Followers vs Leaders?

I have been devouring leadership books for the last 30 years.  The leadership industry is a billion dollar business.  We are taught to become leaders in school and in business.  This semester in my D.Min program I'm taking an Organizational Leadership class.  The professor introduced us to the concept of followership.  He even wrote a book called Followerfirst.  It has been amazing how God has used both semesters of my D.Min to break me and mold me.  Last semester I had to deal with relationship issues.  This semester my leadership box just got shattered.

We've been studying the importance of followers and leaders.  Obviously, you can't have a leader without followers.  John Maxwell has influenced my thinking for many years.  I am grateful for most of what I've learned.  But today, it hit me as I was praying and studying in Matthew 10.  God never told us to be leaders.  He told us to follow Him!  I'm not sure what the 2 Google Bots that read my blog think about hearing from God but I've heard God speak to me many times over the last 2 years specifically. 

Today, I heard God say the following things in prayer.  The Holy Spirit said to submit and be the best follower I can be.  He said that followers follow, they don't lead.  He said if you lead then I can't.  We both can't lead at the same time!  He told me to follow and let Him lead.  The problem in the world is we have way too many leaders and not enough followers.  He told me that I would lead but as a follower. Ouch!

According to my faith

I was reading in Matthew 9 today when I saw that Jesus healed according to other's faith.  Jesus healed a paralyzed man in Matthew 9:2 according to the faith of the men who brought him.  Jesus told a bleeding woman that her faith healed her in Matthew 9:22.  In Matthew 9:29 Jesus healed two blind men according to their faith.  I wonder how many miracles and answered prayers I've missed out on because I didn't trust God enough?

Just as you believed

A Roman Centurian came to Jesus to get Jesus to heal his servant in Matthew 8.  Jesus said that he would come and heal the servant but the Centurian told Jesus that he was a man under authority and Jesus did not need to come.  He trusted Jesus enough to heal his servant without even coming to his house.  Jesus was amazed at the man's faith.  How great it must be to amaze God.  Jesus told the man to go and his servant would be healed just as you believe it would.  I think what I find amazing that it seems like our faith has a part in the miracles of God.  So, I must have faith for God to do what I'm praying for.

Planning

I've always been an organized person.  I am rarely late for anything.  I feel I'm late if I'm on time.  I plan ahead.  I have multiple countdown apps on my mac mini, iPhone and iPad.  Since I read Atomic Habits  I've been doing things more consistently.  I set a timer every day to meditate and hear from God.  I've been making our bed and doing the dishes.  These are all to get in a habit.  I also started putting a timer every day to memorize scripture.  I was going to write about my Bible Study in Matthew 7 today, but as I memorized a verse from Proverbs I was hit over the head with something I need to confess and repent from.  Look at Proverbs 16:3

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

What stood out to me is that I've been committing my plans to God and wanting him to bless them.  What this says to me is that I'm to commit myself to God and He will show me the plans.  I've had it all backward. 

Seeking

Seeking is a word that has been going through my head a lot over the last year.  I was taking the time to write down thoughts that I felt the Holy Spirit was giving me.  I was hit and miss on doing it though.  Then after reading Atomic Habits, I started scheduling 5 minutes to listen to God.  That may not seem like a long time but I've become consistent.  Anyway, I keep hearing in my time listening to seek.  Then in my Bible Study in Matthew 6 today, Jesus said that we are to seek first God's Kingdom and everything else will come.  This seems to be counter-culture.  We are taught to go after what we want.  Things only come to those who get it.  God is not telling us to be lazy.   In fact, I think God wants us to work hard.  But we work hard for him and He gives us all we need.  That makes no sense from a worldly point of view.  It is easy to worry.  I wish I could say I have it together but I don't.   But I have been seeking God more and more every day.  My prayer is as I seek, I will hear his voice more. 

Be perfect

Jesus told those listening to Him in Matthew 4:48 to be perfect.  Is that even possible?  Not under our own power.  But the real meaning is to be complete and mature.  In James 1:4 says:

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

So maybe in order to be mature, complete or perfect, we have to go through trials, difficult people, toxic environments, etc.

