Chapter 17: Leading Without Praise

 

When the King of Kings speaks a
The people do not know He is among them 

The next best alternative is a recognized leader whom people praise and love b

The next is an intimidating leader whom people fear c

The worst is an incompetent leader whom people despise d
They have no faith 
Have no faith in them 

The Master proceeds calmly a

He fulfills His promise and settles matters e
Then the people say, “Amazing, we did it naturally!”


a John 10:25-39; John 1:10-14; b John 12:12-13; John 8:54-56; c Matthew 23:1-8; d John 9:39-41; e John 19:28-30.



Trinitarian M.A.P.

Mindset, Aim, and Practice are the three pillars of a spiritually guided path rooted in Love, Trust, and Faith, empowering us to fulfill our God-given mission. Understanding the Love of the Father will shape our MINDSET, opening our hearts to Trust in the teachings of the Son to direct our AIM, and empowers us to deepen our Faith in the Holy Spirit to guide our daily PRACTICE.

Mindset:

  1. Embrace Humility and Service

    • Mindset: Approach leadership or any position of influence with a focus on empowering others rather than seeking recognition. Understand that the highest form of leadership is often quiet, serving others without drawing attention to oneself. This echoes Christ’s teaching that “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26).
    • Real-World Application: In any leadership role or influence sphere, prioritize helping others achieve their best rather than taking credit. Aim for outcomes that empower others to say, “We did it,” focusing more on collective success than personal acknowledgment.

  2. Practice Faith and Integrity in Leadership

    • Mindset: Have faith in the work God has set before you, knowing that true strength in leadership lies in integrity, transparency, and trust. Fear-based leadership is not sustainable and misaligns with God’s purpose, as fear distorts relationships and reduces trust.
    • Real-World Application: Lead with a character of transparency and integrity, building trust through consistent, respectful actions. Trust that God’s guidance and timing will bring about the best outcomes, as in Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

  3. Seek Inner Stillness to Act in Wisdom

    • Mindset: Stillness and reflection allow you to discern God’s guidance, bringing clarity to decisions and actions. By being calm and patient, you invite God’s wisdom to direct your steps and avoid impulsive actions that may misalign with His will.
    • Real-World Application: Before making significant decisions, create time for quiet reflection and prayer, allowing God’s peace to settle over your mind. As seen in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God,” this calmness allows space for divine insight to emerge, helping you act with wisdom and patience.

  4. Empower Others by Recognizing Their Strengths

    • Mindset: The best leaders recognize the gifts in others, encouraging independence and growth rather than dependency. This mindset creates a supportive community where each person feels valued and capable of contributing meaningfully.
    • Real-World Application: In a team setting, focus on mentoring and uplifting others by identifying and nurturing their strengths. This approach aligns with the example of Jesus, who empowered His disciples, sending them out with authority and trust (Luke 9:1-2).

By cultivating humility, faith, stillness, and empowerment, you prepare yourself to make decisions that are both wise and aligned with God’s will. This approach helps foster a mindset of peace and purpose, rooted in serving others and trusting God’s guidance.

 

AIM:

  1. Aim for Humility in Leadership and Influence

    • Focus: Approach roles of influence with humility, recognizing that the highest leaders do not seek personal glory but work for the benefit of others. This means valuing others’ contributions over seeking recognition.
    • Application: When in a position to lead, prioritize empowering others rather than seeking praise. Ensure that people feel valued and encouraged to succeed collectively. This approach allows the team to own the achievements, fostering a collaborative environment.

  2. Aim for Integrity Rooted in Faith

    • Focus: Establish a foundation of trust and authenticity by leading with integrity and relying on God’s wisdom. Rather than leading through fear or control, focus on transparency and sincerity, which cultivate trust.
    • Application: Let your actions be guided by genuine care and honesty. Engage others with respect, making decisions that reflect God’s principles. Build trust through consistency, demonstrating that faithfulness, rather than fear or dominance, leads to lasting influence.

  3. Aim for Stillness and Reflection before Acting

    • Focus: Before taking any significant steps, create time for inner stillness, allowing God’s wisdom to clarify your direction. Practicing patience prevents rash decisions and opens space for divine guidance.
    • Application: Incorporate time for prayer, meditation, or quiet reflection into daily routines. Before making a choice or starting a new project, seek peace and clarity through stillness. This mindful preparation often leads to clearer insight and better alignment with God’s purpose.

  4. Aim for Service over Self-fulfillment

    • Focus: Shift the mindset from personal gain to serving God’s purpose, letting go of the need for self-fulfillment. This reflects a humble attitude of service, where actions are motivated by faith and a desire to fulfill God’s will rather than self-interest.
    • Application: Approach tasks and interactions with the intent to contribute rather than gain recognition. Serve with an open heart, allowing God’s purpose to take precedence over personal ambition. By putting God’s will first, your actions become aligned with His plans, creating a fulfilling and impactful life.

By focusing on humility, integrity, stillness, and service, you set a foundation aligned with the chapter’s principles. Each of these aims supports actions that flow naturally from a place of inner peace and faith, leading to a purpose-driven life grounded in God’s will.


Practice:

  1. Unity and Oneness with the Divine

    • Universal Truth: Many religions teach the concept of returning to or aligning with a divine source. This principle is evident in Taoism as the Tao (the Way), in Christianity as unity with God through Christ, in Islam as submission to Allah’s will, and in Hinduism as union with Brahman, the universal soul.
    • Application: The call to live in harmony with a greater reality reflects a belief that ultimate peace and wisdom come from surrendering personal desires to a higher will. This resonates as a timeless spiritual goal across faiths, encouraging the faithful to find inner peace through divine alignment.

