Uncommon Knowledge

Mark McCormack, in his leadership book The 110% Solution, states that leaders need to lead from a position of uncommon knowledge.  In other words, plans and strategies shouldn't just be based upon information available to anyone (i.e., 'common knowledge'), but that which is out of the normal, the expected, the routine.

In reflection, this is how Jesus led and functioned.

- The common knowledge: One boy's bag lunch is enough to feed one boy. The uncommon knowledge: With God, one boy's bag lunch could feed a multitude.

- Common: The young girl was dead.   Uncommon: Her death was turned into 'just asleep' by Jesus.

- Common: Lazarus in the tomb for four days, "Lord, he stinketh!"   Uncommon: He's ready to bound out of there.

- Common: With the crucifixion--the Jesus movement was dead.   Uncommon: With the resurrection--WOW!

You see this in numerous examples elsewhere in the Bible:

- Common: Egypt was a great power.   Uncommon: Egypt will be brought to its knees by seven years of famine--but God will work in and through Joseph to accomplish His plans.

- Common: A young shepherd boy has no business going to battle with a Philistine giant.   Uncommon: David has to slingshot only one stone and God will guide it to kill Goliath.

- Common: Gideon going to battle with 300 men against an army of 132,000--CRAZY!   Uncommon: The battle had already been won.

God's Word is full of uncommon knowledge.

But one thing I'm struck with is that uncommon knowledge does not mean unknowable knowledge.

"You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free." (John 8:32) 

"Call to Me and I will answer and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3)

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1) 

The faith walk is not a walk based on what we see and already know--the common. It is based on the world of the unseen, the spiritual, the supernatural--the uncommon.

God wants us to follow Him (and lead others) out of the relationship of knowable Truth.  And knowable Truth always reveals uncommon knowledge. And uncommon knowledge takes us to the place God wants us to be--and there is no better place to be!

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