Being a leader, or leading, is not for the faint of heart; yet, in some respects, we all lead. Whether you are a husband, a single parent, a boss at your work, we all lead at some point in our lives. As Christians, we are to be examples, to anyone who looks at our lives, that God is real and Jesus truly is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Leadership, or being a leader, can be defined in many ways. In this context, however, leadership is going to be defined by one word – influence. We are all called by God, through the scriptures, to share Jesus with everyone who comes across our path -- especially friends and family. Whether we know it or not, we are all leaders and we are to influence others to want to accept Jesus into their own lives.

The Bible teaches that we are all called to the ministry of reconciliation. This means that we are to live our lives in such a way that the people around us -- those we work with, those who are in our families -- can see that because we have been born-again, by accepting Jesus into our hearts, it has made a huge difference in how we live, talk and act. In doing so, we teach them to also want a relationship with God.

Don’t shy away from any opportunity to influence others. Let’s all embrace it and become the best leaders (influencers) we can possibly become. We need to be godly examples to our families, friends, co-workers, and those we come into contact with each and every day of our lives. Embrace being the leader that you are and watch how God can use you to lead others to Christ. 

Just a Thought,

PSS

During times of difficulty and hardship, we need to stay planted and persevere. Whether things aren’t going well in our marriage, in our workplace, with our health, or with our children, we need to keep moving forward. Typically, it tends to be the darkest times in life that cause us to grow. The Bible says, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees” (Psalm 119:71, NIV).

Those who make a habit of quitting, or giving up as soon as they encounter an obstacle, never overcome. But those who persevere and keep moving forward look for ways to press on, and eventually overcome. By definition, to persevere is to persist steadily in an action or belief, usually over a long period of time, and especially despite problems or difficulties.

We must adjust our attitude and purpose to persevere. Regrettably, some of us have made a habit of quitting, which is why things don’t ever seem to work out. However, it’s not that things couldn’t have worked out, but that we quit way too soon. Therefore, we must learn to endure the storms in life and persevere. Remember -- quitters never win and winners never quit.

Just a Thought,

PSS

In our society, we have replaced obligation and responsibility with rights and privileges. Across the nation, people are fighting for their rights -- demanding what they want and what they think they deserve -- because they perceive something as unfair. Fewer and fewer people are taking care of their obligations and responsibilities. This attitude of entitlement is destroying our country.

The word responsibility means the state, fact, or position of being accountable to someone, or for something. To be responsible means we must stop making excuses, and do the right thing. Sadly, excuses are abundant in our society. Everyone -- from our children to our President -- is always quick to blame someone else, with an attitude that says, “It’s never my fault.”

The real question we need to ask ourselves is: Who determines what is fair? If we really got what was fair, or what we deserved, we would be condemned to eternal death. Thankfully, God doesn’t give us what we deserve -- He gives us what Jesus deserves. Instead of demanding what we think we deserve, we need to take responsibility for our lives and be grateful for the gift of eternal life.

Just a Thought,

PSS

Do you see the world as a place of adversity or a place of opportunity? Whatever you see, whether it’s the problem or the solution, your success will be determined by it. Unfortunately, most people focus on the problem rather than on the solution.  If you can learn to see the opportunity behind every obstacle, you will be able to move forward and begin to be successful in life.

If we only see the problems in life, we will never attain or accomplish very much. Sadly, many of us spend so much time and energy dwelling on our past that we are unable to move forward. As a consequence, we aren’t nearly as successful as we would like to be because we don’t change our attitudes. We need to realize it’s all about our attitudes and the way we think.

Have the courage to move past the setbacks, problems, and discouragements, which life can bring, and learn to focus on the possibilities. Eventually, you will see that all things are possible with God and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). With God, there is always an answer or solution to the problems we face, but we must be willing to change our attitudes.

Just a Thought,

PSS

One thing a mentor of mine said to me, which has stuck with me ever since, is: “Learn something new every day.” Read the newspaper, read a book, read the Bible -- learn something new every day. I believe we should constantly be growing and developing. When I first started pastoring, I realized I didn’t know much about leadership -- how to lead, cast visions, etc. -- so I began studying leadership almost daily. It was important for me to develop my leadership ability in order to lead people (the greatest of all God’s creation). Learning leadership principles, and how to apply those principles, has helped me in more ways than I can express.

To be successful, we must be teachable and willing to learn. If we are not, we will be left behind in the companies we lead, our ability to motivate people, our families, and our communities. If you study leadership, you will realize everything rises and falls on it. For instance, good leadership results in good company and a good family. Bad leadership, however, results in bad company and a messed-up family. Some are so stuck in their ways that it keeps them from moving forward in life. Our country is so messed up because we have the worst leadership in the history of our country.

Stay teachable, and don’t get so set in your ways that you are closed to new ideas and ways of doing things. Instead, develop your skills by learning something new every day. Let’s believe God to teach us, so we can grow and develop to reach our full potential.

Just a Thought,

PSS