  2. Humility and Service over Self-fulfillment

    • Universal Truth: Selflessness and humility are valued across religions, from Buddhism’s emphasis on reducing attachment to Judaism’s call to serve others as acts of tikkun olam, or “repairing the world.” The idea is that by letting go of ego and serving others, we align more closely with divine intentions.
    • Application: Acting with humility and serving others is often seen as a path to a meaningful life. In real-world application, this means prioritizing others’ well-being, aiming to uplift, and fulfilling one’s duty selflessly—universal aspirations across all major spiritual traditions.

  3. Inner Stillness and Clarity

    • Universal Truth: Nearly every major faith promotes a practice of introspection or meditation to cultivate inner peace. Christianity, Buddhism, Islam (through practices like Sufism), and Hinduism all value quieting the mind to deepen spiritual connection and gain insight.
    • Application: Seeking stillness through prayer or meditation is recognized as essential to understanding oneself and divine truths. Practically, this can mean setting aside regular time for personal reflection, grounding one’s actions in faith and wisdom rather than impulse.

  4. Acceptance of a Greater Order and Timing

    • Universal Truth: Religions often encourage acceptance of divine timing and understanding that life events unfold according to a larger order. In Judaism and Islam, there is an emphasis on trusting God’s plan. Christianity speaks of God’s sovereignty, and Hinduism describes this as karma or cosmic order.
    • Application: This principle inspires patience and faith, encouraging individuals to trust in a divine plan even during challenges. It’s a call to recognize that our understanding is limited, and that trust in a higher order brings peace, even in uncertainty.

  5. Compassionate Action and Ethical Living

    • Universal Truth: The call to act with compassion is a thread woven through all major religions. In Christianity, love of neighbor is paramount; Buddhism’s teachings emphasize compassion; Islam’s Quran highlights mercy and kindness, and Hinduism stresses ahimsa, or non-violence.
    • Application: Practicing compassion in all actions is encouraged as it leads to harmonious relationships and a more just world. Religions universally call for actions that reflect kindness, ethical choices, and a commitment to uplift others, underscoring the value of living a life aligned with higher moral standards.

Through these principles, this chapter of the Christian Tao Te Ching reflects truths that bridge differences and emphasize shared values in spiritual traditions worldwide. This alignment shows that while doctrinal beliefs may vary, the core pursuits of unity, humility, peace, patience, and compassion are universally valued as pathways to divine truth.



Universal Language of Truth

The New Evangelization aims to unite all people and nations through a universal language of truth that speaks to diverse cultures, histories, and faiths. This chapter highlights our commonalities rather than our differences. Through this, we become the "Light" of the Holy Spirit for others to follow in the Body of Christ, illuminating His presence in the world.

  1. Unity with the Divine

    • Across religions, there is a concept of returning to or aligning with a divine source, whether it’s the Tao in Taoism, unity with God in Christianity, submission to Allah’s will in Islam, or union with Brahman in Hinduism. Each of these traditions expresses the idea that the ultimate goal of life is to align oneself with the divine source, reflecting harmony with the highest truth.
    • Real-world application: Individuals seek to align their actions with divine will, knowing that ultimate peace and wisdom come from surrendering personal desires to a higher purpose.

  2. Humility and Service over Self-Centered Goals

    • Selflessness and humility are seen as virtues in all major religions. Christianity emphasizes loving one’s neighbor as oneself, while Buddhism promotes reducing attachment to self, and Judaism and Islam call for serving others as acts of devotion. By focusing less on self-centered achievements and more on benefiting others, people align more closely with divine intentions.
    • Real-world application: Humility and service involve prioritizing the well-being of others and fulfilling one’s purpose selflessly, which fosters harmony and growth in communities.

  3. Inner Stillness and Clarity

    • The principle of cultivating inner peace is evident across religions, such as meditation in Buddhism and Hinduism, contemplative prayer in Christianity, and reflective practices in Islam (like Dhikr, the remembrance of God). By quieting the mind, practitioners of all faiths seek wisdom and divine guidance, emphasizing the importance of inner peace as a foundation for outward actions.
    • Real-world application: This principle encourages setting aside time for self-reflection and grounding decisions in faith and wisdom, leading to actions that align with spiritual insight rather than reactive impulses.

  4. Acceptance of a Greater Plan

    • Religions encourage trust in a greater plan, known as God’s will in Christianity and Judaism, fate or Qadr in Islam, and karma or cosmic order in Hinduism. Each faith highlights the importance of surrendering to divine timing and understanding that life events are part of a larger design that might not always be understood in the moment.
    • Real-world application: Acceptance of divine timing fosters patience and faith, especially during difficult times, as it encourages trust in the divine and a higher purpose beyond immediate understanding.

  5. Compassion and Ethical Action

    • Compassionate action is at the heart of many religious teachings. In Christianity, Jesus’ command to love one’s neighbor, Buddhism’s emphasis on compassion, Islam’s call for mercy and kindness, and Hinduism’s principle of ahimsa (non-violence) all urge people to act with compassion and ethical consideration.
    • Real-world application: Practicing compassion creates harmonious relationships and a more just world, as individuals are encouraged to act with kindness and uphold ethical standards for the benefit of all.

By following these principles, this chapter of the Christian Tao Te Ching offers a vision of harmony that transcends religious boundaries, demonstrating that the core aspirations of unity, humility, inner peace, acceptance, and compassion are central to all major faiths. While teachings may differ in form, these shared values reveal a universal framework for living in alignment with the divine and fostering a more compassionate and just world.

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