Wisdom follows a standard. It is revealed by God's Word. Proverbs 4:7-9 NKJV 7 Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. 8 Exalt her and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. 9 She will place on your heard an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.
Wisdom is to be studied. Proverbs 1:2-6 NKJV To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, 3 to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity; 4 To give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion----5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel, 6 To understand a proverb and an enigma, the words of the wise and their riddles.
Wisdom always evaluates "time". And our time is brief indeed. James 4:14 NKJV 14 Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
Wisdom makes this day count. Romans 13:11-14 NKJV 11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.
Wisdom always lives under God's rule. You and I are to be filled and controlled by the Spirit of the living God: Romans 8:14-16 NKJV 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father".
Father of Wisdom be our source for contentment, for comfort and yes, excitement! Isaiah 61: 1-3 NKJV " The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, 3 to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness. the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."
A Wisdom Walk guided by the Lord: Proverbs 4:10-13 NKJV Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many. 11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. 12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble. 13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; keep her, for she is your life.
In this day
and within this hour, a man, a woman or
child all have the potential to grow up
as leaders in a leadership that is productive for life and not destruction!
Many are called into leadership but few actually have the capability of leading
others.
It is
apparent at times to see some kind of leadership in young children and how they
will tell other children what to do and when to do it. But the leadership I
write about is that which influences others. You may tell me that you are the
President of the Women's Committee for such and such........and that means
nothing to me. I will be more influenced by what problem you have solved for
that committee or what you have accomplished to lead others by your influence
within a community or even within your own home.
Leadership
always involves being problem solvers. When my husband became head usher at a
church some twenty plus years ago, it was women who seemed to step up to usher.
Oh yes, men came and tried to usher but women seemed to not complain and just
do the job. They stepped up to solve a problem!
Jesus was
certainly a problem solver for man’s sin. He lived a sinless life to become the
perfect sacrifice before God for man’s destructive life! Jesus had stayed
before the Father in prayer and in the study and rehearsing of the word in the
synagogue. Do we pray and do we study to show ours approved rightly dividing
the word of truth?
Like Jesus,
our days can be very busy. He was teaching, traveling and also preaching. He
had time to mentor those who wanted to learn. Jesus always went to the quiet
place to spend time with His Father. Jesus, I believe, came away from that time of prayer being refreshed and
rejuvenated. Jesus showed a diligence to continue to seek the Father for His
plan and purpose for His life.
Leaders are
those who walk in integrity. Jesus always spoke and did what He saw His Father
speak and do. Those who truly desire your success will always deal with you in
truth. If anyone does lie to you, understand that it may take weeks, months or
years, but it will surface. We are told in Proverbs 28:13....that "he that
covereth his sins shall not prosper."
Communication
is always key to being a good leader. A leader will always reach out to others.
Many times people stop trying to connect with others just because they have the
fear of rejection. But our dream is greater than any rejection. When finding
that fear thing appearing, it is time to find that one person who desires to
grow. In our communicating with others, we should be looking for those who go
beyond their own skill, talent and ask questions about why you do what you do!
Today, make
a plan to communicate with others. Send them a note, or write an email and give
them an encouragement. Make a plan to touch someone's life and make a
difference. We may not know they are going through something, but it may be
just the word, or scripture they need to make it through the day and actually
see the Lord in you.
In our day
to day routines, is there anything we could change to have more time listening
to God’s word and prayer so that it shows up in our life and in our speaking?
When our
daughter and son-in-law were expecting their first baby ten years ago, our
son-in-law called our daughter "the champion" and sometimes just
"champ"! I really thought that was awesome and although some may
think it unusual, I thought at the time of how appropriate it was for our
daughter who was preparing herself for the birth of a baby. She prepared in
excellence in eating the right foods, and exercise. She got her rest and she
traveled less often to prepare for the birth. She showed passion and desire to
see that this baby got the right start in life. She got the Bible on CD and
such other teachings, so the baby could hear the Word of God. Even today, I
think our grand-daughter knows God to sound a lot like Johnny Cash. Our
daughter planned with passion that empowered her to go the distance. At birth
time, and a C-section ordered, our daughter had no birth pains, although her
body was registering birth contractions on the Dr.'s equipment, she felt no
pain! Our daughter put out the honest effort to trust God and His Word. As she
put forth to care for her unborn child, God went ahead of her to prepare the
way with no pain for her to experience.
Leaders
will know their opponent. They will know when to avoid conflict and when to
address a situation. In conflict, the flaws are revealed, but in dealing with
others, we always look for their potential. What has God placed in them? What
is God's desire for them and especially if they truly love the Lord with all
their heart?
Leaders
will know when to confront and when to rise above those who are critical. When
Jesus was being prepared for His crucifixion, He was silent. Matthew
26:63...states "but Jesus held His peace." Like Jesus, we would do
well to refuse the critics.
Like Jesus,
we as leaders are to teach others. Activate the gift in you and use it for the
kingdom of God. It is important that you
mentor someone today. Teach your children, and find those who stand out in the
crowd, who love the Lord, and would excel in the excellence of the Lord. Mentor
and instruct a teenager, a friend, or an employee. Jesus was the Master
Teacher! He needed NO microphone, but He taught. He held no megaphone in hand
when He taught at the water’s edge, no He motivated them to come out, and He
gave them instruction in relationships and how to lead others.
Spend time
today and find those you can nurture in their vision. We can all grow and
mature in leadership. I was inspired by our son-in-law when he spoke the words
of "champion" so many years ago, and I speak them to you today.
I call you out to mentor those God has placed around you. Help someone to see Jesus and prepare them to see that they can succeed in truth and integrity. The wisdom of God is to influence with that wisdom and not with a loud mouth and megaphone! Be that one who will influence with the voice of wisdom to direct others to the light in Christ Jesus. Just like the lamp needs to be plugged in to be activated to light the living room, so too, you need to connect. Seize the day and create that connection that causes someone else to succeed in leadership!
It will be a special thing when they appear acting and living life in the wisdom of God!
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