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I want to grow as a leader, and I want to help others grow. Sharing my thoughts on leadership is intended to help us grow together into all God wants for us. I hope you enjoy my blog.

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Thursday, March 24, 2011

Likeness

God created man in His own image, and in His own likeness. God created everything to reproduce after its own kind, in its own likeness. So when Adam and Eve had a son in Gen. 5:1-3, it is not surprising that the son had the image and likeness of Adam. Everything follows the seed sowing principle, which says that whatever is planted brings forth a harvest after its own kind. Paul expands this principle into our everyday lives in Gal. 6:7,8, where he says that whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. He applies this to sowing to our flesh nature which reaps destruction, and sowing to the Spirit, reaping life everlasting. Every thought and every action becomes a seed sown. Rom. 12:2 tells us that we need to renew our minds so we may find out the will of God. Renewing the mind is replacing the old mindset with the new thoughts of God. Jesus said that we should "Take no anxious thought, saying, 'What shall we eat?', or 'What shall we drink?', or 'What shall we wear?' " We are not to take those thoughts, and we are not to say them. We are to renew our minds to the Scripture, and say those promises. This is the transformation of the mind to live by faith, and not by doubt. The words we say are so powerful they have the power of life and death in them, Pro. 18:21. We must let God change our hearts and minds by receiving His thoughts and attitudes. Consider the beatitudes, how they display the attitudes that Christ had, and how each beatitude is also a principle of sowing and reaping. Paul said that he was confident that the good thing that God started in us, God would continue to complete until the day of His coming. What is it that God is wanting to do in us? What will we look like when He has completed His work? His work in us is to bring is into the image of His Son. He wants us to become like Jesus in every way. He wants our lives to bear the likeness of His Son.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Personal Attacks

There will be times in our growth that we receive personal attacks. These often come from unexpected sources. When an attack comes out of the blue, it is very important how we respond. David had an experience we can all learn from. He refers to it in Ps. 41:9, "Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, who ate my bread, has lifted up his heel against me." David was talking about Ahithophel, his counselor who is mentioned in 2 Sam. 15:12. Ahithophel joined Absalom, David's son, in a revolt against David. Ahithophel was a close personal friend to David, and gave David counsel, so he knew David very well, and they had shared many meals together. David said, "O Lord, I pray, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness." David did survive the treasonous act of Absalom, though it broke David's heart. As David and his men were on the move to stay away from Absalom, a man named Shimei came out to curse David in 2 Sam. 16:5-14. This man threw rocks at David, cursed continuously, and lied about David, accusing David of wrong motives. He said David was a bloodthirsty man, and that the Lord was bringing upon David all the blood of the house of Saul. He accused David of taking the reign away from Saul, and that the Lord was now giving the kingdom into the hand of Absalom because David was caught in his own evil. None of this was true! None of these things happened because David had wrong motives. This was the Lord's doing, but Shimei didn't see it that way. It is very hard to be accused of having wrong motives, and to be cursed by people that you thought would support you. But notice David's response in verse 12, "It may be that the Lord will look on my affliction, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing this day." Wow, if we will respond with that kind of attitude, the Lord will repay us with good even though we've been cursed and accused. David kept his eyes on the Lord, his trust in the Lord, and his hope in the Lord, and was not detoured by the cursing of Shimei. Goodness and mercy did follow David all the days of his life. The blessing of the Lord came because of how he responded when cursed and falsely accused. Don't let accusations from others stop you or break you. Keep your eyes on Jesus, bless those who curse you, and you will walk as a true child of your Father in heaven.