What would you do to change the world? If given the opportunity, what would you or I really do?

Remove prejudice? Destroy weapons of mass destruction? Bring unity among all nations? Restructure the political system of our country/world?

I am sure there are multitudes of answers.

It seems spiritual leaders need to be more focused on creating a different kind of change.

After last week’s post on “Adjusting to Change,” a good friend, Dean Murphy, dropped me this note, “I would argue that a cornerstone of leadership is not only to adjust to change, but to CREATE it. Managers adjust while leaders instigate, influence and implement change. Today’s reality can always be improved upon.”

If we are going to improve on the reality of our world, we cannot wait on someone else. We MUST create change.

Looking around today, there is one certainty – someone is going to create change. We have to ask ourselves, will it be the change we want, need, or desire?

Spiritual leadership carries a great responsibility. Just think of what would happen politically, morally, ethically, and spiritually if we arise to the challenge/responsibility and create a Biblical change.

Everyday is a great day to lead. Let me share several reasons why this is true.

God needs spiritual leaders. I recently heard a statement of profound impact, “God is not about time. He is about purpose.” God is not bound by time. He created time. God is bound by His purpose, and the purpose He set forth involves leadership.

There are souls who do not know Jesus. You or I may be the very one given an opportunity to share His precious name with someone else.

The growth of the church requires spiritual leaders. Paul’s Ephesian letter expresses a design given to the church specifically unfolding the necessity of spiritual leaders.

Leading changes lives. When someone’s life is changed by our leadership it cannot help but to change our own.

Our influence alters eternity. If the four above were not enough, how our influence makes a difference eternally for everyone around us is a powerful thought.

I am sure thousands of reasons could be listed, but hopefully these will lay a foundation for the year ahead.

As we arise each morning, remember it is a great day to lead!

I love timeless nuggets of advice, pieces of information unaltered by time, generation or culture. These nuggets are not easy to find and are often overlooked for something believed to have greater value.

Joshua was given one of these timeless nuggets. God told Joshua, “be strong and very courageous.” Strength and courage are emphasized four times in the text, but only once is it specifically “strong and very courageous.”

As timeless as the advice is, the immediate context of this phrase has powerful implications for spiritual leaders.

Strength and courage were needed to lead with God’s law. Notice some of the key phrases.

Be careful to do according to all the law.
Do not turn from it to the right or to the left.
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth.
You shall meditate on it day and night.
Be careful to do according to all that is written in it.

God specifies how Joshua’s success depends on carefully and actively following His advice. The success of our leadership depends on the same. Imagine how different our world would be if spiritual leaders today had the strength and courage to do so.

Perhaps we have heard of “walking to the beat of a different drummer.” Maybe we have heard of going on a “walk-a-bout.”

Strangely, there is something to the idea of “walking a new path” connecting both.

The Bible refers to Christians as being raised to “walk in newness of life.” The context of Romans 6 identifies the thought of removing or putting away the old life of sin and exchanging it for a new life.

Spiritual leadership takes the concept of walking this new path to a new level.

First, Christianity is to be different from the world. Our walk is a path that beats to a different drummer. Why? We are leading people away from the world into the kingdom of light. This is not normal for the majority in the world.

Second, Christianity exemplifies a transition from the old to the new, similar to the Aussie walk-a-bout. Australian Aborigines take a journey during adolescence tracing steps leading into adulthood. Spiritual leadership is about leading Christians to maturity.

This new path in spiritual leadership can change the world if we understand and take the responsibility seriously. Thankfully, we do not walk the path alone.

What is a leader?

One definition states a leader is “a short length of gut, wire, or similar material by which a hook is attached to a fishing line.” Before you think I have lost it, consider the following.

I enjoyed fishing for halibut when we worked in Prince Rupert, B.C. I found it interesting the fishing line was 30-40 pound test line. It seemed odd when halibut could reach 300-400 pounds. However, the hooks are tied to a steel line to prevent halibut from cutting the line when striking. Halibut have teeth shark-like in nature. They are scavengers of the ocean floor devouring whatever is in their path.

The definition of leadership reminds me of this steel line. There are people who strike with shark-like teeth. They tend to be scavengers devouring whatever is in their path. They tend to cut into the emotional and mental fiber of a leader. It sounds like Peter’s words concerning the devil.

