Moses is the only person who was said to have a relationship with God that was ‘face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.’

The phrase ‘face to face’ indicates a unique intimacy shared between the closest of friends.

It may never be said that God speaks to us face of face. However, it does not mean it is impossible for us to develop an intimate relationship with God as the closest of friends.

We should be reminded that Moses was far from perfect, but we can learn from his example in developing this type of relationship?

He desired to know God more than anything else.
He sought the favor of God through obedience.
He communicated with God daily.
He loved God’s people with an incredible intercessory love.
He led with a passion to fulfill God’s will.

It seems to me our own relationship with God should follow in similar footsteps. The New Testament teaches us to walk with our God based on parallel examples.

Spiritual leaders should not only desire this intimate relationship, but strive to achieve it.

Perhaps it is a simple question, but it is necessary in leadership; what is our purpose? Our influence on others may be good or bad, but we cannot effectively lead without purpose.

There must be a reason for our actions. We must have a sense of resolve and determination. We need purpose.

God had a purpose in sending Jesus.
Jesus had a purpose in laying His life.
The apostles had a purpose in their preaching.
The church has a purpose today.

What is our purpose, yours and mine, in our day to day existence?

Are we studying just to earn a grade? Are we working just to receive a check? Are we existing just to eat, sleep and watch a little television? What is our purpose?

Spiritual leadership has but one purpose. Our purpose is to lead others to heaven. The reason we strive to live a godly example is to fulfill our purpose. The reason we establish godly priorities is to fulfill our purpose.

It is the reason for our relationships with others. Nothing is more important. Nothing is more rewarding. Fulfilling our purpose makes the difference.

I remember feeling misunderstood as a teenager. No one, especially my parents, seemed to understand me or how I felt.

Having raised three children who now have children of their own, I am sure they felt the same. Being misunderstood seems quite common, but for more than teenagers.

Employees are misunderstood by their employers.

Students are misunderstood by the school’s administration.

Citizens are misunderstood by governing authorities.

The list goes on, but I think you “understand” what I am saying.

Developing the ability to communicate where others understand is the necessity of leadership. Jesus asked on several occasions; “do you understand?”

However, being understood is based on the ability to understand others. How can we lead others to Christ if we do not understand their relationship to Him?

How can we assist the fallen back into fellowship if we do not understand where they need to be encouraged?

How is it possible to sharpen the focus of the faithful if we do not understand what they can or cannot see?

Instead of wondering why we are misunderstood, we must work harder at understanding others while leading them to heaven. Think Souls!

“You manage things; you lead people.” Rear Admiral Grace Murray Hopper

I love this! How often do we find ourselves managing people?

Managing people does not require much in the way of feelings, concerns, desires, dreams, plans, or anything else. All we have to do is just shift people from one side to the other to accomplish the work at hand. Nothing is more important than getting the job done.

It does not require much effort to simply manage “things.”

However, leading involves much more. Leadership takes on the feelings, concerns, desires, dreams and plans of others. Leadership is helping others realize all of this and more through their role in accomplishing the ultimate goal.

This kind of leadership requires much more from us. It is not an easy task, but a rewarding one. It will not happen quickly, but when it does the world can be changed.

Manage the things you have, but lead people. Lead them away from the strife and consequences of sin. Lead them to a better life now and in the one to come.

Problem resolution is one of the most challenging areas of leadership. Leaders will face problems.

A few years ago I heard the story of an Olympian luge driver discussing the danger of the curves. He said; ‘you cannot negotiate the curve while you are in it. You must negotiate the curve before you get there.”

This has great application especially in problem resolution. Is it possible to see problems before we reach them? Can we negotiate a resolution before we face the problem?

Yes, and here are a few suggestions to consider.

Anticipate problems. We strive to avoid problems at all cost, even if we have to deny it exists. This will not work.

Talk to problem solvers. There are great leaders who have dealt with problems on many levels. Spend time with them and learn from their insight.

Practice what is called the 101% principle. Find the one percent we agree on and give 100% to it. If we build on where we agree, problems are resolved more quickly.

