Southwest Airlines is one of the most amazing business success stories in American history. In his book, “Start with Why,” Simon Sinek points to their clarity of purpose as a key to success.
“In the early 1970’s, only 15 percent of the traveling population traveled by air. At that rate, the market was small enough to scare most would-be competitors to the big airlines. But Southwest wasn’t interested in competing against everyone else for 15 percent of the traveling population. Southwest cared about the other 85 percent. Back then, if you asked Southwest whom their competition was, they would have told you, ‘We compete against the car and the bus.’ But what they meant was, ‘We’re the champion for the common man.’” (p.71)
Jesus Christ is THE most amazing success story in world history. In the Gospel of Matthew, He points with clarity to His mission and therefore, as believers, our mission.
12 “What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13 And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. (Matthew 18:12-14)
It’s interesting how Biblical principles often flow over into the business world. Southwest Airline left the 15 percent to pursue the 85 percent. Jesus left the 99 percent to pursue the 1 percent. The lesson here is that in order to get different results we have to be willing to do different things. Southwest went where other airlines weren’t willing to go; the common man. Jesus went where comfort wasn’t and where the math didn’t seem to dictate…after the lost sheep. How does the clarity of Christ’s purpose inform the behavior of the believer? How does it inform the priorities, programming, and planning of the local church? What should the church do? Or, as Francis Schaefer once put it, “How should we then live?” Jesus is the champion for the common, un-churched, un-saved, man.
This is exactly why ministries such as Celebrate Recovery are so important. For various reasons many of the unsaved and hurting don’t want to start out at a regular church service. For some they feel that they have strayed so far away from God He doesn’t want to hear from them. Many times they fear rejection by people of the church. But with ministries such as CR they can test the waters so to speak and find a safe environment where they are accepted unconditionally. Thank God our community has this wonderful resource available for all of us seeking a safe place to fall.
Thank you for sharing these 3 pages with us. I too had to learn humility and am so grateful our Lord and Savior did it without hurting me or taking the wonderful time praying for the ill. When I had my vision about Mandy, my niece and knew right that moment she was going to be healed from stage 4 cancer, I couldn’t wait to “brag” how the Lord gave me the vision and assurance she was going to be fine. It happened with my other niece and again I couldn’t wait to “brag” about how she was going to be standing as straight as the tree in the field. The Lord lovingly, but firmly put it on my heart to “hush”. There is a saying that we don’t let the right hand know what the left hand is doing. I take that to heart now as I continue to pray for the healing of those who need it. I just keep the “bragging” to myself and thank my Lord and Savior for His faithfulness. I often ask God to please not to take this “gift” away because of my ignorance when I felt it necessary to announce the greatness of my prayers between God and me. Your 3 pages have also made me aware of how short I am in other parts of my life. There is always room for improvement and I’m always open to the Lord’s commands. Thank you again. Sharon