“I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, for you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?”
Do you want to be taken seriously as a young Christian leader? Than act like one.
Harsh, right? True, right?
The fact is, our influence is received in most part by how people perceive our walk with Christ. If you’re talking one thing and walking another, don’t expect people to knock you down in order to follow your leadership. It won’t happen.
In the case of these verses, Paul is addressing a common human problem that will sooner or later get its barbs in you: Jealousy and strife. The Corinthian church had a big problem: They had begun to confuse what was most important in the church. They began to divide into groups based on whose teaching they followed or who had baptized them. They were worshipping people instead of God. Because of this jealousy, they were fighting.
As a Christian leader, sooner or later you’re going to face a situation where people will want to worship you instead of God. It’s human nature. Sometimes we will be in that boat. When that happens, we have turned our backs on God and are worshipping His creation. Things will go downhill from there.
A Christian leader is marked by their ability to rise above the petty jealousy that marks so many people. It is one of the traits that makes us worth following. It is our duty and responsibility to not only keep out of jealousy, but keep those who we serve from becoming so attached to us that jealousies rise among them.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: jealousy raises it’s head when we forget who we worship; when something besides God takes center stage in our lives. It is our duty and responsibility to keep jealousy from ourselves and purge it from those we serve.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on Today: Luke 22:24-30
Prayer:
Father, please help me to keep you the center focus of my life. Help me not to get jealous, or promote jealousy by letting people worship me instead of you. Thank you for letting me lead your people. In Christ’s name, amen.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Day 16: 1 Corinthians 1:26-27
“For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;”
I love how God turns the world on it’s head. Do you have to be extremely smart to be a leader in God’s Kingdom? Do you have to be someone of high birth? Do you have to have a lot of money or be extremely powerful?
The answer to all of these is no. It is not in our own power or the power of our possessions that God uses us as leaders. It is in His power. And many times our God uses the not so smart, the not so popular, and the not so noble to really push forward the Kingdom of God from a place or person that no one thought was possible.
Think about Jesus (please). He was born in the most humble of circumstances, had no formal earthly training, and was a carpenter by trade. Oh, and the Savior of the World. We can’t judge a book by it’s cover because God doesn’t work like that. What seems to be the reality rarely is with God, because He doesn’t work like we’d expect Him to.
Some of you might be afraid that you can’t step out and lead because you’re not smart enough. Many of you think you don’t have the resources to do what God has called you to do.
May I remind you about who our God is? This is the God that fed the Israelites for years in the desert on manna that dropped from the sky. This is the God that turned Joseph from slave to second in command of Egypt. This is the God that raised Jesus from the dead. That’s a pretty big God, and whatever He wants to do, He’ll do it.
Don’t think you have to go into leadership with a certain skill set, a certain amount of money, or a certain IQ. God provides to His people what they need to carry out His work. You are never alone.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: God will make you into whatever He needs you to be. Don’t worry about your education, IQ, position in life, or bank Account. God doesn’t look at those things as qualifiers, and neither should you.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Prayer: Father, make me what you need me to be for Your service. Help me to not worry about what I am now, but only what You will make me into. Thank you for allowing me to participate in Your work, and thank You for saving me. In Christ’s Name, amen.
I love how God turns the world on it’s head. Do you have to be extremely smart to be a leader in God’s Kingdom? Do you have to be someone of high birth? Do you have to have a lot of money or be extremely powerful?
The answer to all of these is no. It is not in our own power or the power of our possessions that God uses us as leaders. It is in His power. And many times our God uses the not so smart, the not so popular, and the not so noble to really push forward the Kingdom of God from a place or person that no one thought was possible.
Think about Jesus (please). He was born in the most humble of circumstances, had no formal earthly training, and was a carpenter by trade. Oh, and the Savior of the World. We can’t judge a book by it’s cover because God doesn’t work like that. What seems to be the reality rarely is with God, because He doesn’t work like we’d expect Him to.
Some of you might be afraid that you can’t step out and lead because you’re not smart enough. Many of you think you don’t have the resources to do what God has called you to do.
May I remind you about who our God is? This is the God that fed the Israelites for years in the desert on manna that dropped from the sky. This is the God that turned Joseph from slave to second in command of Egypt. This is the God that raised Jesus from the dead. That’s a pretty big God, and whatever He wants to do, He’ll do it.
Don’t think you have to go into leadership with a certain skill set, a certain amount of money, or a certain IQ. God provides to His people what they need to carry out His work. You are never alone.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: God will make you into whatever He needs you to be. Don’t worry about your education, IQ, position in life, or bank Account. God doesn’t look at those things as qualifiers, and neither should you.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: 1 Samuel 16:1-13
Prayer: Father, make me what you need me to be for Your service. Help me to not worry about what I am now, but only what You will make me into. Thank you for allowing me to participate in Your work, and thank You for saving me. In Christ’s Name, amen.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Day 15: Romans 8:28
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Many times we go through our lives not understanding who we are or why we do things. How many of us know why we think the way we think, or why we act the way we act? How many of us have questioned God about why things do or do not happen to us?
For many of us, suffering is just suffering. The process is so painful that we fail to look beyond it and learn from it. By looking beyond the pain, we deny ourselves the one benefit of suffering: seeing God work through the pain, suffering, and heartache to advance His kingdom.
It amazes me that God can use suffering for good. But then again, He uses our lives for His glory, and our lives are full of junk, sin, darkness, and unfaithfulness. And still God uses them.
It is very important as Christians to understand that God uses our lives to mold us in the image of His Son. It’s also important not to become bitter when bad things happen to us, because what we consider bad for us can become good in the hands of a loving God.
As leaders, we not only have to acknowledge this fact, but look further into it, making the connections between events and attitudes to gain a better understanding of ourselves. To understand why we do things allows us to better control our behavior, and to make decisions based on our knowledge of ourselves. When we see the journey that God is taking us on, it is much easier to deal with the day-to-day drudgery of life, and to learn the lessons God wants us to learn as we go.
We also have to see and understand where others’ circumstances have shaped their attitudes and behaviors. When we lead or work on a team, this understanding allows us to put people into a job or responsibility that suits them and their unique temperament. It also allows us to understand them better as people.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: God uses everything in our life to shape us for His purpose. Our life’s circumstances, those things that happen to us, both good and bad, make up who we are and who God wants us to be.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Genesis 50:15-21.
Prayer: Father, help me to see Your purpose in my life. Help me to see it unfold everyday as You unfold it. Give me the eyes to see how You are working in the lives of others, as well, and help me to better understand them as a result. Thank you father, for shaping and molding me. In Christ’s name, amen.
Many times we go through our lives not understanding who we are or why we do things. How many of us know why we think the way we think, or why we act the way we act? How many of us have questioned God about why things do or do not happen to us?
For many of us, suffering is just suffering. The process is so painful that we fail to look beyond it and learn from it. By looking beyond the pain, we deny ourselves the one benefit of suffering: seeing God work through the pain, suffering, and heartache to advance His kingdom.
It amazes me that God can use suffering for good. But then again, He uses our lives for His glory, and our lives are full of junk, sin, darkness, and unfaithfulness. And still God uses them.
It is very important as Christians to understand that God uses our lives to mold us in the image of His Son. It’s also important not to become bitter when bad things happen to us, because what we consider bad for us can become good in the hands of a loving God.
As leaders, we not only have to acknowledge this fact, but look further into it, making the connections between events and attitudes to gain a better understanding of ourselves. To understand why we do things allows us to better control our behavior, and to make decisions based on our knowledge of ourselves. When we see the journey that God is taking us on, it is much easier to deal with the day-to-day drudgery of life, and to learn the lessons God wants us to learn as we go.
We also have to see and understand where others’ circumstances have shaped their attitudes and behaviors. When we lead or work on a team, this understanding allows us to put people into a job or responsibility that suits them and their unique temperament. It also allows us to understand them better as people.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: God uses everything in our life to shape us for His purpose. Our life’s circumstances, those things that happen to us, both good and bad, make up who we are and who God wants us to be.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Genesis 50:15-21.
Prayer: Father, help me to see Your purpose in my life. Help me to see it unfold everyday as You unfold it. Give me the eyes to see how You are working in the lives of others, as well, and help me to better understand them as a result. Thank you father, for shaping and molding me. In Christ’s name, amen.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Day 14: 1 John 2:9-11
“The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”
How can you hate someone and be a Christian? Well, you can’t. Not according to John, anyway. I’m sure you all know some people who claim to have faith but hate other people. John says their faith isn’t pure, that the love of the Father is not in them. That’s because the love of God through Jesus Christ compels us to love those around us, in fact, everyone in the world. This love isn’t the same kind of love we’re used to, but a supernatural love. It’s the same kind of love that compelled Jesus to die on the cross in our place (John 3:16).
