Beginning in June, I will begin a series of messages at Community from the book of Joshua. In preparation for that series, I have begun reading Joshua and reflecting upon it personally. Each Monday, I will share a thought from the sixth book of the Old Testament, and suggest some readings for the rest of the week. The first one is from Joshua chapter one.
The book of Joshua is about the people of Israel inhabiting the land that God had promised them upon their release from slavery from Egypt. Moses had just died and God placed Joshua as leader of Israel. Because of Israel's lack of faith and disobedience, a generation of people had to die off before God gave them permission to enter "The Promised Land" and it was now time. Only two men from the first generation were allowed to enter the land, Joshua and Caleb. They were the only two of the twelve spies, in the book of Numbers, who had faith that God could deliver the land to them. They were not only men of faith, but men of courage.
It should not be suprising to us then that four times in chapter one (verses 6, 7, 9, and 16) Joshua tells the people of Israel to "be strong and courageous." Joshua reminds this new generation that God will provide what he promised and when given the plan for possessing the land the people responded, "All that you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go (1:16)."
Joshua could encourage the people to be "strong and courageous," because he was strong and courageous. He had built up enough "leadership capital" that when the time for action came, the people believed in their leader. Joshua had proven to be a man of great faith, and this encouraged the people in their faith.
I once heard that "courage is not the absence of fear, but action in the presence of fear." Perhaps you are facing a major decision or action this week that requires a great deal of courage on your part. Maybe you are fearful of making a wrong choice and you are tempted to not do anything. The reason we are talking about Joshua today, 3,000 years removed from his death, is because he was a man of courage who found his strength in the Lord. If you are crippled by your fear, turn it over to God, and be empowered by God's strength. He has enough for all of us!
Suggested Reading:
*Numbers Chapters 13 & 14
*Joshua Chapter 1
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Monday, February 15, 2010
Monday, July 13, 2009
"Leadership Lesson #1: Leaders Are Not Born, They're Made
The mafia has a term for one of its own who transitions from an underling to a position of leadership: a "made guy." This means they have risen in the ranks of the "family" by demonstrating loyalty, leadership, and of course, the ability to commit nefarious crimes successfully and profitably. While we should not advocate the mafia style of leadership to anyone, it is interesting how the captains and bosses are always looking out for the next generation of "made guys" and are willing to invest time in them. They know that leadership is not limited to a son of the Don, but will often be revealed in someone who has perservered through trials and found worthy of being made a leader.
You've probably heard it said of someone, "they're a born leader," upon witnessing leadership qualities in them. However, there is a problem with the phrase, it assumes that all leaders are equipped with the skills necessary having just exited the womb! As if leadership can be genetically passed down, or prepared pre-natally. The fact of the matter is, leaders are not born, they are made through the experiences and reactions of life and the mentorship of other people.
Take Moses for example. He was born into slavery then hidden by his mother to spare his life from the infanticide of Hebrew babies, ordered by the Egyptian Pharoah. Moses was discovered by a princess of Egypt and grew up with all of the privileges that living in the royal household could provide: the best education, physical training, and mentorship in learning how to rule an empire. All of these experiences helped to prepare Moses for a time when he would return to his Hebrew roots and lead his people in a mass exodus from Egypt, to a land where God would make them a nation of their own.
Moses was not a great leader because he was born that way, but because he was made one through mentorship and life experiences. He did not just benefit from privilege and opportunity, but also from difficulties and challenges.
I have found that people perceive challenging life experiences in one of two ways: as great teachers or great torturers. If you are constantly looking at the challenges of life negatively and asking, "why me?" You will never be a great leader. However, if you understand that life is comprised by both blessings and burdens, and that we can learn and benefit from both, then you have the potential to be made into a great leader.
Leaders take advantage of all of the opportunities they receive in life. Most of us will never benefit from an Ivy League education or learning from the great business tycoons or political minds of our time. However, opportunity for learning and growth is available to all of us in extracting the lessons from life that builds a foundation for leadership.
Perhaps the most important foundation for leadership is not being "naturally born," but rather "supernaturally born." God has a way of taking all of our talents, abilities, interests and experiences and making us into what he wants to get things done.
The Apostle Paul wrote, "that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6)." When we allow God to utilize all that makes us who we are, we can lead and influence people, no matter what situation we were born into, and what we have experienced in life. Leadership is not a pedigree to be passed down, but rather the potential in a person to be developed.
You've probably heard it said of someone, "they're a born leader," upon witnessing leadership qualities in them. However, there is a problem with the phrase, it assumes that all leaders are equipped with the skills necessary having just exited the womb! As if leadership can be genetically passed down, or prepared pre-natally. The fact of the matter is, leaders are not born, they are made through the experiences and reactions of life and the mentorship of other people.
