Leadership is an Art

"Leaders don't inflict pain, leaders bear pain." -Leadership is an Art by Max DePree

So something that has been on my mind a lot recently is the idea of leadership. I have been in and out of leadership roles in my life, and I am grateful for the opportunities that I have been given. At no point have I ever thought that I deserved any of them or that the position was owed to me. I hope that I have been a successful team captain, Bible study leader, head lifeguard, and many other things, here's the thing that bugs me most; leaders should work harder than anyone and it is so much more than just being a boss. Leading is being the boss without being bossy.  Hence the above quote. Leaders do not inflict pain on their "inferiors" (I hate using that word to describe the leader's followers), rather, leaders are to lighten the burden as best they can for their inferiors. This may not always mean that the leader is doing their work for them, but it could mean that the leader is doing thier best to come up with the most efficient ways of doing things. That they are being a planner, but working hard nonetheless. In doing this, they save time, energy, and sometimes money.  However, other times, this means that the leader is to "step down" out of their position in order that things run smoother. They should be ready and willing to take on part of the burden of their inferiors. In contrast, if a leader is doing well, he or she may see their inferiors doing the same for them, going out of their way to make the leaders life easier and going above and beyond their job descriptions. With this in mind and these actions in play, respect is formed for and from both parties.

Now for rhetorical questions! How can you expect a group to work or stay uplifted when the leader is lazy? It is disheartening to say the least when a leader's job is to be the prime example, and the leaders could care less because they are too preoccupied with mindless distractions.  It is important to remained focused on the job at hand. How can you demand respect from your followers if you yourself are disrespecting them by not carrying your part? Playing sports growing up, I was always told "you are only as strong as your weakest player." Not only is this saying true, but never ever ever ever (!) should your leader be your weakest part! They are the leader for a reason! If one part of the team slacks, everyone else has to pick up the extra work and stress; if one part of the team fails, the whole team fails.

If you are a leader, I challenge you to be the leader, not just the boss. Be the example and do not overestimate your value to a job. Just because you have the title next to your name, does not make you better than anyone else. A team is a team.

If you are the follower, I challenge you to (respectfully) keep your leader in check. Call them out if you feel they are slacking, and encourage them when they are doing a fantastic job. We all need accountability and, coming from personal experience, it is nice to know when you are and are not doing a good job.

Cliche

John 3:16-"For God so loved the world that He gave his only son that whoever believe in Him will not perish but will have eternal life."

Bet you didn't read the whole verse above...or if you did, you just skimmed over it. You saw "John 3:16" and read the rest in your mind because this is a verse beaten into even the most unchristian-like people from the day they are born (at least in the south pretty much).  I would be willing to bet that 90% of the people I know have heard this verse from somewhere at some point in their lives. I would also be willing to bet that all my friends who are Christians probably say this verse as quick as possible, I know when I read it, it is at lightning speed because it is a verse that is second nature.

Although there is nothing I can do about it and I am very glad that this verse (and others like it) are so well known, I have to wonder how much of scripture we take for granted. How much of God's holy word are just cliches in our book? How many verses that were once life changing are now just mainstream?

I get so excited when I come across a Bible verse that strikes a chord with me that I am not familiar with. And yet I read over some of the verses that once were such a huge part of my daily walk with God and they seem to mean nothing. I have overused them (if that is possible). Their meaning has been lost in a repetitive reading of them and every time I read it again, I get further and further away from where it hit home for me.

This was a tough challenge to come up with. I challenge you to really read your Bible and dig deep for the wisdom that it provides. Even the most cliche verses can teach you something new. Do not fail to cherish God's word.

Stumbling into the Sacred

"We cannot get away from God, though we can ignore Him. We may ignore but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God-the world is crowded with Him." -C.S. Lewis

I read a story one time about a theologian and a child on a train together. The theologian promised the small boy an apple if he could answer a single question. The child agreed. The theologian asked, "Where is God?" Without missing a beat, the child replied, "I'll give you a whole barrel of apples if you can tell me where God is not."

Despite his youth, this kid gets it. It is not so much as to where God is, but rather where He is not. Needless to say, the theologian did not get his barrel of apples. God is everywhere. When David wrote Psalm 139 he said, "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast." He surrounds us and is always there for us. Many people believe that God is similar to a watchmaker. That He created the world and has been distant ever since; that He is just standing back and letting nature run its course. I have to politely decline this idea. I believe the existence of a Creator is undeniable in our everyday lives.  Simple miracles are things that we consider to be "normal" because they happen every single day, but we fail to realize them as miracles. Everyday we stumble upon the sacred and fail to realize that He is the very reason of our being. He is hidden in the little things and is present among the greatest and lowest moments of our lives. He is the snow falling, He is coincidences, He is the sun rising, He is the life we have every morning when we wake up, and He is love. These miracles may seem mundane if seen through an untrained eye, but to a child of God, they are the masterpieces of our Creator.

I challenge you to slow down a bit and look for the everyday miracles that God has placed in your life.