Love is a funny thing. We love our favorite soda. We love our cars. We love ourselves. We love a lot of things. When we say we love something what we’re really saying is that we are attached to something that brings us pleasure. When we love people like God loves people, we are putting ourselves aside and seeing to their needs.
Without love for other people, we will not serve them in a way that is pleasing to God. We may serve them, but it will usually be with a selfish motive. Godly love comes from the love of God and enables us to serve without thought for ourselves or the glory our service brings us. True love allows people to be served and God to be glorified.
John is also very clear that our actions will match our words. If we say we our Christians but hate people, we might be able to fool some people part of the time, but we won’t be fooling everybody all of the time. And we certainly aren’t fooling God.
John even says that if we hate people, we are blinded by the darkness that we walk in; which should spark a very important question in us: “Do I hate people?” Well? Consider it carefully, because if you do, John says that you and God aren’t right. That’s pretty serious.
Our role as Christian leader should be marked out by our extreme love for one another and others. This love compels us to serve and care for others without regard for our own lives or livelihoods. Without this love, we should take a hard look at who we really are and who we really serve.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Love for the people around us is the mark of a Christian and especially the mark of a Christian leader.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: John 3:16, John 15:12-13
Prayer: Father, show me where my love is lacking. Help me to see any hate that I am holding onto. Please channel your love through me and help me to serve with no regard for myself. Please let others to see Your love in mine. In Christ’s name, amen.
How can you hate someone and be a Christian? Well, you can’t. Not according to John, anyway. I’m sure you all know some people who claim to have faith but hate other people. John says their faith isn’t pure, that the love of the Father is not in them. That’s because the love of God through Jesus Christ compels us to love those around us, in fact, everyone in the world. This love isn’t the same kind of love we’re used to, but a supernatural love. It’s the same kind of love that compelled Jesus to die on the cross in our place (John 3:16).
Love is a funny thing. We love our favorite soda. We love our cars. We love ourselves. We love a lot of things. When we say we love something what we’re really saying is that we are attached to something that brings us pleasure. When we love people like God loves people, we are putting ourselves aside and seeing to their needs.
Without love for other people, we will not serve them in a way that is pleasing to God. We may serve them, but it will usually be with a selfish motive. Godly love comes from the love of God and enables us to serve without thought for ourselves or the glory our service brings us. True love allows people to be served and God to be glorified.
John is also very clear that our actions will match our words. If we say we our Christians but hate people, we might be able to fool some people part of the time, but we won’t be fooling everybody all of the time. And we certainly aren’t fooling God.
John even says that if we hate people, we are blinded by the darkness that we walk in; which should spark a very important question in us: “Do I hate people?” Well? Consider it carefully, because if you do, John says that you and God aren’t right. That’s pretty serious.
Our role as Christian leader should be marked out by our extreme love for one another and others. This love compels us to serve and care for others without regard for our own lives or livelihoods. Without this love, we should take a hard look at who we really are and who we really serve.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Love for the people around us is the mark of a Christian and especially the mark of a Christian leader.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: John 3:16, John 15:12-13
Prayer: Father, show me where my love is lacking. Help me to see any hate that I am holding onto. Please channel your love through me and help me to serve with no regard for myself. Please let others to see Your love in mine. In Christ’s name, amen.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Day 13: 20:24
“But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.”
As Paul was finishing his third missionary Journey, he was faced with a real dilemma. He was headed to Jerusalem with a collection for the believers there. He had collected it from the churches in Asia that he had been visiting. He knew that things would be rough for him in Jerusalem. His own people were more than a little upset with him, because they saw him as a traitor to God. As he made the trip home, he stopped at Ephesus, a town where he had worked very hard, and a church that was obviously very dear to him. At their port, he addressed the elders of the church there for what Paul knew could very well be the last time.
Paul could have stayed there, in Ephesus, where his life could be prolonged and he could continue to serve the churches in the area. He could have turned the other way and gone on yet another missionary journey. If Paul had cared about his life more than he cared about serving God, he could have done either of those things. But his speech to the Ephesian Elders shows something about Paul that every leader must learn.
Paul had come to the realization that no matter what, God had things well in hand. Paul knew that his life was no longer his own, but God’s. God would use Paul as He needed to further His kingdom and bring the message of salvation to a lost world.
To take this attitude, Paul had to stop worrying about his own life and let God handle the details. This kind of attitude is not natural to us, in fact, it is very unnatural. We look to protect ourselves above everything else. Some consider that the right thing to do. Others, like Paul, see it as selfish. Paul believed that his life did not count as much as the people in Jerusalem that the offering would help; that his life did not mean as much as the salvation that God would bring through the preaching of Paul, no matter where God took him.
A Christian leader has to have Paul’s attitude. Our own life, our own wants, our own dreams, they are now second to the plan of an almighty God and our Savior. This means total commitment to a life of serving God and others. It’s not a halfway thing. Paul knew that. He lived it. Listen to his words: "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to me.”
If we think that we can interject ourselves whenever we want and serve God part time, we’re missing out on his purpose, His blessing, and His cause. God empowers the leader that gives his life fully over to God. Remember, the first… will be last. And the last, the one that gives up his life… he gains life. Be the person who gains it.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Our lives are tools of God for His glory and His purpose.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Luke 9:23-27, Matthew 10:24-42
Prayer: Father, thank you for your promise to provide everything that we need. Thank you for giving us salvation through your Son. Help me to be unselfish. Help me to give my whole life to You. Thank You for your plan for my life, and help me to follow it. In Christ’s name, amen.
As Paul was finishing his third missionary Journey, he was faced with a real dilemma. He was headed to Jerusalem with a collection for the believers there. He had collected it from the churches in Asia that he had been visiting. He knew that things would be rough for him in Jerusalem. His own people were more than a little upset with him, because they saw him as a traitor to God. As he made the trip home, he stopped at Ephesus, a town where he had worked very hard, and a church that was obviously very dear to him. At their port, he addressed the elders of the church there for what Paul knew could very well be the last time.
Paul could have stayed there, in Ephesus, where his life could be prolonged and he could continue to serve the churches in the area. He could have turned the other way and gone on yet another missionary journey. If Paul had cared about his life more than he cared about serving God, he could have done either of those things. But his speech to the Ephesian Elders shows something about Paul that every leader must learn.
Paul had come to the realization that no matter what, God had things well in hand. Paul knew that his life was no longer his own, but God’s. God would use Paul as He needed to further His kingdom and bring the message of salvation to a lost world.
To take this attitude, Paul had to stop worrying about his own life and let God handle the details. This kind of attitude is not natural to us, in fact, it is very unnatural. We look to protect ourselves above everything else. Some consider that the right thing to do. Others, like Paul, see it as selfish. Paul believed that his life did not count as much as the people in Jerusalem that the offering would help; that his life did not mean as much as the salvation that God would bring through the preaching of Paul, no matter where God took him.
A Christian leader has to have Paul’s attitude. Our own life, our own wants, our own dreams, they are now second to the plan of an almighty God and our Savior. This means total commitment to a life of serving God and others. It’s not a halfway thing. Paul knew that. He lived it. Listen to his words: "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to me.”
If we think that we can interject ourselves whenever we want and serve God part time, we’re missing out on his purpose, His blessing, and His cause. God empowers the leader that gives his life fully over to God. Remember, the first… will be last. And the last, the one that gives up his life… he gains life. Be the person who gains it.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Our lives are tools of God for His glory and His purpose.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Luke 9:23-27, Matthew 10:24-42
Prayer: Father, thank you for your promise to provide everything that we need. Thank you for giving us salvation through your Son. Help me to be unselfish. Help me to give my whole life to You. Thank You for your plan for my life, and help me to follow it. In Christ’s name, amen.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Day 12: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
Too many of us want to live a quiet comfortable life where nothing ever happens, nothing is lost, there is no pain, no heartache, no problems. Are you one of those people? I hope not. Many times and in many ways, our lives are not so quietly defined by those moments that we consider tragedy. We will never forget these moments, and they will teach us things that no other situation can.
And here’s a nasty little secret: no matter how badly we want to live a life unmarred by tragedy, we won’t. Every one of us will have tragedy in our life. As a leader, we often guide others through it. You may think that only pastors do such things, but let me assure you that in times of pain, people look to any kind of leader to help them get through, not just their pastor.
