The Squeaky Wheel

Ever had anyone say that to you? “The squeaky wheel gets the grease????” What in the world does that mean? I don’t know if there is a moral in that little sentence or not. If there is I would like to find it. After leaving a ministry position that was a high water mark for me, I found myself in a larger church with infinitely greater resource and the promise of my share of those in order to replace what I had walked away from and to build something even greater.

I quickly discovered that although the claim was a greater one, this mine had more prospectors and I felt that I was at the back of the line. Youth pastors are traditionally at the bottom of the food chain and I was starving. There was probably a touch of resentment and bitterness at leaving what was so good on the basis of such hollow promises. I was starving for a relationship with my Sr. Pastor which never really happened. You can call that desire weakness, I call it normal. One of the many factors precipitating my coming to this church was the chance to rub shoulders with the man at the helm. I respected him – no worshipped him inordinately. He had been a long term ministerial hero. Today I respect and love him greatly but I have such regret at having been so close and yet so far away from him.

For the first seven years there we passed like ships in the night. As much as he may have wished to, he couldn’t share or even see my passion for youth ministry. I wanted to find an enthusiastic response to my plans and even some of the neat creative frills that I added here and there. I found most of the time a sterile, antiseptic reception to these ideas. An incoming call would signal the end to our brief meeting or I would get the message after the fiftieth furtive glance at his watch. After a point, I gave up and stopped trying to build that relationship. I transitioned from my youth pastor role and stayed another seven years trying still to figure out this oft repeated phrase. “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”

I remember another staff member hatching an idea for a one day event that would cost $70,000.00. It was grandiose, almost lavish. We invited two major media personalities and nearly 1,000 assorted participants including a symphony group from a neighboring city, choirs from other churches to a total of 500 voices etc. . . .. Bottom line (which the driven personality always wants a person to “cut to”) was an attendance of just over 5000 people and a slight over run on the budget. The total cost of the event was $120,000.00. At a point of frustration when the church decided to do it again, promising to be more fiscally responsible, I asked the pastor about the youth center that I was promised. He mumbled something about a squeaky wheel to me in reference to the staff member who lead the charge into the ill fated production. By the way, we were much more successful the second time around. We had 2000 less people in attendance for two performances and cut our losses from a $50,000.00 deficit to a mere $20.

After that conversation, I decided that no matter what it cost me I would never be a “squeaky wheel” because no matter how much grease it gets there is most likely something wrong with a wheel that constantly squeaks. There may be something wrong as well with the person who just keeps greasing it.

So what does this statement mean?

1. If you want to get what you want learn to squeak and keep squeaking until you get it? I learned that this was not a good idea when I was a child. My Dad, in not so many words used to tell me, “You keep squeaking and I’ll give you something to squeak about.” I knew exactly what he meant and to this day I thank him for this valuable lesson that he taught me. If parents grease the squeaking child we turn our noses up in disgust and charge them with spoiling their children. Who likes a spoiled child. We’ve all seen them at the grocery store throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of some produce aisle while a frazzled mother tries to preserve the dregs of her long lost dignity and escape as inconspicuously as she can. Everyone would stand and cheer if she would stop that wheel from squeaking by making it squeak just a little louder – by giving the dear child something to squeak about. My stomach turns at the thought of having to whine and cry and wail to get what I want. I could never respect myself if I were to do it and I’m sorry but I have no respect for those who practice this in their own lives.

This flies in the face of everything that the bible speaks of when it comes to matters of conduct and “getting along” with others.

Philippians 4:10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. [11] I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. [12] I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. [13] I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

This scripture tells us that no matter what we have or don’t have, our effectiveness need not be limited and that we should learn this secret or little-known skill of being content.

The sort of growth that occurs in God’s economy is dynamic and living and need to be driven by human resource. Church growth sometimes occurs at a tremendous price. $120,000.00 dollars for a single day event and I am not sure to this day whether or not any one accepted Christ. People lead other people to a relationship with Christ. It doesn’t need to cost a lot of money and sometimes it costs nothing. This is not an argument against spending money to attract people to Christ. Probably 95% of churches need to become more aggressive in this area for they are way out of balance in the opposite direction. Then of course there are those churches who purchase their growth and fail to mobilize their people. This statement is meant rather to encourage people who feel that they do not have sufficient resource to be effective. The needed resources are in Christ and through Him your potential is limitless.

Contentment is not complacency. It is an extremely rare and attractive virtue. How can we hope to attract people to Christ if we are discontented and always searching for something that we don’t have. That seems more like everyone else on the planet.

Contentment positions a person for the blessing of God on their lives. A blessing is an expression of God’s goodness, not our own. Anything no matter how great or small is a blessing for the person who wants for nothing. God can easily bless the life of a person who is content. He can rarely bless the life of a person who is never satisfied.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Paul reminds us in chapter 2 of the book of Philippians of the mind of Christ. He says that we should not be self-absorbed whether in pity or pride but conscious of and caring for the “interests of others”. One of the most powerful ways of influencing another human being is to show interest in the things that interest them. I remember attending many basketball games or other sporting events as a youth pastor in order to show kids that I was interested in the things that were important to them. If I give my time to someone else it is a loud and clear statement of my estimation of their worth. If I am willing to do that then I can have influence for Christ in their life.

Undivided attention is another close cousin to the investment of time. I have noticed again of late how much my son loves to see me watching him at play or whatever. I see the little glances out of the corner of his eye to determine whether or not I am watching him and the beautiful little smile that sprouts in the corner of his lips when he know that he has my attention.

2. Nice guys finish last?? It doesn’t pay to be nice? If you do the things that you are supposed to do and don’t draw any attention to yourself, you’ll never get any attention.? I wonder if that’s really true? It’s a little scary to think that a person could work well and faithfully over a long period of time and fail to be recognized for the value of consistency, dependability and the like.

Harold Sherman quite awhile ago, wrote a book entitled How To Turn Failure Into Success. In it he gives a "Code of Persistence." If you give up too easily, write this down and read it daily.

1. I will never give up so long as I know I am right.

2. I will believe that all things will work out for me if I hang on until the end.

3. I will be courageous and undismayed in the face of odds.

4. I will not permit anyone to intimidate me or deter me from my goals.

5. I will fight to overcome all physical handicaps and setbacks.

6. I will try again and again and yet again to accomplish what I desire.

7. I will take new faith and resolution from the knowledge that all successful men and women had to fight defeat and adversity.

8. I will never surrender to discouragement or despair no matter what seeming obstacles may confront me.

I think that one of the things that makes people squeak in the first place is the desire to find a shortcut. Wherever people are headed, they are going they fast and furiously. It becomes a race and a feeling that they must stay way out in front of people who are coming behind.

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