Lessons in Leadership: Joseph

There are over 300 definitions of leadership but the one I find most helpful is by J.R. Clinton:“a leader is a person with God given capacity and with a God-given responsibility to influence a specific group of God’s people toward God’s purposes for the group."

Christian Leadership is needed to be able to inspire and influence people toward achieving a God given goal.  All of us are called to be leaders in some area of our lives. Some are in more prominent positions, move visible to the public and they tend to get most of the attention.  But as believers in Christ we are called to lead people to him, to set an example, to inspire people and influence them to pursue the things that will be pleasing to God.  The life of Joseph provides many valuable lessons on leadership.

Joseph’s family and his past did not determine his future.

Joseph was born into a family that had was divinely called and separated from other families.  His grandparents Isaac and Rebekah and his great grandparents Abraham and Sarah had tremendous experiences with God that were orally passed on to their children and grandchildren.  There was a godly heritage that influenced Joseph to be a follower of God.  But there was also problems in the family, dysfunctional in many ways that could have destroyed Joseph or led him in a direction that would have led to his demise.

“Consider all the “negatives” in his background: Joseph was the child of Jacob, a polygamist who had four wives that rivaled each other; Joseph had ten stepbrothers born to three very competitive mothers; he and his younger brother shared the same mother, and Joseph’s grandfather Laban tricked Jacob into marrying Leah, who was not Jacob’s first choice. Additional negatives include two other mothers in the home who were surrogate moms, Joseph lost his mother when he was young, and Joseph’s father favored him because he was the son of his old age and the first child from Jacob’s first love. But that only brought Joseph bitterness and hatred from his brothers. Despite such a background that today would have yielded an alcoholic, a drug addict, a psychotic, or a narcissistic personality disorder, Joseph rose to remarkable heights in leadership.” Pollard

Joseph did not let his family or his past determine his future.  He made a decision to not let the negative factors become his identity.  None of us have been raised in perfect families.  We all come from families that have issues, degrees of dysfunction and imperfections.  Joseph did not let these negative factors become the guiding forces in his life.  He chose to follow after God.  God is not hindered by our past nor is he restricted in any way from taking us out of negative junk to use us for his divine purposes.  Our past does not have to determine our future!

Joseph’s life was guided by a God given dream.

Joseph was only 17 when he had the dream of the sheaves bowing down to him and later the stars bowing to him.  This was a huge dream that he did not fully understand until years later.  Yet this dream was etched in his mind in spite of his brothers and his father throwing a wet blanket on him to snuff out the dream.  To be a leader one has to have a dream or a vision inspired by God of something worth achieving.  Without a vision there is no need for leadership because you are not going anywhere, there is no destination or goal to work toward.  Many are content to be a manager, one who keeps the boat floating but a leader is the one who drives the boat toward its destination. Throughout Joseph’s life this dream was in his thoughts.  He knew God had called him to a very important leadership role even though the specifics of it were not clear.  As he continued to serve God, the dream became more of a reality as he was given opportunities of leadership in Potiphar’s house, in the prison and in the palace of Pharaoh.

Joseph’s leadership abilities developed over time.

When Joseph had his dream, it became readily apparent that he did not have the leadership skills to see it come to fruition.  He boasted of his dream to his brothers and alienated himself from them to the point that they wanted to kill him.  But over time and through some difficult circumstances leadership skills were apparent.  Joseph's leadership skills and abilities were noticed by Potiphar and Pharaoh.  When he was given opportunities to use these skills, develop them and refine them, he took advantage of them.  He could have sulked over the injustice of being sold as a slave,  thrown in prison for a crime he did not commit but he chose otherwise.  When the opportunity was presented he took it and developed his leadership skills.  By the time he was 30 years old, having spent 13 years in a variety of circumstances that gave him opportunities, he was ready to be placed in a very high position of authority in Egypt.  God develops our leadership abilities through many different situations and circumstances as well as the people he places in our lives. Potiphar, the prison warden, and Pharaoh were men God used to develop Joseph into a leader.  He submitted to them, learned from them, honored them and was promoted by them.  God is always working with us to train us and prepare us for greater responsibilities in his kingdom.  As we prove faithful in the tasks he has given us now, he will provide greater positions of influence and leadership in our lives.  Paul cautioned Timothy to not place new believers in certain leadership roles in the church.  He saw the danger of both unpreparedness and pride being potentially destructive to a young believer placed in an important leadership role.  God has a prepared place for a prepared person.  In his timing, he places us where he wants us to be and in a place where we will be successful.  Leadership is a learned skill and we must always be growing in this area by taking advantage of the open doors God provides for us.

Joseph was governed by his values.

Joseph’s values did not change as he rose in leadership.  We see in the life of Joseph core values that were never compromised or changed based on the circumstances. 

