Stop Pointing, Start Living

Weekday Posts
Written By Dean Collins

By Dean Collins

I remember reading All I Ever Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten right after it was released in 1989. It might be a good book to revisit. Robert Fulghum listed many simple things that we did learn, or maybe should have learned, that we sometimes forget. Here are a few items from Fulghum’s book:

  •  Share everything and play fair.

  • Don’t hit people and say you’re sorry when you hurt someone.

  • Clean up your mess.

  • Wash your hands.

 I glanced through the book because I couldn’t remember if we were reminded not to point. It wasn’t there, but I thought maybe it should have been. Pointing is generally not considered socially acceptable. And most parents try to correct their children when they point at others. Pointing can embarrass someone, and it can also be seen as a threatening act, which could cause someone to engage in angry or even violent behavior.

 Lately I have noticed that while we know better, we engage in a lot of finger pointing. It is a part of the growing cultural norm of catching someone doing something wrong and making sure that everyone knows about it. You see this behavior a lot in places like Facebook and in the comment section of most any social media site.

 One day, the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come. They may have been genuinely interested, or they might have asked as another way to get Jesus to say something they could point to and call him out on. Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ Or ‘There!’” 

 If you read the Sermon on the Mount and other words of Jesus, you come to realize what Jesus meant when he finished his answer to the Pharisees: “Behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you,” or as N.T. Wright translates it, “within your grasp.” In other words, we are the ones that reveal the kingdom of God when we say and do or practice the ways of Jesus. Our obedience reveals God’s kingdom to others.  

 As Christ followers then, we do not need to form a Christian club or even political party to show the world God’s kingdom. But what we must do is learn to love, forgive, practice generosity, welcome the stranger, care for the poor, and all the other basic things Jesus did to demonstrate how much he loves us and everyone else.

 If we get stuck on organizations to show the world what the Kingdom looks like, I think we might just miss the very things Jesus asked us to humbly do, namely, love God and love others.

Father, transform us by the power of your Holy Spirit that we might daily reveal your kingdom through our acts of love and service to others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Your Time with God’s Word
Luke 17:20-21 ESV

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Dean Collins

Pastor, campus minister, counselor, corporate employee, Fortune 500 consultant, college president—Dean brings a wide range of experiences and perspectives to his daily walk with God’s Word. 

In 1979 he founded Auburn Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational campus ministry that still thrives today. In 1989 he founded and became executive director for New Directions Counseling Center, a service that grew to include several locations and counselors. In 1996 he became vice president of human resources for the CheckFree Corporation (3,000 employees) till founding DC Consulting in 1999. He continues part-time service with that company, offering executive leadership coaching, organizational effectiveness advice, and help with optimizing business relationships.

His latest pursuit, president of Point University since 2006 (interim president 2006-2009), has seen the college grow in enrollment, curriculum, physical campus, and athletic offerings. He led the school’s 2012 name change and relocation from Atlanta Christian College, East Point, Georgia, to Point University in West Point, Georgia. Meanwhile, he serves as board member or active volunteer with several nonprofits addressing issues ranging from global immunization to local government and education. 

He lives in Lanett, Alabama, with his wife, Penny. He has four children (two married) and five grandchildren. He plays the guitar, likes to cook, and enjoys getting outdoors, often on a nearby golf course. 

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A Heart for the Lost