Strategic

In Psalm 73, we see words expressed by the writer about pursuing the things of God and regarding Him as our source:
25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
26 My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Our love for God and desire to live holy lives should really permeate all that we engage in.  Our call is to come into a relationship with Christ and bring Him glory, so that in our conduct, people can see Him.  That's consistently in our everyday behavior and it may very well be in a specific cause, or assignment, that He calls us to pursue.  Consider that you have been placed in strategic positions so that you can be a person of influence for Him - in your family, in your workplace, and in your church family.

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The Bible teaches us that we are to honor God wherever we are, whatever we do - and that includes bring Him glory in our occupation, with the people with whom we are called to work.  Colossians 3
says:
23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,
24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Many in the evangelical Christian community have felt an affinity for the point of view that has been advanced on the Fox News cable channel.  And, really, you have to admit that there are really two Fox News - s...the news reporting side and the editorial side.  My perception is that a good deal of the network's programming is devoted to coverage of news stories, but then you have the programs that are characterized by telling people how to think about the news - those would include Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson, and...until this week, Bill O'Reilly.

In an unexpected and ironic juxtaposition of events, the departure of O'Reilly over allegations of sexual harassment in the workplace, which he denies, coincided with the release of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People.  There is one journalist on the list, and she is also a former Fox News host.

Her name is Gretchen Carlson, and her confrontation of what she regarded as a toxic element of the corporate culture at Fox after her firing from the channel was not lost on news reporters and commentators over the past couple of days.  In the short biography found on the TIME website, Katie Couric wrote of Carlson, "Gretchen Carlson's very public stand against Fox News blew the lid off a corporate culture that seemed to perpetuate sexual harassment—from the executive suite to the anchor desk," adding, "Her resolve led to the downfall of one of the most powerful men in media, Roger Ailes."

Couric also wrote, "Now Gretchen is shining a light on the fine print in employment contracts that force victims into arbitration and secret settlements, leaving the public in the dark."

It is important to note that there have been different characterizations of Roger Ailes and his approach to women.  Some have described a "toxic culture," according to the Hollywood Reporter, while others early on came to the defense of the now-departed Mr. Ailes, according to the same site.  One lady who believed Ailes early on, Greta Van Susteren, said she "regretted" that defense now that she has departed - that's according to Deadline.com.

So, the head of Fox News and arguably the face of the cable channel are gone.  So are Gretchen Carlson, Megan Kelly, and Greta Van Susteren.  CNN and MSNBC are out to build audience.  Tucker Carlson moves into O'Reilly's slot next week and The Five moves to 8 p.m.

I don't think that you can liken Fox to the Titanic just yet.  And, while there have been internal management struggles, the content, by and large, has been fair and favorable toward people of faith, and you have some people at the channel who are devoted Christians, so I can hold out hope that matters important to Christians and our worldview would be dealt with evenhandedly.

I'll share a few names and talking points here momentarily.  But, first of all, congratulations to Gretchen Carlson for making the TIME list.  Her devotion to the Lord has been well-documented, and after her departure from Fox News, she took a moral stand against behavior that she had observed and found to be offensive.  The Fox website published an excerpt from her 2015 book, Getting Real, just after it was released, in which she writes:

One thing I noticed right away was that Fox was the first place I’d worked where it was okay to talk openly about faith on the air.

I was pleased, of course, but it also made sense to me. For me faith has never been an abstraction, but a real part of my life. I don’t think of faith as a political talking point or a matter of debate, as it is often portrayed. Faith is a meaningful part of the culture, and where our culture is headed is a pretty important topic.

I don’t mind that people call me a culture warrior for my stance on faith issues, even though it is often meant in a derogatory way. I think if you believe something, you should say something. That’s the code I live by. But the most important thing I have to say about faith is that it’s real, and being a person of faith makes me more real.

A CBN News profile says:

Carlson, who was raised Lutheran, said her Christian faith helped shape her into the woman she is today.

"As a journalist you're supposed to ask a lot of questions. It's the one thing I don't question in life, and I feel so blessed that I don't," she said about her faith.

This year, at the National Religious Broadcasters convention, there were three Fox News hosts in attendance - one was Sean Hannity, who is working with Kevin and Sam Sorbo on a faith-based film called, Let There Be Light, to be released this fall.  There's also Lauren Green, who has written a book called, Lighthouse Faith.  A publisher's note found on the Fox and Friends website says:

Fox News Religion Correspondent Lauren Green uses her wealth of stories, vast network of contacts, and her own extensive study of theology to take the reader on a unique journey of spiritual discovery. With few female authors writing in the field of theology, Green provides an important perspective to all who wish to move closer to not only a deeper relationship with God but an understanding of what makes that possible.

And, you have someone whom I will regard as the contender for "Mr. NRB," currently held by Bob Lepine, who MC's a number of different events each year.  But, Todd Starnes was the moderator for three public policy sessions, sharing the stage with James Dobson, the Sorbos, the Benham Brothers, and David Limbaugh. Starnes has written, The Deplorables' Guide to Making America Great Again.

Other Christians at Fox News include Fox and Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt, who has written a children's book called, Take Heart, My Child: A Mother's Dream.  A CBN News article told part of her faith story:

When she's not on the air, Ainsley spends time with her one-year-old daughter, Hayden, for whom she wrote the book.

She says the Bible was the inspiration for the title.

"Because of the scripture, 'Take heart, I have overcome the world," Ainsley explained, referring to the verse from John 16:33.

She goes on to say: "I feel like I can take heart because I know that He's in control, and I want Hayden to know that she can take heart. God is in control. I will never let her go. I am always here for her, and I will love her unconditionally, the way that God loves me."

Earhardt also relates that she is free to share her faith on Fox.  So, no matter what the future of the news channel may be, there does seem to be a Christian presence, which I would hope would have a positive influence on the content.

So, today, on this Famous Friday, when I look at God-instances among popular people, it's important that we continue to be reminded about developing good sources of news content.  You may not agree with everything you see on Fox, but it's helpful to know that you have people strategically placed there who are carrying the banner of faith.  Always, always, make sure the sources you trust are consistent with your worldview.

There is also an element of conduct here, as we return to the recent departures of high-profile people at Fox News.  As a Christian, you are a witness in the workplace.  Men should treat women with respect and honor, we should seek to maintain a positive environment on the job, doing our work as unto the Lord.  How we conduct ourselves with our co-workers is a reflection of Christ - it's a high standard, but we can be confident that we have the Holy Spirit, who goes before us.

I also want to explore very briefly the importance of pursuing a cause.  After her departure, Gretchen Carlson took a cause upon herself - it has opened doors to share her experience and to perhaps bring greater awareness to what is proper and what is not in the workplace.  This is a cause, I think, that could possibly be considered to be consistent with her faith perspective.  Perhaps God is strategically placing you in a position where you can call attention to a cause, to speak out, to organize an event, to make contacts, in order to pursue a godly outcome.