Joseph demonstrated moral rectitude when Potiphar’s desperate housewife tried to seduce him.  He had the moral judgment to make a quick decision to not give in to seduction.  He knew that the results of an affair would lead to disaster and probably his death.  But more than the consequences personally, he had great respect for Potiphar and the thought of betraying him through an affair was unconscionable to him.  Even more important to him was the offense it would bring to God.  Joseph’s morals were not going to be compromised.  When confronted with the seduction he fled.  He knew trouble when he saw it and immediately took action to get out of the situation.  Moral failure is a primary cause of failure in leadership.  We are all aware of pastors and leaders in the church who have lost their position because of a moral failure.  Offending others and more importantly offending God should keep us from falling into sexual sins.  When we lack respect for others and place our fulfillment of needs or desires in an illicit manner as a priority, we will lose the opportunity to be in spiritual leadership.

Joseph was also a man of integrity.  He proved himself faithful to do what was asked of him in Potiphar’s house where he was entrusted with managing it.  His integrity placed him in charge of the prisoners in jail and years later Pharaoh could entrust the rule of the vast country of Egypt and its inhabitants to Joseph.  No one ever had to wonder if Joseph would be true to his word and carry out what was asked of him.  He was not one to compromise, accept bribes, lie, cheat or steal because he was a man of integrity.  What he expected others to do as he did. A leader must have integrity to gain the confidence of those under his or her leadership.  Promises must be fulfilled and honored even at the expense of the leader.  Delta airlines made a mistake on their Web site and advertised fares at incredibly low prices.  Consumers were quick to snap up the deals.  The leadership decided to honor the fares rather than go back on their word. They lost thousands of dollars but maintained their integrity which is priceless.

Joseph was a man of compassion.  When his fellow prisoners had dreams, he showed compassion and care for them by interpreting the dreams for them.  He could have ignored them and not sought God’s help in the interpretation of their dreams but he chose otherwise. When Pharaoh was troubled by his dream, he eagerly sought God for the interpretation to help him.  He could have let anger or resentment for having to spend years in prison be a grudge against the leadership of Egypt.  His compassion toward Pharaoh caused him to respond favorably to help him. When his brothers came to him to get help from the famine, he treated them with compassion.  His love for his family was still there even after 15 years of separation.  He was concerned for the welfare of his father and his younger brother.  He gave his brothers plenty of food to take back to their father and the rest of the family.  He honored them and treated them well by feeding them in his home.  When he finally revealed his true identity to his brothers he wept on their necks and hugged them. 

This compassionate act toward his brothers came as a result of another of his core values which was forgiveness.  Joseph had every reason to be angry and bitter toward his brothers.  He could have harbored a grudge against them and made life very difficult for them when they came seeking help.  Joseph had forgiven his brothers along with others who had made his life difficult.  After Jacob died, Joseph’s brothers became fearful that he would now seek revenge.  They thought his previous acts of compassion and kindness toward them was motivated to please his father.  Now that Jacob was dead, they feared the real Joseph would surface, one full of hatred and anger and resentment.  They did not know the real Joseph but assumed he was play acting.  They were proved wrong when Joseph reassured them that he had truly forgiven them and only had good things for them.  Forgiveness frees us to be loving and kind toward our offenders.  Forgiveness frees the offender from worry of retaliation and revenge.  Joseph modeled compassion and forgiveness as a leader. Genesis 41:51 points to the healing of memories. Joseph’s first child was born while he was in Egypt. He named him Manasseh— meaning “God caused me to forget all my suffering.” The second indicator that Joseph resolved his traumatic experiences comes in verse 52 where he named his second son Ephraim—“God made me fruitful.”

Joseph was a skillful planner and executed the plan. 

When Pharaoh had the dream of the fat and lean cows Joseph gave the accurate interpretation of it using the gift God had given him.  This impressed Pharaoh such that he placed him in charge of the operation to preserve the nation from starvation.  Joseph contrived a plan to save the excess harvest and store it for the coming years of famine.  He built storage areas where the harvest would be safe and secure.  When the famine hit, he had a plan for distribution and replanting to ensure future harvests after the famine ended.  He also made Pharaoh very wealthy by instituting his plan of payment by the people for the grain and giving him 20% of the harvest after the famine ended.  In order to be successful in planning one has to understand the current situation and be able to accurately analyze and predict what the future will hold.  Good planning skills save time and money and keep one moving toward the achievement of the goal. Good planning involves know what resources you have and their condition. The leader must also know his people, their skills and competencies. Those who are not able to be a part of the vision need to be released for their own benefit as well as the benefit of the group. The leader must know what resources are needed to move forward: finances, personnel, materials, training and education.  A friend of mine has a business that he started many years ago.  It did well for a time and was growing but 4 years ago was experiencing trouble and was 3 months from declaring bankruptcy.  He knew he was in over his head and needed help.  He hired a consultant who analyzed his company and made recommendations for changes.  The changes required focusing their people and resources on the things they did well and dropping the things that were not profitable or were a part of the refined vision.  Some personnel were released and this was not an easy decision but it was critical to the survival of the company.  The end result is the company is now more profitable than every and has more employees as well.  When you know what needs to be done you have have a plan for getting what you need.  Jesus said that a wise builder always counts the cost before starting the project.  Those who fail to accurately do this will fail and become a joke to those who see the failure.  It is a principle of leadership that is critical to the success of the vision. 