So, getting to our passage, Paul is telling us a little something about suffering. Paul was no stranger to suffering. In fact, after he met Jesus on the Damascus Road, his life could be looked at as one bit of suffering after another. Paul was jailed, beaten, hunted, cursed, and tortured throughout his career as an evangelist and church planter. Though he suffered much, there is no doubt that Paul considered his life successful. This passage gives us some insight into his thoughts.
Like I said before, we all face suffering. As a Christian, we’re promised persecution, trials, and sufferings. But right here Paul tells us that God is a comforter, and that we will find comfort in Him. We are also told that the comfort God gives us has a use: to comfort others with. That’s where this turns into a leadership lesson. Imagine being around Paul, and relating to him some bit of suffering that you had undergone. Imagine the peace he could offer you. Imagine the wisdom he could offer you. I don’t think you could out-suffer Paul. God gives us comfort from our suffering and then lets us use that comfort to help take care of others.
What does this mean to you? Think about it. Comfort and mercy flows from God to us, and then back out from us to others. It’s actually quite beautiful. As leaders experience is the trump card. It’s our experience that often gives people confidence in our ability to lead them. This is even true in suffering. You can guide someone through suffering much better if you know of what you speak.
The next time you go through something traumatic, think about what God is teaching you through it. I bet when you look back, many years after the event, you’ll be able to see where God used your situation in order to help and lead other people.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: God uses even our suffering to allow us to help and lead others. Every experience is another step in becoming more like Jesus.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Romans 8:28
Prayer: Father, thank you for the promise that everything in this life works for our betterment. Thank you that even my suffering helps me relate to others. Help me to work through my suffering with Grace, always relying on you to comfort me, and help me to show that comfort to those around me who need it. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
Too many of us want to live a quiet comfortable life where nothing ever happens, nothing is lost, there is no pain, no heartache, no problems. Are you one of those people? I hope not. Many times and in many ways, our lives are not so quietly defined by those moments that we consider tragedy. We will never forget these moments, and they will teach us things that no other situation can.
And here’s a nasty little secret: no matter how badly we want to live a life unmarred by tragedy, we won’t. Every one of us will have tragedy in our life. As a leader, we often guide others through it. You may think that only pastors do such things, but let me assure you that in times of pain, people look to any kind of leader to help them get through, not just their pastor.
So, getting to our passage, Paul is telling us a little something about suffering. Paul was no stranger to suffering. In fact, after he met Jesus on the Damascus Road, his life could be looked at as one bit of suffering after another. Paul was jailed, beaten, hunted, cursed, and tortured throughout his career as an evangelist and church planter. Though he suffered much, there is no doubt that Paul considered his life successful. This passage gives us some insight into his thoughts.
Like I said before, we all face suffering. As a Christian, we’re promised persecution, trials, and sufferings. But right here Paul tells us that God is a comforter, and that we will find comfort in Him. We are also told that the comfort God gives us has a use: to comfort others with. That’s where this turns into a leadership lesson. Imagine being around Paul, and relating to him some bit of suffering that you had undergone. Imagine the peace he could offer you. Imagine the wisdom he could offer you. I don’t think you could out-suffer Paul. God gives us comfort from our suffering and then lets us use that comfort to help take care of others.
What does this mean to you? Think about it. Comfort and mercy flows from God to us, and then back out from us to others. It’s actually quite beautiful. As leaders experience is the trump card. It’s our experience that often gives people confidence in our ability to lead them. This is even true in suffering. You can guide someone through suffering much better if you know of what you speak.
The next time you go through something traumatic, think about what God is teaching you through it. I bet when you look back, many years after the event, you’ll be able to see where God used your situation in order to help and lead other people.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: God uses even our suffering to allow us to help and lead others. Every experience is another step in becoming more like Jesus.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Romans 8:28
Prayer: Father, thank you for the promise that everything in this life works for our betterment. Thank you that even my suffering helps me relate to others. Help me to work through my suffering with Grace, always relying on you to comfort me, and help me to show that comfort to those around me who need it. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Day 11: 1 Corinthians 1:10
“Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgement.”
If you keep reading in the book of Corinthians, you get the idea that maybe the church at Corinth had a problem. Unfortuneately, it’s the same problem that plagues our local churches today, and really the Church as a whole: Division
What is division? Well, in the Corinthian church, it manifested itself as different groups of people claiming they followed a certain person (Paul, etc.) and that their way was better than everyone else’s. Awkward.
In other words, cliques were forming within the church, all claiming they were better than anyone else. Kinda sounds like denominations today, doesn’t it? Paul began his letter by addressing this particular problem because it is one of the deadliest problems to Christianity in his day. The air of superiority and division that cliques bring to a church are death to fellowship and love. Paul couldn’t let them continue. We can’t have them. They have no place in the Church.
At our worst, we love cliques. They give us a sense of belonging, of superiority, and of self-importance, even in a place where we have been laid equal by the mercy of God. If we’re not careful, we find ourselves as part of a clique before we realize what’s happening. It’s natural to gravitate towards those that are most like us, but as Christian leaders we can’t alienate ourselves within one group of people. That’s the anti-leader. We can’t lead those that we feel are inferior. We can’t lead those people we don’t know. We can’t lead those people who we consider outsiders.
Be careful that you don’t get mixed up in divisions and cliques, whether it be at church, school, or anywhere. Your effectiveness as a leader is determined by your ability to engage individuals, not be part of a clique.
Remember that as a leader, and especially as a Christian leader, you exist to pull people together. As a leader in an organization, you have to get people to work together. As a Christian, you work to bring people together, bound by the Holy Spirit. Neither of these things is possible as long as you allow yourself to part of a clique or allow them exist within your organization.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: The Christian leader must take special care not to be part of divisions or cliques. They exist to bring people together, not pull them apart.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: 1 Corinthians 12:13
Prayer: Father, open my eyes to the way I behave around other people. Show me, Lord, where I feel superiority or any other arrogance. Banish it from me, Lord. Help me to promote unity through Your Spirit, and help me to be a person that brings people together. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
If you keep reading in the book of Corinthians, you get the idea that maybe the church at Corinth had a problem. Unfortuneately, it’s the same problem that plagues our local churches today, and really the Church as a whole: Division
What is division? Well, in the Corinthian church, it manifested itself as different groups of people claiming they followed a certain person (Paul, etc.) and that their way was better than everyone else’s. Awkward.
In other words, cliques were forming within the church, all claiming they were better than anyone else. Kinda sounds like denominations today, doesn’t it? Paul began his letter by addressing this particular problem because it is one of the deadliest problems to Christianity in his day. The air of superiority and division that cliques bring to a church are death to fellowship and love. Paul couldn’t let them continue. We can’t have them. They have no place in the Church.
At our worst, we love cliques. They give us a sense of belonging, of superiority, and of self-importance, even in a place where we have been laid equal by the mercy of God. If we’re not careful, we find ourselves as part of a clique before we realize what’s happening. It’s natural to gravitate towards those that are most like us, but as Christian leaders we can’t alienate ourselves within one group of people. That’s the anti-leader. We can’t lead those that we feel are inferior. We can’t lead those people we don’t know. We can’t lead those people who we consider outsiders.
Be careful that you don’t get mixed up in divisions and cliques, whether it be at church, school, or anywhere. Your effectiveness as a leader is determined by your ability to engage individuals, not be part of a clique.
Remember that as a leader, and especially as a Christian leader, you exist to pull people together. As a leader in an organization, you have to get people to work together. As a Christian, you work to bring people together, bound by the Holy Spirit. Neither of these things is possible as long as you allow yourself to part of a clique or allow them exist within your organization.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: The Christian leader must take special care not to be part of divisions or cliques. They exist to bring people together, not pull them apart.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: 1 Corinthians 12:13
Prayer: Father, open my eyes to the way I behave around other people. Show me, Lord, where I feel superiority or any other arrogance. Banish it from me, Lord. Help me to promote unity through Your Spirit, and help me to be a person that brings people together. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Day 10: Matthew 5:4
“Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted."
If you’ve ever lost someone that was close to you, you know what mourning is. It’s that deep feeling of intense loss and pain coupled with the fact that it will be a long time before you see them again. Mourning is a God-given emotion that he built into us for the times when we lose something dear to us. So, is the loss of a loved one what Jesus is talking about when He says “blessed are those who mourn”? Not exactly.
There’s a different kind of mourning, one that has nothing to do with losing a loved one, but one that God expects us to experience anyway. God expects us to mourn when we see evil in the world. He expects us to mourn when we see injustice. He expects us to mourn when we meet the lost. And God expects his leaders to lead this kind of mourning.
