CALLING: Thankfulness

A 5C devotional on healthy leader development

God has called us to be thankful — “give thanks in everything for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”, 1 Thess 5:18.  Thankfulness is the opposite of a grumbling and complaining spirit. When we grumble, complain and have self pity then we are saying that God does not know what He is doing.  He is not good.  He is not worthy of our trust, so we better take matters in our own hands. This is The Lie from the evil one who wants to break our fellowship with the Lord Himself. Thankfulness is an expression of our faith, our love and our hope in our Lord. Thankfulness is a choice that we should choose on a daily basis. Thankfulness is not always the easy thing - it involves sacrifice - Heb 13:15. Thankfulness is deeply rooted in contentment. Contentment is also not an easy thing. It is an attitude that we must learn and cultivate just like the Apostle Paul- Phil 4:11-13. The word contentment has the meaning of having an inward sufficiency so that we are free from outward circumstances to determine our thankfulness.  Where does this inner sufficiency come from?  Certainly not from ourselves but from our fellowship with Christ (see Philippians 4:11-13).

Thankfulness indicators:

Am I content with who God has made to be? Am I content with what I currently have? Does thankfulness characterize my attitude and my life? Am I thankful to God for where He has me and what He is doing in my life right now? Am I thankful for the people that God has in my life right now? Make the time to offer up all that you are and all that you have to the Lord and give Him thanks. Rub shoulders with thankful people and ask them how they have cultivated this attitude? Read through Philippians and be on the look out for the words - joy, rejoice and find out the reason why Paul emphasizes this trait. Exercise thankfulness today!

Christ —the glorious pursuit

A 5C devotional on healthy leader development

“ The moment the Holy Spirit quickened us to life in regeneration our whole being senses its kinship to God and leaps up in joyous recognition. This is the heavenly birth without which we cannot see the Kingdom of God. It is however, not an end but an inception, for now begins the glorious pursuit, the heart’s happy exploration of the infinite riches of the Godhead. That is where we begin, I say, but where we stop no man has yet discovered, for there is in the awful and mysterious depths of the Triune God neither limit nor end.”   A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

Have you ever come on anything quite like this extravagant generosity of God, this deep, deep wisdom?  It's way over our heads. We'll never figure it out. Is there anyone around who can explain God? Anyone smart enough to tell him what to do? Anyone who has done him such a huge favor that God has to ask his advice? Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him; Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes. Romans 11:33-36, The Message

Exploring the unfathomable infinite riches of God is the adventure of a lifetime — an eternal lifetime!  What is exhilarating is that this pursuit is available now.   So, how about it?  Let's leave the comfort of the "Shire" and step out in the pursuit of the Holy. 

Challenging Assignment:
Explore the world — take a walk in the woods, climb a mountain.  What do you you take for granted — take pictures.  

Explore the macro-micro world — look through a telescope and microscope, wonder

Explore the world of music — listen to Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op.85, Adagio-Moderato, close your eyes and imagine the story

Explore the world of Art — take a tour through an art museum, sit and wonder — draw or paint something of your own.  

Explore the Book — read Ephesians 1-3 out loud and ask the Lord to flood your heart and illumine your mind.  journal your thoughts  

Competency — more than skill

A 5C devotional on healthy leader development

Competency defined is the ability to do something successfully or efficiently. It has to do with skill, knowledge and ability. To be competent means to be equipped and made adequate to fulfill God’s calling. Even as competency is important, competency does not operate in a vacuum. A person may be highly skilled but if he/she is not a team player the competent person can actually undermine the team. Competency is essential but if the competent person does not communicate, cooperate and is not committed to the team the team experiences a slow death. Grow your competencies as a team player. Use your competency to strengthen your team and train them in the 5Cs. (inspired by Robert E. Quinn, Deep Change - Discovering the Leader Within, chapter 13)

Challenging Assignment:

Go to 2 or more teammates and ask them to share with you a couple of areas they enjoy about being a teammate of yours and then ask them to share with you one area for you to improve in order to deepen your part on the team.  Listen to them and let it sink in, thank them and go deep in the rich soil of your community.  

Calling — purpose with passion

A 5C devotional for healthy leader development


Why do you do what you do? 