Take Moses for example. He was born into slavery then hidden by his mother to spare his life from the infanticide of Hebrew babies, ordered by the Egyptian Pharoah. Moses was discovered by a princess of Egypt and grew up with all of the privileges that living in the royal household could provide: the best education, physical training, and mentorship in learning how to rule an empire. All of these experiences helped to prepare Moses for a time when he would return to his Hebrew roots and lead his people in a mass exodus from Egypt, to a land where God would make them a nation of their own.
Moses was not a great leader because he was born that way, but because he was made one through mentorship and life experiences. He did not just benefit from privilege and opportunity, but also from difficulties and challenges.
I have found that people perceive challenging life experiences in one of two ways: as great teachers or great torturers. If you are constantly looking at the challenges of life negatively and asking, "why me?" You will never be a great leader. However, if you understand that life is comprised by both blessings and burdens, and that we can learn and benefit from both, then you have the potential to be made into a great leader.
Leaders take advantage of all of the opportunities they receive in life. Most of us will never benefit from an Ivy League education or learning from the great business tycoons or political minds of our time. However, opportunity for learning and growth is available to all of us in extracting the lessons from life that builds a foundation for leadership.
Perhaps the most important foundation for leadership is not being "naturally born," but rather "supernaturally born." God has a way of taking all of our talents, abilities, interests and experiences and making us into what he wants to get things done.
The Apostle Paul wrote, "that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6)." When we allow God to utilize all that makes us who we are, we can lead and influence people, no matter what situation we were born into, and what we have experienced in life. Leadership is not a pedigree to be passed down, but rather the potential in a person to be developed.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Leadership Lessons: Intro
If there is one thing that there is not a lack of in the world it is books on leadership. So, intending to share my thoughts about this subject over the next several weeks, probably seems redundant and repetitive. However, there are many facets about leadership that intrigue me, notably, those who claim to be experts on the matter and the goals of potential leaders. Much of the material about leadership is self-serving and encourages people to use others for their own personal goals. Certainly, not qualities becoming of a Christian leader.
Pastors are among the highest readers of books on leadership. Many of us devour these resources, looking for the next great principle or innovation that will help transform us into dynamic, charismatic leaders, enabling us to lead our churches from being good to great. These books read are not limited to pastoral authorship: business people, sports figures, military personnel and politicians represent the diversity of leadership perspectives that pastors have received their counsel and mentorship from. On my bookshelf alone, I have three leadership books written by modern authors who have extracted and summarized leadership principles from the lives of the late Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman.
There is nothing wrong with learning from other leaders. Any time you are in a position of leadership it is good to be motivated, get new ideas and seek to improve your skills. However, leadership is not limited to pastors, managers, coaches, politicians, and CEO's. You do not have to be employed or even have a public ministry to be a leader. Leadership is about influence - about getting things done. Any time you can influence another human being qualifies you as a leader.
So, over the next several weeks, I want to focus on some key leadership principles from Scripture. The blogs will highlight the leadership styles and experiences of key biblical people from both the Old and New Testaments. The first discussion will be on Moses and his leadership of the people of Israel from their time of slavery in Egypt to the threshold of them entering the "Promised Land."
Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." All of us are in positions to lead and be led. As we seek to sharpen our influence on others, lets allow ourselves to be sharpened as well.
Pastors are among the highest readers of books on leadership. Many of us devour these resources, looking for the next great principle or innovation that will help transform us into dynamic, charismatic leaders, enabling us to lead our churches from being good to great. These books read are not limited to pastoral authorship: business people, sports figures, military personnel and politicians represent the diversity of leadership perspectives that pastors have received their counsel and mentorship from. On my bookshelf alone, I have three leadership books written by modern authors who have extracted and summarized leadership principles from the lives of the late Confederate General Robert E. Lee and Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman.
There is nothing wrong with learning from other leaders. Any time you are in a position of leadership it is good to be motivated, get new ideas and seek to improve your skills. However, leadership is not limited to pastors, managers, coaches, politicians, and CEO's. You do not have to be employed or even have a public ministry to be a leader. Leadership is about influence - about getting things done. Any time you can influence another human being qualifies you as a leader.
So, over the next several weeks, I want to focus on some key leadership principles from Scripture. The blogs will highlight the leadership styles and experiences of key biblical people from both the Old and New Testaments. The first discussion will be on Moses and his leadership of the people of Israel from their time of slavery in Egypt to the threshold of them entering the "Promised Land."
Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." All of us are in positions to lead and be led. As we seek to sharpen our influence on others, lets allow ourselves to be sharpened as well.
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