Читать книгу Leadership GPS: Roadmap to Become a Leader for Life - Janice Witt Smith - Страница 4

We talked earlier about what essential resources are for your “vehicle” for the journey. In continuing with counting the cost and preparing that vehicle, I want to personalize this section on what it might take for each of us to live victoriously. This section is just for “you.” Some will tell you that “It doesn’t take all that” for victorious living. Maybe it didn’t take all of that for you BEFORE, but consider the time in which we live – the end times, and the marks of it, as given in 2 Timothy 3:1-9 include: (1) powerless religion; (2) corrupt ministry; and (3) a godless world. Is this world godless? Paul says that in the last days, there will be godlessness, where men will choose to be lovers of themselves and money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, incontinent (undisciplined and uncontrolled); without natural affection – lack of feeling for others; truce breaking – breaking of promises, covenants and agreements; false accusers (slanderers), fierce (savage and untamed – does road rage ring a bell for anyone?); despisers of those who are good; traitors – betraying a trust, God, one’s country; headstrong, high minded (puffed up and conceited); and lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.

This certainly sounds like the natural world in which we now live. It takes all of the Word and its full manifestation in our lives to counter the effects of this godless world – there are many unsaved individuals who are inundated with negative images and need the healing of salvation. We (individually and collectively) are going to have to tear down some strongholds to get to the people to whom God wants us to minister.

There is a familiar story that many of us have heard as it concerns Satan’s tactics to distract us as we begin to fulfill our calling. It has circulated around the internet many times, and its author is “Unknown.” This is also a good way to introduce particular lessons that you want to teach – through the use of an application, short story or parable. This parable talks about Satan’s tactics and is entitled, “The Devil’s Convention.”

The Devil’s Convention

Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, “We can’t keep the Christians from going to church. We can’t even keep them from conservative values. But we can do something else. We can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can’t gain that experience in Jesus Christ.

“This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!” “How shall we do this?” shouted his angels. “Keep them busy in the nonessentials of life and invent unnumbered schemes to occupy their minds,” he answered. “Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, then borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6 or 7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work.

“Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still small voice. Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive and to keep the TV, VCR, CDs, and their PCs going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical, contradicting music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.

“Fill their coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogues and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services, and false hopes.

“Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted and unprepared for the coming week. Don’t let them go out in nature to reflect on God’s wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts, and movies instead.

“And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they can leave with troubled consciences and unsettled emotion.

“Let them be involved in soul-winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.”

It was quite a convention in the end. And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there. Has the devil been successful in his scheme? You be the judge.

How about this definition of BUSY:

B – Being

U – Under

S – Satan’s

Y – Yoke

Satan’s goal is to take our hearts and minds off Christ, then steer us toward the cares of the world. God wants us to enjoy life, but He must be first. If we are too busy for God, then we are too busy!!! If we do not spend time with Him daily, we are just entirely TOO BUSY!!!!

Key Travelers From Whom We Can Learn

God prepared Joshua for his leadership journey by having him apprentice with Moses, the great leader. As you will recall, Moses did not volunteer to be a leader for God. When he was called by God to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land, he was very hesitant to do so. In fact, he told God (Who made him, is sovereign, omniscient, and omnipotent) that he (Moses) was not equipped to serve in this capacity. He mentioned the stutter that he had. God did not allow Moses to decline this assignment, although He did allow Aaron, his brother, to assist him. We know that Aaron and their sister, Miriam, also created some hardship for Moses. Had Moses stepped out on faith on the assignment that God had for him, he might have avoided this showdown in the wilderness. Joshua and eleven other spies were sent to survey the Promised Land to determine if the people would be able to secure what God had promised them. Ten of the spies brought back negative reports. Only Joshua and Caleb brought back a positive report. They argued that even though the people are giants, with God as their God, they were more than able to subdue the land. Joshua and Caleb were the only two individuals of their generation who subsequently entered the Promised Land

Joshua was an apprentice to Moses. He saw Moses in good times and bad times. He learned what effective leadership behaviors and strategies were, and what those that were not as functional were as well. Joshua heard the people’s constant grumbling and complaints and observed how Moses and the other leaders responded. Because he was closely tied to Moses, he was privy to information that others might not have been. In addition, Moses had the opportunity to speak into Joshua’s life. Joshua learned what leadership behaviors he wanted to emulate based on Moses’ style; he also learned what behaviors were not amenable to him. Joshua and Moses had very different personalities. Where Moses was prone to forgive the people and to ask God to forgive them despite frequent periods of ungodly behavior on their part. Joshua would be more prone to punishing those who refused to obey God’s instructions.

Are you more of a Joshua and Caleb, or are you among the ten who felt like faith in God was insufficient to take the land that God had said belongs to you?

