Lead Strong: Leadership Lessons From The Bible - Part 3Sample

Leaders Seek the Approval of God Approval addiction. Most of us, whether mildly or severely, deal with the need for approval. It’s just part of our nature. We so want others to love us, love what we do, love our ministries and love our ideas. It’s just how we are wired. It can empower us and can motivate us to continue on. But what happens if they don’t love us or what we do or our ministries or our ideas? Do we fall apart? Do we stop? Early in church planting, my husband and I realized that if we were to lead well, we had to listen well. Not to people, but to God. It was easy to get distracted by the opinions of people and by the need for their approval. And we learned, over time, that staying faithful to God’s vision meant only seeking God’s approval. Maybe that’s your struggle today. The approval or disapproval from people has been the measure for your success. I want to remind you of this... the same people who praised Jesus and lavished Him with palms one week were the ones who cried out to crucify Him the next! People’s opinions can change and so can their approval. But God’s truth and vision will not. Paul tells us in Galatians 1:10, “...I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.” We have to constantly be reminded that our calling and mission is not based on our popularity with people. It is founded solely on our purpose from God. So take a minute, ponder these statements and be encouraged as you finish your daily reading today: ●God alone gave me my purpose, and God alone will approve my path. ●If I am to lead according to God’s plan, I need to listen closely to God’s voice. ●I won’t rise from the approval from people, and I won’t fall from the lack of it. ●It is necessary for me to separate people’s opinions from God’s truth. ●I will ask myself regularly, “Am I seeking the applause of people or the approval of God?” ●Leading with authenticity means letting God’s voice be my authority. Which one of these statements resonates with you? Which one do you need to emulate? By Linda Seidler