Let your light shine

I remember singing “This Little Light of Mine” as a little kid.  I never really thought about how much good theology there is in it.  In Matthew 5 Jesus tells the listeners to be salt and light.  Salt gives taste to food.  Without taste it is nasty.  Light of course lets us see in the darkness.  Jesus was called the light of the world.  Yet, he said in Matthew 5:14 that we are the light of the world.  He also said that our lives should shine so much that others may see your good works and that glorifies God.  Unless I’m reading this wrong, we should want people to see our good works.  Now if it glorifies us then it is arrogance.  But if it glorifies God, then it is light.

He did

We don't read much about Joseph the father of Jesus.  Apparently, he died before Jesus was crucified.  A lot has been said about the faith of Mary and rightly so.  I can't imagine how scary it was for her to become pregnant and to still be a virgin.  I can't imagine the jeers and the whispers she heard.  Then if that is not enough, she had to watch her innocent son be killed.

But Joseph's life isn't mentioned very much.  In Matthew1:19 it says that Joseph was faithful to the law.  When he found out Mary was pregnant, I can't imagine what was in his head.  Rather than get back at her, he was going to dissolve their engagement quietly.  If this happened today in the social media climate, I would imagine some of his friends would have had him post some tough stuff.

Yet, Joseph wanted to protect her.  He cared about her.  Then when he had a dream that explained how Mary got pregnant it all made sense.  However, only he knew that.  It wasn't like he could tell everyone on social media or the evening news that Mary was impregnated by the Holy Spirit.  When Joseph had the dream it says that when he woke up HE DID what the angel commanded him.  Joseph had a choice.  He chose to obey God. 

In Matthew 2 Joseph had another dream to take Mary and Jesus in the middle of the night and go to Eygpt.  In vs 14, it says "HE GOT UP."  In vs 21, he had another dream and was told to take his family back to Galilee.  The scripture says, "HE GOT UP."

Not much is written about Joseph.  But if all that was written about me is "HE DID" and "HE GOT UP" I'm good with that.  Obedience is why Joseph heard from God.  It is why God chose to place his son in the hands of Joseph.

Adjusting

Malachi 3:6 says:

I the Lord do not change

Since God does not change, it is up to me to change.  I must adjust to His ways and His plans.  I have things so planned out in my mind.  But how often have I really asked God what He wants?  God did tell me to go back to school.   That I'm sure of.  It would be easier not to be writing forums and papers and spending weeks in Atlanta and Tuesday nights at Grandview.  The changing needs to come from me.

Because I don't ask

Sometimes things are right in front of us and we don't see it.  I've heard in sales that what separates an average salesperson from a great one is that the great one's ask for the sale.  God wants to give us the best.  I wonder how many times I limit God by my small mindset?  I convince myself that what I'm praying for is not that important.  I make the decision for God without even asking.  James 4:2b-3 says.

You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

I could care less about getting rich.  I didn't get into vocational ministry to make money.  But God has given me a dream.  It has been stuck in my head for almost 4 years.  It hasn't happened.  Was that dream just indigestion?  Or have I just said that my request is not important to God?  It is a God-sized dream.  It is something that I have no way of doing on my own.  Maybe I'm the problem.  Maybe I just ask with the wrong motives.  My dream has nothing to do with money.  So it isn't to get rich.  I'm asking God today.  I'm not sure how much I believe.  But God helps those with just a little faith.  That is all I have.

God provided

I was reading in Jonah this morning.   I kept circling and boxing in God or the Lord provided.  This is really a story of disobedience yet God still provided.  God asked Jonah to go share his love and repentance with Nineveh.  Jonah hated the Assyrians because every good Hebrew did.  Jonah ran from God but as God attempted to get his attention, God provided.  He provided the wind to get Jonah's attention.  He provided a fish to swallow Jonah.  He provided a plant to protect Jonah from the sun.  He provided the wind and sun to rebuke Jonah.  God's provision is not always pleasant for us but it is always needed.

One person can make a difference

Sometimes we think that we can't make any difference in the world because we are just one small person.  Yet twice in Amos 7, the Lord relented from the destruction He planned because of the prayer of Amos.  Amos 7:2b-3 (NIV)

I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”  So the Lord relented.  “This will not happen,” the Lord said.

My prayers can make a difference.  I can't change the world, but through prayer I can ask God to change the world around me.

Encouragement goes a long way

I have written extensively about the importance of encouraging others.  Today, I was on the receiving end of encouragement.  It was very unexpected today.  Not that the person who said it is not encouraging, but I didn’t know I would see them and wasn’t expecting what they said.  As they said it I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear it.  I actually had to hold back my emotions as they spoke over me.  Let that be a reminder to me to keep encouraging others.

