— by Joe Crawford
2020 was an unprecedented year with far reaching effects into many areas of our lives. Direct health impacts, financial setbacks, polarizing emotions, and uncertainty all made their way into our personal and professional lives. Abilene and Lubbock Aero were no exception. We learned some valuable lessons, experienced spiritual growth, and are excited about the future. Anytime our company experiences adversity, I like to reflect on our lessons learned and seek the knowledge revealed through hardship. As Solomon said in Proverbs 18:15, “An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.”
The purpose of engaging an honest examination of how our company responded to the trials of 2020 is simple: We want to honor Christ by being a resilient and steadfast company, advocating for our employees and customers, while advancing Kingdom principles. We know from James 1:3 that “testing produces steadfastness,” and I believe a Christ-centered company should be buoyant on strong seas.
As George W. Bush said in his speech memorializing the five Dallas police officers gunned down in 2016, “Too often we judge other groups by their worst examples while judging ourselves by our best intentions.” The politicization of COVID-19 made visible a flurry of opinions on everything from vaccines and masks to public gatherings and social distancing. All this during a time of a very divisive presidential election made some spirited debates in our industry. Diverse opinions seemed to assault the senses. This climate made it easy to judge others, and in many cases, to verbalize that judgement in the form of disrespectful speech. The question is, how do we as believers and leaders foster a godly environment of honoring all people, when no one seems to agree on anything?
I believe the answer is overtly simple, yet difficult to implement. We must recognize that we are not responsible for changing the minds of others. We are not called to be the convicting presence of the Holy Spirit for other people. We are called to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves, in that order. These are not “results-based” commandments. They are intended for the sender, not the receiver. The receiver’s thoughts and behavior are his or her responsibility, not the sender. It is our individual charge to cultivate the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control….” These are produced through presence of the Holy Spirit in our own lives.
If we as believers respond to a differing opinion—even if it opposes Scripture—with anger, harshness, and uncontrolled tongues, that behavior is revelatory, not justified. We as Christ-centered leaders must assume responsibility for our own thoughts and behaviors before we can cultivate a God-honoring environment. General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s famous quote on leadership sums this point well: “Pull the string, and it will follow wherever you wish. Push it, and it will go nowhere at all.” We must control our own thoughts, emotions, and speech before expecting others to do so.