Not Just the Goal

In this final week of my study on spiritual leadership, it is about God’s agenda and getting people to join the journey. Henry and Richard Blackaby ask the questions, “Which do you think is more important for a leader – the journey for the destination? Or, are they equally important?” The way that I phrased the first sentence above indicates that I believe they are both important, I would say that they are 1 and 1a in importance.

Jim Collins, in his writings, made popular the philosophy of “First Who, Then What” or “Getting the right people on the bus”. You see, ensuring that the people are on board with the leader is the most important thing. Generally, getting people on board is about providing them a destination. No the journey may not be straight, but the place we are going is agreed upon and if a detour is found to be needed to get there, everyone is okay with it and will stay focused on that destination. So, the destination is of importance, and that destination should be worthwhile to ensure that everyone is okay with the journey itself.

Now, I do know that there is more to the “First Who, Then What” philosophy. I am not here to discuss all the merits of this philosophy. You see, the journey is important for a number of reasons, but ultimately it is about a worthwhile journey to reach the result. There are times, more than we think, that the destination is not result or goal that can be fully quantified. Let’s look at the case of God’s agenda and getting there. Jesus commissioned us to go and make disciples of all nations. Where, yes, we can count the number converts, it is not about just getting the numbers, as Jesus also said to shake the dust off your feet as you leave those who do not receive you. This says that it is not just about the number of converts, but the spreading of the gospel.

I may have rambled a bit in the above, but here is where I was going. The spiritual leaders are charged with providing a goal or destination to attain. The destination is not of the leader, but of God. That destination is to unite the organization, not to just provide a goal to achieve. The leader is to ensure that those following are following to reach the destination, regardless of what the journey looks like. The spiritual leader guides toward God and His agenda. This agenda is to magnify God and not just reach some tangible or quantifiable end. So 1 and 1a it is, destination is 1, and getting there is 1a.

Destination or Journey for you? Are you just looking to reach the destination that is a mark of having arrived? What if you found the destination of God and then worked to get there however needed, focusing on magnifying Him however needed?

Be Prepared

The motto for the scout movement is, “Be Prepared”. This phrase also influences the spiritual leader as he begins and proceeds in leadership.

It is important to be prepared for the role that you are taking on. For example, if you do not know anything about basketball, it will make it difficult to play the game, much less lead a team. If you don’t know anything about music, playing an instrument will not generally go very well, and leading an orchestra, well who will follow you. I recall a US Senate hearing related to interviewing a new director of the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). The nominee, demonstrated his complete lack of knowledge as related to aviation and was swiftly rejected.

But what does preparation mean and/or look like? It is widely known that learning comes from a number of places, so the formal education is not the only source. Now, it is important to be educated in a field in order to gain knowledge of that field, I will not argue. But what I will point out is that there are people who know more about a subject or field based on their experience and time spent in that field.

My father-in-law worked in the signage field for many years and then had his own welding shop for many years after that. An engineer came to him with specifications for a flag pole and my father-in-law rejected them telling the engineer that what he had was overkill and he could indeed get by with less to accomplish what he was wanting. The engineer left, recalculated and returned confirming with my father-in-law the new specifications would indeed work. It was not the formal education, but the deliberate study and experience in the field that produced the results.

Leadership is not that much different. It is preparation in the field that will produce the results. One must have a “plan to continue growing personally and mentally” – Henry & Richard Blackaby, in order to be prepared to lead spiritually. Leaders should stop and take a look at where they are and seek out the resources to get them where they want to be.

I get a lot of ribbing from my family for wanting to be prepared. I set up contingency plans on top of contingency plans to ensure that I will generally know what to do if things go a little sideways. The ribbing continues until that thing happens and the quick adjustment, that I had prepared for, is made and we just continue with our path. It is the knowledge and preparation that make the difference. Shouldn’t our preparation to spiritually lead be the same.

“²⁹Do you see a man skillful in his work?

He will stand before kings;

he will not stand before obscure men.”

— Proverbs 22:29 (ESV)

That skill comes from study and preparation. It does not generally come automatically. It is something that is worked on over time and will deliberate action. To have a skill or be a leader, we mus be prepared.

What is your thought on skills? Are you of the opinion that someone is just born with it? What if you were to see and understand that is more about learning and growing in the field and preparing for the role, in this case the role of spiritual leader?

Integrity, Be Aware

I have heard that integrity is not always what you do, but what you do when no one is watching. It is important to be the same in public and in private as the demonstration of your integrity. This morning I continue my study on spiritual leadership from the Fall 2011 MasterWork series with Henry and Richard Blackaby as the writers and today is the lesson on character and integrity.