Causing others to sin

Jesus talked about the consequences of causing others to sin in the New Testament.  But it wasn't a New Testament problem exclusively.  Hosea talked about this in Hosea 4:5-7 (NIV)

You stumble day and night, and the prophets stumble with you.  So I will destroy your mother-my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.  “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the lawl of your God, I also will ignore your children.  The more priests there were, the more they sinned against me; they exchanged their glorious God for something disgraceful.

 I don't think we take how our sins can cause others to sin seriously enough.  I pray that my life will draw people closer to Jesus rather than causing people to sin.  I'm reminded by that song by Sweet Comfort Band called You Led Me to Believe. 

You led me to believeAnd I followed everything you'd say and doYou led me to believeYou've changed your way of thinking nowBut I know what is trueAnd I will keep on holding onTo all the thingsYou led me to believe

I don't know the entire story behind the song but obviously, someone influential in the author becoming a Christian had walked away from their faith.  Thankfully, the author didn't turn his back on God.  I pray that nothing in my life will cause someone else to stumble.

Your words were heard, BUT!

Have you ever had someone hear you but you aren't sure if they really did?  I'm sure I have been guilty of that more times than I would like to admit.  Do you ever feel like your prayers aren't being heard?  Boy, that is a regular thought in my mind.  I know it comes from the enemy but it still happens.

In Daniel 10 the scripture says that an angel came to care for Daniel.  But in Daniel 10:12b-1a (NIV) it says:

your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. 13 But

The angel told Daniel that his prayers were heard, but.   I don't like to hear but.  However, as you continue on the but is because Daniel was in such a spiritual battle that the angel had to call in reinforcements. Daniel 10:13 (NIV) says,

But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia. 

The angel needed to call for Michael to help him.  Not only that but they battled with the enemy for 21 days.  Now I don't know about you but that sounds like a pretty big battle.  If an angel can't win on his own is one thing but that it took 2 angels 21 days tells me that spiritual battles are not for the faint of heart.

I wonder how many times there are angels battling on my behalf?  Sometimes I wonder why God seems so distant and silent?   I spend at least an hour a day in prayer and Bible Study.   I wonder if God hears me?  Maybe what God is going to do is so big that it is taking multiple angels to battle on my behalf. 

So distinguished himself

I was studying in Daniel 6 this morning.  I love vs 3:

Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.

What an awesome way to be known.  I've made some bonehead moves in my life.  I've schemed, I've gossiped, I've slacked, I've been a sinner.  But, for the last few years, I've been working hard to let God mold me and shape me.  I have no idea how it is going because I only see the junk I need to change.  The last 2 years have been extremely trying.  We moved and in the move, moved my mother in law in our home.  This wasn't so bad for me but for my wife who didn't want this to happen.  But we are trying to honor God by taking care of her.  Then my ministry/job changed drastically.  I not only lost pay but lost the leadership position that I so loved.  Now at my age, I'm going backward career-wise.  Sometimes I wonder why I'm doing the things I'm doing.  Right now on my "vacation", I'm writing a 24-page paper for my organizational leadership class.  Not sure why I'm even working on my D.Min but God clearly told me to do it.  So for all two Google bots that read this blog, I hope this gives a glimpse into my state of mind.  As God continues to mold and shape me, my prayer is that my exceptional qualities (that come from God) will distinguish me from others.

Is God sovereign?

I find it sad that people who claim to be followers of Christ seem to have partial faith in him.  I remember when I was in high school there was a group called the Moral Majority.  They were mainly conservative Christians that got involved in politics to make sure politicians with conservative values won elections.  They were successful in helping Ronald Regan win the presidential election in 1980 as well as many other conservatives across the nation.  The Moral Majority transformed into the Christian Coalition and still exists today. 

Now I vote and vote conservatively.  But it is dangerous to put up people on a pedestal like they are God's candidate.  God has allowed some pretty bad people in power all over the world.  In fact, Daniel in Daniel 5 had to confront a king who had displeased God.  Daniel made it clear that it is God who sets people in office.  Look at Daniel 5:21b:

until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.

I'm appalled at Christians who trash leaders on both sides of the aisle.  Vote?  yes!  However, instead of ripping a leader on social media, how about praying for them?  God allowed them to be in office. 

Even if He does not!

