Tag: God

From Ordinary to Extraordinary…

When Moses approached the burning bush, God instructed him to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground. An ordinary bush became extraordinary because of God’s presence and divine activity.

God has always taken the ordinary and made it extraordinary with divine activity.

Twelve men: fishermen, a tax collector, a zealot, and other ordinary people, yet when God worked through them, they became extraordinary. 

Today, we need to recognize the nature of God working through the events and people in our lives to take something ordinary and make it extraordinary. When these “burning bushes” exist, we need to stop and realize the sacred ground upon which we stand and watch how God’s divine activity shapes our leadership.

A Dedicated Leader…

Leaders understand dedication to a fault, and they are dedicated to several areas.

They are dedicated to God. First, and foremost, their life belongs to the Almighty. They follow Him, whatever it takes.

They are dedicated to their family. They make sacrifices and express love through a willingness to do whatever is needed to get their family to heaven. 

They are dedicated to the church. No words adequately describe what leaders endure to help God’s people enjoy the security of the hope found in Jesus.

For these reasons, and many more, this post is dedicated to those leaders!

Simplifying Our Leadership…

Life is complicated and complex. Why have we allowed our daily activities to alter the simplicity of life? A few ideas could help us simplify our leadership.

Remember who is in control, who holds eternity in His hands, and let Him have control.
Learn when to say no.
Understand the limits of our abilities.
Take a “full” day off every week and spend it with family.
Do not work in all three parts of the day.
Stop trying to get it all done the first day.

More could be shared, but if we apply a few simple ideas, our leadership will last a little longer and taste a little sweeter.

A Grateful Leader…

Families and friends will soon gather to enjoy Thanksgiving.

We would all agree with the need to express our gratitude daily.

The God-given responsibility of leading can be a heavy burden, but the rewards are rich in eternal blessings.

A few are listed below.

An incredible God who created us, loved us, and was willing to die for us.
wonderful opportunity to work with the greatest people on earth.
The generosity of trust from faithful brethren who make our work possible.
Abundant physical and spiritual blessings.
A perfect Word that provides direction, strength, hope, and promise.

May leaders always express gratitude.

Heart of a Leader…

The Bible speaks a great deal about the heart. When it comes to leadership, heart is vital to our approach and development.

What benefits accompany a leader with heart?

With heart leaders dream of the future and what can be accomplished.
With heart leaders hold true to the integrity of their relationship with God and others.
With heart leaders invest in the lives of others to help them reach their potential.
With heart leaders plan with diligence and confidence.
With heart leaders step out with trust in God’s guidance and providential working to achieve His purpose and will.

Let us lead with heart!

The Grand Scheme…

Consider the “grand scheme” of things and our role as a leader in that scheme.

God’s mission is providentially guided throughout the history of Israel down to the coming, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus. 

The power of this mission/scheme is God’s continued involvement in our lives today.

If not careful we get distracted and even drawn away by the trivial areas of life, resulting in distorted priorities.

We need to pray that God will open doors. We also need to pray for the wisdom to see those opportunities and for the courage to pursue what God places before us in His grand scheme.

Leading To Calmer Waters…

No one likes the storms of life. However, there are no exemptions.

Because leaders must face and navigate these rough times, what is needed to help still the waters?

Know we are not alone. Others have faced rough waters before. Learn from and encourage one another when these challenges are encountered.

Reflect on the previous victories. Rough waters help us grow stronger in our relationship with God and others. Each victory strengthens that growth.

Remember to keep the proper priorities. The danger is to drift back to old habits, associations, and involvement in activities that weaken our leadership.

Rely on the navigational instrument God provides where we find the courage to face challenges and steer to calmer waters.

A Leader’s Temperament…

Temperament involves a person’s nature as it permanently affects their behavior. What kind of nature is permanently affecting our behavior? 

There is an obvious connection to the emotional drive in our lives. This emotional drive could be related to anger or patience, an attitude of discontent or one of contentment, etc.

With both Christian and nonChristian watching every move, it seems significant to consider why we must work to develop the kind of temperament that ensures a behavior of excellence. 

Jesus identified His disciples as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We use our words and actions to provide an example of temperament controlled by God.

Why Leaders Learn…

We can learn from the mistakes and successes of others. We can learn from people with academic credentials and those who only have experience.

Learning is not the issue. We learn something everyday from someone. We cannot help it or resist it. Everything connected to our senses creates a learning situation.

However, what we learn is what makes the difference.

From a spiritual perspective, are we learning more about God and each other as Christians? 

Learning what matters spiritually provides a foundation for lasting leadership. When we consider the importance of learning, remember it is what we learn that is most important.

Renewed Leaders…

Retreats provide opportunity for renewal, and it is an amazing  time to share progress, discuss problems, and plan for the future. 

Retreats bring people closer together as brothers and sisters, as well as, fellow workers participating in the greatest work on earth.

This is a great take away lesson for leaders.

The day to day grind of work, shuffling one stack of papers to the next, struggling to resolve problems, and an incredible work schedule will deplete leaders.

Spiritually, we must be renewed in our relationship with God. Such renewal keeps us focused, accountable, and strong in providing help to others.