine of progress and must be ensured by the group and its leader.
Thus, the argument goes, that hierarchies and the need for leadership who will provide for us safety are built into the very fabric of creation – determining how we function as individuals and groups – and when there are those hierarchies and when those is positions of responsibility care for the safety of those under their care, that leads to our flourishing.
Great insight!
As Christians, seeing this world through the “glasses” of God’s wisdom, we can joyfully exclaim: “That’s right, Mr Sinek, that’s how the good and wise design of our Creator God works!” More, we can explain why it works this way.
There is one teaching in particular which helps to make sense of these phenomena.
And that is… the teaching of the 4th Commandment. Yes, yes, you heard me correctly. I know the numbering differs in different Christian traditions. We are here talking about this one – “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
Commandments are not just rules… not even God given rules. They are so much more… They summarize and describe God’s good and wise design for human beings and they also protect God’s good gifts.
Now what gift does the 4th commandment protect, and how does it summarize God’s good and wise design for our life? Very briefly…
We could say that the 4th Commandment gives us the gift of order and peace and safety, which we receive through those in positions of responsibility. Parents, teachers, employers, managers, pastors, government officials, etc.
This is God given hierarchy, and the first prototype or archetype we see already in Genesis two. The first family unit. And the purpose of God-given hierarchies is to deliver us God’s blessings of order and peace and safety and generally of good life: “That your days may be long…”.
If parents are up to this task and children receive their care, they all flourish. If leaders are up to this task, and those employees under them receive their care, they all flourish. If teachers are up to this task and students receive their care, they all flourish. If pastors are up to this task and their parishioners receive their care, they all flourish.
But if parents, leaders, teachers, pastors are not up to this task, or if children, students, parishioners, employees don’t receive it, no one flourishes. We can observe this all around us. It is very simple. But also, profound.
See, Biblical wisdom, or “Glasses of wisdom”, they help us to understand what works and what doesn’t and importantly – why it works.
Thanks to Simon Sinek for highlighting this!
A very insightful book, as are other books by Simon Sinek. Very insightful!
He describes quite a few phenomena which are examples of how this wise and good design of our Creator works in practice.
For example, Simon Sinek describes in detail how our need for hierarchies and leadership is rooted in our biology. They are. Then he moves to show that it is the feeling of safety that is our main engine of progress and must be ensured by the group and its leader.
Thus, the argument goes, that hierarchies and the need for leadership who will provide for us safety are built into the very fabric of creation – determining how we function as individuals and groups – and when there are those hierarchies and when those is positions of responsibility care for the safety of those under their care, that leads to our flourishing.
Great insight!
As Christians, seeing this world through the “glasses” of God’s wisdom, we can joyfully exclaim: “That’s right, Mr Sinek, that’s how the good and wise design of our Creator God works!” More, we can explain why it works this way.
There is one teaching in particular which helps to make sense of these phenomena.
And that is… the teaching of the 4th Commandment. Yes, yes, you heard me correctly. I know the numbering differs in different Christian traditions. We are here talking about this one – “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
Commandments are not just rules… not even God given rules. They are so much more… They summarize and describe God’s good and wise design for human beings and they also protect God’s good gifts.
Now what gift does the 4th commandment protect, and how does it summarize God’s good and wise design for our life? Very briefly…
We could say that the 4th Commandment gives us the gift of order and peace and safety, which we receive through those in positions of responsibility. Parents, teachers, employers, managers, pastors, government officials, etc.
This is God given hierarchy, and the first prototype or archetype we see already in Genesis two. The first family unit. And the purpose of God-given hierarchies is to deliver us God’s blessings of order and peace and safety and generally of good life: “That your days may be long…”.
If parents are up to this task and children receive their care, they all flourish. If leaders are up to this task, and those employees under them receive their care, they all flourish. If teachers are up to this task and students receive their care, they all flourish. If pastors are up to this task and their parishioners receive their care, they all flourish.
But if parents, leaders, teachers, pastors are not up to this task, or if children, students, parishioners, employees don’t receive it, no one flourishes. We can observe this all around us. It is very simple. But also, profound.
See, Biblical wisdom, or “Glasses of wisdom”, they help us to understand what works and what doesn’t and importantly – why it works.
Thanks to Simon Sinek for highlighting this!
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