Tag: SALT

Humble Leaders

Life constantly changes.

Preparing our minds for all the possible changes in life is significant.

If you knew the one secret to prepare for those changes, would you seek it, take it, and apply it in your life? Of course. We all would.

Humility is the one secret to make this preparation.

Developing humility is a lifelong endeavor to achieve.

Humility recognizes our need for God.

Humility works each day at putting the needs of others above our own.

When the changes of life come along, humility enables us to approach change with the wisdom to deal with it appropriately.

Thinking Leaders

Before we speak, write, or act, think first. It is simple to say, yet so difficult to follow.

Leaders must learn to “think first.”

Before we speak regarding family, personal, or professional matters, think first. Once words are spoken we cannot take them back. We can apologize, wish we could take them, or try to explain, but the bottom line is it’s to late. Think first.

The same is true with our actions. Before we decide to act on any given situation, think first. Others are watching. How will they perceive our actions? Will others know the intention of our heart based on what they see?

Decisive Leadership

There are two key elements to being decisive we need to develop.

The first is the idea of sound decisions. The soundness of a decision is going to be subjective based on the moral compass of the individual. From a spiritual leadership perspective, the soundness of one’s decisions will be based on a Biblical compass.

The second involves the word timely. We have all heard, and perhaps experienced, the idea of “timing is everything.” With much prayer, spiritual leaders will seek to make decisions in keeping with God’s timing.

When we make decisions that are both sound and timely, our leadership develops greater credibility.

Directional Leadership

I find it easier to determine direction in some areas in the world than others. In Denver, the mountains are west. In Virginia Beach, the Atlantic Ocean is east.

Other areas make it challenging to gain a sense of direction. Without some geographical marker, identifying north from south or east from west is nearly impossible.

Pilots use IFR (Instrument Flying Rules). IFR relies on the plane’s instruments instead of one’s senses. Certain conditions can create a false sense of direction causing pilot error.

Leaders have the task of providing direction for others. They must use the right instrument.

God’s word is the only instrument needed if we are to provide true spiritual direction.

Prayer of a Leader

Too often, prayer is used like a spare tire; we pull it out of the trunk when something goes wrong and we need a little help until everything is patched up.

Prayer is also seen a last ditch effort when everything else we try fails.

Prayer is the beautiful expression of a heart that beats in rhythm with God. Leaders understand the need to walk in relationship with God. Thus, leaders find themselves in constant communication with the One who leads us all.

Consider men like Enoch (Gen. 5), Noah (Gen. 6), Abraham (Gen. 12), the prophets, and apostles, who led lives in harmony with God.

Responsibility in Leadership

Leadership involves responsibility. The higher one goes in leadership, the greater the responsibility.

We could also say we live in a culture where the common practice is one of blaming others. The problem is not cultural. This practice has been in place since the creation of humanity. We have not changed much as people in the twenty-first century.

Leadership seeks and takes responsibility for their actions.

Leaders give credit to the team in victory, but take full responsibility in defeat.

Rarely do we find such integrity and leadership. Yet, when leaders seek and take responsibility for their actions their influence grows.

Leadership Improvement

Improvement is defined as working to make someone or something better.

Athletes practice daily to improve their skills.

Professionally, continuing education classes are an attempt to improve abilities.

Spiritually, when we improve the spiritual life, the physical side cannot help but improve.

Our leadership must not be about us. It is about others. It is about leading them down paths of improvement.

We all need to improve. The challenge is learning to understand how we improve ourselves in the greatest way by improving the life of others.

Prayer

We communicate with God through prayer. Our approach to God is significant when thinking about prayer. Consider the apostles who desired to learn how to pray (Lk. 11:1).

We need reverence when approaching God’s throne to speak. Without a doubt, He is to be revered and lifted up by our hearts through the words expressed from our lips.

However, this is not the only approach found in scripture, and the model prayer was not intended to be a formula used in every prayer.

Prayer signifies a relationship and leaders need to understand more fully the relationship represented through prayer.

Change

Why does the idea of “change” create such fear on the part of so many people? One possible answer is the idea that change brings something negative or bad. Change is also associated with introducing liberalism.

Change, however, can be a positive, powerful, and necessary approach to growth. Mandy Hale says, “Change can be scary, but you know what’s scarier? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving, and progressing.”

Change is biblical; we call it repentance. It still means change.

Our fear of change must not stifle us from achieving all that God can do through us if we will but change.

Caught in the Middle

A strange feeling exists when we are caught between a rock and a hard place? The idea is being caught in the middle. The middle brings interesting thoughts to mind.

There are those who are caught in the middle, between two friends.

There are children who are in the middle, born between two siblings.

There are followers of Christ who, religiously, walk in the middle of the road, neither one side or the other.

However, leaders cannot afford to be in the middle of the road regarding God. Leaders need dedication and confidence to move others from point A to point B.