Back to you and your journey – as you become more and mature in God, you will find your journey changing – destination is the same but the route has more complexity to it. You are more of a threat to the enemy now; you know more; you have some testimonies under your belt. You have God’s attention, and the enemy tries to subvert or pervert what God has created and purposed for you. During parts of your journey, the old and obvious signposts are gone. You are being re-routed through unfamiliar territory. At times, you may be having difficulty getting your bearings – none of the old mnemonics work for you in telling you where you need to be. The exits are different, and the place where you used to stop to refuel is no longer accepting customers or your credit is no longer good there. Things which were easy for you are now more challenging – you have gone to another level, perhaps to another dimension. The rest stops have been blocked up, and you are being sent on a detour in a place where you know nobody and nothing. All of the old tricks, tools and techniques that you used in the past to navigate – to get your bearings – to find your direction are no longer operable for you. When you plug in the destination that you thought was the journey upon which you were embarking, your GPS is replying, “Recalculating.” What used to be shown on your screen no longer shows up in the same way. You are getting shorter sound bytes of information, and you cannot see the total picture. All you know is that you have been told to move forward, and further directions would be provided at the appropriate time. Your only other instruction is to empty your bowel and bladder – get rid of the weights that so easily beset you (Get the weight analogy from the other class) – fill up your tank with the Word of God, fasten your seatbelts, and listen to the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Things you took for granted would always be there are not – the boss you were cultivating for a future opportunity has been transferred. The landscape is different, the road has more construction and steeper curves.

Gabrielle’s Gem – Gabrielle is only 2 ½ years old. Her mobility is limited to the area we have defined for her to travel within. She can run fast, for a two year old, but she is not faster than her brother, her parents, or her grandparents. We have to clear the road for her, to protect her from things that she does not know yet are dangerous. There is a pond behind the house where her family lives. Gabrielle loves to look at the water. She has been “warned” that the water can be dangerous for her and she is not to be at the water unaccompanied. The reality is that Gabrielle is NEVER left outside by herself. With her natural curiosity, she could well end up on the bank of the pond with no intention of going in. However, because she does not understand the impact of water, grass and mud on the edge of the embankment, she could easily wind up in the pond. If no one is with her, she could drown in even a couple of inches of water. As parents and grandparents, it is our responsibility to ensure that she is in a safe zone and has an adult with her at all times.

As Christian sojourners, we are never alone. God promised never to leave us nor to forsake us (Joshua 1:1-8). Even in the midst of our darkest moments, God is with us. His angels surround us to protect us and to work on our behalf. Just because we cannot see them does not mean that they are not there. What a comfort it is to know that there is no place where the Lord does not accompany us. As we seek His face and ask for His guidance, we become better leaders and better people.

When thinking about our continuing development as leaders for life, it is important that we first examine our attitude toward lifelong learning about our craft (occupation, talent, ability) and lifelong learning about God through the Word of God. There are two examples and two key words that I want to share with you concerning this. As we learn more about Him and share what we have learned with others, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is spread throughout the world. This is the mission that Jesus gave to all of us – “The Great Commission.”

My first example is from Acts 19:1-7. Apostle Paul was in Ephesus, where he met twelve of John the Baptist’s disciples. Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit when (or since) they believed. They replied that they had not heard about whether there was a Holy Spirit. As you will recall, John the Baptist died before the Holy Spirit was released. He (John) had taught them all that he knew, but he just didn’t know it all. God sent Paul to teach them “the rest of the story.” They had had an excellent foundation, but one was sent to them to help them get to the next spiritual level. Paul baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus and laid hands on them. The Holy Spirit came upon them, and they then spoke with tongues and prophesied. As individuals, we cannot possibly know everything that there is to know. Often we are called upon to make decisions when there is not full information. We have to move forward with partial knowledge, trusting in the Holy Spirit to provide us with spiritual insight and wisdom.

There may be some people who work with you who are better at leading than you are. What can you learn from them and their success? You may also learn from poor leaders the things that you do not want to do as a leader. Both perspectives can be very helpful as you develop your own skills and abilities. What kinds of feedback are you getting from your direct reports and ministry partners? While “different” is not always better, it sometimes can be. Can you do “different” in a way that makes you a better leader?

Acts 18:24-28 provides the second example in which we learn about the great orator, Apollos. When Priscilla and Aquila (two of Paul’s disciples) experienced Apollos’ preaching, they noticed that he did not have the fullness of the information that Paul had shared with them. They privately went to him and tutored him on the things that Paul, through Christ, had taught them. Apollos had preached well, with great technique, power and influence, but he didn’t have all of the message before. Aquila and Priscilla corrected him in love and shared freely what they had learned. What power he had after he knew the rest of the story!

Application

Many in our companies, nonprofits, ministries, congregations, and lives who are within our sphere of influence, have great zeal about the Word of God and how to apply It. Unfortunately, they may have incomplete knowledge or understanding. We have to be intentional in helping people to learn and understand what God’s Word means in the spiritual and natural realms. They don’t pick it up through osmosis. We have to be transparent and share some things that might not show us in the best light. We want others to be free of every type of bondage, as we ourselves desire to be free.