I was reading in Daniel 3 today.  It is a familiar story about Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego refusing to bow down to the idol the King of Babylon required all people to worship.  King Nebuchadnezzar liked SMA but he was embarrassed that they refused to bow down so in his anger he told his guards to throw them into the fire.  Not only that but the fire was made 7 times hotter.  It was so hot (How hot was it?) that the guards that threw them in died.  Amazingly, they weren't harmed in the fire.  Not only were they not harmed they didn't even have the smell of smoke on their clothes. 

That story is amazing.  But let's go back a few verses.  When Nebuchadnezzar gave SMA a chance to change their minds they refused.  They had already made up their minds that they were going to serve God no matter what.  In verses 16-17 they said that their God could save them.  But I love vs 18:

But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.

Those of us who have heard this story know about the deliverance from the fire.  But what if God didn't deliver them?  I have a friend who was a missionary and has been serving in our ministry for over 15 years.  His wife found out she had cancer this week and died a few days later.  How do we respond to that?  God does deliver.  But what about when he doesn't?  We have to decide ahead of time how we will react.

Resolved

I'm reading in Daniel today and it is easy to miss some new thoughts in a passage that is so familiar.  Today I noticed something in Daniel 1:8:

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.

I think the key part of Daniel's story is that he decided ahead of time how he would respond to sin and temptations.  This is not to say he was perfect, but he "resolved" that he would not do anything to dishonor God. 

Look at Daniel 2:14:

When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact.

We need more Daniels today.  I had to get off of Facebook for almost a year during the 2016 elections.  Friends of mine were going at each other over the election.  Personally, I did not want to vote for anyone.  But what was missing was wisdom and tact.  It has not gotten any better.  Do we really think we are going to change someone's mind by arguing with them?  Do we think people are attracted to a Christianity that tears apart people on social media? 

I pray for wisdom every day.  I don't want my wisdom but God's wisdom.  Our world needs more followers of Jesus who will resolve ahead of time to live for God.  We need Godly wisdom and tact.

Obedience

I was studying in Ezekiel this morning and came to a familiar passage in chapter 37 when God brought the dry bones back to life.  What hit me today was how absurd this must have sounded to Ezekiel.  Can you imagine what he was thinking as God told him to prophesy to bones?  Did he think what if someone sees me?  Did he think he misheard God?  In vs 7 it says that Ezekiel prophesied as he was commanded.  Then the bones came to life.  I can't imagine what Ezekiel thought then. 

How many times does God ask me to do things that seem strange?  How often do I worry about what others might think?  Maybe God hasn't told me things because I'm not ready to do something like preaching to dead bones.  I pray that will follow and obey no matter what.

God allows us to go through stuff so....

In Ezekiel 24 his wife passes away.  God would not allow him to do the normal mourning.  He was to control his mourning as a sign to the rebellious people he was prophesying to.  2 Corinthians teaches the same precept.  We can argue and say why would God allow righteous people to go through tough events for sinners.  However, isn't that what Jesus did?  Who are we to argue with God?  I say that as one who does question God more than I would like to admit.  I had a man commit suicide on my car 32 year ago.  It is an event that I will never forget.  I can't even watch a TV or movie and watch someone get run over.   The pain is still there.  Why would God allow me to go through that?  God has used me to minister to dozens of people who have had similar experiences.  Just within the last month, I was able to pray with a truck driver who had a man walk out in front of his truck and he died.  I don't pretend to know why God allows things the way he does.   Yet, in Ezekiel, he went through the loss of his wife to teach the Hebrews a lesson.  Tough stuff.

Speak only when God gives a word

I'm reading in Ezekiel now and I was struck reading about Ezekiel only speaking when God gave him a word.  Now, that would be hard in the world we live now to have any relationships.  However, what if we only posted on Social Media when God gives us a word?  Can you imagine how much more civil it would be?  What if Christians set the example of love and grace instead of blabbing all of our complaints all over the web? 

God can and will use anyone

I'm always amazed at the people God uses to accomplish his purposes.  He used a donkey.  He uses profanity-laced communicators.  He used adulterers, murders and even me.  I was reading in Jeremiah today and noticed how the King wanted to silence Jeremiah.  He even burned the scrolls that Jeremiah wrote down God's words on.  However, when they were captured God spoke through the commander of the Babylonian army in Chapter 40.  Here is a man who didn't know God or serve Him, but he started speaking God's words. 

I've learned over my life to not limit God.  Every time I do, he humbles me.  My prayer today is that I will hear from God no matter how I hear from Him.