The example of McDonald's strategic planning to open restaurants in Russia speaks of the importance of vision and strategic planning.

To pursue its endeavors in emerging markets, McDonald’s stalled its growth in developed nations and leaped in Russia which had emerged as a major economic force in the world.
It was George Cohen, head of McDonald’s Canada, who started an almost impossible dream of introducing a McDonald’s hamburger in Russia. It took 12 years of efforts and finally in April 1988, he convinced the officials of Moscow that McDonald’s can be set up in Russian culture. After 14 years of intense negotiations; McDonald’s finally entered into the Soviet Union on January 31, 1990. This flagship store located in Moscow’s Pushkin Square, was the world’s largest McDonald’s boasting of 28 cash registers and seating capacity for around 700 customers. The first day of McDonald’s in Russia broke the record for inaugural sales in McDonald’s history serving more than 30,000 customers on the first day itself. 
The Pushkin Square McDonald’s is the world’s busiest McDonald’s restaurant serving more than 20,000 customers daily. As the fast food market in Russia is growing rapidly, McDonald’s is trying to expand its presence throughout the country. 

 Source: Business Today 

Joseph had Endurance

The unexpected twists and turns in Joseph’s life—from the pit, to the prison, to the palace—are undergirded with one constant: endurance. While the first 30 years of Joseph’s life are significant for their pain and their pinnacles, Joseph lived for 110 years. This means that Joseph loved faithfully while prospering, for 80 years after his deliverance from prison (Gen 50.22) Leaders are called to take the high road for the long haul.

Leadership endurance can best be seen in the face of adversity. Leadership is hard work! (1 Tim. 4:16; 2 Tim. 2:3). Leaders often face discouragement, rejection, ridicule, resentment,  misrepresentation, and a host of other challenges. However, Joseph’s history demonstrates that rejection of the dreamer did not kill his dream. Some leaders have trouble recovering from rejection, but not Joseph.   His character and vision resulted in fortitude. Modern leadership shows that the  hardy survivors of adversity, like Joseph, persisted despite internal or external challenges to  their companies. R. H. Macy failed in retailing seven times before the success of his New York  store. After Henry Ford II fired Lee Iacocca, Iacocca could have remained despondent, but  instead he accepted the challenge of leading the bankrupt Chrysler Corporation. Iacocca’s  remarkable leadership of the Chrysler Corporation took it beyond bankruptcy to financial 
success. Bill Boeing’s first airplane failed so badly that he had to enter the furniture business to keep the business afloat.  Endurance requires hardiness to face challenges to become stronger. 

Source: Alex Mekonnens

Godly leadership is in demand today.  There is a great work yet to be done to bring in the final harvest of souls.  It will take men and women called of God into leadership positions to  influence the body of Christ to complete the work of reaching the nations, making disciples who will continue to advance the gospel and mature the believers.  Joseph's life demonstrated godly leadership to achieve God's goal of preserving Israel as well as Egypt so that his plan of salvation could be continued.

Is your God too safe?

Playing it safe is the mantra for many people.  Taking risks and placing themselves in situations that may be dangerous does not enter their mind.  I am not advocating taking unnecessary risks but in most advances in life one has to be willing to take on things that involve risk.  Often it is the fear of failure that stunts people in their growth.  In our life with Christ, he at times calls us to go places and attempt things that involve risk.

I am always inspired by stories of missionaries who have ventured into new areas to reach unreached people.  They may face diseases, incredible hardships and even death just as the first missionaries to Africa in the 1800.  Almost all died within the first 2 years and many within the first 2 months.  False teeth were the norm for most as well as dental care was nonexistent.  Back then they shipped their goods in coffins, knowing that they would not return, willing to spend their lives and if necessary lay down their lives for the sake of the gospel being proclaimed.  They did not die in vain but paved the way for other missionaries to follow and build upon the work.  The results were worth the risks and the costs.

The Moravians with Count Zinzendorf wanted to reach the workers in the sugar cane fields of St. Thomas Island and the only way they could get there was to sell themselves as slaves and board the boat with the other slaves to go to the island.  It was a risk they were willing to take because they saw the potential impact to be of greater importance than the risks they were taking. 

