I read Joshua this week and it made me think a lot about leadership. I think a lot of times in life we feel like the task before us is so impossible that there is no possible way we can do it. In my life I have often times allowed fear and anxiety to rule over me and I have missed out on some huge things because I was too scared to step out of my comfort zone and take a chance.
I think for a long time that is the biggest reason I didn't want to follow Christ fully with my life. I was scared to lose something. I thought I would miss out on the fun stuff in life. When I finally did fully step out in faith and give it all, I realized the stuff I thought was fun wasn't really all it was cracked up to be.
So when I started to follow Christ, he began to allow opportunities in my life to arise that really stretched me out of my comfort zone. A lot of the time I was still too scared to take a chance and trust that God would provide for me so I didn't act. But, the times that I did act, I saw that God came through in huge ways and always provided everything I needed to do what he was asking me to do. Through that process of not allowing fear to rule me but following what God was asking me to do I began to grow. I became closer to God and trusted him more and started to worry less. I started to take chances, fight down fear, and step out of my comfort zone to do things I thought were impossible for me to do.
If you are struggling with fear, struggling to grow, I would say what is God asking you to do that scares you? Just do it!! Push against that fear and break through it. Be ruled by God and not fear!! The only way you will overcome fear is to smash into it head on, trusting in God, and break through it. If God asks you to do something, it is because he knows you can do it.
There are so many times when I have done things and looked back and gone, wow that did not get accomplished because of me, I couldn't have done that without God. God will provide the strength you need. 2nd Corinthians 12:8 ..."My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me.
You see, if you follow Christ well, you will lead well. All it takes is to be obedient, and you will overcome fear, He will work through you. You just have to do what he asks, He does the rest, He provides the strength in your weakness.
So, back to Joshua ch 5:13-6:21... The Israelites are coming up to Jericho, the city has like the most fortified strongest wall ever seen by them, and here is this guy with standing there with a sword. This is Jesus by the way (commander of the LORD's army). And the LORD tells them to walk around the city and basically play marching band music and yell real loud and the wall will fall down.
So, I don't know about you, but I would be a bit nervous, but ok, I'll do it. They do it, and as anyone who went to Sunday school knows the wall dropped like the ball on New Year's Eve, done all over but the crying. Strange, but see, all Joshua had to do was follow and he led well.
If God has called you into leadership in any capacity and you wonder how you can be successful. I would say it is as simple as be a good follower!! You don't have to do it on your own, that is not what God ever calls us to do!! We need to follow well, then we can lead well. This means you first follow Him, if you are at work you do what your boss tells you to do, provided it's ethical... etc. If you are leading at church you follow the leaders God has placed over you.
I have been blessed to work with some really great leaders. Eric Dykstra, the lead pastor at The Crossing has taught me a lot about leadership and I am grateful that God has allowed me to be in a position to learn and follow. If you lead at a church, make sure you honor those God has placed over you. Don't bad mouth them in any way in front of others, if you got a beef take it to the person you have the beef with. If you don't like something going on at church, don't gripe all over the place, take it your leaders...
Leaders follow well, they don't look at the people they are leading and complain about what they have to do. If Joshua had went back to the Israelites and said, this guy with a sword just told me we have to go play marching band music and yell loud to win the day, that is so dumb, I can't believe it. Oh well I guess we better do what he says... Who would have followed him? I would be like, screw that, if you don't have faith I'm not putting my neck on the line to follow you!!
Leaders have a huge responsibility to lead well. Some day I hope to hear Jesus say, well done good and faithful servant, because I served and followed well.