This morning I write about character and integrity as one when looking at the impact on spiritual leadership. These two items work together to define the make up of a spiritual leader. As noted above, integrity is what you do when no one is watching. What you do in those private moments between you and the LORD. Character is what people see in those public moments. So there is the correlation of the two working together to define the public and private you.

In society today, no one is completely out of the public eye. Our lives are on full display in what seems like all day, every day. Social media has made it very difficult, if not improbable to be completely private. Even if you are not the one actively utilizing the web, you will be in public and will likely be caught on someone’s camera, or audio recording at some point. This is not to say that this is a “bad” thing, but we have to be even more aware of our behavior at all times. In the past, it would have been possible to separate to some degree our public and private lives, but today, not so much.

The final two sentences of the lesson today speak to how integrity becomes so integral in our lives; “Integrity doesn’t happen by accident. It happens on purpose.” Integrity is intentional. I have to remember that I am under the microscope in my life, regardless of where I am. Yes, social media has made it difficult to keep my private life private, but there is a more important, dare I say the most important, one watching me always, GOD.

“¹⁴Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.” – 2 Peter 3:14 (ESV)

We are to watch ourselves to be seen by God, the only one that matters, as striving to be blameless as Jesus was. In my public and private life, God is watching and seeing my heart to be for and about Him. I can only do so when I am filled with the Holy Spirit and showing Him for all the world to see. Showing Him in my public and private life. Being aware of my actions to ensure that I am intentional. Remembering that, “Integrity is not automatic” – Henry and Richard Blackaby.

What is your view of integrity? Are you aware that it matters and how it comes to be? What if you were to realize that it is as important in your private life as in public and that it “is not automatic” but intentional to walk like Christ?

Big Moments with God

Paul experienced an extremely big moment with God in his conversion. God revealed Himself in the form of a great light even in the midst of the mid-day sun. In this reveal, Jesus appointed this persecutor, Paul, to be His servant in the spreading of the gospel to all the people. For me, I have not had this overtly big moment as most would see it. But, I have had my big moment, surrounded by smaller moments that keep me moving forward.

In my bible study this morning, I continue looking at spiritual leadership and have come upon the lesson of “Encounters with God”. Henry and Richard Blackaby tell the story of Dwight L. Moody’s big moment and then ask for the review of Paul’s big moment to set the mind looking for your own. After reflection, my big moment was my ordination as deacon to the church. This was not something that I was looking for, nor even expected to come for Lori and me. We had been very active in the church in service from leading the music for worship all the way to leading many classes for children and youth. God wanted more for us and He sent the church to enlist us in that work. And our lives have been filled with the joy of doing His work ever since. From serving in multiple areas in the church to this blog/writing, we continue to impact through the work the LORD has for us.

It is not always the overt big moments that Paul experienced where we have those life changing encounters with God. They may be a bit more subtle and take some reflection to realize they have happened and the worth they have in our lives. I believe that as spiritual leaders, it is important to reflect on the influence of God in our lives to realize those encounters and see the impact. I have to remember to look back at where God revealed Himself to me. I have to look at the condition of my heart and my relationship with Him at the time to get back there to lead me to more opportunities for encounters with Him.

“Spiritual leadership flows out of a person’s vibrant, intimate relationship with God.” – Henry & Richard Blackaby

What are your big moments with God? Are you even aware that you have had them? What if you reflect and find that or those big moments, realize your heart and relationship to Him and get back to that place to experience even more encounters with Him?

Committed or Submitted

Wow, this morning I was hit right in the face with the Word of God. I am not complaining, as I am one of those who need the direct hit as I do not recognize the subtleties as some do. This was just what I needed in my walk with Christ and my aspiration of being the spiritual leader He has for me to be. You see, I have been committed to the LORD for quite a while now, but I have not, at least as I see it, been submitted to Him.

As I read and study this morning in the MasterWork materials, Henry and Richard Blackaby point out five characteristics of God-inspired leadership. 1. Organizational fulfilled promises. 2. Leader affirmation and vindication of reputation. 3. Changed lives of those touched. 4. Recognition of God in the life and agenda of the leader. 5. Recognized as Being Christ-like.

These are characteristics that I am able to pick out over the course of my career, well the first three that is. I have specific events or milestones in my career that I can point to for each of them, and it was not hard or even time consuming to do so. With the final two items, I am not sure that I have or do measure up.

Moses may not have been my or anyone’s first choice to be a spiritual leader. He had not exactly been or led a life of Christ in his younger years. He had to flee his childhood home for killing a man and he was not exactly known to be a great speaker. But, He was a man who was recognized as having and great relationship with God as you could see it on his face.