One of my heroes is a native Minnesotan named Bruce Olson.  His story is told in the book Bruchko that I first read over 30 years ago. He is still alive and continues to work among the indigenous of South America.  When he was 17 years old he felt called to travel to South America to reach the Motilone tribe.  This tribe was known to kill strangers and the oil companies who were trying to enter their land suffered many casualties.  The dangers were real but he was willing to take the risk.  He had no real support when he left and the missionary whom he had contacted did not show up at the airport to meet him.  Yet Bruce ventured into the Motilone tribe to live among them, learn their language just to have the opportunity to share the gospel.  After 4 years of living in harsh conditions and suffering many sicknesses he had a break through and many of the tribe became believers.  The potential results outweighed the risks he had to face.

When Jesus called his disciple to follow him, it was a full time call.  They left their businesses behind to follow a man that they may not have known all that well when they made the decision.  There was something about this Jesus that compelled them to abandon their known life to experience something that they did not even envision.  The three years they walked with him were unforgettable. They saw and experienced miracles, healings, opposition, threats, pressing crowds of people, demonized people being set free, dead being raised, multiplication of food and many more incredible events.  When they were called to follow him there was no looking back, family matters were important but not as important as following him, financial security was not to be considered, and a willingness to die with him was part of the call.  For many people this seems too extreme, too radical, they want a safe God who will keep them from harm and make sure they have what they need.

“In 1996 the staff at Bridger Wilderness Park in Wyoming in posted some of the suggestions that had been returned to them by park visitors.  Here are a few:

1.       Trails need to be reconstructed.  Please avoid building trails that go uphill.

2.      Too many bugs and leeches and spiders and spider webs.  Please spray the wilderness to rid the area of these pests.

3.      Please pave the trails so that they can be plowed of snow during the winter.

4.      Chairlifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without have to hike to them.

5.      The coyotes made too much noise last night and kept me awake.  Please eradicate these annoying animals.

6.      A small deer came into my camp and stole my jar of pickles.  Is there a way I can get reimbursed?

7.      Escalators would help on steep sections.

8.      A McDonald’s would be nice at the trailhead.

9.      Too many rocks in the mountains.”

Source: “Your God is too Safe”  by Mark Buchannan

Changing all these inconveniences takes away from the adventure and the enjoyment we have when we are able to overcome them or have to work harder to be able to enjoy things.

We tend to want things easy and can be demanding of our rights for certain things.

One of the teachings of YWAM is being willing to lay down your rights so that God can use you to fulfill the desire of his heart.  We have rights to family, education, clean water, food, health care, jobs, housing and many other things that are part of life.  But there comes a time in our lives when we are asked to lay down the rights to make ourselves available to be used of God in an area that perhaps involves a risk that others are not willing to take.  If we maintain our rights we often forfeit opportunities to see God use us in new adventures that could have an eternal impact on the people we encounter. 

The Apostle Paul was one who had a conversion experience that shook him to the core and launched him into a ministry that impacted thousands of people and continues to impact millions of people through his writings.  He gave up many rights to make himself available to God’s call on his life.  He faced incredible hardships that would cause most people to change their occupation.  When he was warned about going to Jerusalem where he would face opposition from the Jews, it did not faze him.  He had such a strong desire to reach his own people that he was willing to take whatever risks involved for the opportunity to share his testimony and preach the gospel. He even got upset with their protests.

Act 21:10-14  While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'This is how the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'" When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, "Let the will of the Lord be done.

Paul was determined, maybe some thought out of his mind, taking a risk that did not seem to make sense to them.  In spite of their protests, he went and the trouble predicted met him but it did not stop him and it did not thwart God’s purposes.  God was in control and in Paul’s darkest hours met him and confirmed to him that what was happening had a divine purpose.

Act 23:11 The following night the Lord stood by him and said, "Take courage, for as you have testified to the facts about me in Jerusalem, so you must testify also in Rome.

 Any doubts he may have entertained were set aside by the confirming words spoken to him.  Had Paul played it safe we can only speculate what the final results would have been for the church in that day and today.

When the Jewish leaders plotted to kill him as he left Jerusalem, God made sure that the plans were foiled so that Paul could fulfill his mission. 

Act 23:12-14  When it was day, the Jews made a plot and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. There were more than forty who made this conspiracy. They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath to taste no food till we have killed Paul.

When the ship he headed for Rome was in a horrible storm and all hope was gone among the sailors, Paul, gave words of encouragement because he knew his mission was not going to end in a shipwreck that would take his life.

Act 27:21-25  Since they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, "Men, you should have listened to me and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. Yet now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.' So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told.

God was in control once again and when they were waiting on the island of Malta Paul was given an opportunity to share the gospel with the people.  All of this was orchestrated by God because Paul was willing to take the risk of going to Jerusalem. 

When we respond to God’s call we have to entrust our lives to his plans and purposes.  We do not know the details or the final results but we know that God will be at work to do great things through us as we follow his call.  Our lives are in his hands and he will never abandon us.  We will face hardships, tribulations, suffering, perhaps persecution.  Jesus said this was part of the benefit package of being his disciple.  

