Leadership 101

I had a great brainstorming session tonight which included a Starbuck's lesson on latte's w/ whip. I am branching out!!! I have been a solid "nothing but a mocha frappaccino girl" for ten years. I broke out w/ a peppermint latte! I'm FREE. It was "delish".

As a small group leader I often pray, wonder, worry & contemplate if I am doing enough to facilitate life change. Am I bold enough in speaking Truth? Am I compassionate enough? Do I empathize enough? Am I tough enough? Questions like "if someone openly advertises their sin to the group...do I openly tell them they are being a fool?" OK that is where I pray for compassion. Don't get me wrong, I am not perfect and I will never claim to be. But some times people will justify their sin and really believe it is honest, normal, accepted behavior. Speaking Truth in love is not always pretty, lets face it. It is, however, what we are called to do.

Is it harsh to say "so you just choose to be disobedient?" Well, I have decided to try this approach. If someone is in a real life mess ask them the question "Do you want to be made well? If they say YES..PRAISE GOD! Then tell them to pick up their mat and walk.
To one, that could be discussing their salvation, to another showing them where they are being disobedient in the Word. Someone may need to forgive someone or seek forgiveness.

The great thing about this is 1) It asks a question that really needs to be answered. If they say no, all you can do is pray for them until God softens their heart.
We NEVER go wrong pointing people to Jesus. We never go wrong pointing them to God's Word. As leaders we must live our lives intentionally and show others who Christ is to us. But it is the power of God that will begin a life transformation.

So if you are mentoring someone in a really tough spot....ask them if they want to be made well. Each person's paralysis and how they pick up their mat will be different, but God placed you as a leader to point the WAY, then let HIM do the rest!

Just DO it

I love the book of James. It is a small 5 chapter book of the bible but it is SO packed with wisdom!! I read it again this morning as a reminder of how God wants me to actually act. It is filled with insights like, being merciful instead of judging. I like the verse that says the tongue is a consuming fire that needs taming. It talks about not being double minded and how Go called Abraham his friend because Abraham had FAITH and acted on it! Faith without works is dead! Which translates to me that is like having no faith. You also won't have the promises of God come alive in your life if you don't ACT on the promises of God. Does that make sense?

I came up w/...well God gave me this acronym, DO as in D. O. and it stands for DETERMINED OBEDIENCE. We need to be DETERMINED to obey God. No matter what our circumstance, no matter how we feel, no matter what others say, no matter what our small minds think. Why? Because God honors a heart that obeys. God moves when faith and action go together. God is blessed when we do what He says and love Him above all else. I want to be a "doer" of the word, and then wait and see what only God can do!

I want to encourage you today to just "DO" it! Be determined, set your eyes on the prize and persevere no matter what. Then see what your friend, GOD, will DO with THAT!!!

Is God your Life or your hobbie?

That thought popped into my head tonight as I was thinking about the wives group I lead. They all love Jesus. I think every Christian would say that they do. To what degree does that love go though? Do you love Jesus enough to just show up to church on Sunday? Maybe you even go so far as join a bible study. What about feeding Thanksgiving turkeys to the homeless because it fits the "WWJD" mold. All of these things are very good things, but doesn't Jesus want more for us?

Now maybe you go so far as to allow the Spirit to convict you and you refrain from swearing, drinking too much or gossiping. That is good too.

When God is your life though, something really shifts. We still sin because our flesh is weak, but we have a deep desire to follow HIM at all cost. When we sin we repent and seek forgiveness. When we are offended we choose Teflon (see prior post).

The key factor, I think, to having God be your life and not just a hobbie is when things get tough. Do you step out in faith when God prompts you to, even when you don't know the outcome? Do you choose to act in obedience even when you don't feel like? Do you let some friendships go because they aren't healthy. Do you risk being seen as a freak? Do you fight through that stronghold because you KNOW that Jesus wants you FREE? Do you refuse to be a victim because God said you are a victor because of Jesus?

When something is your life you give your all. The fruit you bear will be more abundant too. It's a choice you have to make. If you love Jesus and know His Spirit dwells in you, ask HIM if He's your life or your hobbie, He'll tell you!

Teflon

WOW....its been quite awhile!

For the months that I have been on "blog hiatus" I have been thinking about what it really means to follow Jesus. The inspiring word from God that came to me was "TEFLON".
Hmmm.....How profound!!!!

A Teflon pan's great function is that "stuff doesn't stick". Have you been offended? Don't let it stick or bitterness will set in. Forgive quickly and with meaning so you won't be scraping the residue after its long been hardened. You risk scratching the surface and causing permanent damage. Yes sometimes we need to soak what has burned on for a bit. That helps. We must be sure though we are soaking our offense in the powerful Word of God not in the opinions of others or in our own feelings.

"See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." - Hebrews 12:15

God's grace is desperately needed. It should be applied instantly to something that could fester into bitterness and resentment. Notice how bitterness "defiles many". It doesn't just work on you but affects others too. That diminishes the power and testimony of Christ in your life. The next time you pull out that pan w/ the scratched surface, thats the first place other food sticks isn't it?

Will people hurt us, yes. Stuff can stick, but it is up to us to decide what surface we have. It is up to us to decide how long it will stay there. We decide what to use to try and remove it. Will people cause us pain, yes. But deciding to be Teflon and choosing the coating of Jesus will bring us spiritual strength, stronger faith and a more authentic walk.

The enemy does his very best to keep stuff stuck to us. Our wounds will inhibit all that God has in store for us. So make the decision today. Overlook that offense, forgive or seek forgiveness and let grace abound!

The next time a fiery dart is thrown your way...think "Teflon" and let it slide.