Leadership: Not what you think

Not everyone is cut out to stand in front of crowds to speak or lead. Fortunately you don’t have to be a public speaker or charismatic person to be a leader. God can use “A Word Fitly Spoken…” (Pr. 25:11) to accomplish great things. That word can be spoken at Home or at Work or at School. Really it can be anywhere!

God has given each of us a “Circle of Influence” to work with and lead. Matthew 5:13 – 16 reminds us that the Lord desires for us to be both “Salt” and “Light” in this present world. The Lord desires us to use our influence be it great or small to lead or make a difference when and where we can. If we fail to be that influence Matthew 5:13 lays it out pretty clear. We are “…good for nothing…”! That doesn’t mean that we are useless it just we are unusable. Don’t allow fear or shyness to make your life unusable for the Lord.

As the World around us gets darker and darker even the smallest of lights will have a larger influence. You may think that you can’t do much as one small person. Look at what the Lord said in Mark 12:43 about the Widow’s two mites. It’s not the size of the gift that matters. It’s the size of the sacrifice and the heart with which it is given. Let me challenge you this week to be a light and shine for the Lord. Just remember we are to shine, not to be seen of men, or for a pat on the back, but we are to shine “…that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Let Us Be People of Prayer

What does the Church really need to succeed? There are a few answers to that question but I would say that one the biggest if not the biggest needs is to have people of prayer.

Author E. M. Bounds wrote, “What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use—men of prayer, men mighty in prayer.” We don’t need the World’s Methods of Church growth! We are not and by God’s grace never will be a “seeker-sensitive” church! Unfortunately those who say they are seeking God in our culture today are many times just seeking a religious experience and a good feeling. That is not the God I know!

If we desire to see our Church grow then we need to get on our knees and pour out our hearts to the Lord. We need to pray corporately as a body and that’s a large part of what we do on Wednesday Evening. I encourage you to come and be a part of that blessing. We also need to be individuals of prayer. You might think what can I do. What could one person’s prayer really accomplish? Remember Elijah in James 5:17? The Bible says he was a normal man just like you and me, yet when he prayed, according to God’s will, the results were literally miraculous.

Let me encourage you to be in prayer this week each and every day over the small and the large things. Let’s pray that the Lord will bless our Church with souls and visitors as He sees fit.