Life can change in heartbeat. Tragedy often strikes in a moment. The loss of a loved one, the loss of a job causes a turn in the financial structure, and a hundred other areas can easily create uncertainty.

What will happen? When will these events occur? Why do these events happen?

There are questions that arise when we face moments of uncertainty. However, in those moments when our faith is challenged, we find the blossoming leadership of godly examples that surround us.

We often speak of leadership in the realm of someone within an organization, primarily the church.

The reality is that leadership begins in the home. The foundation of a mother and father who are dedicated to make sure their children are loved and raised to trust, honor, and obey a heavenly Father who loves them.

We pray earnestly before, during, and after tragic events occur in life. We must trust those prayers will be answered and know God will work through our lives and the lives of others to lead in ways that point to the Father of all.

Effective communication can be challenging. Simply because we speak the same language does not indicate we effectively communicate.

Amazingly enough, the advances in technology have not improved our ability to communicate. Worse still, is the fact that most people believe themselves to be good communicators, when in actuality, they are not.

Written forms of communication open the doors for reaching more people at one time, but it does not ensure our communication was effective. The inability to listen to the tone of voice, see the body language, and to repeat back what was heard makes the matter even more complicated.

Leadership requires the ability to communicate effectively. The nature of effective communication means one has the ability to practice active listening. It further involves the ability to express our intent in words understood by those who listen.

While it might appear to be easy, one of the most difficult tasks we face in leadership is communication. We must learn to communicate effectively, which takes time and practice. We may not master the art of communication, but we can certainly improve in this much needed area.

Leadership can be filled with days where we begin wondering if leadership is the right choice. The challenges can create the kind of difficulties that cause leaders to: a) step out of the leadership role, or b) never enter into a leadership role.

No area in life is going to be perfect or smooth, such is life.

As well, we should remember that God never promised a carefree, problem free life either. If anything, God ensures us that life is going to be filled with problems, difficulties, and suffering.

If the greatest leader who ever walked this earth dealt with these challenges, we should never think our life will be exempt from them.

True leadership learns how to deal with those challenges in the most godly, Christian manner possible.

Rely upon God for guidance in approaching these challenges.

Develop a strong determination to lead no matter how difficult the road.

Seek help from seasoned leaders who have faced difficulties.

Above all, understand that these are only temporary.

God provides hope for better days ahead. Let us lead with a strong determination.

The value of education is recognized by the efforts put forth in the family to ensure children attend school. As parents, we want our children to learn how to read and write, to understand the history of our country and world, and to gain a perspective of math and science. Of course, there are numerous other subjects that fall into this category.

However, do we grasp the urgency of a spiritual education? New Testament authors emphasize God’s plan for the church to grow. God expects us to grow (Hebrews 5:12), commands us to grow (2 Peter 3:18), and designed the church that it would grow (Ephesians 4:11-16).

With the emphasis on spiritual growth, leaders must take a more serious look at the situation and how we can better equip God’s people.

We are responsible not just to teach, but to teach others “how” to learn from God’s word in order that they might teach others (2 Timothy 2:2).

If we value what we learned from someone who took the time to teach us, then we need to imitate their faith (Hebrews 13:7).

As fascinating as it may or may not be, there are two words with three letters each that establish the most powerful questions a leader can consider.

The first question to consider is “why?” Beyond seeking the cause and effect, the implication behind this question is to determine the purpose behind the decisions being made and the actions taken.

Why does this task require leadership?

Why should we pursue this direction?

Why is this work important?

Why is this the best course of action to reach our goals?

The second question to consider is “how?” Once we understand the purpose behind the decisions or actions, we must then determine how we are going to fulfill them.

How do we become a leader?

How will we accomplish this task?

How should we handle the obstacles when they occur?

How can we get others involved?

If we, as leaders, will take the time to ask these two questions and determine the answers, the pathway to success is much clearer. Nothing could be stronger from a spiritual perspective.

The eye is an amazing part of the human body. There is not enough space in any blog post or series of posts to cover the complex intricacies of the eye.

However, as we begin to age, it is fairly common (somewhere around 40ish) we notice that our arm will not extend quite far enough to read the print on the page.

Two conditions normally occur around this time of life: 1) near-sightedness – the ability to see things up close, but not far away, and 2) far-sightedness – the ability to see things far away, but not up close.

In a spiritual sense, leaders must avoid both conditions. Leaders need the ability to see what is going on up close around them, knowing the present needs that exist. They must also have the kind of vision that makes it possible to see what will occur down the road.

The ability to see both near and far in leadership makes it possible to address current needs and plan for the future in ways to overcome obstacles and achieve success.