Spiritual leaders must be defined by strong, steel-like character. It is not a matter of if, but when attacks come. Remember the strength God provides to help us in the battle.

Adjusting to change can be challenging. Even the smallest of changes can be frustrating, e.g. learning to write 2011 instead of 2010, and it’s only January 4th.

Our view of change makes the difference.

We all know we live in an ever-changing world. Physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual changes occur everyday, at times, by the second.

We see it, know it happens, and yet struggle to adjust to change.

Many promise change. Change can be bad and it can be good.

Biblically, change is necessary in relation to God. Repentance is about change. God requires change, both in becoming a Christian and throughout our Christian walk.

Spiritual leadership must learn how to adjust to change. Obviously, I am not talking about changing the word of God, nor the principles upon which we worship our God. This is about method, not the message.

Brad Harrub refers to it as living in an Acts 17, not an Acts 2, society.

We cannot do the same things in the same way and expect different results. If we are going to lead souls to Christ and to spiritual maturity, we need to learn how to adjust to a changing culture in need of spiritual leadership.

Resolutions seem to be more novel and traditional, than life changing.

Little thought is given to making a resolution or the resolution itself. We often think in terms of physical changes, i.e. lose weight, eat better, exercise more, stop smoking / drinking, etc.

Sadly, resolutions are seldom kept. Why? Is it because we do not really mean them? Perhaps we do not see the need to keep our resolutions, or maybe we do not care.

However, there is a resolution worth making and keeping.

Rick Kelley recently started Baptism365 where we can be encouraged in reading about souls around the world who are baptized into Christ.

It is a worthy resolution to go and sign up to receive Rick’s blog, but today’s post is more about recording to Baptism365.

For several years, Gyan Mante (a friend and fellow worker in the Lord’s kingdom in Ghana) has challenged me, and others, to win one soul for Christ each year.

Combining this challenge with Rick’s blog brings a resolution worth keeping.

Let us make a resolution to change this world one soul at a time. Let us be resolved to make one that is life altering. Lead a soul to Christ.

Everyone knows the value of good planning. Leaders especially appreciate the need for proper plans to reach goals.

Tonight we say goodbye to a year through which we will never walk again. We cannot re-live it. We cannot change it. All we can do is examine it and make plans to create a difference for the future.

Plans are not New Year’s resolutions.

Plans are not goals.

Plans involve the activities necessary to keep our resolutions and reach our goals.

How vital is it we have plans? There is an old adage, used by several, that says; “those who fail to plan, plan to fail.”

We all need short and long-term goals. The is true personally and at the corporate level. However, how we plan to reach our goals makes a difference.

Before we commit to our New Year’s resolutions; before we set up goals for the year ahead; let us sit down and establish the details of a proper plan to ensure success for 2011.

The rearview mirror allows us to see what is behind. It reflects where we have been and the people we have passed along the way.

As spiritual leaders, there is figurative significance to using the rearview mirror to look back on the past year.

Tomorrow night represents a time people celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of a another. Generally, we tend to look at areas we need to change and make a resolution to improve in the year ahead.

Rarely do we consider the whole of our influence in leadership. When we look back over 2010 we need to ask a few questions.

Were we good stewards of a God entrusted leadership?

Are other people better because of our influence and example in leadership?

Did we reach souls with the gospel?

Were we able to accomplish our goals for the year?

What changes are needed to improve our leadership?

These questions represent only a few we should consider as we close out this chapter in history. As we set the stage for the year ahead, take out the rearview mirror and look at the past, ask a few questions, and make the needed adjustments for 2011.

Anyone with children has heard the question and probably several times. The idea of traveling hundreds of miles and hearing the question one more time can be frustrating.

However, when we consider the basis for the question it might change the perspective we have toward spiritual leadership.

The question screams of anticipation. The excitement of reaching the destination brings anticipation. We know there are struggles to face through the journey. We also know there are rewards. We cannot wait to get there. Are we there yet?

Spiritual leaders, above all, should know the excitement of reaching the destination. The journey will be filled with struggles, as well as, rewards.

What are we anticipating in life? What are we so excited about we cannot help but think “are we there yet?”

The thrill of spiritual leadership is found in knowing the incredible destination awaiting us.

In addition, there is the joy of leading others who share the journey.

Can we see it? Are we excited? How great is our anticipation? Are we there yet?