Sometimes, you mess up. Sometimes things go wrong, you experience loss or defeat, you become overwhelmed by change, or you fall under insurmountable obstacles. Whether it’s your fault or not, it all falls apart, and then you experience shame, chastisement, rejection, and other consequences, and you’re left wondering what you are supposed to do next and questioning everything you’ve been … Read More
Effective Christian Leadership: Strategic Planning
I was fairly young and had just become the headmaster of a small Christian school. I knew that the school had been operating with an interim headmaster, that enrollment had drastically declined over the previous couple of years, that they had recently gone through a major shift in identity, that resources were very limited, and that a desired plan for … Read More
Praying to be Still
God says, “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) My lack of stillness comes from trying to be God. I multi-task, stay digitally connected, keep up with news/sports/entertainment, track my steps and sleep hours — it’s like I’m trying not to disappoint my cell phone. But God reminds me the position of ‘Lord of My Life’ has … Read More
Effective Christian Leadership: Take Time to Celebrate
We celebrate many things. When we grow another year older, we celebrate. When we add another year to the length of our marriage, we celebrate. When our favorite team wins a championship, we celebrate. When we graduate – from kindergarten, from high school, from college – we celebrate. When our child is born, we celebrate. When we get a promotion, … Read More
Praying for God’s Timing
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” (John 11:20-22) One of the most interesting-troubling-confusing aspects of our relationship with God … Read More
Effective Christian Leadership: Facing Obstacles and Opposition
In the summer right after I graduated from high school, I had the privilege of working for one of my uncles, who was a general contractor and owned a construction company. During this particular summer, he was building an apartment complex, and I was there to do whatever manual labor he assigned me to do. My first day on the … Read More
Praying for the Way
“You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way… ” (John 14:4-6) What do you suppose he meant by “the way”? Jesus said so very much with so few words — that’s why … Read More
Effective Christian Leadership: Motivating Your Followers
For over twenty years, I lived my life in the same (over)weight range, always believing that I needed to lose some weight, but never really doing so. I tried a variety of diets and exercise regimens, but nothing ever moved me out of that range, nor did any of them ever become a long-term lifestyle. I finally convinced myself that … Read More
Effective Christian Leadership: Let People Have a Voice
If you have been following this series, by now you realize that I have found that the book of Ezra is chock full of lessons and illustrations on leadership. I have already written about topics like understanding God’s sovereignty in my plans, preparing myself for leadership, team leadership, the work of leadership, and seeing the big picture. In my study … Read More
Praying for the Fullness of Time
But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law. (Galatians 4:4-5) One of the great illusions of our time is that we control time. We surround ourselves with clocks and calendars and second-measuring apps, but they mislead us into … Read More