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

Leaders Repent

I have a confession. I can be a little stubborn. Okay, I can be a lot stubborn, especially when I think I’m right about something. (Please don’t tell my husband I admitted that!) I prefer to think that I’m tenacious in my beliefs. In fact, if it weren’t for the fact that I happen to have a little bit of a hard head, I might have quit ministry a time or twenty. While my stubbornness might be beneficial in some ways, it can also get me into trouble if I’m not humble enough to admit when I’m wrong.

The Apostle Paul is a great example of tenacity. Before he traveled the globe teaching, preaching and writing most of the New Testament, he was Saul… an enemy of the Christian church. He wouldn’t rest until he had destroyed all who preached the Gospel, that is until he met the Lord face to face on the road to Damascus. In a single encounter with Jesus, his life purpose shifted and the persecutor became a preacher.

Paul let go of the beliefs he had held so dear for all of his life up until that moment. His repentance paved the way for many generations to know God. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul tells the story of his incredible conversion saying these words, “Even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace.” (Galatians 1:15)

If God’s marvelous grace was the driving force behind Paul’s repentance, it stands to reason that it is there for me when I need to repent. My favorite definition of grace is: God’s ability in me which allows me to do what I cannot do on my own; The power to change. True repentance doesn’t mean just saying “I’m sorry.” It means feeling such regret about my actions or words that I choose to change my life for the better.

It means I am willing to lay aside my opinions and ideas and adjust my thinking when needed. It means I am not hard-headed or stubborn and that I have enough humility to ask for forgiveness. True repentance means allowing God’s grace to soften my heart and transform me into the leader He has called me to be.

Do you struggle in this area? Ask God to help you be a leader who is not too proud to repent when you’ve failed.

By Liz Sarno