The Message of Leadershipنموونە

FLAT TIRE ON THE FAST TRACK

"He that can have patience can have what he will."
-Benjamin Franklin

An acquaintance of mine bought one of the first DeLoreans to come off the assembly line. It used to belong to John DeLorean himself but he had to give it up. You have probably heard the story of DeLorean’s amazing rise to success in the auto industry with development of the Pontiac GTO and then later his own car make named after himself. But he lost it all; his family, his business and yes, even his car, because he went too far too fast in his pursuit of success. Patience was not a virtue in the fast paced auto industry in which the young and ambitious DeLorean circulated and it may not be in the circles you travel either. Impatience was a major factor in bringing about his downfall; will it bring you down?

What you may not know is that John DeLorean became a follower of Christ when he hit the speed bumps of life and reinvented himself as a new person in Christ. I think it is safe to say that John learned the truth of Proverbs 6:1-5 late in life after he had almost given himself away to his debtors and strangers while traveling down the fast track searching for fame and success.

It is never too late to throw our life into reverse if we detect that we are on the wrong road. Have courage today. Be honest with yourself and ask God to help you develop the patience you need to wait on Him and not create your own success. When we see a door of opportunity, there is nothing wrong with turning the door’s handle to see if it will open but a lot of heartache can follow if we break down a door that is locked. I have learned some bitter lessons when I have done this. Creating my own success also places a burden on me to sustain that which I have created. On the other hand, when God allows me to go through a door, it is He who keeps the door open and I can rest in that partnership.

Essential Insight 6: Patiently wait on God for your success and He will give you results greater than you could engineer on your own.