Joh 16:33  I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

We do not have to go look for it, we have an enemy who will bring it to us.  The church is facing intense persecution in many countries such as Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Iran, and Afghanistan.  The believers’ homes and businesses are being destroyed and bombs set off in their churches.  There are more Christian martyrs today than at any time in history.  The risks of being a follower of Jesus are very real to these believers.  They are faced with the decision of fleeing for safety or staying and face the opposition in an opposite spirit.

Each of us make decisions on how we will live our lives.  Will we seek for safety or seek for opportunities that will require a risk that may seem uncomfortable and undesirable to many.  Jesus set the example for us in the way he reached out to people that were not wanted, rejected, hurting, poor, sick, demonized and marginalized by society.  He challenged people to live from their heart and not live to have an appearance of being righteous while the heart was unchanged. He calls to live with his compassion toward all people, not just the ones that are the easiest to live with or are less hassle.  He invites us to take steps of faith to pursue his desires of reaching all people, going to them, actively pursuing them to help them and demonstrate his love for them.  He challenges us to live sacrificially and give generously of the resources he has given to us.  He calls us to lay down our rights so we can take up his desires to share the gospel with those who have never heard or understood its transforming message. 

The opportunities are all around us if we are willing to see them as God sees them.  Once we see them then we have to make ourselves available and responsive to God’s instructions and guidance to move forward in faith, face the risks and trust God to bring about the results he desires.

God calls us to a life of adventure with him.  He is always on the move, his plans are being accomplished and he invites us to co-labor with him.  It does not mean you have to leave your present situation although for some it may be required to be obedient to his call.

I have shared this testimony with our staff and students but it bears repeating as it is an example to encourage all of us.

David Bowler shared this story that was passed on to me from a friend.

At one of his services he gave and Altar call and a young lady named Marcy, who graduated from Bible College came forward.  She was a very petite lady.  She surrendered her life to God to go to the foreign field. She had a desire to go to Malaysia, to a group of head hunters. No missionaries had gone there for 11 years.  These people were cannibals and had eaten people who tried to reach them.  The oil companies left the area because of their people being attacked and eaten. 

David Bowler, was a special forces Green Beret, highly decorated soldier who could lift 650 lbs.  All he could think of was the conditions were not right for this young girl to go to these people.  Her parents tried to talk her out of it.  David Bowler tried to talk her out of it but she replied to him, “You are the man of God who taught me of the God of the impossible”.  Marcy asked for prayer.  David felt he was putting a death sentence on her by allowing her to go.  He thought she would be eaten. He prayed for her, that God would let her die quickly.  No mission board would send her because it was a suicide mission.  Marcy spent 30 days in preparation hoping and praying that someone would go with her but, no one would go, and she would have to go alone.  The day arrived when Marcy would be taken to the cannibal people.  There were no roads to the people, she would have to enter by helicopter and even this was dangerous.  The cannibals knew how to bring down a helicopter with their spears, so Marcy had to repel 250 feet to get to the ground.

They dropped her down and told her they would come back 60 days later.  The pilot said he would be back but she would not.  He asked her if she understood the conditions were not right. Marcy replied that she had asked and she was going.   

When they dropped her down, the pilot began to cry. Their thoughts were to say goodbye because you will never see her again.  For the next 60 days everyone prayed for her protection and prayed God would just take her and not suffer if she was attacked.

60 days later the helicopter returned.  They found Marcy, with 70 people she led to Christ!  She found out that they only ate men!!!  The people had a 200 year Legend that a female god would come to them from the sky.  So when she was lowered by the helicopter they thought God had arrive so they worshiped her. She told them she was not God but would lead them to God.

An incredible story but we have an incredible God who call us to follow him, to take risks with him. Age, experience, conditions are not a problem for God so we can set them aside and believe that he will take us as we are to make us what he wants and needs us to be.  Nothing is too difficult for him.

Where will your journey of faith take you?  Are you willing to take risks with God directing your steps?  Are you holding back and giving more power to fears or the counsel of others?  Whatever hindrances we see are not always the same in God’s view and that gives us hope for an exciting future.  Is your God too safe?

Resolutions for a New Year???

Many people make New Year’s resolution of things they want to change or do differently in the present year.  Most people fizzle out in a month or two and never see the changes they desired.  Statistics compiled by University of Scranton. Journal of Clinical Psychology verify it.

News Years Resolution Statistics	Data
Percent of Americans who usually make New Year’s Resolutions	45%
Percent of Americans who infrequently make New Year’s Resolutions	17%
Percent of Americans who absolutely never make New Year’s Resolutions	38%
Percent of people who are successful in achieving their resolution	8%
Percent who have infrequent success	49%
Percent who never succeed and fail on their resolution each year	24%

It is good and important to set goals for things you desire to change but seeing them realized takes a level of dedication that many seem to lose over a short time.  It could be that the goals were too difficult to achieve, unrealistic to your situation or things changed making it not possible to achieve them.  The goal may also have been something that really was not in your heart to achieve.  It looked good on paper but in reality you did not have it in your heart to exert the time and energy to achieve it.