“²⁹When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.” and “³⁵the people of Israel would see the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face was shining. And Moses would put the veil over his face again, until he went in to speak with him.” – Exodus 34:29 & 35 (ESV)

I can see in myself some but maybe not all of the characteristics of God-inspired leadership, but recognized by others as being so, I am not sure.

This is where I was hit in the face this morning. Am I going through the motions of being committed to Christ by doing the work and expecting that is the work I am to be doing. Or, am I submitted to Him and His leadership in my life to be the spiritual leader He would have of me. Where I come from this is that I feel as though with the first three characteristics identified above, I have met the standard, but with the final two, I don’t know. The first three I can find results to count, but the final two are seen by others and I have to ask myself, are they?

The Blackabys as a great question that I am unable to answer; “What evidences of God’s presence in your life are unmistakable?” I am unable to answer this one.

What is your status, committed or submitted? Are you going through the work assigned like a task list? What if you were to take on the five characteristics of God-inspired leadership to ensure that there is evidence of God’s presence in your life and it is unmistakable?

Where Not to Get Influence

When thinking of influence as a spiritual leader, it may be prudent to start with where not to look. In my studying this morning the title of the lesson is: “Illegitimate Sources of Influence”. I am pleased with myself as I immediately thought of more legitimate sources and what those would be. But, I had to bring myself back to the places not to look for the purpose of the validity of my study this morning. According to Henry and Richard Blackaby, the illegitimate sources are; position, power, and personality, and I could not agree more.

When I think about the three illegitimate sources of influence listed by the Blackabys, I see places of very shallow. Two of those can be take away from someone by another person or entity, and personality can be faked to cover some reality in one’s life. Position and power rely more heavily on a fear component to implore others to follow. And when the position or power are gone, there is no other way to get others to do what you would want done.

A question asked by the Blackabys; Whom in your life do you regularly have opportunity to influence? It was not hard for me to make the connection. Those who attend training classes where I am leading. Tom Landry is quoted as saying; “The job of a football coach is to make men do what they don’t want to do in order to achieve what they’ve always wanted to be.” Now, I am not Tom Landry, but I do believe that I can substitute “trainer” for football coach and “others” for men in the quote and it fits pretty nicely. So as a trainer, I have the opportunity to influence others regularly.

Thinking of the role of trainer, I could use power, position, and/or personality to get others to do the work needing to accomplish. But when I think about it, I am only getting them to do things while I am watching and directing. By using those “illegitimate sources” of influence, I am dealing more in coercion as opposed to influence and the others will simply fall into their own ways once I am no longer around and driving them. So, as I noted above, once the source of influence is gone, the influence itself goes away.

Spiritual leadership depends on the guidance and work of the Holy Spirit to achieve the goal of God’s agenda. The power, position, and personality are His, not mine. I take direction from Him to achieve His goals and not my own. His power, position, and personality will not go away. And as they will not go away, they will continue to provide long after I have gone. My leadership comes from the legitimate source of God.

Where are you seeking your influence? Are you looking to your power, position, and/or personality to influence others? What about when they are gone, what if you were to get your influence from God as He will be here always?

Communicate the Vision, How and What

In my continued study of leadership, and right now spiritual leadership, I have found as noted that the role of the spiritual leader is to communicate the revelation of God. Remembering that vision of the spiritual leader is not his own, but that which is received from the LORD as pertains to His agenda. The next thing to think of is how and what exactly to communicate.

Let’s start with how. In short, communicating the vision, rather revelation of the LORD should be done continually. Think of the old saying, “out of sight, out of mind”. Whereas I am not sure who said it originally, it is very fitting as relates to the vision of any organization, including the church. Too often, a vision is created, stated, and placed on the wall somewhere. For a brief time, there is a laser on the vision (really just because it is new) and then it fades and becomes another forgotten trend of the moment. Those that have staying power and are remembered and worked are those that are mentioned continually. At The Bridge Fellowship (our church), the vision is stated at every service and any time the work of the church is mentioned.

Now, what is it that is communicated. Well, to start with, the words should be stated. It is important for the people to know the words as they do have meaning. And then, once the words are stated, the history, present, and future should be related to the words.

Start with what has been accomplished in the past. Communicate stories of what the organization has done relating to the vision. Pronounce to the organization the wins of yesterday to get us to today. Next, speak of what is being accomplished today. When it comes to the vision and the organization, what is being done right now to live out and work toward that which is found in the vision. And then, show what the future would look like as the vision continues to be accomplished. What does tomorrow’s success present as wins.

