How great would it be to have a crystal ball to look into and see what the future holds, or would it be?

The possibility exists that we might not like what we see.

At the same time, leading is about the future. From a spiritual perspective, nothing is more important than what the eternal future holds for Christians.

However, on a more pragmatic level, leaders need to consider what the future of their leadership looks like.

Will the future hold growth and development for the church or will it be stagnant?

Will the future be a place where vision points to stronger or declining leadership?

Asking questions can be unending, yet in the end, we must consider the necessity of planning today to ensure the future of growth and stronger leadership.

The future of leadership must be built on prayer.

Leaders should prepare for the future with God’s word as a guide.

Tomorrow’s leaders must be encouraged today to be ready.

What does the future look like? A few simple steps may make the future brighter.

On a daily basis I receive a number of quotes and ideas expressed by various people. Some get pushed into the cyber trash can, but others leave a lasting impression. One of today’s quotes was worth sharing and remembering.

Lori Deschene said, ”Practice the pause. Pause before judging. Pause before assuming. Pause before accusing. Pause whenever you’re about to react harshly and you’ll avoid doing and saying things you’ll later regret.”

Regardless of her religious preferences, Deschene’s thought is powerful. How often do we fail to think before we speak, only to wish later we could take back our words? If only we would pause first and consider the consequence, our choice or words might be different.

From a leadership perspective, learning to practice the pause makes all the difference. The 10-10-10 Principle, as written by Suzy Welch, accompanies the practice of the pause. When we stop to think and gather all the information possible before speaking or deciding, we can see more clearly the best direction for both. The result leads to better decisions, which strengthens credibility in our leadership.

Few times are more important for the demands of life than respite. Basically, the idea refers to a pause for rest from the intensity or amount of something.

Again, when applied to the demands of leadership, this time becomes critical for the ability to accomplish the needs for God’s church. Jesus even instructed the apostles to do the same. He understood the need for rest.

Here are a few ideas for consideration.

First, respite does not mean an extended vacation. Although an extended vacation might be helpful and needed, the idea of respite involves a shorter period to recoup.

Second, utilize the time to its fullest potential. The intent behind this suggestion means we need to remove or set aside obstacles that might distract our rest: cell phone, email, etc.

Third, focus on a greater source of strength. A moment in prayer to seek help from God to provide strength would be a powerful start.

These only provide a starting point for the need of every leader. Leaders rarely take a few moments during the day or week to focus on respite, but this time will make the difference.

After considering the subject at hand over the last several days, we conclude with this thought: eternity matters.

The first time this thought was presented, a wave of emotions and thoughts hit me. Could there be a greater reason for the “why” of leadership?

When we look back at the various components of our discussion, God’s design involves the necessity of leadership in the home, church, and world. The foundation, however, that motivates us to establish leadership in each area narrows down to this one point: eternity matters.

Why would God’s design include the role of leadership within the home, church, and world? Because God knows eternity matters.

He understands the brevity of our life on this earth. He knows that once we cross over from this life to the next we cannot turn back or change the outcome. He longs to share what He has prepared for us.

If we could wrap our minds around this great truth, eternity matters, our entire perspective just might change and the direction for every area of our life would become be a bit more urgent.

The result of implementing a plan for leadership not designed by God leaves the church following unbiblical leadership. Too often, such is the case.

If there is a greater reason to study leadership, I am unsure what it might be. We must focus on leadership development.

The question is, “How do we accomplish this task?” Here are two foundational suggestions.

First, we must focus on prayer. Recently, it was suggested the church spend a Sunday evening in prayer for the leaders of our country. While this is needed, should we not be more concerned with praying about leaders for the church? What will become of the church if we have the leaders we want for our country, but have no leaders in the church?

Second, we diligently need classes that prepare, train, and educate leaders. Consider the fact that we diligently prepare, train, and educate leaders in the corporate realm. Somehow, we have not exercised the same diligence in the church, and we are experiencing the consequences.

The time is now. We must begin immediately if we plan to change the future.

The need for leadership continues at an urgent level. God’s design indicates a plan for strong leadership in every church. Timothy and Titus were directed by Paul to appoint elders. The qualifications for elders are listed accordingly.

While we understand the primary role of elders to involve the work of a shepherd, we also find that part of this role points to the responsibility of maintaining doctrinal purity.

Notice Paul’s words: “Hold fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”

In our current world, it is doubtful there could be a greater need. However, the lack of leadership development in years past has created a vacuum where the majority of congregations do not have elders and congregations with elders have too few to deal with the challenges.

Most locations recognize the problem, but what should be done? The answer lies in our return to God’s design, which means we need to initiate a plan for encouraging, promoting, and preparing more to lead. More tomorrow…

A description of the need to study leadership covers a wide spectrum. God’s design is the overarching premise by which we understand the necessity of leadership. Discovering the unfolding of a husband’s responsibility to lead in the home is a foundational component of this study.

As we continue to explore the reasons for this study, we must turn our attention to the church. One does not have to look far to recognize the urgency of the situation. The lack of leadership, or the  representation of poor leadership, is plaguing the church.

Decisions are left to the majority vote in a men’s business or congregational meeting. Sadly, the minority generally rules when this occurs.

Beyond challenges of this nature, the greatest consequence is found when congregations are led down the path of doctrinal error. According to God’s design, elders (leaders) were appointed to refute biblical or doctrinal error. The consequence of departing from or ignoring God’s design leaves congregations subject to misdirection and, ultimately, apostasy.

Tomorrow, we will continue to examine God’s design for the church in this area of leadership.