Inspiration

 As you begin the New Year it is important that you have some concrete goals you want to achieve. Goals emanate from the God given inspiration of a vision or dream you have about your life and purpose.  They flow out of the values you have and what is most important to you and what you believe God is calling you to do.  Once you know who you are, what your talents and interests are and what you believe God has called you to do, you can begin to dream, cast a vision and set goals that will guide in the process.   

The story of Nehemiah is often used to give advice in pursing visions and goals. 

² one of my brothers, Hanani, came with certain men from Judah; and I asked them about the Jews that survived, those who had escaped the captivity, and about Jerusalem. ³ They replied, “The survivors there in the province who escaped captivity are in great trouble and shame; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.”  ⁴ When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.  Neh. 1.2-3

When he heard of the devastation of Jerusalem and the condition of the people who lived there, his heart was moved.  This was the inspiration he needed to begin to envision a new Jerusalem by rebuilding the city and rebuilding the nation.  He confirmed this vision in prayer and began to work toward achieving it. Vision and goals have to flow out or a heart desire in line with God’s call.

Establishing goals help you in many ways. 

• They help you stay focused on what is important.  
• You can make better decisions about the use of your time, money and energy when you know what is valuable to you and what you are willing to sacrifice to achieve it.  
• Goals help you be accountable for how you use your time and talents.  
• You can evaluate your progress toward a concrete goal.  
• Goals also build confidence when you see that you are on the path to achieving them and they are a cause for celebration when you do accomplish them.  

The benefits of goal setting and working toward achieving them are obvious.  Goals that are specific, definable, measurable and achievable should be a normal part of our lives.  Those who live without any real purpose and goals tend to let other things fill their time.  There are always time fillers but those who have learned to focus on using their time for the goals they set will always achieve more and have greater satisfaction in life. Drifters, wanderers, busy bodies, and undisciplined people allow others to fill their time or spend their time in activities that are not helping them use and develop the gifts and talents they have.  Our days are numbered and as Moses prayed,

¹² Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom (Ps 90.12)

We too need the same attitude.  We have to have a heart of wisdom to know what we are called to do and accomplish for the Lord.

So what are the areas of your life that you want to see growth or change in this year?  What are the things that are most important to you and are worthy of your time and energy?  Is there an area of your life you have always wanted to uncover, discover and develop? Perhaps an area that has been hidden but now revealed that you want to explore and take a step of faith to pursue?

One of the TV programs that has spread to many countries is “American Idol.”  This is an opportunity for people with a special talent to be recognized and pursue their dreams.  I was watching some videos of the 2012 Britain’s God Talent contest that were pretty incredible.  One was about a couple of singers appearing at their first audition. Maybe you have seen it but it is worth seeing again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UoGMdf7lek

Undiscovered talent, unrealized potential is in each of us created in God’s image and likeness. Sometimes we just need someone else to see it and encourage us to pursue it.

 What area or areas to you want to gain expertise?  Have you taken time to look at where you are and what you want to achieve in the time God has given you? Put it in writing and keep it where you can frequently refer to it.  The University of Scranton report stated:

“People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don’t explicitly make resolutions.”

If you have not done this step I encourage you to do it sooner than later.  Pick out a couple areas that are very important to you and begin there.  A long list of resolutions may not work for you so keep it to a few that are most important to you.  You may not be good at many things but you can be good at one thing if you put the time needed and avail yourself to the resources, training and teaching that are needed to grow in that area.  I read a comment in an article in the NY Times the other day in which the author quoted another person who said, “If you are going to be good at one thing, be good at lying because then you will be good at everything!”  Definitely not a worthwhile goal but it does demonstrate a focused goal.

Preparation

Once you know what you want, have defined it as best as you can through a written goal the next step is to take the risks involved in pursuing it.  You can minimize your risks by proper planning. Risk taking does not mean you move forward without making plans and calculations of what you need.  You need to be prepared and not just abandon it all to chase after a dream, vision or goal.  Your steps need to be ordered and that will take thoughtful, honest planning to help minimize the risks and maximize your success.  One of the exercises we had our DTS students do at the end of the 5 months was to identify areas in their spiritual lives that they wanted to gain more knowledge, experience, training or education.  After identifying the area they were to write a goal and objectives clarifying what they wanted to accomplish. Then they listed the resources that they would need to contact, purchase, use, make a list of people and mentors who could help them attain the skills or knowledge they desired. 

In Nehemiah’s story he knew what he needed to be able to rebuild the wall and he made specific requests of the King to be able to get time off, people to join him, protection in the journey and the building materials he needed.