So many of us are so wrapped up in keeping our bellies full, our pockets line, and worrying about ourselves that we miss the aspect of mourning in our lives. Everytime we see someone sin, we should mourn that the godly thing wasn’t done. Everytime we see someone who isn’t getting enough to eat, we should mourn that fact. When we see that someone is treated badly because of their skin color, because of their beliefs, or because of where they are from, we should mourn. When we see a land where God is not honored, we should mourn. You get the picture.
As a leader, we are especially called by God to mourn these things. In the book of Amos, God promises to destroy Israel because the leaders there wouldn’t mourn the sin of their people. Leaders, you have to be so selfless and so attuned to the world around you that you can mourn.
Those that mourn usually are the ones to do something to change the situation. If we’re not mourning, chances are real good that you don’t care enough about the situation that you’d follow God and do something about it.
So, how will we be comforted? Well, here on earth, we’ll be comforted as we see the Kingdom of God advanced and evil turned back. We may even take part in changing a situation we had mourned for. Not bad for comforting. And of course, in heaven, there will be no mourning. Everything will be perfect, there will be no need for it.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: We have to focus on the world. We need to mourn for all the evil in it. Evil should make us literally sick to our stomach. We should allow God to turn our mourning into action, and show us how to correct the situation.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Amos 5, 6:1-7.
Prayer: Father, give me a heart that is attuned to mourning. Help me to put aside my own problems, to look upon the world, and mourn over what is evil. Lord, give me a heart for what is wrong in the world and the courage to fix it for Your glory and in Your Name. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
If you’ve ever lost someone that was close to you, you know what mourning is. It’s that deep feeling of intense loss and pain coupled with the fact that it will be a long time before you see them again. Mourning is a God-given emotion that he built into us for the times when we lose something dear to us. So, is the loss of a loved one what Jesus is talking about when He says “blessed are those who mourn”? Not exactly.
There’s a different kind of mourning, one that has nothing to do with losing a loved one, but one that God expects us to experience anyway. God expects us to mourn when we see evil in the world. He expects us to mourn when we see injustice. He expects us to mourn when we meet the lost. And God expects his leaders to lead this kind of mourning.
So many of us are so wrapped up in keeping our bellies full, our pockets line, and worrying about ourselves that we miss the aspect of mourning in our lives. Everytime we see someone sin, we should mourn that the godly thing wasn’t done. Everytime we see someone who isn’t getting enough to eat, we should mourn that fact. When we see that someone is treated badly because of their skin color, because of their beliefs, or because of where they are from, we should mourn. When we see a land where God is not honored, we should mourn. You get the picture.
As a leader, we are especially called by God to mourn these things. In the book of Amos, God promises to destroy Israel because the leaders there wouldn’t mourn the sin of their people. Leaders, you have to be so selfless and so attuned to the world around you that you can mourn.
Those that mourn usually are the ones to do something to change the situation. If we’re not mourning, chances are real good that you don’t care enough about the situation that you’d follow God and do something about it.
So, how will we be comforted? Well, here on earth, we’ll be comforted as we see the Kingdom of God advanced and evil turned back. We may even take part in changing a situation we had mourned for. Not bad for comforting. And of course, in heaven, there will be no mourning. Everything will be perfect, there will be no need for it.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: We have to focus on the world. We need to mourn for all the evil in it. Evil should make us literally sick to our stomach. We should allow God to turn our mourning into action, and show us how to correct the situation.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Amos 5, 6:1-7.
Prayer: Father, give me a heart that is attuned to mourning. Help me to put aside my own problems, to look upon the world, and mourn over what is evil. Lord, give me a heart for what is wrong in the world and the courage to fix it for Your glory and in Your Name. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Day 9: Proverbs 12:15
“A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise.”
Surely you’ve done this before. You get this great idea, I mean, like make a million dollars good idea. It’s so good you don’t tell anyone else about it, out of fear that they will steal it (it’s that good). So you set to work on your idea. You work hard, and finally the day comes to unveil your masterpiece. Then it bombs. Maybe it’s a school project, a paper, a business idea, or a lemonade stand, I don’t know. So why did it bomb? Because you didn’t talk to anyone else about it. Sometimes we’re so caught up in not wanting anyone else to get the credit that we don’t get anyone else’s advice. Bad move. We usually end up falling flat on our faces that way.
God speaks to us in many ways. He speaks to us through His word, the Bible. He speaks to us through prayer and quiet time. And sometimes He speaks to us through other godly people. The fact is that we need Christian people around us at all times speaking into our lives. Just because we are leaders doesn’t mean we know everything. In fact, a good leader is one who can admit that not only do they not know everything, they don’t know much of anything. The greatest leaders (bar Jesus, who really did know everything) are ones that surround themselves with extremely wise people to help you make decisions and let you know when you are going to fall on your face.
Who do you let counsel you now? Anyone? Noone? As you develop yourself as a leader, develop a group of contacts that can give you wise counsel as you make decisions. Start with pastors, youth leaders, parents, or extremely godly friends and teachers. Whoever it is, they’ll steer you clear from trouble, and maybe you’ll get to speak into their life to.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: We all need wise people to give us advice. We can’t go it alone, and God didn’t make us that way, anyway. Don’t ever make a decision by yourself. Give God the opportunity to speak to you through a trusted friend or advisor.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: I Kings 4:1-6, and 2 Timothy 4:9-18.
Prayer: Father, show me people that you would like to advise me. Please humble me so that I never think I can do things on my own. Give me a godly, loving group of people who will give me good advice and speak Your words to me. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
Surely you’ve done this before. You get this great idea, I mean, like make a million dollars good idea. It’s so good you don’t tell anyone else about it, out of fear that they will steal it (it’s that good). So you set to work on your idea. You work hard, and finally the day comes to unveil your masterpiece. Then it bombs. Maybe it’s a school project, a paper, a business idea, or a lemonade stand, I don’t know. So why did it bomb? Because you didn’t talk to anyone else about it. Sometimes we’re so caught up in not wanting anyone else to get the credit that we don’t get anyone else’s advice. Bad move. We usually end up falling flat on our faces that way.
God speaks to us in many ways. He speaks to us through His word, the Bible. He speaks to us through prayer and quiet time. And sometimes He speaks to us through other godly people. The fact is that we need Christian people around us at all times speaking into our lives. Just because we are leaders doesn’t mean we know everything. In fact, a good leader is one who can admit that not only do they not know everything, they don’t know much of anything. The greatest leaders (bar Jesus, who really did know everything) are ones that surround themselves with extremely wise people to help you make decisions and let you know when you are going to fall on your face.
Who do you let counsel you now? Anyone? Noone? As you develop yourself as a leader, develop a group of contacts that can give you wise counsel as you make decisions. Start with pastors, youth leaders, parents, or extremely godly friends and teachers. Whoever it is, they’ll steer you clear from trouble, and maybe you’ll get to speak into their life to.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: We all need wise people to give us advice. We can’t go it alone, and God didn’t make us that way, anyway. Don’t ever make a decision by yourself. Give God the opportunity to speak to you through a trusted friend or advisor.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: I Kings 4:1-6, and 2 Timothy 4:9-18.
Prayer: Father, show me people that you would like to advise me. Please humble me so that I never think I can do things on my own. Give me a godly, loving group of people who will give me good advice and speak Your words to me. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Day 8: Proverbs 10:12
“Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses.”
All, right, it’s survey time. Let’s say there’s this person at school that you don’t like. I mean, really don’t like. They stole your boyfriend, made fun of your prom outfit, and you’re pretty sure they are trying to steal your friends. How probable is it that you are going to forgive this person? Likely? I don’t think so. In fact, I bet there’s gonna be some total drama.
Now, let’s say you’ve got a really good friend, someone you love dearly, and they do something terrible to you. What about now? Are you going to forgive them? Probably. It might take a little time, but your love for that person will triumph. That’s what this verse is talking about. Love triumphs over everything.
Now, before you think I’m some sort of hopeless romantic that watches chick flicks, let me give you God’s definition of love: putting the person you love ahead of yourself. Jesus talked about this a lot. He was all about putting other people first. Like when He died on the cross to save you from your sin. That’s putting other people first. That’s love.
If you are looking to put other people’s interests ahead of your own, the likelihood of conflicts goes way down. On the other hand, if you’re looking to please yourself, prepare for some major drama. True love covers all offenses. True love covered your offenses when Jesus died and rose again. You are no longer in conflict with God. It’s up to us to put that same principle into effect in our own lives.
As you lead other people, sooner or later there are going to be some people you have a hard time getting along with. In fact, there will be some people who want to take you down, who will say terrible things about you behind your back (and to your face), and people who will do everything in their power to make sure your life is a miserable soap opera (is this sounding like anyone you know yet?).
