Tag: Encouragement

Using Facebook as Leaders…

The reach of Facebook is staggering, but there are lessons to learn about this social media tool.

Be careful about abusing privilege
. Time spent reading posts adds up. A few minutes can translate into a few hours quickly.

Do not forget to live life. Life was not meant to be lived on Facebook. Do not air dirty laundry, express discontent, deal with confrontation, etc.

Use Facebook as a tool. Facebook serves as a great tool for encouragement, edification, and education, if used properly.

Remember our Christian influence.
Our posts influence everyone who read them. Sarcasm, humor, and teasing do not always translate. Be cautious before posting.

Dealers in Hope…

Leaders deal in hope. This does not mean controversial challenges or issues are eliminated from leadership. Also, it does not mean problems in relationships disappear.

If anything, these will always continue to plague the lives of leaders and followers.

The difference is found in hope.

Do not be quick to rebuke.
Do not be the first to look at the negative.
Do not condemn.

Spiritual leaders have the privilege of providing the greatest answer for the ills so characteristic of humanity!

Hope lifts the spirit out of the pits of despair.
Hope provides a promise of something better.
Hope strengthens the will to survive.
Hope encourages the oppressed.

Leaders Who Excel…

To excel involves being exceptionally good at or proficient in an activity or subject. Paul encouraged the church at Thessalonica to “excel still more.”

Leaders should always strive to excel, to improve their character and influence.
Leaders need to encourage followers with an appeal to excel still more in their work.
Leaders should remember that striving for excellence does not mean they will be perfect.

We must desire to improve who we are and what we do, no matter how good we are or how well we are able to achieve any task.

We should always seek God’s help to excel.

Peace…

Peace is often associated with the absence of conflict, but the Hebrew word shalom and the Greek word eirênê both carry the idea of wholeness and harmony.

Kenneson points out that promotion of individualism strikes at the heart of achieving biblical peace, and the privatization of faith takes individualism even further. Many speak of a “personal relationship with Jesus,” meaning one’s own “private” relationship.

Perhaps this explains why so many “self-professed Christians believe they can be perfectly good Christians apart from the church” (92).

Compartmentalizing life, defending personal rights, and sanctioning violence are a few of the ways peace is attacked.

Incorporating baptism, encouraging, edifying, admonishing, and forgiving one another are a few ways to support biblical peace.

Guaranteed Leadership…

“There are no guarantees.” We’ve all heard it. Yet, a guarantee simply involves a promise or assurance that certain conditions will be fulfilled.

The problem we often face is that we want to use and abuse a product with the guarantee it will still look and function like new. If this is our thinking, then there are no guarantees.

Sadly, we do the same with leaders. We use and abuse them expecting them to look and function like new, but it will not work.

Leaders need support and encouragement. When they receive it they tend to function in the best interest of followers.

The result provides a guarantee worth following.

Leading a Team…

A leader is one who leads a team in one form or another. 

The benefits of working as a team cannot be listed in one post, but here are a few.

1) Work is achieved more quickly.

2) Everyone uses their abilities more efficiently.

3) Ideas are abundant.

4) Opportunities for encouragement are greater. 

In construction, people who specialize in foundations, plumbing, framing, sheet rock, painting, trimming, and interior design are all needed to complete the project.

The same is true in the church. It takes those who cook, clean, teach, preach, sing, pray, serve, shepherd, and the list goes on.

When everyone works together, the result is growth!

Voices…

A recent article by Patrick Leddin identified how smart leaders listen to three voices: the voice of truth, the voice of encouragement, and the voice of challenge.

A couple of highlights deserve our attention.

The voice of truth represents an environment created by a leader that allows others to voice truth openly and honestly.

The voice of encouragement provides a proper perspective when life seems out of control. Without negating the seriousness of the situation, they encourage.

The voice of challenge appears when an environment welcomes differences. If everyone agrees, the right people may not be on the team.

Take time to read the article and consider what voices we listen to as leaders.