⁴ Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. ⁵ Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves, so that I may rebuild it.” ⁶ The king said to me (the queen also was sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a date. ⁷ Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage until I arrive in Judah; ⁸ and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me. Neh. 2.4-8

There are many resources available today via the internet that are free or very affordable.  There are seminars offered through ministry organizations, universities, trade schools etc. that can help you gain what you have set as your goal.  It may take some research on your part and it may cost some money but it will be worth it.  Rick Warren has stated that if you want to make changes in your life you will need a mentor or coach.  Someone who has gone before you to accomplish what you desire and can provide the help and encouragement you will need.  A mentor can help you stay on task by holding you accountable for your progress.  Break your goals into daily tasks that will move you forward.  There are apps you can use to help you do this and they will remind you of what you need to do as well as record what you have done.  Many of us need visual reminders to help us stay on track.  Others will find great help in sharing your goals with another person who can check up on your progress. 

Dedication & Perspiration

The next step is to begin to work toward your goals and stay at it until you have completed them.  This is where motivation, time management and hard work have to kick in and stay kicked in until you have arrived at your goal.

Maintaining motivation to accomplish your goals will always be a challenge and that is why you need the support of other people.  Connect with a few people who are like you, working toward making changes in their lives, developing their God given talents to make a difference in the world.  Being with likeminded people will be a great motivational factor in your life. 

Nehemiah recruited likeminded people to go with him and motivated them to do the work.

¹⁷ Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer suffer disgrace.” ¹⁸ I told them that the hand of my God had been gracious upon me, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us start building!” So they committed themselves to the common good. Neh. 2.17-18

Keep the vision and goal in front of you all the time. It will help keep you motivated to keep working until you achieve it.  Also keep in mind the eternal value of what you are doing, how what you want to accomplish fits into the bigger picture of the work of the Kingdom of God.  What you are doing will have in influence on many people’s lives. 

When Nehemiah was rebuilding the wall it was not just for personal gain but he had in mind the generations that would follow that would benefit from the work they were doing. When they were being threatened by Sanballat and Tobiah, he spoke these encouraging words to them

¹⁴ After I looked these things over, I stood up and said to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your kin, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” Neh. 4.14

Walt Disney when Disney World was being designed understood the importance of seeing the big picture.  He was advised by all the contractors to build the Disney castle last.  They had good reason behind their recommendation, it would save a lot of money by waiting until all the roads, water, electricity etc. were already in place before the construction began.  Walt listened to their advice and he told them to build the castle first. The castle would be the show piece of Disney World and he knew that if it was constructed first the workers would be motivated to build the rest of the complex as they could see the castle every day and how everything fit together.  The castle has become the Disney logo symbol known throughout the world.

To achieve your goal you will have to manage your time and energy.  One thing we all have equal amounts of is time.  What we do with it is our decision.   Making time available is also required and this means you will have to eliminate some things from your life that are time wasters or are not moving you forward.

·         It could be you need to be more organized in your work area so you are not wasting time looking for things that you have failed to put in their proper place.

·         It could be eliminating relationships that are not going anywhere or are holding you back and are taking an emotional toll on your life.

·          It could be eliminating activities at work or home that are not getting you where you want to go. Facebook, video games, watching movies, recreational activities, phone calls, etc. have a place in our lives but often they can become consuming and really be time wasters.

·          For some people learning to say NO is hard, they do not want to offend others are may be more concerned about being a people pleaser than a God pleaser.  People are generally task oriented or people oriented.  The task oriented find it easier to say NO while relationally oriented people find it more difficult. Finding the balance is not easy but is necessary.

Nehemiah was faced with distractions that would take away time dedicated to rebuilding the wall.

² Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. ³ So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it to come down to you? Neh. 6.2-3

He knew it would be a waste of his time to meet with these men and he refused to do it.

Once you have identified the time wasters and negative activities in your life you have to make the decision to eliminate them.  This will free you to spend time on the things you have identified as more important.  It may be difficult to do but in time you will see the benefit as your goals become a reality. 

Most of us have a defined work day to accomplish what is expected of us.  The challenge is how we spend our off time, how are we using it to achieve the things that we have desired.  I went to a teacher workshop years ago and still remember a piece of advice given to us by Carol Kent. She stated that if you are willing to spend one hour a day, five days a week studying, learning and practicing one thing, in five years you will be considered an expert in that area.

Along with eliminating nonproductive activities you also have to guard against taking on new activities that are also going to take away the time and energy you need to accomplish what you truly want in your life.  Adding more activities to your schedule will not make life easier for you and you will either delay what you want to accomplish or do it at a level that is less than your best.

Henry Cloud in his book,”9 Things a Leader Must Do” uses what he calls the “cringe factor” to help determine whether he should engage in a certain activity.  When the little voice inside of you says the following it is a good indication that you should not pursue it.

            “This doesn’t quite feel right.”

            “I don’t feel comfortable doing this or agreeing to this.”

            “This not what I really want.”

            “This violates and important value.”

            “I am going to resent this for a long time.”

            “I wish this were not happening.”