Vocabulary Builders

The first of the two words I would like to share with you is “decathlon.” You have to be multitalented, multifaceted, and multi-prepared for what is needed in kingdom building. We are to steadily and forcefully move toward the prize of the upward calling through Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13). The Word says that we are to press – constant pressure, forward momentum. We do not want to run the race in a helter-skelter fashion – here, there, and everywhere, but in a focused manner (Heb. 12:1; Eccl. 9:11). We want to be well-trained spiritual athletes well-versed in the Word of God. Your spiritual muscles need to be developed for both the spring and the long-distance races. You have trained well in other arenas, and you have developed and honed skills and gained an appreciation for God’s Word. Whatever your occupation, we are all called to be a minister of the Gospel and to share God’s Word with others. We need wisdom now more than ever before. God promises that if any man lacks wisdom, let Him ask the Father who will give it to him liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him (James 1:5).

The second word is “marinate.” God wants you so saturated with His Word, in His Word, His Word in you, that every layer and facet of you wreaks of His flavor. This is what He savors. That’s what you get as you continue your study of the Bible on a daily basis. Think of yourself as an expensive cut of beef – If you are cooked too fast, you are done on the outside, but not on the inside. Spiritually, you look like a devoted Christian on the outside, but at the slightest provocation, the lack of “doneness” of your inside becomes evident. If you are cooked too slowly, you are dried out on the inside and nothing’s apparent in your walk. If you are seared on the grille, you have an outward appearance of preparation, but an inner rawness. God wants you done through and through – He wants to marinade you with His flavor, His savor, His juice (the Holy Spirit), He wants to educate and train you in a way you can hardly envision. He wants to and is prepared to do a new thing in and through you. He wants you to do the same with and for others. We have to learn new ways of dealing with our environment. The new methods are still based on the Word of God and at a deeper level than ever before. To be successful in every arena of our lives, we have to be educated – are you willing to earn a PhD in God’s Word?

In 2 Timothy 2:15, we are exhorted: “Be diligent to show yourself approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” We have to seek knowledge about God’s Word every day of our lives. We cannot allow the enemy to corrupt our minds, delay our destiny, obscure our effectiveness or ruin our testimony. We must start when our children are young with simple scripture memorization and discussion. Then we continue through Sunday School and the Sunday sermon; through Christian youth groups and home-based Bible studies; through church-based Bible Studies and individual study; through BSF and precept by precept Bible Studies; through cell groups and WOW and Eagles’ Nest, and Leadership School, and conferences and conventions, and televangelists and audiotapes and books and movies. In every place where we as believers are, so is the Holy Spirit. Our Great Commission is to go ye therefore to all the corners of the earth and to share the Good News of Jesus, the Anointed One.

We have to do this together. We have to work together. We are one body with different roles. There is tremendous power in unity and no power in division. It’s all about Him. We’re on the same team, in the same race, working in partnership (I Cor. 3:9-15). Paul said, when some would argue that Apollos was a better orator than he, that one planted, one watered, but it’s the Holy Spirit who brings the increase (I Cor. 3:5-8). May He continue to increase you, and may you be obedient to His unctioning, by joyfully, purposefully, gleefully, and in total submission, allowing the Holy Spirit to teach you as you learn how to teach others.

Gabrielle’s Gem – Gabrielle is an excellent conversationalist (defined “babbler”) and enjoys constant chatter. When we are not able to understand her, she does not become frustrated. She knows that we will get it – eventually. One of the wonderful traits of this sunny and happy child is that she loves to sing. She bursts out in song with and without notice. She must be singing with the angels, because her entire face lights up. It is almost as if she is part of a heavenly choir. She is not concerned about singing on or off key – what she is focused on is sharing her joy with the world. As she sings, she also laughs. The joy of the Lord is manifest in her, and she does not know shame or embarrassment.

How many times would our bursting out in song change the atmosphere? For some of us, it is making a joyful noise rather than “singing.” My husband and I were in church one Sunday, both of us singing to the top of our lungs. I spoke to Will afterwards and commented on how caught up in the Spirit we were. His response was that he felt sorry for the people in front of us who had to hear me sing. He sang louder and louder to drown me out. I had no idea that my joyful noise was so discordant for others. Like Gabrielle, I was caught up in the joy of the Lord. Has that changed anything? No – there are different people who sit in front of us week by week!

God’s platform, unlike the politicians, is always the same – I love you; I came to die for you; you are valuable to me; I’m standing at the door knocking. The lie-o-meter for politicians frequently comes up -- lie, lies and vicious lies. This will never be true for Our God. He is not a man that He should lie, nor a sinner that he should repent.

This book has eight chapters – in biblical numerology, the number eight means “new beginnings.” These chapters have been carefully balanced between Biblical truths and practical application.

Chapter 1 – Introduction – this section introduces Leadership Basics and provides scriptural examples of good and developing leaders.

Chapter 2 – Locate Where You Are – You will have an opportunity to examine your strengths, attitudes, habits, behaviors, and developmental areas

Chapter 3 – Defining your personal identity and examination of the first case of identity theft

Chapter 4 – God’s Purpose and Plan for Our Lives

Chapter 5 – Stewardship

Chapter 6 – Time Management

Chapter 7 – Prioritization

Chapter 8 – Delegation

Conclusion/Summary