Tag: God

Time

The most valuable commodity we have is time. The greatest gift we can give is our time. Leading people requires time. We all have the same amount. How we use it determines the difference we make as leaders.

Solomon said there is a time for everything.

From birth to death, Jesus was on God’s time. Paul wrote “in the fullness of time God sent forth His Son.” Approaching the final days of His life, Jesus prayed, “Father, the hour has come.”

Paul instructs Christians to use their time wisely because the days are evil.

In this crazy, busy, scheduled life we live, how are we using our time?

Negotiation

Negotiating is an effort to reach an agreement or solution through compromise. Most often, there is give and take, thus, compromise.

Spiritual leaders need to exercise caution when it comes to negotiating. Far too often God’s word is compromised in an attempt to appease a larger majority of people.

Attempts to negotiate, compromise, or change the word of God are futile.

Our leadership should not move people away from God and His word. Rather, our leadership should move people toward God and His word.

The Hand

In the Old Testament we find a great contrast between deliverance by the hand of the Lord and oppression by the hand of Israel’s enemies.

God’s hand holds both consequence and reward. While God’s hand creates fear, it also instills hope. “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Yet, Jesus sits at the right hand of the majesty on high and intercedes for us.

We are instructed to humble ourselves “under the mighty hand of God.”

The hand of leadership leads out of humility and provides hope.

We have an opportunity to make a difference with the use of our hand.

Downside vs Upside

Why is it life and leadership cannot always be about the upside? Is there a purpose to dealing with the negative struggles challenging life and leadership?

Spiritual leaders know the downside helps in developing an appreciation for the upside.

God’s power is perfected in our lives as a result of enduring the downside.

The downside is designed to equip us with an ability to help others who are suffering.

The difference is found in the way leaders respond to these challenges. The downside indicates that challenges and problems will come. The upside is they are only temporary.

Lead with the hope of knowing there is an upside.

Power

Problems arise when leaders abuse power, or base their power on an inward self-centeredness.

Spiritual leadership must be built on the power of God.

When our leadership turns inward and self-centered, it will fail.

True leadership is about the power that comes from our God through His gracious and indescribable gift, Jesus.

He is the power to save, to make all things happen, and to lead.

Paul wrote “no man has the power to lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus the Christ” (1 Co. 3:11).

Let us pray for His guidance and direction in our leadership.

A Righteous Leader’s Prayer

Prayer can be an overlooked subject. The application to how we draw closer to God, grow spiritually, or endure trials is often to pray more.

What is prayer? How should we pray? Why do we pray? Does prayer really influence God?

Think about how James teaches the necessity of prayer in leadership.

Three keys to spiritual leadership rise to the top.

1) Elders are identified as righteous men who are to pray.
2) The working prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
3) Turning sinners from their error will save them.

Leading people to salvation must be at the heart of a righteous leaders’ prayer.

PUSH

Discouragement is one of Satan’s greatest tools. He knows if he can discourage us enough, we will quit.

Quitting seems easy but, is it really?

Will quitting help us reach the goal? Will it accomplish the will of God?

What happens to those who are following if leaders quit?

Discouragement is inevitably going to happen. How do we deal with it?

The antonym is encouragement. As interesting as it may sound, when we focus on encouraging others our own discouragement seems to disappear.

Remember to PUSH: Pray Until Something Happens!

God certainly knows how to aid His leaders in overcoming discouragement.

Ethics

Ethics is simply defined as a moral system of right and wrong.

A correct understanding of ethics is vital to the direction of spiritual leadership. It should be obvious, but God’s word is the only foundation for our ethical standard.

The book of Judges describes a time when there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes. The result led to idolatry and, ultimately, destruction.

Sadly, we see the same mindset today. Allowing the influence of humanism, situational, and post-modernistic ethics destroys spiritual leadership.

We must be diligent to live and lead by the standard of ethics established by God.

Sacrifice

To lead is to sacrifice. Sacrifice is found at every level of leadership. When will the sacrifice need to be made? How large of a sacrifice will be necessary?

Perhaps above all, are we willing to make the sacrifice?

If we go below the surface and examine Paul’s leadership, we will find a leader who made great sacrifice. His level of sacrifice is exemplified throughout his writings. He speaks of sacrifices made in the past, present, and future. Whatever it took, he was willing to do.

We could spend weeks considering all the sacrifices required of leaders today. Regardless of what may come to mind, let us arise and make the sacrifices necessary to lead.

God demands it and the church depends on it.

Why Wait?

Do we know what should be done? Why are we waiting to do it? Do we have the ability and resources to make it happen? Why are we waiting?

Souls are waiting. The church is waiting. Our God is waiting.

God has given us the ability and resources to make it happen.

Why are we waiting?

With so much at stake, will our waiting be worth it if we wait too long?

Application generally applies to anyone who delays obedience to the gospel. The same is true for leading.

We need to challenge our excuses. We cannot wait any longer. Paul’s words to the church at Corinth should be remembered, “Act like men.” Leadership will not wait!