There are many times in our life where we have to make decisions where it brings serious transitions into our lives. As a Christian, there is this pressure to know "What God is saying" about the situation. He can speak to us through the Word, through our friends, pastors, our own thoughts or even a "gut feeling" of what we should do. There are also times where He doesn't speak at all.

Have you ever had to make a decision in your life where you wanted God to just "tell you what to do" but you heard crickets instead? Me too. It's actually become more common as I have matured in the Lord. Which leads me to my next point.

There are times God doesn't tell us what to do, because we are mature enough to KNOW what to do. He taught us what the right decision is, and the wisdom that is deposited in us, is what will guide us to make the right choice.

 

Whether it be in a career change, moving to a new state, taking the risk for the new business, or marriage, there is wisdom that we can pull on to make the right choice. Does God speak today and does He speak into this areas of our lives, absolutely, is it always the way we want Him to speak, no.

Think of it like this, when a parent trains their child on how to walk, they hold their child's hand until the little babe can grow strength in their legs and walk on their own. Can you imagine a parent trying to hold the hand of a 21 year old adult every single day so they don't fall over or trip. How ridiculous would that be? 

Another example, when a child is young, they are taught not to touch the hot stove or else they will get burned. Eventually, when a child does get burned by the stove, they learn to not touch it again. Now imagine a parent, constantly telling their 15 year old teenager to not touch the stove or not put their fingers into the outlet sockets. That would just be bizarre.

So, why do we think God is going to do that for us? Throughout life, He has taught us what to do or what not to do. He may have spoken to us in a closer way, telling us step by step what to do, but as we grow, He doesn't need to tell us what to do, we know what to do. He may still entertain our questions and give us "confirmations" but, I think He remains silent at times so we can step out in what He has already taught us. 

I remember when I first started in ministry, Jesus had to tell me what to do step by step. Fill this paper out, next go talk to this person, next gather a team, hold a practice etc. After almost a decade of ministry, God isn't going to tell me those same steps again, I know what to do. I have gained wisdom from past experiences to know how to lead an organization, how to write a play or what people to put into what positions. That doesn't mean I don't ask for guidance when starting something new, or for His grace, He is still involved in everything I do, but, He doesn't have to spoon feed me like I'm a baby in the faith as He once did.

There is a story in the Bible, where Moses was leading the Israelites to freedom during the exodus. Pharaoh and his army began marching after them and the Israelites became afraid, wishing they never left because they thought they would die in the wilderness. Moses had to remind Israel that God would fight for them and then the Lord spoke  "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on." (Exodus 14:10-15). 

Moses and all of Israel knew what to do, they were just afraid. Fear blinded and paralyzed them. Most times that's what happens to us. We know what to do, we know the answer to our question, but we are afraid of it or don't like it. We confuse ourselves because we want God to just come down from heaven and tell us what to do. He is waiting for us to just move. 

Here are some questions that I ask myself when I am trying to make a decision based on wisdom:

1. What has God taught me in the past concerning the area of decision that needs to be made?

2. What would wisdom say?

3. What practical steps do I need to take in order to reach my resolution? 

4. Does this decision bring me closer to Jesus?

5. Does this decision "take away" from anyone or cause them harm?

6. What will be the fruit of this choice in the long run?

7. Is this decision rooted in love and honor? 

Praying wisdom and comfort for you as you take the time to pray and wrestle with your next steps. Remember, you hear your Father's voice and He has prepared you to make good and right choices. He is with you in the midst of every situation. 

Key Word: Honor.  

Leadership is a word that gets thrown around a lot. Our greatest reference of what leadership looks like is Jesus. He led as a servant, shepherd and a friend. He knelt down and washed the feet of his followers, stewarded the hearts of his flock and treated his disciples as friends (Jn 13:1-17, Mtt. 20:28, Jn 10:4, Ps. 26:3,Jn 15:15).  Leading without honor and a foundation of love can turn us into "bossy dictators" as if people owe us something. 

In this past decade, I have learned some key lessons on leadership from my own mistakes and experience of working with other leaders as well.

TEN POINTS IN LEADING WITH HONOR: 

 

1. BE HONEST
Honesty is important in every aspect of life. It allows growth, trust and relationships to grow among a team. Eventually, the lies will will be exposed, dismantling any trust that belonged there and creating fear. Be truthful, even when it is difficult, or easy to exaggerate to gain praise. Exaggerations are considered lies as well. Where there is inconsistency, there eventually will be a downfall. People tend to feel cheated and dishonored when they are lied to. 

2. BE KIND
One of the greatest characteristics of God is His kindness. As a leader, we are given our team as a gift from God. We are called to steward them well, care for their hearts with diligence, while training and pouring into them. It is a privilege for us to have people walk with us and serve the mission of the organization God has given us. It is not a right, having a team is aGIFT!
In other words, it is NOT about you. Keeping them is earned and not a right either. We must remove all forms of entitlement.

3. BE DIRECT 
When speaking and giving instruction, we must say what we mean and mean what we say. Do not give hints, do not use humor to give direction, nor use passive aggressive comments to get a desired result. That's called manipulation, which is heart behind witchcraft. No Bueno! It is better to over communicate than to cause confusion with general statements.

4. BE GENEROUS
Fear cannot be a foundation to motivate people to do their job. People must feel embraced, appreciated and celebrated for their work. Positive reinforcement will allow them to actually WANT to do their job because they will know they are not just needed but wanted as well. We all want to know we are valued. Give rewards and affirm your team when things are done well and the progress that you want will continue. Anything fear or punishment driven does not last and falls apart. People lose motivation for their job and are no longer able to trust the authority over them. Sooner or later, they will leave.

