Tag: Sunset

Relationships

There is a powerful relationship between life and leadership.

The mindset of trying to do things on our own will ultimately fail. We need one another. There is a minimum of twenty-four “one another” passages throughout scripture. These passages teach us about the spiritual relationship and responsibility we have to each other.

When leadership engages these thoughts to strengthen relationships, the result brings a powerful boost to our leadership.

When we fulfill the responsibilities outlined by the New Testament writers, the church grows stronger.

Isn’t it time we built the kind of relationships to accomplish both?

Loyalty

Businesses offer a rain check for out-of-stock merchandise. The benefit helps build loyalty between the customer and business.

Loyalty is one of the most vital characteristics of leadership. How do we build the kind of loyalty needed in leadership?

Demonstrate trust: We must trust in God and also learn to trust in others.

Develop consistency and integrity: Without these, loyalty will be impossible.

Dedication: We must be dedicated to God, others, and reaching the goal.

These are only a few steps, but if we take them we can build a solid foundation for loyalty.

Winning

Every golf tournament has a leader board. Whoever has the best score sits on top of the leader board. Other sports use a similar practice with a score board. Why? Because it’s about winning!

We tell children it’s not about winning, but about playing the game. If this is true, why do we keep score? Interesting!

Paul adjusted specific areas of his life “so that he might win” souls for Christ. He wanted to win the Christian race and receive the eternal reward.

Are we living in a way that we might win where it really counts? Are we leading in a way that others might win?

Pursuing Shepherds

Shepherds must diligently pursue sheep that struggle and wander away.

I’ve never known of a situation in the Bible where literal sheep went after other sheep that wandered off. Every time, it is the shepherd who goes after the one.

Another interesting fact is the shepherd did not wait for weeks or months to see if the sheep might come back to the fold. Shepherds check their sheep every night. If one is missing, the shepherd goes looking.

We understand this physically, but do not always see it practiced spiritually.

Shepherds must not allow sheep to wander off. They need to check on them, see where they are struggling, and find ways to provide needed assistance.

We need good shepherds.

Connected Shepherds

As I get older, I see how easy it is to be disconnected, even reclusive from the world, world events, and activities, especially what a younger generation faces every day. It may be in the home, at school, on the job, or in the community.

Shepherds, who tend to be older (by God’s design), can easily become isolated from the world. When this happens, they are challenged to help provide solid biblical answers for these challenges when they are asked.

Take time with the sheep to learn about the battles they fight and focus on how to provide biblical answers to help them fight the good fight of faith.

We need good shepherds.

Praying Shepherds

Shepherding begins at the feet of the great Shepherd, Jesus.

Prayer cannot be overstated. James writes about the power of a prayer fervently rendered to our God. In the context, he specifically identifies elders as those who are to be called when anyone is sick.

Much debate has taken place related to the physical versus spiritual sickness discussed. Regardless of how you defend your thoughts on the matter, the main thrust of this text is about prayer and the power of faith that can impact one who is suffering.

James concludes by saying, “The fervent prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (Jas. 5:16).

We need good shepherds.

Relational Shepherds

Leaders must learn how to address difficulties that arise from within and without. Who’s right? What’s right? Why? When? How?

When shepherds are solely focused on decision making, the ability to lead the sheep is relegated to the task of ensuring people hear a message from the pulpit that is healthy to scripture.

The avoidance of close, intimate, personal relationships has caused more confusion for the church today.

The questions confronting shepherds strike at the core of their being and the inability to provide biblical answers has caused more than a few to see the Bible as outdated and the church as a relic of past ritualistic practices.

We need good shepherds.

Protective Shepherds

Shepherds carry a responsibility to protect the sheep.

Consider some of the dangers people face in our world today. Just to name a few: complacency, apathy, anxiety, discouragement, frustration, fatigue, etc. People are constantly bombarded with immoral, unethical, and spiritual confusion.

Young people deal with the racism, pornography, gambling, humanism, evolutionary teachings, and a plethora of religious teachings that add to the confusion.

Shepherds must also handle the challenges of sheep that can’t get along with each other. The problems of ego, pride, personality conflicts, opinions, and a general lack of love for one another continue to make shepherding difficult.

We need good shepherds.

Awareness

The world thinks of leadership as forcing others to do what leaders say. However, Marian Anderson said, “Leadership should be born out of the understanding of the needs of those who would be affected by it.”

Spiritual leaders must consider others. When leading someone to Christ, our efforts will never be successful if we attempt to force God’s word upon them.

We must also guard attempts to create undue guilt.

We must understand others and lead in ways that create an awareness of the need, teach how and why, and allow God’s word to work to bring Biblical change.

Faith

Moses was noted for his faith in seeing Him who is unseen. Spiritual leaders are people of faith, primarily faith in God.

However, faith involves additional factors key to successful leadership.

Leaders must have faith in people. Even with our flaws, God entrusted His work to people.

Leaders must have faith in the purpose. God has provided us with the greatest purpose.

Leaders must have faith in the plan. We need to believe these plans will accomplish God’s purpose.

Leaders must be people who see Him who is unseen. This is leadership insight that leads to success.