Communication of the vision of God is our role, and now we see that there is a method to that communication and not just that it is announced. How and what to communicate present the vision in a way that it is shown to be alive and will remain alive when we are working toward it for the benefit of the Lord. Remember the new definition of spiritual leadership from Henry and Richard Blackaby:

“Spiritual leadership is moving people on to God’s agenda.”

We get there by receiving God’s vision and communicating that vision continually and through stories of the past, present, and future.

How and what are you communicating the vision the LORD has revealed? Are you mentioning it once and then expecting it to find root and grow? What if you were continually speaking the vision and calling our the wins of the past, present, and future to demonstrate how it is alive?

Spiritual Leaders Role with the Vision

Buying in to the revelation of God is where the vision comes to life. But here is the thing with the revelation of God, it cannot be forced upon another. I cannot be given an edict from someone else and expect to carry it out blindly, that is compliance and not commitment or buying in. As I have written based on my study, the buy in comes from our receiving the revelation of God for ourselves and following the will of Him.

The question asked by Henry and Richard Blackaby is this: “How are you helping others grow in their relationship with God?” Well, how are you and what does that mean to the others? For me it is by discipling. First understanding what discipling is and next sharing that with others so they will understand and then share themselves. This is helping others to find the LORD through study and learning and thereby opening them up to receive the revelations of God for their lives.

So, the role of the spiritual leader with the vision is communication. As a spiritual leader, we are to share the gospel and the revelation that we have received. Not to command others to follow us, but to lead others to follow God. Our role is to bring others into the family of God as witnesses for Him, not to convert them, but to allow for God to reveal to them His glory, His agenda, and His will for them.

“¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” – Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

What do you believe your role to be as a spiritual leader? Are you to deliver and expect all to follow your vision? What if you were to bring the people to God for His glory, agenda, and will to be revealed to them by Him?

How do We Buy In to the Vision

I am sure that most have been part of an organization that espouses some vision of the future. I know that the organizations I have been a part of sure have. The thing is, I am only able to remember and follow really only one of them. All of the others I could not see the benefit to me. I was not bought into the vision as there was nothing in it for me.

Now, the one that I can remember and buy into is the vision of our church. The vision of the Bridge Fellowship in Boerne, Texas is this: “We long to see a gospel movement that reaches every person of the Hill Country and is carried to the ends of the earth.” This vision is derived from the words of Jesus as He ascends to Heaven.

“⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” – Acts 1:8 (ESV)

Now, how is it that I get behind something that is taken from somewhere else. Well, because it is inspired by God. It is His vision and we are taking it on as ours. It has been revealed to be the work to expand the kingdom of God. I am bringing the gospel to others so that they will have that which I do. I win when my brothers and sisters are there with me. I benefit therefor I am behind it. I buy in thanks to the reward in heaven for my work.

Visions are a dime a dozen and as I have noted above, I have had my share of them. But the visions fade when there is nothing in it for me. It is the revelation that comes from the LORD that drives the work to get behind. Buy in is easy when the benefit is known and understood.

What is your buy in to vision? Do you even know the vision of the organization you are a part? What if you knew the vision was from God and the benefit to you was clear, wouldn’t that be the revelation you would buy into?

Vision or Revelation Which is it for You

As a Christian, I receive my direction from the LORD. As a spiritual leader, I receive my vision from the LORD. That vision comes in the form of revelation. As I read this morning in my MasterWork study of spiritual leadership, I find that, “Vision is something people produce, revelation is something people receive.”

Each of us has work to perform that comes from God. We may not know exactly what the final result of the work will be, but we do know that it brings glory to God. Our role is to do that which is assigned. Notice my words above that the work “comes from God” and we are “to do that which is assigned”. We I look at the difference in vision and revelation from the Blackabys, I really start to understand those words I wrote. I am to do the work assigned, or revealed to me by God for His glory.

“¹⁸Without revelation people run wild,” — Proverbs 29:18a (CSB)

It is possible for people to create a vision that will produce results in this world, and that is what secular leaders are out to achieve, results in this world. But notice the verse above from Proverbs, that it is revelation that should be sought and not vision. The vision may produce the results in this world, but it is like boating without a rudder. There is just wild movements and not able to achieve the ending that the LORD has planned. A lot of work happening, but no lasting heavenly results to account.

As a spiritual leader, I am to “walk closely with the Father” to be “keenly aware of His revelation and are ready to respond in obedience to His initiatives”. It is in this close walk that the LORD will reveal to me His plan for me and my actions to forward His gospel to His glory.

For me it is revelation that I seek and not vision. I am looking to do the work of the Father and look to Him for that work to be revealed.

Where are you getting your direction? Are you creating a vision to carry you forward? What if instead you sought revelation to carry the LORD’s work forward?