5. BE RESOLUTION DRIVEN
It's been said for every correction, you should affirm three things about the person. All correction must come out of a place of love and to seek a resolution to the conflict. Addressing conflict must be very direct, without accusing or assuming the motivations of the other. We can speak on their behavior and the facts gathered, but we cannot assume their motivation. We must honor the one sitting before us, even if there is guilt. The most honorable thing to do in this situation is to hear them out, and create a plan to improve the situation, not just for the benefit of the organization, but the team and the person as well.  (Obviously this is a greater issue that needs a whole blog all on its own. Depending on the problem, different approaches may be necessary). 

6. BE HONORING
Give honor where honor is due. When there is a success, the team as a whole must be honored not one person. One person cannot take credit for what others do. We are a body, that MUST function together or else it will fall apart. When there is a mistake, we as leaders, with the heart of a shepherd, correct them privately with steps following to succeed from that moment on. Mistakes tend to come from a lack of training or miscommunication.

7. BE INVESTED
If we are not reproducing ourself, we're doing it wrong. There is a difference between a "boss" and a leader. The term "bossy" comes from somewhere. We cannot command people to do things without leading the way. Leaders show by example what should be done and how it should be done. We cannot expect anything from our team if we are not willing to take the time to invest in them, build them up and set them up for success. When we invest in our team, we ultimately invest in the success of our ministry or business as well. 


8. BE PACED 
Don't let the cart go before the horse. One of the major issues I have seen within organizations, especially ministries, is that they (and me, totally guilty of this in the past) go so fast without the correct staff, funding and network that they end up running down this hill of work and their organization ends up going ahead of the people. The staff ends up neglected, stressed and overworked. Miscommunication takes place and everyone gets stuck in survival mode. STOP GOING SO FAST! PACE YOURSELF AND PACE YOUR WORK! 

If we cannot get the work done while maintaining peace and time to invest in our team, then we're going too fast! Success is not how much we can push out, or how fast we can run…it's really how long we can last. If the organization has a high staff turnover rate, something is wrong. Pay attention to the warning flags. 

9. BE MINDFUL 
Pay attention to the voice of your team. If multiple people are complaining about the same things over and over and over and over…well you get the idea. The problem is probably not them. Be careful to not give a deaf ear. Listen to them. What are they saying, why are they saying it? Not taking it seriously is degrading, dishonorable and it shows we don't trust them and don't care.  Our mission is people. Jesus' mission is ALWAYS people because the Father's heart is for PEOPLE. If we are not putting others first, for the sake of Jesus' reward….well then what are we doing? We might as well shut our operation down, go home, and never leave the house. If we as leaders do not steward the people God gives us well, he will remove them to protect them! He's a good Dad! It's His mercy!
 

10. BE ACCOUNTABLE
One person cannot have too much power. Be repentant. We set ourselves up for failure if we do not have accountability and if we do not have anyone to answer to. Someone should be able to pull even the highest leader to the side and say "HEY! You are doing this wrong! Be careful!". The Bible speaks about how where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety. We as leaders, are not the end all and be all. It is not about us. Set a safety net around you by having accountability, that is the purpose of a board. If you are not operating an official organization, find a few friends that you trust that can see blind spots on your behalf. 

With you I am well pleased...

Those are six words that every Christian hopes to hear the day they stand before God. So we strive to work hard, obey all the commandments, feed the homeless, fast and pray, do evangelism as much as possible, hand out tracts, try not to cuss and not to litter. This is what will make God pleased with us...right? 

Wrong. Fortunately that is not the Gospel.

Now before you call me a heretic, let me explain. 

Mark 1:9-11 "In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." 

Let's analyze what Jesus did that made God say "I am well pleased". 

He walked over to the river and dipped in and walked out. That's it.
Jesus didn't raise the dead, he didn't change the water into wine nor did he heal anyone yet. He literally did not do a thing. Yet, God called Him a beloved son. 

Beloved means "cherished, adored, loved" and pleased means "to give enjoyment, pleasure or satisfaction to".

Well of course that's Jesus you may protest. But, through the cross you have been adopted as a son or daughter, just like Jesus, and have become a co-heir with Christ. God loves you just as much as He loves Jesus...without you having to do anything! Now that is good news! (Romans 8:29, Romans 8:15-17, Galatians 4:4-7).  
 
Paul uses the same language in many of his letters to the believers of the 1st century, Ephesians 5:1 for example. 

Ephesians 5:1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 

Good works follow knowing you are loved, adored and cherished by God. It is rooted in identity. 

Now I am not belittling good works, one should do them. But, good works should be a byproduct of salvation, intimacy with the Father and not something one does to gain brownie points with God. 

You will never do enough, be good enough or not sin enough to be right with God. He is proud of you because He is your Dad through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. That is all. You did absolutely nothing. It is Jesus and only Jesus. Nothing more and nothing else, anything different is not the Gospel, it is self-righteousness which is deception. 

To close I leave you with these few verses: 

Galatians 5:1, For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (He is referring to legalism). 

Romans 4:3, Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness...5:1 since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Galatians 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loves me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. 

God is pleased with you, He loves you, Jesus lives as you through you. Be at peace and live life out of the place of knowing who are you. You stand perfect before God forever because of Jesus.

If this blessed you, share it with someone else.