THE WAY OF LEADERSHIP

Joshua 24:15 (NIV): Joshua said to all the people, “(I)f serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

Like Joshua, Issachar men are initiatory fathers and intentional spiritual leaders for their families and in the larger community. They courageously lead out. This is difficult for some men to do. Men are sometimes not the most natural at verbalizing feelings, passing along blessings, or expressing convictions. But, Dads, listen…there are times when we need to swallow our pride, step up to the plate, and say it. Don’t leave anything unsaid that will bless your family and other families who need your exemplary leadership. Be willing to give your life for the emotional, physical, and spiritual welfare of your family and the family of God.

Patrick M. Morley in his book, The Man in the Mirror, tells a heart-wrenching story about an ill-fated Alaskan fishing trip. A group of fishermen had landed in a secluded bay and had a great day fishing for salmon. But when they took off in their seaplane the next morning, they got only a few feet off of the water before crashing back down into the sea. One of the pontoons had been punctured and had filled with water. The seaplane slowly began to sink. There were three men and Mark, the 12-year-old son of one of the men. They prayed and jumped into the icy cold waters to swim ashore. But the riptides were strong. Two of the men made it and looked back. Their companion, who was also a strong swimmer, did not swim to the shore because his son was not strong enough to make it. They watched that father with his arms around his son as they were both swept out to sea. He chose to die with his son rather than to live without him. He chose to die with his son so his son would not die alone.

There is a fact of life that some wives and most kids don’t know because they have never seen it modeled this extreme—we love them so much that we would die for them. In any gathering of Christian men…Issachar men…if asked whether they would do the same thing for their son or daughter, they would leap to their feet in wholehearted agreement. Since we would die for them, let’s live for them, demonstrating our spiritual leadership by our humility, our integrity, our faithfulness, and our sensitivity. This new way of working cannot be done by our own strength. It cannot be achieved by our own creativity—it is modeled and taught throughout Scripture and most clearly seen in the way of Jesus. May you rise up to a new way of working, but following the example of the One who laid it all down for us.

You’ve reached the end of our Bible Reading Plan, but if you would like to continue studying the way of Jesus, we invite you to begin reading the book of Mark at your own pace. As you read, pay close attention to how often Jesus is referred to in some way as a servant. Take on that example and ask God with each verse you cross to let that example be modeled in your own life and leadership.