What Are We Missing?

Recently, I sat next to a friend as he described talking to his daughter on the phone. He described how it just melted his heart to listen to her voice as she said, “I miss you daddy.”

My wife has and continues to be dedicated to our family. She does not want to miss a moment in the lives of our children and grandchildren. She understands the value of each moment from the first word, first step, first day of school, first soccer goal, first date, and the birth of their first child (and the second or third).

Circumstances cannot always be controlled. There are times when we are separated from loved ones and we cannot help but think, what are we missing? Leaders should consider…

Are we missing an opportunity to help lighten someone’s load?
Are we missing an open door to greater success?
Are we missing a chance to study God’s word with a soul seeking truth?
Are we missing a once in a lifetime chance to share just a moment, a first?

Leadership is a God given task. We must make sure we do not miss anything.

 

Unique Leadership… Gentleness

Gentleness is often misunderstood. Translations may portray the idea as meekness, which adds to the confusion. The concept is generally seen as weakness.

However, this word carries the power of uniqueness in leadership.

Jesus said “come to Me and I will give you rest, for I am gentle and humble of heart.”

Christians are instructed to develop the quality of gentleness. Paul describes gentleness as part of the fruit of the Spirit and against such there is no law.

What is it about gentleness making it key to leadership?

The word carries an element of controlled courage. There was nothing weak about our Lord, nor should Christians be characterized as weak.

Jesus was gentle in standing before an angry mob making false accusations and He remained silent. He was gentle when condemned unjustly and made no defense. He was gentle when spit upon, beaten, mocked, and nailed to a cross without retaliation. And He did so alone.

Leadership often means being alone. The inappropriate attitudes driving the actions of opposition from within and without challenge the core of our leadership. The unique quality we need to develop and maintain is gentleness.

Team Leadership…

I have the privilege of working with the finest men and women on earth. The strengths and weaknesses characterizing each person identify the greatness of this team.

Being a part of the team makes the work of training men to preach special and powerful.

There are challenges, frustrations, thrills, high-fives, and throughout our time working together, a sense of accomplishment. We are a team.

There are times we laugh together and times we cry.

Children have been welcomed into the world and friends have been mourned in leaving it.

We are diligent in preparation, hungry to learn, and always focused on our priority.

We face the task of changing the lives of others physically and spiritually.

We ask questions, discuss possibilities, work on solutions, and make decisions. We are a team.

One goal has been set before us. One lifetime is given to accomplish the task. Through it all, one opportunity has been provided to be a part of this team.

Thank you Bear Valley. We are a team.

Pleasant…

Last week I finally had opportunity to visit my new granddaughter, Naomi. Even though she is the fourth in the line of grandchildren, she is as special as the first, second, third, and our anticipated fifth. 🙂

Her arrival into this world brought a tremendous amount of joy for her parents and grandparents. However, the name she wears is the legacy I pray she leaves on this world, for Naomi means pleasant.

From the great account of an Old Testament life, impacting the genealogy of the Christ, down to the present, the very thought should find application into our leadership.

The influence we have on others…
The opportunity to serve our God through serving others…
The use of our time for making life better for others…
The legacy we leave behind aiding the life of others…

Leadership is the task of making a difference. The legacy we leave behind will be pleasant when we use our time and opportunities to have a powerful influence in making a better life for others

Time…

Our culture revolves around a schedule. The clock dictates the time given every event. Rush hour traffic can be frustrating.

We cannot comprehend eternity because we only know time. The thought of existence without time is beyond our finite minds.

Time was created and measured by evening and morning, the first day. Then we have the first week and God rested on the seventh day. Weeks became months and months became years.

Solomon said there is a time for everything.

Jesus kept a time schedule. From birth to death, Jesus was on God’s time. Paul wrote “in the fullness of time God sent forth His Son.” Approaching the final days of His life, Jesus prayed, “Father, the hour has come.”

Paul instructs Christians to use their time wisely because the days are evil.

In this crazy, busy, scheduled life we live as leaders, how are we using our time?

The most valuable commodity we have is time. The greatest gift we can give is our time. Leading people requires time. We all have the same amount. How we use it determines the difference we make in leadership.