If there was ever a word more needed than this week’s word, it would be interesting to know what that word might be.

Certainly, there are many words that are needed by all of us when it comes to leadership and building relationships.

We need to consider, however, the significance of this word – apply. 

From a biblical perspective we are talking about acting, doing, or making something happen with the information we learn. Jesus claimed that wisdom is based on hearing His words and acting upon them (Mt. 7:24-27). James warns of the self-deluding mindset that exists when we do not prove ourselves doers of the word (Jas. 1:21).

The list goes on, but the idea is the same. What good does it really do us to hear something that will improve our walk with God, help us mature in the faith, or strengthen our relationships with others and then do nothing? The answer lies in the two passages above.

Leadership requires us to provide an example of application if we ever hope to lead others in doing the same.

The general idea of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes is almost a foreign concept. We want others to understand what it is like to walk in our shoes, but walking in their shoes is not an appealing thought.

One of the qualities needed in leadership, however, is the ability to sympathize and empathize with others. Thus, we need to see through their eyes.

What will we see when looking through the eyes of others? A number of possibilities exist.

We may see ourselves differently than we expected.

We may see more hurt or pain.

We may see greater joy, love, faith, and peace.

We may also see different levels of need that we overlooked before.

Yes, the idea of this post is figurative, but whatever we see when taking time to see and feel what others see and feel, our leadership will unfold in ways that are “others-directed.”

Nothing is easy when considering the “how-to” of sympathizing and empathizing with others. The effort is worth the time we put into it because of the difference it makes for others and our own leadership.

Day in and day out, we rush about our busy lives trying to take care of business. Sadly, most of us are working to take care of “business” that provides the financial means to pay the bills.

Please do not misunderstand, providing for our families and the means to keep in good standing in our communities is necessary for the influence of our leadership as Christians.

Thinking about the early life of Jesus, however, raises an interesting thought about “taking care of business.” At the age of 12, Jesus was aware of the setting in the temple, and when his mother approached him about the situation, He asked her this question: “Did you not know that I had to be about My Father’s business” (Lk. 2:49 KJV).

Considering the focus of Jesus at this point in His life is a reminder to all of us about the “business” we need to be focused on…our Father’s business.

When we lead others with this in mind, it changes relationships. Let us always lead others with the Father’s business in mind.

“Failure may not be an option to some, but it is the spring board to success for others.” Rod Wilson

This quote carries significance when considering the fact that there are those who do everything in their power to avoid failure.

Sadly, when failure is experienced, it is debilitating. We can lose the ability to move forward and benefit from the experience. Worse still is the fact that failure creates such discouragement and we see no purpose in attempting to benefit from it.

Failure, however, becomes a spring board to success for us when we realize that failure reveals ways not to do something and allowing us to channel our focus on investing efforts into areas leading to success.

Approaching failure with this mindset changes how we establish a vision for the future and how we respond to the challenges we face in life.

The beauty of Christian leadership is based in helping others through times of failure with a vision of the success that God has prepared for the future. Here we find motivation to conquer the greatest of failures.

On a daily basis, it is fairly common to hear about or experience difficulties that often create discouragement in life.

During these times we find it tough to understand that these problems are temporary and that God has prepared something better for us.

We often lose sight of what is to come and only see what is presently before us. We fail to remember the words of Paul, when he said, “we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Co. 4:18).

Leading others through the difficulties of life is not an easy task, but the ability to provide assurance that “come-what-may” it really does get better than this. Keeping our focus on the eternal realm helps us remember there is something better we look forward to receiving.

Our God is great, worthy of our praise and trust.

“Let us press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).

How much value do we place on life: the lives of others and our own? From a leadership perspective, the answer to the question is measured in the way our time is spent.

Most are familiar with the expression that “life is not measured in the number of breaths we take, but in the moments that take our breath away.”

The idea expressed here involves value that is placed on the way we live. If we lose sight of what is most important, we can easily get caught up in what is referred to as the “tyranny of the urgent.”

As each second ticks by, we have no way of reversing the clock and going back to gather them up and use them again in a different way.

We are all given the same number of minutes in every hour of each day. How we use that time is determined by the value we place on it.

Take a moment to reflect and remember that as the seconds go by, they are gifts from God. Each one is valuable and worthy to be used influencing others for the Lord.