You want to know your secret weapon against such people? Love. It’s really hard to dislike someone, or to have a fight erupt when you truly love someone. Jesus said that we could tell his followers by their love for one another. How’s your love?
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Being leader means dealing with people, and sometimes dealing with people can be hard. When you love the people you lead, it makes your life and their life much easier. Conflicts arise when you get upset. It’s hard to get upset when you love someone.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on Today: John 15:9-17
Prayer: Lord, help me to love as You love me. Help me to love my neighbor as myself. When I have problems with other people, help me to see them as You see them. Help me to stay away from conflict and to lead in a loving, godly manner. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
All, right, it’s survey time. Let’s say there’s this person at school that you don’t like. I mean, really don’t like. They stole your boyfriend, made fun of your prom outfit, and you’re pretty sure they are trying to steal your friends. How probable is it that you are going to forgive this person? Likely? I don’t think so. In fact, I bet there’s gonna be some total drama.
Now, let’s say you’ve got a really good friend, someone you love dearly, and they do something terrible to you. What about now? Are you going to forgive them? Probably. It might take a little time, but your love for that person will triumph. That’s what this verse is talking about. Love triumphs over everything.
Now, before you think I’m some sort of hopeless romantic that watches chick flicks, let me give you God’s definition of love: putting the person you love ahead of yourself. Jesus talked about this a lot. He was all about putting other people first. Like when He died on the cross to save you from your sin. That’s putting other people first. That’s love.
If you are looking to put other people’s interests ahead of your own, the likelihood of conflicts goes way down. On the other hand, if you’re looking to please yourself, prepare for some major drama. True love covers all offenses. True love covered your offenses when Jesus died and rose again. You are no longer in conflict with God. It’s up to us to put that same principle into effect in our own lives.
As you lead other people, sooner or later there are going to be some people you have a hard time getting along with. In fact, there will be some people who want to take you down, who will say terrible things about you behind your back (and to your face), and people who will do everything in their power to make sure your life is a miserable soap opera (is this sounding like anyone you know yet?).
You want to know your secret weapon against such people? Love. It’s really hard to dislike someone, or to have a fight erupt when you truly love someone. Jesus said that we could tell his followers by their love for one another. How’s your love?
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Being leader means dealing with people, and sometimes dealing with people can be hard. When you love the people you lead, it makes your life and their life much easier. Conflicts arise when you get upset. It’s hard to get upset when you love someone.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on Today: John 15:9-17
Prayer: Lord, help me to love as You love me. Help me to love my neighbor as myself. When I have problems with other people, help me to see them as You see them. Help me to stay away from conflict and to lead in a loving, godly manner. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Day 7: Proverbs 10:9
“The one who lives with integrity lives securely, but whoever perverts his ways will be found out”.
You know, growing up, I heard about integrity all the time. It was like Dad’s favorite word. I would hear “you’re nothing without integrity”, or “your integrity is all you have in this world”, or something real similar like two or three times a day. To be completely honest, I kept asking myself “what is integrity, and why does my dad think it’s so important”? Of course, like so many times my father was talking, he would tell me what integrity was, but I wasn’t listening. Not until now.
So, what is integrity? Integrity can be summed up this way: “doing the right thing, even when nobody is watching”. I can’t claim any credit for that, it was my dad’s definition. He would say it over and over, and only recently did it make any sense.
The bible has quite a bit to say about how we are supposed to live, and we should really pay attention. My dad’s definition of integrity was a good one, but it left out one thing: God always sees. We’d better be doing the right thing all the time. If we don’t, and other people see us, then we lose our leadership ability and any opportunity we might have to talk to them about Jesus.
This verse is very straightforward: even if people don’t see us doing the wrong thing, we will be found out. God knows, so our fellowship with Him is diminished. And let’s not forget, that everything we do has consequences in this life, and sooner or later if we screw up, it tends to bubble up so everyone can see it(usually at a very bad time). When we do the right thing all the time (don’t get me wrong, we all screw up, but let’s not use that as an excuse, huh?) then we can live securely. We don’t have to worry about when our darkest secrets will be revealed, because we won’t have any if we live a life of integrity.
You want to see a good example of someone’s screw up being found out? Just ask all these yahoos who have been stealing from their companies, or cooking the books so their stock prices stay afloat. Everything was fine until the business collapsed and then it came out: they were thieves. Will anyone ever follow them again? I don’t think so. Learn from it.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: We have to live every moment knowing that God is right here with us, and sees everything we do. We also need to know that when we screw up, no matter how good we are at hiding it, everyone always finds out.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Matthew Chapters 5-7.
Prayer: Father, you have given me leadership ability. You have given me spiritual gifts unique to me. Please, Lord, help me to do the right thing so that people will listen when I talk, and follow when I lead. Help me to confess when I screw up, so my sin doesn’t become a roadblock to serving You. I thank you father, that You are capable of all things, and will guide me in the paths that I should walk. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
You know, growing up, I heard about integrity all the time. It was like Dad’s favorite word. I would hear “you’re nothing without integrity”, or “your integrity is all you have in this world”, or something real similar like two or three times a day. To be completely honest, I kept asking myself “what is integrity, and why does my dad think it’s so important”? Of course, like so many times my father was talking, he would tell me what integrity was, but I wasn’t listening. Not until now.
So, what is integrity? Integrity can be summed up this way: “doing the right thing, even when nobody is watching”. I can’t claim any credit for that, it was my dad’s definition. He would say it over and over, and only recently did it make any sense.
The bible has quite a bit to say about how we are supposed to live, and we should really pay attention. My dad’s definition of integrity was a good one, but it left out one thing: God always sees. We’d better be doing the right thing all the time. If we don’t, and other people see us, then we lose our leadership ability and any opportunity we might have to talk to them about Jesus.
This verse is very straightforward: even if people don’t see us doing the wrong thing, we will be found out. God knows, so our fellowship with Him is diminished. And let’s not forget, that everything we do has consequences in this life, and sooner or later if we screw up, it tends to bubble up so everyone can see it(usually at a very bad time). When we do the right thing all the time (don’t get me wrong, we all screw up, but let’s not use that as an excuse, huh?) then we can live securely. We don’t have to worry about when our darkest secrets will be revealed, because we won’t have any if we live a life of integrity.
You want to see a good example of someone’s screw up being found out? Just ask all these yahoos who have been stealing from their companies, or cooking the books so their stock prices stay afloat. Everything was fine until the business collapsed and then it came out: they were thieves. Will anyone ever follow them again? I don’t think so. Learn from it.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: We have to live every moment knowing that God is right here with us, and sees everything we do. We also need to know that when we screw up, no matter how good we are at hiding it, everyone always finds out.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Matthew Chapters 5-7.
Prayer: Father, you have given me leadership ability. You have given me spiritual gifts unique to me. Please, Lord, help me to do the right thing so that people will listen when I talk, and follow when I lead. Help me to confess when I screw up, so my sin doesn’t become a roadblock to serving You. I thank you father, that You are capable of all things, and will guide me in the paths that I should walk. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Day 6: Proverbs 9:8-9
“Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you. Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will learn more."
All right, we’re gonna talk about two things today. Being rebuked and being taught. Sounds like fun, yeah?
First of all, What the heck is a rebuke? That’s when someone calls you out when you do something stupid. I’m sure that’s never happened to you (in the last five minutes). What do you do when someone points out that you’re wrong. Do you pout? Do you deny being wrong? Do you get angry? Solomon says that only idiots do those things. A wise person is always looking to learn from their mistakes. Wise people also know that they’ll be learning from their mistakes a lot, because at the heart of it, we’re a bunch of foul-ups. So the next time someone points out the fact that you’re stuck on stupid, consider very carefully how you react. Learn from your mistake. Trust me, you’ll be mad a lot less, and you’ll learn a lot more.
In the same vein, If you’re going to be a Christian leader (and you are), then you’re going to have to adapt a very difficult stance on life: you can always learn more. This is pretty obvious as you go through your studies at school and learn new things everyday. Sometimes though, we start to think we’re smarter than everyone else, and we refuse to learn from anyone. Bad move. In fact, Solomon says here that a righteous, wise man will always be teachable. We have to constantly be looking for ways to learn. There is always someone who is smarter and more experienced than we are. We need to look for them, and ask them to teach us. This could mean a chat over coffee, or a mentor type of situation. It might also mean we need to read more books (I know, I can hear everyone groaning now).
And let’s not forget, everyone we meet has something they can teach us. Don’t think because you’re smarter, better educated, or are a leader that you can’t learn anything from the people you lead. The best leaders learn as much as they teach.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Always look for ways to learn. Whether through mistakes or from someone that knows more than we do, never stop learning. The day we stop learning is the day we stop growing as a leader.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Luke: 18:18-23.
