I had the pleasure this week to spend time with Pastor Bob Bender of Christ Fellowship, Boynton Beach campus.
Bob is such a warrior for Jesus, it was apparent that he very well might be able to move mountains. I was so blessed by the interaction that I wanted to give you the golden nuggets he dropped on me to hopefully bring value to you.
A little background on Pastor Bob. He was a TV News Anchor, and I have to admit he has a stage presence even in a personal interaction that leaves this old sales guy a little jealous. After he signed off, he decided his best and highest impact would be in the middle school classroom. Not just any classroom, he sought out a tough school to bring impact. After his stint in the classroom he rolled into the logistics world by helping international students acclimate, adjust and thrive in a boarding school environment. God has pulled his strings back into service and he is impacting his world with the love of Jesus everywhere he goes. He is a father of 5 (FIVE) children ranging from 12-6 years old. I didn’t meet her yet, but I am assuming his wife Amy is of higher caliber and special skill to help this guy run as efficient as he appears to run.
With a person as committed as Pastor Bob it was so refreshing and engaging to hear him use the phrase “cannibalism of time” as he described the challenge of work life balance and integration. Essentially, he understood that to be the type of husband and father he was called to be, he had to be a certain type of professional that wrangled the chaos out of his professional life.
He views his time from an ancient Greek stance. We can choose to either see our limited resource of time as Chronos, which is quantitative, finite. Remember, Chronos was the Greek god that devoured his children, and in Greek culture the word Chronos personified time. The imagery of eating ones one children (or future) lends itself to the destructive inevitability of time – it gets all of us.
Kairos on the other hand is a much more suave concept, much like Pastor Bob. Kairos is a rhetorical concept from Greek culture that basically means knowing what is most appropriate or most important in a given situation. BOOM. Did your mind just explode like mine did at the table with Pastor Bob?
Pastor Bob might just be the embodiment of our “Big Three” concepts of Quality of Life, Sustainability and Financial Independence. its all about the Kairos.
He also shared my next book title – “Who is this Man” by John Ortberg. The author breaks down how inextricably the impact of Jesus has been on our world and how profound a way his influence weaves its way into all aspects of our life. I am excited for this next book on my list!
A guiding theme of our conversation was Philippians 4:8 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Be well! Enjoy your Friday!
June 23, 2018 - 4:41 pm
Thank you, Tim. You are far too kind, but you absolutely have it right that my wife is a superstar and the family hero. For me the critical perspective shift that Kairos represents is that time is a gift. Both Chronos and Kairos point to time as a finite and limited resource, but Kairos appreciates it as a gift and lives from that mindset of a generous soul. Chronos treats it as a commodity and looks through lenses of scarcity.
It was a pleasure connecting with you. May your family and ministry be blessed!