Andy Stanley outlines the argument he makes in his new book, Irresistible, and coaches leaders on how to have conversations with Christians who have walked away from their faith as well as atheists who have never believed.
Andy also talks about how he had to overcome judgementalism in his own faith journey, and talks openly and honestly about the impact his critics have had on him and how to respond when you get criticized as a leader.
Welcome to Episode 217 of the podcast. Listen and access the show notes below or search for the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and listen for free.
Guest Links
AndyStanley.com | Irresistible | Twitter
Access to the deleted chapter and other bonus features for Andy’s new book Irresistible
Links from this Episode
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3 Insights from this Episode
1. There are no loopholes found in the love of Jesus
The singular call to love each other the way Christ loved us is a simple command and yet, Christians have a way of making it seem so complicated. Is it because when we fully break down what it means to love this way there are no loopholes? No room to make excuses for why someone doesn’t deserve a love from us that exemplifies what our Savior demonstrated on the cross?
Perhaps we’ve overcomplicated it because we just really want it to be more demanding. But by adding rules, we’ve pushed ourselves away from the roots of our faith. Our faith is not founded on a long list of rules. It is founded on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
2. When Christians become defensive they stop learning
Christians often view science as an adversary. Scientific discoveries are immediately discounted or considered a threat. Why are we so defensive?
What if Christians began to view these advancements as opportunities to underscore, rather than undermine, our faith? When we become defensive, we stop learning. And there is still so much for us to learn. We need to be students, not critics.
3. Healthy leaders view criticism as an opportunity to grow
A leader can receive one hundred compliments a day without giving them a second thought, but when one negative comment gets thrown your way it can be deflating; as if the world has turned against you. Criticism is unavoidable in leadership. What’s important is how you process it. I blog about it here. Instead of getting easily offended and defensive, view the negativity as an opportunity to grow as a leader.
Learn from your critics – There’s always something to be learned in criticism. Look for the legitimacy of the complaints. Is there any sensible truth in what they said? Try to understand how they came up with their views of your words. Could you have communicated your points in a better way?
Practice positive confrontation – You need to confront the source of criticism. The faster you reach out, the better, but make sure you’re in a calm headspace first. If you overstepped, apologize. If you didn’t overstep, try to clarify your point so that you’re better understood. There’s no guarantee you’ll win your critic over, but at least you opened the door for more sincere dialog in the future.
Quotes from This Episode
CNLP 217: Andy Stanley on How to Share Your Faith in a Post-Christian World, How to Respond to Your Critics, Overcoming His Judgementalism and the Irresistibility of Love Click To Tweet CNLP 217: Andy Stanley on How to Share Your Faith in a Post-Christian World, How to Respond to Your Critics, Overcoming His Judgementalism and the Irresistibility of Love Click To Tweet CNLP 217: Andy Stanley on How to Share Your Faith in a Post-Christian World, How to Respond to Your Critics, Overcoming His Judgementalism and the Irresistibility of Love Click To Tweet CNLP 217: Andy Stanley on How to Share Your Faith in a Post-Christian World, How to Respond to Your Critics, Overcoming His Judgementalism and the Irresistibility of Love Click To Tweet CNLP 217: Andy Stanley on How to Share Your Faith in a Post-Christian World, How to Respond to Your Critics, Overcoming His Judgementalism and the Irresistibility of Love Click To TweetThe podcast releases every Tuesday morning
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Next Episode: Francis Chan
In a moving and passionate conversation, Francis Chan talks about why he left his megachurch in Simi Valley, how he’s battled both pride and fame and why both can be so dangerous, what he learned while living in Asia, and how he (accidentally) planted a radically different church in San Francisco that feels like the Airbnb of church.
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