Prayer: Lord, make me teachable. Humble me and show me where I am wrong. Help me listen to others who have something to teach me. Above all, give me a love for Your word. In Christ’s Name, amen.
All right, we’re gonna talk about two things today. Being rebuked and being taught. Sounds like fun, yeah?
First of all, What the heck is a rebuke? That’s when someone calls you out when you do something stupid. I’m sure that’s never happened to you (in the last five minutes). What do you do when someone points out that you’re wrong. Do you pout? Do you deny being wrong? Do you get angry? Solomon says that only idiots do those things. A wise person is always looking to learn from their mistakes. Wise people also know that they’ll be learning from their mistakes a lot, because at the heart of it, we’re a bunch of foul-ups. So the next time someone points out the fact that you’re stuck on stupid, consider very carefully how you react. Learn from your mistake. Trust me, you’ll be mad a lot less, and you’ll learn a lot more.
In the same vein, If you’re going to be a Christian leader (and you are), then you’re going to have to adapt a very difficult stance on life: you can always learn more. This is pretty obvious as you go through your studies at school and learn new things everyday. Sometimes though, we start to think we’re smarter than everyone else, and we refuse to learn from anyone. Bad move. In fact, Solomon says here that a righteous, wise man will always be teachable. We have to constantly be looking for ways to learn. There is always someone who is smarter and more experienced than we are. We need to look for them, and ask them to teach us. This could mean a chat over coffee, or a mentor type of situation. It might also mean we need to read more books (I know, I can hear everyone groaning now).
And let’s not forget, everyone we meet has something they can teach us. Don’t think because you’re smarter, better educated, or are a leader that you can’t learn anything from the people you lead. The best leaders learn as much as they teach.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Always look for ways to learn. Whether through mistakes or from someone that knows more than we do, never stop learning. The day we stop learning is the day we stop growing as a leader.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Luke: 18:18-23.
Prayer: Lord, make me teachable. Humble me and show me where I am wrong. Help me listen to others who have something to teach me. Above all, give me a love for Your word. In Christ’s Name, amen.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Day 5: Proverbs 9:6
“Leave inexperience behind, and you will live; pursue the way of understanding.”
As leaders, we have to understand something. We are going to be called on to do some pretty hard things. And we’re going to expect the people we lead to do some pretty hard things. I know that doesn’t settle well with a lot of you, because who wants to do something hard? I bet you got up this morning and was like “gosh, I hope I get to do something hard today”. Right? Maybe we should be saying that. There’s a lot in this world that we won’t understand until we get out there and try it. You know, live a little. Now this isn’t a Nike ad. I’m not saying “Just do it”. What I am saying is that we have to put our feet on the floor and our nose to the grindstone and get a little experience.
Experience means a lot to the people you’re going to lead. There’s only so far your good looks are going to get you. You may be a natural people magnet. Like, when you smile, people just flock around you. But try to lead people into something difficult, and the first question they’re gonna ask is this: “Have you done this before?” Am I right? Wouldn’t you? Let’s say you are going to climb Mount Everest, the highest mountain on earth. Your team leader seems like a great guy. He’s got all the coolest equipment, has a great plan, and is the nicest guy on earth. Just before you start your journey, he announces to the group that he’s never been mountain climbing. Still want to go? Negative. It’s the same way with being a leader. While you can’t experience everything, you can get out there and experience as much as you can so that when people ask “have you done this before?” You won’t lose your followers, and your task won’t fail.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Experience is a must for any leader. The only way to get experience is to learn and do as much as you can in your field of leadership. Don’t be afraid to try hard things, because it will make things easier later.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Matthew Chapter 10.
Prayer: Master, you know your plan for me. You set it for me before the creation of the Earth. Thank you. Allow me to gain experience to better lead Your people. Give me courage to do hard things, and the strength to finish them. Thank you for the experience needed to make wise choices. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
As leaders, we have to understand something. We are going to be called on to do some pretty hard things. And we’re going to expect the people we lead to do some pretty hard things. I know that doesn’t settle well with a lot of you, because who wants to do something hard? I bet you got up this morning and was like “gosh, I hope I get to do something hard today”. Right? Maybe we should be saying that. There’s a lot in this world that we won’t understand until we get out there and try it. You know, live a little. Now this isn’t a Nike ad. I’m not saying “Just do it”. What I am saying is that we have to put our feet on the floor and our nose to the grindstone and get a little experience.
Experience means a lot to the people you’re going to lead. There’s only so far your good looks are going to get you. You may be a natural people magnet. Like, when you smile, people just flock around you. But try to lead people into something difficult, and the first question they’re gonna ask is this: “Have you done this before?” Am I right? Wouldn’t you? Let’s say you are going to climb Mount Everest, the highest mountain on earth. Your team leader seems like a great guy. He’s got all the coolest equipment, has a great plan, and is the nicest guy on earth. Just before you start your journey, he announces to the group that he’s never been mountain climbing. Still want to go? Negative. It’s the same way with being a leader. While you can’t experience everything, you can get out there and experience as much as you can so that when people ask “have you done this before?” You won’t lose your followers, and your task won’t fail.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Experience is a must for any leader. The only way to get experience is to learn and do as much as you can in your field of leadership. Don’t be afraid to try hard things, because it will make things easier later.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Matthew Chapter 10.
Prayer: Master, you know your plan for me. You set it for me before the creation of the Earth. Thank you. Allow me to gain experience to better lead Your people. Give me courage to do hard things, and the strength to finish them. Thank you for the experience needed to make wise choices. In Christ’s name I pray, amen.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Day 4: Proverbs 3:9
“Honor the Lord with your possessions and with the first produce of your entire harvest…”
We like stuff. Lots of stuff. We can’t get enough of it. We watch commercials about stuff, go to stores to buy stuff, and build whole buildings to store stuff when our own homes can’t hold all of our stuff. God doesn’t really like stuff. He loves you. He wants you. He went a long way in order to have a relationship with you. Now that we have that relationship, God wants us to love Him, not stuff.
God wants us as leaders to ooze God in every area of our lives. He wants us to be countercultural in our thoughts and actions. One of these areas is our stuff. God wants us to honor Him with our stuff. How can we do that? We can use our stuff for Him. Think about it. Our money, our possessions, our time: All of these things can be used for God or they can be used for us. We make the choice. Most people live for their stuff. We have to find a way to make our stuff work for God.
Notice that God doesn’t just want us to use our possessions for Him, but He wants us to honor him with the “first produce”. Now, since most of us aren’t farmers, that doesn’t mean much to us. Here’s what He wants: God is saying that one way we worship God is to give the first portion of our money, time, and talents to Him. That means we serve Him, give money for His causes, and develop the gifts that He gave us. And we do it before we do anything else. Seriously, before anything else. Why? Because it lets other people see that we serve God and not ourselves. And people are drawn to leaders who are real about who they serve.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: God wants us to give our best to Him. Giving our first and best tells others about the God we serve.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Malachi 3:7-12.
Prayer: Father, you have given me everything. Teach me to give back to you. Give me the courage to show the world who I serve by how I spend my money, my time, and my talents. Teach me to be faithful through my giving and my spending. In Christ’s name, amen.
We like stuff. Lots of stuff. We can’t get enough of it. We watch commercials about stuff, go to stores to buy stuff, and build whole buildings to store stuff when our own homes can’t hold all of our stuff. God doesn’t really like stuff. He loves you. He wants you. He went a long way in order to have a relationship with you. Now that we have that relationship, God wants us to love Him, not stuff.
God wants us as leaders to ooze God in every area of our lives. He wants us to be countercultural in our thoughts and actions. One of these areas is our stuff. God wants us to honor Him with our stuff. How can we do that? We can use our stuff for Him. Think about it. Our money, our possessions, our time: All of these things can be used for God or they can be used for us. We make the choice. Most people live for their stuff. We have to find a way to make our stuff work for God.
Notice that God doesn’t just want us to use our possessions for Him, but He wants us to honor him with the “first produce”. Now, since most of us aren’t farmers, that doesn’t mean much to us. Here’s what He wants: God is saying that one way we worship God is to give the first portion of our money, time, and talents to Him. That means we serve Him, give money for His causes, and develop the gifts that He gave us. And we do it before we do anything else. Seriously, before anything else. Why? Because it lets other people see that we serve God and not ourselves. And people are drawn to leaders who are real about who they serve.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: God wants us to give our best to Him. Giving our first and best tells others about the God we serve.
Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Malachi 3:7-12.
Prayer: Father, you have given me everything. Teach me to give back to you. Give me the courage to show the world who I serve by how I spend my money, my time, and my talents. Teach me to be faithful through my giving and my spending. In Christ’s name, amen.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Day 3: Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.”
