Jesus Style Leadership 3 - Crop & FaithSample

Sharing a Faith Vision

Leadership Lesson

Faith visions need to be shared with others at the right time.

Read Nehemiah 2:11–18.

Comment

Big faith visions need to be shared with those you lead. When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he already had a faith vision. God had put it in his heart to lead his people in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem (2:12). But he didn’t rush to share this faith vision. He spent some time building relationships and getting a feel for the situation. Then he did a secret inspection of the walls to assess the severity of the problem and the difficulty of the rebuilding project. Nehemiah needed to build trust and understanding before sharing his faith vision. When the time was right, he told the Jewish leaders what God had said and done already, and they all got behind the faith vision (2:18). Timing is important as you share your significant faith visions with others. Don’t be in a hurry. Listen carefully to God. Build your relationships. Check out what the impact will be. Understand the challenges. Talk it over with a mentor. Make sure that you’ve got it right. And then, like Nehemiah, share what you think God is saying and any signs that God is already at work.

Prayer

When I hear from You, Lord, I’m usually in a hurry to tell everyone and to get going. Teach me patience. Help me to move slowly at first. May I not blow the opportunities you give me by moving too quickly or expecting too much at the beginning. Please give me wisdom as to when You want me to lay all my cards on the table and, if this really is from You, stir the hearts of those who will follow.

Personal Reflection

Think of a possible faith vision for your team. Which of the following ways could you use to share it?

• “I think God is telling us to..."
• “I have been praying about this, and I have felt in my spirit that God is asking us to..."
• “God’s word tells us to... so I think that we should..."
• “God is working in other places, and I believe that we should have a go at this ourselves.”
• “Someone has suggested that we... Through praying about this, I believe that she is right.”
• “After praying, the church/school leaders have asked us to..."