Wednesday, April 02, 2008
@2:12 PM
Yesterday during Leader's Meeting I learnt a great deal. But what's the use when it remains head information and is not translated into action right? That explains why we can be blessed with the best sermons but don't see change in our lives. So I better blog it down and make sure I get down to making it business.
We have all been talking about soaring in excellence and leadership in our marketplaces. But how many of us CHOOSE to actively carry ourselves as leaders and people with the favor of God in our marketplaces? And do you know that God is more eager to put us at such positions than we ourselves may even want to be at?
Mt 9:37-38 are verses we always look at. We say the harvest is plentiful, but laborers are few, and what do we need to do then? Simply...PRAY! Simply ASK that they will be sent out and it will happen! God seems even more eager than us to empower us to be marketplace leaders (
note Mt10:2: 'apostles')!
Why was God able to use the 12 disciples? Reason was that they were ready to see themselves as apostles, as leaders. They did not feel that hey, just coz I have Jesus as my leader means I can lay back and relax and let him do all the work.
They were READY, they knew the larger-than-life vision that was on their lives.
One thing that was etched in my head yesterday was,
'If you say you cannot, you literally take the initiative out of God's hands'. The moment you decide not to lead and influence in your marketplace, there is no way the kingdom of God can be propagated.
And this is why you realise that a church can be so powerful on weekends, but the power dissipates on weekdays! Not because we don't have that same measure of power, but because we CHOOSE to blend in, we CHOOSE not to stand UP.
Who is the real you? Is the real you who you are now, or who you are growing to become: the fulfilment of the vision for your life? If the real you lies in who you are growing to become, then what's the use of now? Is there still reason to live for?
That is why God provides the VISION. What will keep us going on track from now till then, despite the challenges, lies in the hope that the vision will come to pass...one day.
However, the ability to remain on track and focussed, despite how much I love to talk about it, defeats even the strongest person at times.
Yet, who is the real winner in life? It is not he who is just concentrated on winning, it is he who is not thrown off course by losses, but cashes in on the accumulation of experiences: what can I learn from my victory/failure?
As a leader, we gain followers not by reprimanding them, but bysimply helping provide a vision larger than themselves and helping them see that when the going gets tough. As a leader in your marketplace, ask yourself this: why SHOULD your followers follow you?
Since I am on the note of leadership, let me end off by just quoting outgoing Education Minister Mr Tharman, who says "You've got to keep a certain momentum so people know you are serious and the direction ain't changing". One of the 3-prong strategy that he had through his ministry was to STRETCH POTENTIAL. Talents present themselves when opportunities are provided, and we got to lose our inhibitions, our weaknesses, and avail ourselves to these opportunities! Who knows what can happen when you do so? ;)
Another thing that God spoke to me about leadership is this
"Leaders lead, not react". If we are constantly reacting to things that crop up, we are essentially unprepared. This means that we can never give 100% chance for the best to happen. No wonder miracles are rarely seen, and exponential growth is rarely heard of! No wonder stagnation kicks in! Hmm...it's time to be on the ball...hahaha!