This world is kinda screwed up (I don’t know if you’ve noticed). Everywhere we go, everything we do, there is a something trying to get us away from God. It may seem innocent enough, but if it points away from God, it can’t be good. That’s why Solomon says “do not rely on your own understanding”. We may think we’re going down the right path. It may even be a “good” path. But if it’s not God’s path, it won’t lead anywhere. This verse promises that if we bring God in on everything we do, He’ll show us the right way.
This is really important for you leaders. The world will tell you one thing about leadership, and God says another. God says the real leader is humble, the world says they don’t have to be. God says the leader doesn’t rely on himself, and the world says the leader relies completely on himself. Which way is better? God’s way, of course. The world’s way might buy success in this life (but probably not even then), but God’s way has eternal consequences. No one goes to heaven doing things the world’s way. Miracles aren’t seen doing things the world’s way. The impossible isn’t possible doing things the world’s way. We’ve got to trust God to show us the right way. And as we trust Him to show us the right way, we’ve got to trust Him enough that we actually do things the right way.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: We have to learn to trust God to live through us. The more we try to live our lives, the less we allow God to show us how to live.
Here’s a verse you might want to meditate on today: Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.
Prayer: Thank you that you have a better way than my way, God. Lord, help me to trust You. I know in my heart that Your way is better than mine, but sometimes it’s hard to do the right thing. I want to make a difference in this world, and I know You have a plan to do that through me. Guide me, show me what to do, and help me to trust You and do what You need me to do. In Christ’s name, amen.
This world is kinda screwed up (I don’t know if you’ve noticed). Everywhere we go, everything we do, there is a something trying to get us away from God. It may seem innocent enough, but if it points away from God, it can’t be good. That’s why Solomon says “do not rely on your own understanding”. We may think we’re going down the right path. It may even be a “good” path. But if it’s not God’s path, it won’t lead anywhere. This verse promises that if we bring God in on everything we do, He’ll show us the right way.
This is really important for you leaders. The world will tell you one thing about leadership, and God says another. God says the real leader is humble, the world says they don’t have to be. God says the leader doesn’t rely on himself, and the world says the leader relies completely on himself. Which way is better? God’s way, of course. The world’s way might buy success in this life (but probably not even then), but God’s way has eternal consequences. No one goes to heaven doing things the world’s way. Miracles aren’t seen doing things the world’s way. The impossible isn’t possible doing things the world’s way. We’ve got to trust God to show us the right way. And as we trust Him to show us the right way, we’ve got to trust Him enough that we actually do things the right way.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: We have to learn to trust God to live through us. The more we try to live our lives, the less we allow God to show us how to live.
Here’s a verse you might want to meditate on today: Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.
Prayer: Thank you that you have a better way than my way, God. Lord, help me to trust You. I know in my heart that Your way is better than mine, but sometimes it’s hard to do the right thing. I want to make a difference in this world, and I know You have a plan to do that through me. Guide me, show me what to do, and help me to trust You and do what You need me to do. In Christ’s name, amen.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Day 2: Proverbs 2:6-10
“For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up success for the upright; He is a shield for those who live with integrity so that He may guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His loyal followers. Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity-every good path. For wisdom will enter your mind, and knowledge will delight your heart.”
Now that’s a mouthful. Solomon wrote the Proverbs for young men who were about to enter government service, so you could say that Proverbs is just a leadership handbook. With that in mind, take a look at what Solomon (and God) wants you to get: you need wisdom, righteousness, justice, and integrity. That’s what you need to lead people, businesses, and ministries. So what are those things, anyway, and why do you need them? God is very clear here about why you need these things. He is all about justice, protecting His people, and giving success to those who seek Him. But He also provides a description of the kind of person that He blesses with success. Wisdom we’ve already talked about, but here are the others…
1. Righteousness. In the Old Testament, righteousness is regarded as doing the will of God, and being godly. The righteous person (not to be confused with New Testament Righteousness, which has more to do with salvation) is focused on doing the godly thing all the time. The righteous person works tirelessly for God and His kingdom. Biblical leadership is based on working for God, rather than for yourself or others.
2. Justice. God is very concerned with justice. Justice is treating all people the same. “love your neighbor as yourself”, as Jesus would say. You see, He created every person, and as such, if you treat some people badly, you are insulting their maker. A leader understands that God made all people, and so all people are too be loved and respected; treated just as you would yourself.
3. Integrity. Integrity is personal character. Do you do the right thing all the time, even when other people aren’t looking? Integrity is key to leadership, because without the reputation as a person with integrity, no one will follow you. Not to mention that if you talk about God and then have a habit of screwing up people will begin to question God. Not cool.
And what’s the connector? Wisdom. With wisdom, all these other things fall into place. Do you see the connection? Fear God, get knowledge. With the knowledge God gives you, He also gives you wisdom. With Wisdom, He also lets you understand righteousness, justice, and integrity. And when you’ve got that, you can lead.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Justice, righteousness, and integrity don’t come naturally to us. They are taught to us by God through wisdom.
Here’s some verses you might want to meditate on today: I Kings 3:4-14
Prayer: Lord, you are the giver of all good things. You alone have wisdom, and You are the only place I can get wisdom. Help me to be wise. Teach me righteousness, justice, and integrity. Make me a leader. Give me what I need to complete your will. Thank you Father, in Christ’s name, amen.
Now that’s a mouthful. Solomon wrote the Proverbs for young men who were about to enter government service, so you could say that Proverbs is just a leadership handbook. With that in mind, take a look at what Solomon (and God) wants you to get: you need wisdom, righteousness, justice, and integrity. That’s what you need to lead people, businesses, and ministries. So what are those things, anyway, and why do you need them? God is very clear here about why you need these things. He is all about justice, protecting His people, and giving success to those who seek Him. But He also provides a description of the kind of person that He blesses with success. Wisdom we’ve already talked about, but here are the others…
1. Righteousness. In the Old Testament, righteousness is regarded as doing the will of God, and being godly. The righteous person (not to be confused with New Testament Righteousness, which has more to do with salvation) is focused on doing the godly thing all the time. The righteous person works tirelessly for God and His kingdom. Biblical leadership is based on working for God, rather than for yourself or others.
2. Justice. God is very concerned with justice. Justice is treating all people the same. “love your neighbor as yourself”, as Jesus would say. You see, He created every person, and as such, if you treat some people badly, you are insulting their maker. A leader understands that God made all people, and so all people are too be loved and respected; treated just as you would yourself.
3. Integrity. Integrity is personal character. Do you do the right thing all the time, even when other people aren’t looking? Integrity is key to leadership, because without the reputation as a person with integrity, no one will follow you. Not to mention that if you talk about God and then have a habit of screwing up people will begin to question God. Not cool.
And what’s the connector? Wisdom. With wisdom, all these other things fall into place. Do you see the connection? Fear God, get knowledge. With the knowledge God gives you, He also gives you wisdom. With Wisdom, He also lets you understand righteousness, justice, and integrity. And when you’ve got that, you can lead.
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Justice, righteousness, and integrity don’t come naturally to us. They are taught to us by God through wisdom.
Here’s some verses you might want to meditate on today: I Kings 3:4-14
Prayer: Lord, you are the giver of all good things. You alone have wisdom, and You are the only place I can get wisdom. Help me to be wise. Teach me righteousness, justice, and integrity. Make me a leader. Give me what I need to complete your will. Thank you Father, in Christ’s name, amen.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Day 1: Proverbs 1:7
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
I think this is a good place to start. Remember that knowledge is one part of our wisdom equation. But if you’re like me, then this doesn’t make sense at first. Knowledge comes from reading books, studying, listening to long boring lectures, and sitting in classrooms for hours on end, right? Not exactly. See, God works in a different way. Sure, doing all those other things can get you somewhere, and generally speaking, they are all good things. But if you want real knowledge that leads to wisdom, you’ve got to go to God for it. Now, don’t misunderstand the whole “fear of the Lord” thing. “Fear” can be translated “healthy respect for” just as easily. What the author, Solomon, was trying to say was this: “Have faith in God, respect Him as creator of the universe, turn your learning over to Him, and He’ll give you real knowledge that leads to wisdom”. Fools don’t do this, they try to get wisdom on their own, apart from God. That’s what makes them foolish. So, here we are at the first step. Are you ready? Look to God for knowledge. That means get into your Bible hardcore, pray like none other, and ask God to teach you. He can teach you, you know, cause He created EVERYTHING!
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Having faith in God is the first step in getting wise. God gives you knowledge through His word and prayer time.