This does not exhaust the possibilities, but it provides a foundation to negotiate the curve before we reach it.

We need short and long term goals. Plans should be developed with a vision of 50 years into the future.

However, problems can arise when we look 50 years ahead.

Initiating enthusiasm when looking at the big picture can be easy. Visualizing the overall accomplishment the first few weeks and months is exciting.

The problem is maintaining enthusiasm and motivation along the way.

We get discouraged when facing the day to day routine of the work. We struggle with a slower pace and not accomplishing enough quickly. We tend to lose sight of the overall goal.

The first time I heard about the “rule of elephants” I began to understand about reaching long term goals. The way you eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

Accomplishing long term goals involves finding a way to break it down in short term goals where we can see progress more quickly.

With each step in accomplishing the short term goals, we are making strides at the long haul.

When we achieve success in smaller tasks, it easier to stay excited about being involved in reaching the long term goals.

Several thoughts come to mind concerning a legacy. The most prominent involves how we want to be remembered when we are gone.

I once read ‘legacy is not what you leave to, but what you leave behind.’

Will our legacy have physical or spiritual connections? Are we simply leaving behind an accumulation of wealth and possessions, or are we leaving an eternal foundation?

Perhaps we need to ask, do we even know the legacy we want to leave? Have we given thought to our legacy? Once we know the legacy we want to leave, then we must live that legacy now.

From a spiritual perspective, when we depart from this physical realm we should leave others in a position to do great things for the Lord without us. This is the heart of true legacy.

Choose who you want to carry on your legacy.
Pass on to them what you want to carry on.
Remember to model your legacy.

Leadership is not about the here and now, but the hereafter. If we build our leadership around this idea, the legacy we leave will have lasting rewards.

A leader must be a student. Leaders must study several areas. Spiritually, we must be students of two worlds.

We must know the world we live in physically. We need to know the challenges people face in this world. We need to know the struggles and trials. We need to know about national and international events.

Spiritual leadership involves leading others to Christ and ultimately to heaven. If we do not know the physical challenges of this world, it is hard to lead them to the next.

Therefore, we must also know the world we are living for spiritually. Because we have never been there, being a student in this realm is difficult. We must rely on the information God provides in His word. We must be a student of His word.

When we study the physical and spiritual realm, we will begin to see why scripture emphasizes the need for us to prepare ourselves now for then.

All we say and do now is building a foundation for the world to come. As spiritual leaders, our task involves helping others reach the same destination. Think Souls!

Leadership is action, not position.  ~Donald H. McGannon

Seemingly short, but powerful in thought. It is only five simple words, yet the truth flows from this thought.

Leadership is commonly thought to involve being elevated to a position. However, the position did not make them a leader. They may have worn the title, but their leadership went no further.

My observation of others gained momentum when I began teaching a course on leadership. What is it about some people exemplifying leadership, while others do not seem to have it?

The answer is based in the quote above. It is about action!

The greatest leadership (God) is found in the greatest act (gave His only begotten Son) built in the greatest motive (so loved the world).

When the best interest of others is met by the action of spiritual leaders, leadership will not be about position.

Let the spiritual focus of our thoughts become words intended to edify others. Let the intent of our words be built on the foundation of our actions. Then true leadership will be seen.

Opportunity involves circumstances leading to possibility. Unless we can see the possibility, we will never take advantage of the opportunity.

How many opportunities were missed because we could not see the possibilities?

Do we fail to see the possibilities because we are wearing spiritual blinders?

God told Abraham to lift up his eyes and look in every direction. God was going to give him and his descendants all the land.

Jesus told the apostles to lift up their eyes and look. The apostles needed to see through the eyes of God at the precious souls of the Samaritans.

What do we see when we look at our coworkers?
What do we see when we look at our families?
What do we see when we look at the people walking the aisles at the grocery store?
What do we see when we look at our brothers and sisters sitting on the pew next to us during worship?

It is time for us to lift up our eyes and look. The door is open. What will we see when we look through it? What will we do?