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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)
What started as a desire to write about what I shared with a group of pastors on leadership has morphed into something much larger than what I actually said to the pastors! I hope what has been shared with you from Joshua 1 so far this week has been helpful to you as a leader. For today's devotion, I will close with some practical points on leadership in tough times that I have gleaned over the last couple of weeks.
You have heard it stated many times, but it is so true: these times in which we live are uncharted waters for leaders. One business owner I spoke with said to me jokingly that he had shrugged his shoulders four hundred times in one day! There are many questions with few answers as we await a breakthrough and relief from this current crisis brought about by the COVID-19 virus.
Based on my personal experiences and recent research, I have developed some leadership principles that may prove helpful as you lead in these uncertain times. I am calling these the 5 Traits of Courageous Leaders:
- You are more prepared to lead than you might realize. Courageous man or woman of God, you are ready for this! God has equipped you through the dark and difficult days of trial and hardship. You are a powerful vessel, and you are ready to be used by God. Now, go and lead! While jogging a few days ago, God impressed upon me that I am ready for this. The trials that leaders go through help prepare the foundation upon which we stand to lead in future times of crisis and hardship. If you have been tested before and come through, then you are ready. Step up to the plate with confidence.
- Lead while leaning on Jesus for help. It is so vital for leaders who are followers of Christ to not neglect your time with God in reading the Bible and praying. These devotional times are the reservoir from which we draw living water to nourish our souls. Like most leaders during this time, I am incredibly busy, even in this shelter-in-place order with many folks having to stay at home. With so many looking to us to help lead and make decisions that will impact them, it is critical that we lead from a place of spiritual strength. But if you are always giving and not receiving, you dry up pretty quickly.
- Do not panic as a leader. Be a voice of reason and emotional calm even when there is turmoil on the inside. Tell those who you look to you for direction, "I don't have all the answers, but we will get through this together." Empathize with those you lead; strive to deeply understand their feelings.
- Be careful who you listen to. Be selective as to what information you let inside your mind. Secular media is market-driven, and hence thrives on sensationalism, so be careful with all the 24/7 news. Listen to those you trust. I have heard many leaders say to go to the websites of the CDC (Center for Disease Control) and WHO (World Health Organization) for accurate information on the COVID-19 virus.
- Be available and accessible. We can still do meetings with Zoom, Skype, and Facetime, and yes, even calling people on the phone. I am currently calling each of our pastors and directors at GHBC to encourage and pray with them. I am enjoying and learning much from the ministry of Carey Nieuwhof. His website is loaded with helpful leadership principles which I encourage you to check out at careynieuwhof.com. On one of his recent podcast episodes, he interviewed Kevin Queen, pastor at Cross Pointe Church in Nashville, TN. On March 3, 2020, Cross Pointe's main campus was hit by a tornado. Pastor Kevin and his church had to go from a physical building to a portable church, and now, since COVID-19 hit, they have had to go to a virtual church. In this podcast episode with Nieuwhof, Kevin referenced the story of Israel's plague in Numbers 16 and how Moses and Aaron took quick action to go and get fire from the altar of the Tabernacle and make atonement for the people. Once they did, verses 47-48 state: "Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; so, the plague was stopped." Pastor Kevin said that as spiritual leaders, we may not stop the physical plague, but we can stop spiritual plagues by being there with our people. I like that.
Thank you to all who pray for DFEA and for those who support us financially. My desire is to work hard and produce as much helpful material and teaching as I can, especially during these uncertain days, days of hardship and difficulty. As you can and as the Lord leads you, make a donation to DFEA to help us keep on pressing forward. You can give on our website: dfea.com. Thank you so much and know that you are not alone. God is with you, and He never fails, He always prevails. Have faith in God.
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