Here’s some verses you might want to meditate on Today: Matthew 7:24-29.
Prayer: “Father, I’ve turned my life over to you and now I turn my learning over to you as well. I recognize the call you’ve put on my life, and know I have to rely on You to work through me. Teach me Your ways, teach me Your knowledge, and give me Your wisdom. I thank you for choosing me to work for You, and I ask that You guide me through this journey. In Jesus name I pray, Amen”.
I think this is a good place to start. Remember that knowledge is one part of our wisdom equation. But if you’re like me, then this doesn’t make sense at first. Knowledge comes from reading books, studying, listening to long boring lectures, and sitting in classrooms for hours on end, right? Not exactly. See, God works in a different way. Sure, doing all those other things can get you somewhere, and generally speaking, they are all good things. But if you want real knowledge that leads to wisdom, you’ve got to go to God for it. Now, don’t misunderstand the whole “fear of the Lord” thing. “Fear” can be translated “healthy respect for” just as easily. What the author, Solomon, was trying to say was this: “Have faith in God, respect Him as creator of the universe, turn your learning over to Him, and He’ll give you real knowledge that leads to wisdom”. Fools don’t do this, they try to get wisdom on their own, apart from God. That’s what makes them foolish. So, here we are at the first step. Are you ready? Look to God for knowledge. That means get into your Bible hardcore, pray like none other, and ask God to teach you. He can teach you, you know, cause He created EVERYTHING!
CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: Having faith in God is the first step in getting wise. God gives you knowledge through His word and prayer time.
Here’s some verses you might want to meditate on Today: Matthew 7:24-29.
Prayer: “Father, I’ve turned my life over to you and now I turn my learning over to you as well. I recognize the call you’ve put on my life, and know I have to rely on You to work through me. Teach me Your ways, teach me Your knowledge, and give me Your wisdom. I thank you for choosing me to work for You, and I ask that You guide me through this journey. In Jesus name I pray, Amen”.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Introduction to Next in Line 365
Hello! Welcome to Next in Line 365. I want to thank you. Why? Because first of all, if you’re reading this, you stopped by one of our booths and talked with some of the great people from Next In Line. We’re very excited about your future and the unbelievable things that God is going to do through you. That’s kinda why we wrote Next in Line 365. Secondly, I’m thanking you because if you’re reading this, you’ve seen leadership and wisdom as important enough to investigate. That tells me that you are already a leader in some way, and I’m thankful for it.
You may not know it, but you stand at a crossroads in your life. Today, tomorrow, the next day and the days to come are so important to all of humanity. That statement might seem like a little much, but believe me, it’s true. What you do with your life on this day and in the days to come will have unbelievable consequences, good and bad, for the whole world. How do I know that? Well, I know my God, and He is a God of unbelievable power. He created the universe. He created you. He provided salvation through His Son, Jesus. And that same God wants to work through you to advance His cause throughout the entire world. See? Important.
At this crossroads, God is inviting you to step out on faith and rely on Him to guide you in becoming what He intends. The world is also tempting you. It tempts you into power, money, and sex. What road will you take? The world may seem like the best choice, but it will always leave you empty, broken, and wanting something more. God’s way may seem difficult, and sometimes it is. But the great news is you just have to be faithful and let God work through you. And with God’s way, you’ll get to see the miraculous happen. Can’t say that about the world, can you?
What does this have to do with me?
At this point, you might be saying “dude, what does this have to do with me? I’m not gonna be some pastor or something, I just want to be a (fill in the Blank).” Well, that’s a good question. God doesn’t just call pastors to change the world. Or missionaries, or music leaders, or youth pastors (thankfully). God uses everyday people in everyday walks of life to lead other people and change the world. And since you’re reading this, my guess is you are one of these “everyday” people. Or maybe you want to go into the ministry. Either way, you’re gonna get something out of this devotional. So this has everything to do with you.
What is Next in Line 365?
Wow, another good question. Next in Line 365 is a devotional for young leaders. I know it’s tough to get into God’s word and just soak stuff up. So we’ve helped you a bit. We’ve taken some key verses out of places like Proverbs and we’ve suggested some ways that the verse could apply to the life of a leader. We hope that by reading these devotions you grow closer to God and learn what the Bible says about leadership and how to practice it in our lives and ministries. And this is just the beginning. We want you to make Next in Line 365 a habit, so we’ve made it available as a podcast on our website, and in written form on their too. More than anything, we just want you studying the Bible and getting everything out of it that you can.
What is Wisdom?
Anyone? Anyone? Is it something old people get as they get older? Nope. Wisdom can be expressed like an equation (no, this isn’t a math lesson). Wisdom=Knowledge+application for a specific situation. That’s it. Not too hard, is it? Knowledge in itself is kinda useless. So is application if you don’t have anything to apply. Knowledge and how to apply it to our life is something else though. It’s useful, it’s good. It’s wisdom.
Let’s get an example. The Bible says to love your neighbor. Simple enough, right? That’s knowledge. Says it right there in the book of Luke. Okay, so far so good. Got the knowledge part down. Now, let me ask you another question. What does “love your neighbor” look like? How do you love your neighbor? Who is your neighbor? The answer to these questions is application. So knowing that you are supposed to love your neighbor, and applying it by knowing who your neighbor is, and how to love them equals wisdom. Simple! Well, Kinda.
All right, I think we’re ready to get started. Are you ready? Do you want God to show you the way to becoming the person He wants you to be? Are you ready to commit yourself to learning God’s way of leadership?
Then get ready to step into the rest of your life. You’ve chosen your road. The right road.
You may not know it, but you stand at a crossroads in your life. Today, tomorrow, the next day and the days to come are so important to all of humanity. That statement might seem like a little much, but believe me, it’s true. What you do with your life on this day and in the days to come will have unbelievable consequences, good and bad, for the whole world. How do I know that? Well, I know my God, and He is a God of unbelievable power. He created the universe. He created you. He provided salvation through His Son, Jesus. And that same God wants to work through you to advance His cause throughout the entire world. See? Important.
At this crossroads, God is inviting you to step out on faith and rely on Him to guide you in becoming what He intends. The world is also tempting you. It tempts you into power, money, and sex. What road will you take? The world may seem like the best choice, but it will always leave you empty, broken, and wanting something more. God’s way may seem difficult, and sometimes it is. But the great news is you just have to be faithful and let God work through you. And with God’s way, you’ll get to see the miraculous happen. Can’t say that about the world, can you?
What does this have to do with me?
At this point, you might be saying “dude, what does this have to do with me? I’m not gonna be some pastor or something, I just want to be a (fill in the Blank).” Well, that’s a good question. God doesn’t just call pastors to change the world. Or missionaries, or music leaders, or youth pastors (thankfully). God uses everyday people in everyday walks of life to lead other people and change the world. And since you’re reading this, my guess is you are one of these “everyday” people. Or maybe you want to go into the ministry. Either way, you’re gonna get something out of this devotional. So this has everything to do with you.
What is Next in Line 365?
Wow, another good question. Next in Line 365 is a devotional for young leaders. I know it’s tough to get into God’s word and just soak stuff up. So we’ve helped you a bit. We’ve taken some key verses out of places like Proverbs and we’ve suggested some ways that the verse could apply to the life of a leader. We hope that by reading these devotions you grow closer to God and learn what the Bible says about leadership and how to practice it in our lives and ministries. And this is just the beginning. We want you to make Next in Line 365 a habit, so we’ve made it available as a podcast on our website, and in written form on their too. More than anything, we just want you studying the Bible and getting everything out of it that you can.
What is Wisdom?
Anyone? Anyone? Is it something old people get as they get older? Nope. Wisdom can be expressed like an equation (no, this isn’t a math lesson). Wisdom=Knowledge+application for a specific situation. That’s it. Not too hard, is it? Knowledge in itself is kinda useless. So is application if you don’t have anything to apply. Knowledge and how to apply it to our life is something else though. It’s useful, it’s good. It’s wisdom.
Let’s get an example. The Bible says to love your neighbor. Simple enough, right? That’s knowledge. Says it right there in the book of Luke. Okay, so far so good. Got the knowledge part down. Now, let me ask you another question. What does “love your neighbor” look like? How do you love your neighbor? Who is your neighbor? The answer to these questions is application. So knowing that you are supposed to love your neighbor, and applying it by knowing who your neighbor is, and how to love them equals wisdom. Simple! Well, Kinda.
All right, I think we’re ready to get started. Are you ready? Do you want God to show you the way to becoming the person He wants you to be? Are you ready to commit yourself to learning God’s way of leadership?
Then get ready to step into the rest of your life. You’ve chosen your road. The right road.
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