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"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."
(Philippians 1:6)
Yesterday, I wrote about how the Apostle Paul faced many adversaries and was greatly hindered in his ministry to preach the Gospel. His challenges were commensurate with his opportunities. Paul poked many holes in the darkness, and the evil hordes of Satan did not go down easily. But we know how this ended. Paul finished, and he did not limp into heaven disqualified or compromised; rather, he ran into heaven into the arms of Jesus and heard the profound congratulatory remarks of our Lord, "Well done My good and faithful servant."
How do you and I lead well and finish what God has called us to accomplish in this world? Some folks reading this devotion today are not pastors but are businessmen, or members of the armed forces, or parents who stay home and raise their kids, or others in a wide variety of jobs and professions. Whatever your position or calling, God desires for you to serve Him well and win.
How do you and I succeed at what God has called us to do?
- Pray, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking through the Bible, and then move forward. Oftentimes, when you read advice on how to be successful or move forward, the last option is, "Oh yeah... you should pray." But I think this point deserves to be first, not last. Pray. Resist the urge to act before praying. Listen to God.
- Substance always trumps style. Lead from your character, because character not only counts, but it also will take you beyond where your creativity and innovation end.
- Lead with confidence. Our biblical text for today says you will win. The God who lives inside you is greater than the multiple oppositions and challenges facing you. I made the mistake years ago of telling my friend, Dr. Steve Gaines, that I had lost my confidence to lead. Some of you can relate. After being knocked down multiple times, you begin to question your abilities and even your sanity. If you do not hear anything else, man or woman of God, hear me in this: Quit listening to Satan! That is basically what Dr Gaines told me, but I might add, it was a bit more forceful. Steve is like 6'6", and when he told me this, he also put his hand on my shoulder. Might I say, he had my full and undivided attention! In other words, I was listening. I hope you are too.
- Surround yourself with great people and let them do what they do best so you can do what you do best. Truth be told, you get into a lot of trouble when you venture into areas which you should not. Delegate such areas to others, and let them do what they are gifted at doing.
- Inspect over expecting. I learned this from John Maxwell, an authority on leadership, if there ever was one. This man lives and breathes leadership! It is not what you expect in others that gets accomplished, it is what you inspect. Holding others accountable to what you are paying them to do is what you owe them.
There are a hundred other things that I could write. These, however, are the ones that bubble up inside me. Learn from others who lead well, people like John Maxwell, Condoleezza Rice, Carey Nieuwhof, the Apostle Paul, and one more (the best of them all), Jesus. Hebrews 12:2 states, "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
In these turbulent times of unprecedented upheaval, be the man or woman of God whom He has called you to be. Lead with courage, and remember that when you know the Lord, you are on the winning team. Yes, setbacks and difficulties will arise, but press on, God is not finished with you yet!
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