Leadership During Fiery Trials
Welcome to Leadership Talk! In today’s episode, Pastor Priji teaches us the path of leadership in the season of trials. Tune in to know the significance of trials in leadership!
Leadership is a very tricky place to be in. It might look very rewarding from the outside for some, especially for people who are not in leadership. But the weight and the responsibility of a leader is something that not everyone can handle. That is why we need to get trained and mentored. Especially, if you believe that the Lord is calling you in an area of influence, it could be in the church, politics or any area; if you think that you are called to create an impact and to influence others, then it is important that you find yourself a good leader, good resource, a good community that would shape and sharpen you, give you feedback and would not be afraid to contradict you; it is in that process of being developed to who we are that we will actually reflect the love of God and heart of God. Even if we are placed in a secular environment we still have the mandate to reflect the heart of God, it is not just in the church that we reflect the heart of God.
The concept of leadership is not about how productive you are in a particular season or how much effect we are as a leader; the whole concept of leadership is how much you can create an impact in the heart and mind of the person, and that happens only when you carry the heart and mind of God in your heart and mind. Leadership is definitely challenging, at times it can be frustrating but it is important that we should remain teachable, moldable and that we remain submitted.
When you are a leader it is easy to stand strong when things go your way, but it is very difficult to stand strong when things don’t go the way you expected them to. That is the true test of a leader. How do you react when things don’t go your way, when things fail one after the other, how do you respond to God, how do you respond to the people you have failed. This is truly the test of the maturity of a leader.
Job chapter 4:3; Jobs’ friend is speaking to Job: In the past, you have encouraged so many people. You have strengthened those who were weak. Eliphaz is reminding Job of his leadership. Jobs’ words had empowered and uplifted people. It is important that leaders be very careful to guard their mouths. They should watch every word that comes from their mouth. They should know how to speak when to speak and to whom we speak. Eliphaz is reminding Job of how Jobs words have encouraged, uplifted and helped people who were falling.
We need to ask God, how can I be a leader like Job? How can I lead and strengthen people? How can I lift others up, those who are falling? How can I change my words, how can I posture my worship, my bible reading, leadership, ministry in a way that can create waves of impact in peoples lives?
Leadership is where you actually become a support system for people which also means that sometimes people will walk all over you, sometimes they will take you for granted, sometimes they will feel that they are entitled to receive your help. Jesus said if we want to lead people we need to become their servants. We need to become the least of all. As leaders we have to die to ourselves, we have to put our things at the altar so that we can do things God’s way. As leaders what we want to do or where we want to go is not the priority; people’s need, their brokenness, struggles, needs becomes our priority. The people that we serve become our priority.
In the story of the good Samaritan, we have a priest and a Levite come by, but they were all in a hurry to go where they had to reach. But when the good Samaritan came by he chooses to offer his affection, help and care at that point to someone who needed it. How often do we prefer the well being of the organization or church over the well being of a person? That is where our leadership is tested.
Job 4:5; this is talking about how Jobs life changed when suffering hit him. Now we need to remember that the enemy is not attacking you based on your wealth or prosperity; the enemy is seeing how your life and words are building and encouraging people, how your words are lifting those who are falling. Here we see how Job was terrified and he withdrew from all the leadership mandate that he would do when everything was good. His heart changed and he became a person who was very much focused on himself. He had questions! He lost heart. A leader who had lost heart is no leader at all. The enemy knows that he can slow you down is when you are discouraged or are in a perpetual loss or grief. He knows that through this he can withdraw you from all kinds of leadership.
Our role model is Jesus. We know that he was hurting and was in terrible agony (relational, spiritual, mental). But on the cross, Jesus is thinking about Mary. He knows that she needs to be taken care of and asks the other disciples to take care of her. He looks at the thief at His side and tells him that you will be with Him in paradise. He looks at the people who were mocking and insulting Him and asks His Father to forgive them. This has to be our example of leadership. It’s not that we don’t have to grieve or pour our hearts before our Father. In fact, Jesus did that. Jesus asked His Father that if possible remove this cup of suffering and yet he dint become self-obsessed.
What does it take to be a leader like Jesus? How did Jesus prioritize others in moments of pain? Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice ever known to humanity. Stop losing heart. Stop being terrified. Holy Spirit that helped Jesus in the midst of all of His pain is now available to us. Holy Spirit strengthens us and enables us to truly be bold in the midst of our fiery season.
Doesn’t your life of reverence for God give you confidence? Doesn’t your life of integrity give you hope? May this transform your leadership and transform the people under your care.
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