Whatever … God Says
Doris Day was a popular singer and actress in the 1950s. She’s 95 years old and probably most remembered for her Doris Day Show in the late ’60s.
The theme song for her show, “Whatever Will Be, Will Be” (Que Sera, Sera), won an Academy Award for the best original song from the movie, The Man Who Knew Too Much.
The song seemed to play on radio and television for decades. Like other message-music, the theme line became a catch-phrase.
Some called the phrase, the Doris Day doctrine. Whatever will be, will be. Young people shorten the theme to “Whatever!” A dismissive hand wave usually accompanies the attitude.
It’s dangerous when songs become a belief system. Music certainly has the power to script our thinking. But it seems to me this ditty led a generation into a lifestyle of mindless behavior.
If we see life as a series of random events, respect for guided living disappears. What did we see in the ’60s and early ’70s?
Respect for anything seemed to float away in the odd-smelling air.
Managers responded incorrectly. They tried Theory X and it failed. Sticks are not encouraging. Theory Y was called manipulative and failed to produce meaningful change. Job satisfaction initiatives only slapped workers with a softer stick.
When managers become leaders, the focus beams toward external matters. It’s not “my way or the highway.” The focus must shift to helping others. Meaningful work provides motivation that endures through tough days and seasons.
Love leaders focus on the audience they serve. Servant leaders see needs and rush to satisfy.
When a love leader looks in the mirror, he sees others.
“Holy Spirit, lead me away from myself. Lead me into a crowd filled with needs. Teach me to serve without ceasing. Your will be done. Whatever You want it to be, it shall be. Your ways are not random.”
“But when the crowds saw it, they were amazed and glorified God who had given such authority to men” (Matt. 9:8).
