Innocent People Suffer

"God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors."  Gen. 45:7 

Joseph realized that God had stretched him, had positioned him, and refined him for this time.  It reminds me of the quote from sermon yesterday:  "Innocent people suffer when you don't do the good works that God prepared for you to do." Eph. 2:10

If Joseph had not done the good works--even when he was unjustly treated so many times, then his family would have suffered.

Doing the "good works" --doing the right thing is not only in the good times, but also in the hard times.    It is just as important to do the "good works" in the tough times thrust upon us as it is to do the "good works" in the times of our choosing (doing a service project, mission trip, act of kindness).

Joseph did both.  When he was second in command, he did the right thing.  But he also did the right thing in the pit, as a slave, when unfairly accused and imprisoned, when overlooked and forgotten. 

Sometimes our "good works" shine the brightest and make the most impact when we are unfairly treated, taken advantage of, overlooked.

"God, help me to honor you with my "good works" not only in the times of my choosing, but also in the tough times thrust on me.  Help me to remember that you have prepared them in advance to do, so I can rely on your power and strength.  But also help me to remember how important it is to those around me."

10 Things Leaders Need To Know About Effectively Leading People

10 Things Leaders Need To Know About Effectively Leading People

By Perry Noble

 

#1 - A leader cannot effectively lead people that he does not love.
#2 - A leader cannot effectively lead people that he does not listen to.
#3 - A leader cannot effectively lead people that he does not always assume the best about.
#4 - A leader cannot effectively lead people that he secretly hopes that they fear him.
#5 - A leader cannot effectively lead people that he does not take the time to explain things to.
#6 - A leader cannot effectively lead people when he assumes that he is the smartest person in the room.
#7 - A leader cannot effectively lead people when his goal is to use people rather than help them.
#8 - A leader cannot effectively lead people when he secretly wishes he wasn't a part of the organization he is leading!
#9 - A leader cannot effectively lead people when he is not dedicated to increasing his own capacity.
#10 - A leader cannot effectively lead people when he isn't willing to be honest about his own limitations and struggles. 

One Step Spiritually

At RCC, the mission of small groups is "creating a predictable environment where participants experience authentic community and spiritual growth".

This past week, I asked my small group the primary reason they wanted to be in a small group.  Almost without exception, their primary reason was for the relationships. 

Then I asked each one of them to identify "one step" spiritually that they would like to take.  Because we know small groups are winning if people take "one step" spiritually during each semester.

I did this experiment partly to prove what I believe -- that the Holy Spirit reveals to each one of us a next step spiritually.  No matter where we are at in our path of spiritual growth, we know what the next step is.

I gave them some examples of "one step" spiritually--things like:

• read the Bible 3 times a week
• journal a prayer 1 time a week
• talk to a neighbor about coming to church
• begin to give financially
• help someone with a project where they can give nothing in return
• learn to pray out loud

And sure enough, each person readily identified their "next step."  And it was a very spiritually powerful time for each person in our small group.  Because one of the first things we need to do to break thought into a new action or habit is to tell someone.  When we audibly declare it to someone else, we are more likely to take action.

So I believe that each person in our small group will actually take that step this semester.  And at the end of the semester, we will celebrate the spiritual steps taken.

So...what is your next step spiritually?  I think the Holy Spirit has already put something in your mind.

And...who will you tell today?

Law of Priorities

When planning your priorities, how do you decide what comes first?  That is the question I have been thinking on this week while processing the Law of Priorities in the 21 Minutes of a Leader's Day by John Maxwell.

Ephesians 5:15 says, "So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise." (NLT) 

Many people give the quick answer, "I will just follow God's leading today."  They don't plan out their priorities and just respond to how God prompts them.

While that can sound good, and probably their intentions are good.  God gives us a brain and intelligence.  And in order to follow God's direction, we do need to spend time with God.  

But instead of going moment by moment being "led" by God, what if we started the day asking God what His priorities for us are.  What if we started each week asking God his priorities?  What if we started each month, each year...  You get the picture.

I believe that He would rather guide and direct us in advance, and as we spend time with Him, He will prepare us for the work He has for us to do.  

There are disciplines that we can develop and ask God to direct us.  

• The discipline of a calendar. 
• The discipline of a task list.  
• The discipline of a block schedule.  
• The discipline of scheduling time to "work on it" as well as "work in it." 
• The discipline of time with a mentor or counselor.  
• The discipline of reading to learn or participating in seminars, conferences, and other learning opportunities.

These are all tools that, when we are seeking God first, can and will serve to help us work more in line with God's priorities for our day/week/month.

The Pain of Leadership

What is the relationship of pain to leadership?  There are many people who want to be able to live the life of and be able do what successful leaders do.  But most of us don't want to go through what they went through to get there. 

Now there are a few people who got to ride an easy wave to success.  But that is the exception, not the rule.

Recently, I listened to Craig Groeschel talk about the pain of leadership.  Here is some of what he said:

"The difference between where you are and where God wants you to be may be the difficult decisions you are unwilling to make."

Then he listed three areas where we must raise the pain threshold if we want to grow as a leader.

1.  Raise the pain threshold of unjustified rejection and criticism.

• The higher you rise, the more difficult the criticism
• Don't fall for people-pleasing:  The quickest way to forget what God thinks about you is to become obsessed with what people think about you.
• Don't worry when you are being criticized--worry when you are not.
• If you are not being called a cult every now and then, you are not doing squat.

2.  Raise the pain threshold of making difficult decisions.

• It could be that God is waiting to see if we will be faithful in this decision.
• The classic parent discipline statement is also true when a leader has to make a difficult decision:  "This is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you."

3.  Raise the pain threshold of pruning us.

• Everyone wants to do what I do, but no one wants to do what I did to get to be able to do what I do.

This reminds me of James 3:1  "Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly."

Would you follow you?

Recently, I read this question, and it got me thinking.  Here is the question:

"Would you follow you?"

Sometimes, I don't think I look very attractive to follow.  If people had any idea the struggles that I have, would they really want to follow me?

But maybe that struggle is part of my realization of my humanness and weakness, and part of what actually gives me the credibility to lead.

Because I struggle does not necessarily disqualify me from leading--it makes me human.  My struggle can:

• give other people hope  
• make sure God gets the credit
• keep me humble
• give me compassion for others who are struggling

Sure, there are some sins (actions) that could discredit me from leading--because I would cause others to stumble.  But the fact that I struggle does not.   And because I do commit sins does not necessarily.

Second Chair Leadership

There are some things that a leader can ask his protege to do, and they are done effectively.  But there are some things that a leader has to do himself--with the protege watching.

• Example of Elijah & Elisha
• Example of Elisha & Gehazi--2 Kings 4

Why would the lady not tell Gehazi what was wrong?  Why did God not reveal to Elisha what was wrong?  Was it because He wanted the lady to tell Elisha directly?  How must Gehazi have felt to have been lied to by the lady, and then hear her tell Elisha that her son was dead?  We are not told the answers to those questions.

 But it is interesting to watch the relationship of Elisha and Gehazi.  That set of circumstances could have driven a wedge in between them. But it didn't.

If Gehazi had not chosen to have a good attitude about it, he would have missed out on seeing the miracle unfold.

Part of being a protege-- a second chair leader--is being willing to act and initiate, but also choosing a good attitude when the people go around you to get to the leader.  And choosing to have a good attitude when the leader acts directly and seems to go around you.

If the second chair leader chooses a bad attitude in either case, then he will miss the lesson and miss the front row seat to God working.