Thank You, LORD GOD, in the Mighty Name of Jesus, who is the source of my provision, wisdom, inspiration, insights, all things good, and every spiritual blessing under Heaven, Amen. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; and His faithful love endures forever. – [1 Chronicles 16:34 NLT] Thank You, LORD GOD, in the Mighty Name of Jesus, for the healing and restoration of communities and nations.
Stewarding the Vision
Preparation
Believe in Jesus Christ.
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. – Romans 10:9 NLT
Get baptised, full immersion in water, and Jesus will baptise you in the Holy Spirit.
Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. – Acts 2:38 NLT
Develop a flourishing relationship with God. Spend quality time with God. Find your rest in Him. Get to know the Bible. Be honest with Him. Ask for what you need, and what you want, in the Mighty Name of Jesus. This is called worshipping in Spirit and in truth. Be aware that this will take time. Be patient, and wait upon the Lord.
So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. – Romans 5:11 NLT
But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” – John 4:23-24 NLT
Allow God to Lead
God knows who you are and how He created you when He created you. God knows your true identity, true purpose, true destiny, and true calling. He knows all the gifts He has stored up for you for this moment in time. He knows all the talents He has built into you when He created you. He knows all the strengths and weaknesses that shape you. He knows each strength that empowers you, and He knows how to use each weakness so that it may appear like a strength. Remember that your obedience, when you allow God to lead, is for your benefit, tailored for your enrichment and growth. Each one of us has a unique fingerprint of true identity, true purpose, true destiny, true calling, gifts, talents, strengths and weaknesses. No two people are alike, so you can stop trying to be like someone else.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits … – Psalm 103:2 NIV
… Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. … Matthew 16:24-26 MSG
Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” – John 8:12 NLT
The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. – Hebrews 11:1 MSG
Followers of God are Leaders of People
Lead in the areas of your personal strengths. Seek the sweet spots in leadership, unique to yourself. Each of your strengths will feel like a strength. You will be strengthened and feel strong doing it. You will be good at it. You will enjoy doing it. You will have a unique perspective on issues that are important to you. You will have new and creative ideas. You will be able to innovate. Your creative juices will be flowing in all the areas of your personal strengths. You will be satisfied and fulfilled. You will be able to grow and stretch without breaking in the areas of your personal strengths. Follow the visions and dreams of your heart.
There is a season for everything under Heaven. Sometimes, seasons change. Visions and dreams change. Doors open, and doors close. Be true to yourself. Be a true and authentic leader. Be a congruent leader.
Leading oneself is a foundation of true leadership. Leading oneself progresses to leading people, leading communities, leading organisations, leading nations and leading in all walks of life. Leadership, that is based on personal strengths, will allow you to flourish in every way, and you will never need to feel threatened by any competition because there is no one quite like you. You will lead a spacious and abundant life. Longevity in leadership will be possible. Longevity in leadership is developed by building on a firm foundation of solid rock and timeless truths; the timeless truths written in the Holy Bible, and the timeless truths inspired by The Holy Bible with the help of God. This kind of leadership is a basic building block for enduring civilisations.
Make Right Choices, Make Wise Choices
Life in Christ is a free life. It is an abundant life. It is a rich and satisfying life. This freedom means that we have a plethora of life choices open to us, in our personal lives and in our professional lives, in our homes, in our businesses, in our workplaces, in our universities, and in our schools. The world presents an inordinate number of choices for us in all areas of our lives. Leading oneself means that we have to develop the wisdom to make the right choices in each season of our lives.
The right choices are always the wisest choices. We have to develop the knack to consistently make the right choices. We have to be able to lead ourselves first, before we are able to lead others. Once again, allow God to lead. In all major (and some minor) decisions, ask God to teach you how to make the right decisions. This is a learning process that we all need to navigate. If we make mistakes, we have to learn from these mistakes, and not repeat them again. If we don’t succeed doing something the first time, we can either try again another time (sometimes, it’s just the timing or maybe different circumstances), or we can do something different. Often, we don’t know what the right thing to do is, but God knows. So, we have to allow God to lead. He has sight where we don’t, through the unknown, through the darkness, through the wilderness, through the valleys, through the present and through the future, through uncharted waters, and through unmapped territories. He knows the way. He can create a way where there appears to be none.
Consistently making the right choices can set you up for the long haul, for longevity in leadership, and for the abundant life that Jesus promised us. By consistently making the right choices, all our energies will be focused on moving forward into the future and into bigger and better things, instead of constantly spending time and resources battling our past. Making right choices is both an offensive weapon and a defensive weapon.
We Need You at Your Best
We need you at your best. The world needs you at your best. Humankind needs you at your best. Come this way, Jesus says. Come this way, and be blessed beyond your wildest dreams. Know this. The blessed life comes at a price. You may have to give up the old life. You may have to give up all the things that you used to hold dear. But, the pearl of great value that lives in our future is priceless. It’s more than worth the price we are asked to pay today. We want to live the abundant life that Jesus promised us. We want to live the blessed beyond measure, brimming over, overflowing, more than enough life that Jesus promised us.
Bibliography
Maxwell, John C. (2018). Developing the Leader Within You 2.0. Thomas Nelson. Harper Collins Leadership. Audible Edition.
Maxwell, John C. (1995, 2020). Developing the Leaders Around You: How to Help Others Reach Their Full Potential. Harper Collins Leadership. Audible Edition.
Houston, Brian (2004). How to Make Wise Choices (The Maximised Life Series). Maximised Leadership. Paperback Edition.
Warren, Rick (2013). The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?. Zondervan. Audible Audiobook Edition.