The work continues! Along the way to significant leadership and our destiny, we have a few tests to pass. One is our willingness to hear the Word of the Lord and to obey, even when it is painful, even when it is humbling, even when it is embarrassing, even when it is a sacrifice and costly. Without passing this test, no leader is ready… Read more »
The inner work of a leader is often elusive. The inner work includes patterns that will feed and fuel the leader’s soul. Learning to be disciplined in reflective prayer, learning to sit with scripture; not to produce a lesson, but to invite the Lord to shape the heart and soul are essential. Years seeded with hours upon hours of alone prayer and reflective reading catalyzes a… Read more »
The inner work is often elusive. Our tendency is to live “externally,” thinking that our challenges and obstacles are “out there” among others, hence our lack of resources, our setting, etc. Human nature is to look outside of our hearts, as opposed to in our hearts and souls for the key breakthroughs. The inner work, for some leaders, remains elusive their whole life! The only… Read more »
The inner work of the leader is the most challenging work. It is also the work that will eventually produce fruit. As we do the inner work, the Lord will trust us with opportunities of greater impact (he who is faithful in little…). The inner work is difficult as it puts our hearts and minds under the spotlight. The inner work uses life setting, people,… Read more »
The inner work is the most significant work of any leader. Learning to lead ourselves is a precursor to leading others. Learning to discern what is going on in our own souls is essential to understanding the hearts of others. This inner work may be described in a few sentences, but it will take a lifetime of focus. This inner work will include… Read more »
The inner work of the leader is the most challenging and the most essential. As a leader, you will be targeted by the enemy. You must know your Achilles heel! You must know where the enemy will likely come after you. You must do the hard work of reflecting upon your past and asking for the Lord to do work there that will protect… Read more »
I have a friend who is a powerful leader of prayer. He is extremely disciplined and created to be fierce in his disposition. And like us, the Lord has done some “inner work” in his life. At one point he was wrestling with the Lord as to a desired assignment, wondering why the Lord would not, or had not, opened the opportunity. The answer?… Read more »
Holy and Healthy – those two are connected. Emotional health powers spiritual holiness. When leaders are not emotionally healthy, under stress, angry, hurt, in need of support – the enemy lurks. We are created human; a mystery full of wonder as the scripture declares. Being holy is far more than doing or not doing things. It is about patterns of worship, intake of the Presence… Read more »
When the work of God through a leader is ahead of the work of God within the leader, disaster looms! The real work of healthy leaders is always inside out. Inside, where we wrestle with our need of significance, inside where we face down why we have to have the spotlight, inside where we question our motives and uncover what may really be… Read more »
The fruit of the Spirit is not optional for leaders of impact. Love, peace, patience, joy, gentleness, and the rest are qualities that bring influence and motivate others around us. The fruit of the Spirit is one of the ways God gives us authority in the eyes of others. The fruit of the Spirit (listed in Galatians 5) is being… Read more »