Tag: Fear Not

Leader

Leader 

 

The central question is, “Are the leaders of the future truly men and women of God, people with an ardent desire to dwell in God’s presence, to listen to God’s voice, to listen to God’s beauty, to touch God’s incarnate Word, and to taste fully God’s infinite goodness” (Nouwen, H. 2001) 

 

What kind of leader are you? Has your leadership style changed during our pandemic? Where are the areas you are leading right now? I believe we all lead to some capacity and have a direct impact on others. We lead in things we say and do while also in times when we don’t say something or do nothing. Who are some of the leaders you are looking up to now? I ask all these questions to get your brain thinking about leadership and how Jesus is leading you today? 

Isaiah 55:4 says “Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader, and commander to the peoples.”

I’ve been grateful to attend many leadership conferences and have many opportunities to lead in my professional career. In my home with family, friends, and in my neighborhood with friends and neighbors we equally have unlimited leadership opportunities. I must say there are many times where I realize how I could have been a better leader. Then I try to sit back and literally try to think, Do I/we model our leadership after the Lord? Jesus was loving, all the time. Not too surface-level, straight to the heart. If I were to just look at this leadership attribute I can reflect on days past and ask how can I lead more like Him? 

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.—Psalm 32:8

How are you doing?  We all lead. Take time today to think of how Jesus led. Where was His heart? What were His actions? None of us will do it perfectly as He did.  Still, we have hope, we have the example provided through His living word. Each week our family has seen Galatians 5:22-23 come up as a memory verse on “Kids church”. Jennifer and the kids will bust out in the Fruits of the Spirit song. What if we as leaders no matter who we lead modeled these attributes. Love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

Leaders have an impact, they influence others in what they say, things they do, and how you treat them. As leaders, we influence our homes, workplace, and neighborhoods. Today, you will lead others. Today you will have the opportunity to lead as Jesus did. I pray for your leadership.  Is it a family member that is struggling? Are some medical results not so favorable? Is someone struggling financially? Does someone not know about our Eternal Father.  The One who has taken away all our sins and offers us all the free gift of Eternal Life. 

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.—Isaiah 41:10

Dear Father, 

Leading is not easy left to ourselves.  Help us to have the trust and faith to point everything back to you and your divine plans.  When we are seeking answers, let us rest in Your peace that you have a perfect plan.  Help us not to lean on our own understanding but humble ourselves and listen for you.  We love you, Lord, you have given us a mission field to lead.   We pray for wisdom and continued guidance and growth to draw closer to you Lord as men and women of our Heavenly Father.  We love you.  Amen

Looking and Listening

1/3/2017

Matthew 2

“And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”

Looking and listening.  The wise man searched for a star that rose and would guide them to our King.  This light would be the light that would guide their lives and ours for the rest of our lives.  As I reflect on Chapter two of Matthew, I found a timely quote. It said, “Those who live at the greatest distance from the means of grace often use the most diligence to find it, and learn to know Christ and his salvation.” (Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary)  I think this can also be true as the wise man and we search for his light. This light in the form of a star can be thought of as the same light we should look for each day as we search for Jesus.  John 8:12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Joseph was told by the Lord in a dream to believe in his marriage to Mary. He believed. He was asked to have faith in a decision to move his family to Egypt. He moved. The Lord tells Joseph how to keep his family safe. He listened.

In this new year I pray to help us to be more like Joseph and less like “me” when asked to do something. Where we listen for the Lord and not just what we want to hear. Where we make our decisions to go or stay when the Lord tells us to and not just when it feels right to us. Often, we make decisions based only on our accord and not what the Lord may be asking you to do.  (I’ve been here often..) I realize we may not get an angel telling us what to do, but it may be someone else. It may be a timely verse read, a friend from small group, a stranger you share your faith with. It’s all part of God’s plan.  Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.

My prayer for 2017 is that I listen closer to God. I pray you do too. May he open doors, may he close them, sometimes we will be told to move, sometimes told to stay. Either way we listen. Proverbs 3:5-6  Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

In addition, Joseph followed through. I can be a good listener at times, I’ve also been told that I have “selective hearing” just like our children. At either listening level, what do we do next. (This is my self confession, submission part, I ask you help me with. Pray to follow through with God’s plans.) Do we follow through for our Lord or do I stay because it feels more comfortable, less scary, more worldly, or just less conflict. Unfortunately for me it’s the latter.

Lord help us to listen. To make decisions based on what you want and not what we want. Help us to trust in your word and believe in the plan you have for us even if it seems uncertain, scary, bigger or smaller than we ever imagined. That even when it seems like King Herod is out get us, you provide the people and protection we need to keep us safe. Not because of decisions we made. But because we listened, followed through, and had faith in you. Amen

And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.  Matthew 2:11