Tag: Knowledge

Wisdom

Wisdom involves experience, knowledge and good judgment. Wisdom is often described as the proper application of knowledge and experience.

Leaders today must pursue the right source of wisdom. Scripture is clear and the application is significant.

Leaders who seek wisdom should ask God for it. When dealing with the trials of life, God is willing to give wisdom to those who ask in faith.

The qualities of God’s wisdom must be known and practiced: pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

Wisdom can be learned by experience and from others. This allows leaders to base their leadership on the guidance provided by God.

The Faith of Leadership

When leadership is guided by God’s word, the results are significant.

There is confidence in knowing the direction is guided by God Himself. The wisdom and knowledge of God is the basis for the direction in His word. Leaders cannot go wrong with His guiding hand.

God’s word provides the greatest purpose for character formation. Leaders begin with developing themselves, and then lead others to demonstrate Christ-like character.

Leaders know there is strength when grounded in the truth. Overcoming the obstacles of leadership requires strength, not personal strength, but spiritual strength that is only found in truth.

Let us always lead by the faith.

Genuineness #1

People seek a leader who is genuine, or authentic.

Several hindrances challenge the genuineness of a leader, most of which stem from self: personal agenda, money, power, position, etc.

These areas do not mean an individual cannot be genuine. However, they do hinder the development of genuineness.

How can genuineness in leadership improve?

1) Think about the influence of your words and actions before you speak or act.

2) Use knowledge, commitment, and ability to lay the foundation for decisions and actions.

3) Deliver honest criticism in a spirit of love and concern for the well being of others.

Conversations Worth Talking About

Do we have anything worth talking about?

Far too many conversations revolve around subjects of little consequence. Kin Hubbard says, ”Don’t knock the weather. If it didn’t change once in a while, nine-tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation.”

When we consider our influence for Christ, it makes sense that we focus our conversations on spiritual matters?

When we consider eternity, our conversations change with those we encounter in life?

When we consider the condition of our world, do we ever wonder about our responsibility to others?

Our time on earth is more than the trivial pursuit of fruitless knowledge.

The good news of Jesus is something worth talking about!

Spiritual Growth

How can we measure spiritual growth? The most common answer is an increase in Bible knowledge. This is why we are pushed to spend more time studying our Bibles.

Without a doubt, we need to grow in our knowledge of God’s word. However, knowledge of God’s word alone does not equate to spiritual growth, and we all know it’s true.

Measuring or determining spiritual growth / health, occurs on the battle field of application.

Leaders must find ways that bridge the gap from the first century writing of God’s word into the twenty-first century life. The task is not easy.

Knowledge, Understanding, Experience

Knowledge often highlights knowing facts or information.

Understanding includes factual information, but it carries meaning and application.

Experience takes on sharing in the same events or activities in order to gain full comprehension.

Paul wanted to know more than facts about Jesus. He wanted more than an understanding of what those facts meant and how they applied. He wanted to know Christ on the basis of experience.

The privilege of going through what Jesus experienced, “the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,” meant more than book knowledge.

Imagine a leadership based on this knowledge, understanding, and experience.

Risky Business

Leadership means risks. Change never occurs quickly or easily. Introducing challenges or raising questions about the current development or structure increases the level of risk.

Regardless of the approach to personal or organizational growth, change is required in order to expand. The thought of remaining neutral, being comfortable with the status quo, or being afraid to address potential change leaves an organization stagnate and eventually deteriorating.

Time, knowledge, and experience are three elements that provide the basis for approaching any risk.

1) Do we have the time to invest?
2) Is our knowledge of the situation adequately researched?
3) What level of experience exists for the resources needed?

Measuring Our Leadership

We tend to gauge success by tangible measurements, but is everything that easily measured?

How do we measure someone’s knowledge? How do we measure the long-term impact of the gospel once the seed is sown? How should we approach our leadership within the church?

Leave the measuring to God. He has an accurate way of measuring what happens.

Be consistent. Measure growth in another location by the same standard in our own.

Remember, goals are important and our job is to plant and water.
God will give the increase.

If we do our part, God will do His and the measurement will always be right.

The Heart and Mind of Leadership…

Continuing education is beneficial for personal growth and development. The drive behind the educational process is to dig a little deeper into the storehouse of knowledge to gain a better understanding of the wisdom others have gained.

The challenge is learning how to balance knowledge with application.

The thought of application should move us to dig deeper in order to understand the implications of what we have learned.

The information we gain will increase our ability to lead and help others reach our heavenly home.

The heart of leadership must be connected to the mind of leadership.

Wise Leaders…

Wisdom is defined as the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment. Practically speaking, wisdom is the proper application of knowledge.

One of the most notable illustrations of leadership wisdom is found in King Solomon. The request of Solomon was a discerning heart to rule God’s people. This does not mean that Solomon was without faults, but God granted his request.

Leaders should ask God for wisdom. He gives generously to those who ask in faith.

The wisdom from God possesses specific qualities described as pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, and without hypocrisy (Jas. 3:17).