Leadership 101: Fix Your World! By Kelly
Durant 3-8-2015
2 Corinthians 8:21-21 Providing for
honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.
22 And we have sent with them our
brother, whom we have oftentimes proved diligent in many things, but now much
more diligent, upon the great confidence which I have in you. 23
Whether any do enquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellowhelper concerning
you: or our brethren be enquired of, they are the messengers of the churches,
and the glory of Christ.
2. How many of you like diligent people
who are efficient? Don’t you hate it when you feel like you or someone you love
are spinning their wheels in life? That can happen to people who are not
seeking God as deep as they should or they are not tuned in to the needs around
them. It is sort of like when you have been in a grocery line that takes half
an hour and you discover when you finally get up front that the delay was only because
the cashier is going as slow as she can with an attitude over something! How
many times have we wanted to see more progress in our nation, community, and personal
life only to be disappointed by our own selves or someone else? I think it is a
God given instinct that you and I want to be ahead of the game, and busy doing
something meaningful and purposeful in life, don’t you agree?
In life Jesus gives us a purpose, a
reason to keep on going, and we being messengers of God glorify Jesus. But for
those that are living just for the flesh, just for the material with the
frustration of never really achieving much of anything of value, due to not
being guided by Jesus and the Holy Spirit, then life becomes a sad, and
depressed, sort of like a living hell. There is one image of hell that is
actually frightening to me because it mirrors real life for some. It is of the
Greek mythological figure that was punished to roll a rock up a mountain only
to never reach the top as the rock would slip and fall back down to the bottom
again and again for ever. He would roll it up, watch it roll down and start all
over again and again. His name was Sisyphus and his punishment in eternity was
to repeat this action forever and ever never making any progress!
I research materials for my sermons from
week to week addressing the social issues affecting our world, as well as
basing them on the issues in our Corps, and aligning them with the special
Sundays recognized by the Salvation Army. My leadership goal by the messages I
create is to apply the Word of God in a way that makes the content personal, to
inspire you, and to make you want to love, follow, and live more intensely for
Jesus! If you learn the things of God then you will apply leadership to your
own self and grow spiritually and be challenged to accomplish more and more for
God becoming an equipped saint living a blessed and holy life now and forever! Today I am sharing excerpts from leadership
notes as presented by a renowned respected preparer of leaders, John C. Maxwell.
(His quotes are in quotations)
3. In 2014, Dr. John C. Maxwell was
named the #1 leadership and management expert in the world by Inc. Magazine. In
the Salvation Army College, EBC, we studied his books on leadership and I
suggest you study them too. He is an
evangelical Christian, with a Master of Divinity degree from Azusa Pacific
University, and a Dr. of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. Here is what I will share, the ‘Top Ten Ways
People Get in their Own Way’. Well, we do not just want our own way, but we
want you prepared on Jesus way, amen? These 10 points are presented as the
obstacles (some more than others) which each of us must overcome. Take note: I have added Bible verses to back
up each concept presented, get your arms (Bible) ready, don’t miss any of these
10 points.
#1. POOR
PEOPLE SKILLS – “By far the greatest single obstacle to success that I see in
others in a poor understanding of people.
A while back the Wall Street Journal printed an article on the reasons
that executives fail. At the top of the
list was a person's inability to effectively relate to others. Excuses you will hear ". . . it wasn't
fair." "All the people
involved knew each other, and we didn't have a chance." "It's all politics. . ." The most important single ingredient in the
formula of success is knowing how to get along with people and work with their
faults.
Proverbs 16:7 When a man's ways please
the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Ask yourself
right now, am I capable of relating to people being pleasant with any kind of
person no matter what their stubborn-nesses may be? People skills are in high
demand because not many people are very nice or pleasant anymore. We should get
along with everyone, right? I always look at each person as a world of
knowledge and I can learn from everyone.
#2. A
NEGATIVE ATTITUDE -- "Two men looked out from prison bars. One saw mud, the other stars." If you can learn to make the best of any
situation, you can remove a formidable obstacle that stands between you and
your dreams.” Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like
a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. It is hard to stay positive
in this negative world but with trust in God is possible to have peace in the
midst of a storm.
Negativity can come from within or it
can come from without. You can consciously train yourself to reject those inner
critical discouraging voices. If you are surrounded by too many negative
people, then change what friends you have! Be positive or suffer people
abandoning you as bad attitudes have no attractiveness!
4.
#3. A BAD FIT -- “Sometimes a case of mismatched abilities,
interests, personality, or values can be a major contributor to chronic failure”.
I personally have seen this happen like when someone puts a person in charge of
a specific culture in the church and the ones appointed know nothing about the distinctiveness
of their lives or the culture yet they are expected to lead them in the church,
even without knowing their language! Languages, culture, social status, and knowledge
of political influences are all barriers to understanding people groups and it
takes a large amount of time, love, and dedication to learn volumes about the many
influencing factors in people. Everyone
does have a calling and a gift for certain specifics but not always are you or
I pegged in the right hole. Despite how well we fit or not recall that Paul was
able to adapt to the Romans, Jews, and Greeks. You might be in a mismatched unfamiliar
place but you can do your best anyway. With God we become all things to all men
to win some, right?
1 Corinthians 9:19-23 For though I be
free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain
the more. And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to
them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are
under the law; To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without
law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are
without law.
#4. LACK
OF FOCUS -- “People lacking focus have
trouble not because they're too busy, but because their priorities are out of
whack…And that wastes their time and resources.
If you go from task to task without making any progress, or you can't
seem to reach a goal no matter how much effort you give it, examine your
focus. No one can move forward without
it”.
Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand
findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor
knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. In other words, work hard and fulfill your job
and stay focused until it is done before it is too late and you pass on and
then you cannot make up for lost time.
5. #5. A
WEAK COMMITMENT -- “For a long time, it seemed that apathy was chic. But effort and commitment seem to be coming
back into style. Without commitment, you
cannot accomplish anything of value. The
last time you failed, did you stop trying because you failed, or did you fail
because you stopped trying? If you're
committed, a failure doesn't mean that you'll never succeed. It just means you will take longer”.
Proverbs 24:16 For a just man falleth
seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. In
this life I have seen too many people give up too easily. A little criticism, a
little resistance and some people shamefully throw in the towel too easily. We
need to recall what a fighter Jesus was and how the powerful religious leaders
accused Him of having a demon but that did not faze Him. He exposed their sins
not fearing their anger and He did not fold under pressure. Our strength comes
from the Lord, and we must ask Him for it! Commitment engenders boldness,
endurance, and strength to finish the marathon God has for you to run.
#6. AN
UNWILLINGNESS TO CHANGE – “Change is a catalyst for personal growth. It gets you out of a rut, it gives you a
fresh start, and it affords you an opportunity to re-evaluate your
direction. If you resist change, you're
really resisting success”.
Constant change seems to be a big part
of my life and of anyone who serves the Lord! I had to change languages and
cultures many times but if I had not been willing to do that and move on and
re-adapt, I think I would not have accomplished near the amount of what God
intended for me to do. Too many people want to find a comfortable spot in life and
then just stay there, but that leads to vegetating. Here is a verse that always
troubled me because I always want to fear & obey God so I have had to
accept that God will change me around to new settings when He desires. Psalm
55:19 God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah.
Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.
6. #7.
A SHORTCUT MIND-SET – “A common
obstacle to success is the desire to cut corners and take the short road to
success. But shortcuts never pay off in
the long run. Most people tend to
underestimate the time it takes to achieve something of value, but to be
successful, you have to be willing to pay your dues”. Albert Gray said -- "The common
denominator of success lies in forming the habit of doing things that failures
don't like to do." Self-discipline
is a quality won through patience.
We live in a society that has lowered
the bar and so many people expect to reap great results but mistakenly by
investing just a little; this is not reality. You cannot reap where you did not
sew. With patience and goals you can overtime succeed. Here in Miami we had a
friend in the 90s that worked under a man at a rental shop and as an employee
he sacrificed and saved his money for ten years. After that he had the
knowledge and money to open his own shop! He even went on open a total of 5
shops! Persistence and a long term vision is the key. Luke
21:19 In your patience possess ye your souls. Note that for maturing in God’s
work there are no shortcuts.
#8. RELYING
ON TALENT ALONE – “Talent is overrated because talent alone isn't enough to
take a person through the multiple failures that life brings. Adding a strong work ethic to talent is like
pouring gasoline on a fire. It's
explosive. Put yourself on a growth plan
so that you can make the most of your God-given talent”.
Proverbs 18:16 A man's gift maketh room
for him, and bringeth him before great men. It is true that God uses our gifts
but it is up to us to use them taking them to the next level and work hard so
we become stronger in all areas. Romans 12:11 “Not slothful in business;
fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;” It is our business to live in a balance
developing as many skills as possible, and improving on what is easy for us.
7. #9. A
RESPONSE TO POOR INFORMATION – “Successful executives have in common the
ability to make weighty decisions based on limited amounts of information. But they also have in common the ability to
gather reliable information to use as they evaluate issues”. General Douglas MacArthur said --
"Expect only 5 percent of an intelligence report to be accurate. The trick of a good commander is to isolate
the 5 percent." Proverbs 18:13 He that answereth
a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
Today the frustration against leaders
making poor decisions because they are out of touch with the common people they
are supposed to be serving is higher than ever. We all suffer when there are
leaders choosing actions out of their own agendas and not selflessly choosing
what is most favorable for the general populous. I personally have always tried
to live by the 3 sides to the story idea. A person may come to me wanting me to
immediately rebuke someone over some abuse, but I first try to hear from all
sides. Then the 3rd one to influence me is God; after praying
according to the peace or lack of it I have, I either take action or a I don’t.
It’s true, we will never ever know the complete story of anything so we must
research and then be spirit led.
#10. NO
GOALS – “The last major cause of failure is an absence of goals”. Consider this goal, "My goal is God
Himself, not joy nor peace, nor even blessing, but Himself, my God." Oswald Chambers Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no
vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Review of things to conquer: POOR PEOPLE
SKILLS, A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE, A BAD FIT, A LACK OF FOCUS, A WEAK COMMITMENT, AN
UNWILLINGNESS TO CHANGE, A SHORTCUT MIND-SET, RELYING ON TALENT ALONE, A
REPSONSE TO POOR INFORMATION, AND NO GOALS.
The PRIMARY QUALIFICATION for a
Christian leader is not love for souls, but LOVE FOR CHRIST, then comes the
love for souls. As we make life decisions regarding ministry, vocation, and
education, may we all examine our own hearts. Are your goals based on obeying
God more? Can you tell me your personal goals and how they relate to your
spiritual growth? Or what goals you would like to see get accomplished in the
Corps that you can contribute to? How are you developing yourself as a leader?
These are important questions. We must move forward with Jesus Christ’s kingdom
of God in mind remembering that you and I are a child of God, called to be
leading and governing as a royal priests. It is amazing that God can use even
you, (or me) and we just need to let Him! Would you be recommended as a
diligent person as Paul recommended Titus, who was diligent in all things? We
need to do our part and He does His part, amen?
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