Tag: God

The Heart

We often develop relationships because we believe there is a payoff down the road. Samuel Johnson wrote, “The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.”

Our leadership gains momentum if we learn to avoid favoritism, develop consistency, fairness, and the highest level of integrity.

Why is this important? Because God shows no partiality. He does not look at the color of our skin, nationality in our passport, birthday, gender, or the amount of physical prosperity. He simply examines the heart of each person. Do we?

Deep Work

Cal Newton’s book Deep Work provides amazing insight into the disruptive nature of distractions to a deeper level of work that matters.

He expressed this thought, “Clarity about what matters provides clarity about what does not.”

Leaders need to be clear regarding what matters. With this clarity it is possible to eliminate other matters that tend to distract us. Then we can focus on a deeper work that is critical to the spiritual purpose God desires.

We need extended time without the constant barrage of social media, email, texting, and phone calls. The result is time that allows us to challenge our minds to think more deeply.

Intimate Relationship

Moses experienced an intimate relationship with God that was “face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”

Is it possible for us to develop an intimate relationship shared between the closest of friends?

We can if we learn from the example of Moses.

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.

The New Testament teaches us to walk with our God based on several parallel levels. Spiritual leaders should not only desire this intimate relationship, but strive to achieve it.

Purpose

What is our purpose? We cannot lead effectively without purpose.

God had a purpose in sending Jesus.
Jesus had a purpose in laying down His life.
The apostles had a purpose in their preaching.

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

Spiritual leadership has but one purpose: leading others to heaven. The reason we strive to live a godly example is to fulfill this purpose.

For this reason we develop relationships with others. Nothing is more important. Nothing is more rewarding. Fulfilling our purpose makes the difference.

Two Worlds

A leader must be a student of two worlds.

You must know the world you live in physically and spiritually.

You need to know the challenges people face in this world, the struggles, trials, and events on the national and international scene.

You must also know the world you are living for spiritually. Therefore, you must be a student of God’s word.

All you and I say and do now is building a foundation for what is to come. Our task involves helping others in this world reach the right destination in the next.

What Do You See?

What do you see when you look at your coworkers, family, people you meet in your community, or your brothers and sisters sitting on the pew next to you each week?

Consider the golden opportunities everywhere you look.

God told Abraham to lift up his eyes and look in every direction. Jesus told the apostles to lift up their eyes and look at the fields white for harvest.

It is time for all of 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?

Power

Why does power appeal to so many in the role of leadership?

Does it involve authority?

Is it control?

Could it be decision-making?

Spiritually, the answer is, “NO!”

Power involves the ability to do something or act in a specific way that influences the behavior and direction of others.

Power is about God’s ability to direct and influence the behavior of others.

The word of the cross is God’s power to save. It will save you and me. Our only power comes by sharing it with others?

Passionate

Are we consumed with work because we find value in the job, or are we passionate because of the difference it makes in the lives of others?

Our value comes from God. We are created in His image and covered by the blood of His Son.

Value based in work becomes an insatiable task.

Spiritually, if we are passionate about leading others to a greater relationship with God, the perspective changes.

When we have an intense desire and enthusiasm for the work of the Lord, there is a sense of love and joy in fulfilling the true purpose of life.

Spiritual leadership is worth being passionate about and loving.

Think Big

Children know no limitations and, generally, no fear. Nothing seems too difficult or impossible.

Walt Disney once said, “If you can think it, you can do it.”

We should dream, believe, and plan what we want to accomplish. Jesus tells us nothing is impossible with God.

Paul reminds us that God has the power to do far beyond all we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.

Where might our leadership take us if we start on the foundation of these two thoughts?

Let us not limit God because we are convinced we cannot do it?

Think Big.

Trading Places

What would it be like to trade places with someone else? After all, others seem to have it so much better than we do.

The Psalmist questioned a similar thought when considering the prosperity of the wicked.

If our view of leadership is limited to what we can accumulate or accomplish in this life, we have misunderstood where the treasure really lies.

If our view of leadership is confined to what others think or say about us, we have lost sight of the value of this God given role.

It is time to lay aside the temptations of the world and recognize the urgency of the spiritual need that surrounds us.