King Solomon gave this advice, “A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.” Proverbs 22.3

The final aspect is simply a willingness to work hard to achieve your dream.  Very few things in life come without sweat equity, hard work, at times failing and starting over again but those who are willing give their best effort will receive the reward of the satisfaction of accomplishing their goal.  In a generation of people who have an entitlement mentality and a take it easy attitude they will never know the joy of giving your all to accomplish something of value that impacts other’s lives.  Many want to take short cuts, find an easier way to get what they want but in the end they short change themselves and miss out on all the growth that takes place in the process. 

Nehemiah and the people worked hard to build the wall to the half way mark.

⁶ So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. Neh. 4.6

The entire wall was rebuilt in 52 days, an amazing accomplishment.

¹⁵ So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. ¹⁶ And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem; for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. Neh. 6.15-16

Their hard work was a testimony to the neighboring nation and gave glory to God.

Paul said, ¹² Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ¹³ Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Phil 3.12-14

I believe Paul was a man of many goals that he constantly pursued throughout his life.  His accomplishments were amazing and an inspiration to all believers of what God can do in one person’s life who is willing to pursue the goal of the high calling with all their heart.

I want to show one more video from the Britain’s Got Talent contest.  The group is called “Attraction” and their performance rocked the house. This group worked very hard to put together their performance that was done with excellence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAzYZ-E4l30

Our motivation is always to please the Lord and to do it in a way that demonstrates hard work and excellence.

Celebration

As you progress toward your goals remember to take time to celebrate your accomplishments.  If you are working with someone who is accomplishing their goals make sure you do something to celebrate with them.  Positive reinforcement accomplishes much more that negative or no reinforcement.  Celebration is not a matter of pride, showing how awesome you are but it should be a time of thanksgiving to the Lord for the abilities you have been given and for the help he has provided to move you toward the fulfillment of a God given dream or goal.  Graduation ceremonies are important as they recognize the hard work that has been exerted to finish your plans.

Nehemiah was not only concerned about rebuilding the wall but also rebuilding the nation that had fallen away from God.  In the rebuilding of the nation the people were read the Law and they recognized how they had failed to keep it.  They were saddened by their disobedience and neglect.  Instead of focusing on the failures Nehemiah encouraged them to celebrate what God had done and what he was doing among them to reform them as a nation.

⁹ And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. ¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord; and do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” ¹¹ So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved.” ¹² And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.  Neh. 8.9-13

Each of you here tonight have tremendous potential to accomplish great things for the Kingdom of God.  I want to encourage you to dream big for the Kingdom, set goals that are worthy of the Lord, ones that will stretch you and bring the changes you desire. Make the proper preparations to minimize the risks. Dedicate the time and energy and be willing to work hard to accomplish what God has put in your heart. Finally remember to celebrate as you go and when you reach your goal.

 Don’t let 2014 become a repeat of 2013.  There is much more God has for us as we partner with him. 

 James  Emery White, pastor of Mecklenburg Community Church posted 15 Resolutions for the New Year that I think were very good and worthy of your consideration. Church & Culture www.churchandculture.org

1.         Pray more.

   So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord…‘Not by might nor by power,  but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty. (Zechariah 4:6, NIV)

2.         Invest in your spiritual gift(s).

   Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.  Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. (I Timothy 4:14-15, NIV)

3.    Get more intentional about evangelism.

   I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. (I Corinthians 9:22, NIV)

4.     Care for yourself spiritually.

 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. (Philippians 3:12, NIV)

5.     Make the tough decisions you know are best.

 And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.  I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.  However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. (Acts 20:22-24, NIV)

6.     Confront debilitating patterns of sin.

  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Hebrews 12:1, NIV).

7.     Do the hard work needed to build community.

  If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. (Matthew 18:15, NIV)

8.     Keep in touch with contemporary culture.

 From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders…All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take. (I Chronicles 12:32, NLT)

9.     Quit comparing yourself to other Christians, other leaders, and other churches.

  Turning his head, Peter noticed the disciple Jesus loved following right behind.  When Peter noticed him, he asked Jesus, “Master, what’s going to happen to him?” Jesus said, “If I want him to live until I come again, what’s that to you? You — follow me.” That is how the rumor got out among the brothers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that is not what Jesus said. He simply said, “If I want him to live until I come again, what’s that to you?” (John 21:20-23, Msg)

10.   Read more.

    Timothy, please come as soon as you can…When you come, be sure to…bring my books,… (II Timothy 4:9, 13, NLT)

11.   Prioritize your family.

  A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife,…attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s church? (I Timothy 3:2-5, Msg)

12.   Refuse to use ministry to satisfy your personal ambition.

 Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not. (Jeremiah 45:5, NIV)

13.   Love people, not just crowds.

   If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.  If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.  If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. (I Corinthians 13:1-3, Msg)

14.   Be more open to change.

  See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:19, NIV)

15.   Stay focused on the vision.

 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.  All the believers were together and had everything in common.  Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.  Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47, NIV).