 Is it a job or a calling from God? If you do what you do because it a means for security, it is a job. If you do what you do because you “feel the pleasure of God”, it is a calling. We get a job. We discover calling. At jobs, we make money. At calling, we make a difference. A job is chosen by you. Calling is initiated by God. Jobs have to do with knowledge, ability and skill that you have acquired. Calling has to do with how God has wired you. A job is where you spend time,  A calling is where you invest your life.  A job is where you accomplish something, A calling is where you make an eternal difference.   Jobs are too small. Calling is your life opus.

As the new year begins, look to your Lord.  Quiet your soul and listen to Him, read Psalm 62.  Worship Him, read Psalm 92:1-11, trust and obey and live out your calling, for this is where true joy is found.  

Challenging Assignment:   

Ask Him,why are you here?

Ask Him, why you have the "job" you have? 

Ask Him, how the experiences of your past are to be used to influence those around you today.

Ask Him, how you are to employ your spiritual gifts in building up His body. 

Ask Him, to lead you to speak the Gospel with boldness and with respect.  Who is in your influence you are sharing the Gospel with?  

Ask Him, to use you to serve someone in need.

Ask Him, to deepen your "roots" in Him so that you may bear much fruit to glorify Him.

Ask Him, to give you a "Paul to mentor you and a "Timothy" for you to mentor.  

Ask Him, to do His deeper work of holiness in your mind, soul, spirit and body.

Ask Him, to fill you with the Holy Spirit, your helper to empower you to be subject to one another in the fear of the Lord. 

Ask Him, to surround you with His grace and peace.

Ask Him, to direct your steps to fulfill His calling on your life in 2013. 

Now, read Colossians 4:17.

Character — foundation for leadership

A 5C devotional of healthy leader development

“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” Helen Keller, 1880-1968

It is in the crucible of life that God is dealing with us, purifying us and shaping us into His Son’s image. I don’t normally enjoy the crucible but this is how character is built IF we respond well to the trials of life found in relationships, and circumstances. In “Overcoming Your Shadow Mission”, John Ortberg states, “If you don’t develop the character to support your gifts, they will actually become destructive to you.”

Challenging Assignment:  Read Genesis about Abraham's journey to Canaan. Notice that the conditions of the land when he arrived.  The Lord certainly could have led Him there in a season of bounty and the Lord could have removed the Canaanites from the Land.  But He didn't. The Lord led Abraham into the land in a time of famine and with the ungodly canaanites living there as his neighbors.

What was the first thing Abraham did?  He built an altar out of the rocks from the hard ground.  Abraham worshiped God!  He took the hard things in his surroundings and offered worship to God.  Today, take the "hard things" in your life and worship Him, praise Him and give Him thanks for each one of those hard things.   

Christ — a river of joy

A 5C devotional of healthy leader development

The Apostle Paul writes the letter to the Philippian church from prison.  He is chained to a Roman soldier and is under house arrest for his work in the Gospel.  Even though his circumstances are difficult he writes the most joyful letter in the New Testament.

Joy is an important fruit of the Holy Spirit that enables Christian leaders lead well.  And when we read the life of Paul, (read especially 2 Corinthians), we discover that even though he went through many trials, struggles, discouragements, sorrows, distresses, and pressures,  he was able to write about joy.

Throughout the book of Philippians joy is like a river that runs all the way through it and Paul knew how to tap into this stream even in the midst of the most adverse and trying circumstances.  What is Paul's secret?

In this letter, in the four chapters, we discover four reasons for joy

#1.  Joy is not dictated by circumstances but by finding life's Purpose in Christ.
In chapter one, The Apostle Paul chooses to rejoice because His life is Christ's.  He can have his freedom to travel, be imprisoned and chained to a Roman guard twenty-four-seven and yet rejoice because no one can take Christ away from him.  His life belong's to Christ.  His one desire is to exalt Christ and that can happen where ever he is.                                                          Philippians 1:20-21

#2.  Joy is discovered in the Pattern of Jesus' sacrificial service and not in our selfish pursuits.
In  chapter two, The Apostle points us to Jesus as the Pattern of humbling and yielding Himself for our leadership model.  Later in this chapter Paul says that he rejoices in the opportunity to be poured out as a drink offering upon the service and sacrifice of their faith.                                  Philippians 2:3-5,

#3.  Joy is deepened when we pursue Jesus as the Prize of our life.
In chapter three, The Apostle Paul describes how he has chosen to suffer the loss of all of his achievements and his privileged status in order to embrace Christ.  Paul's singular passion is Christ as the treasure and prize of his life.  To know Christ is all that really matters.  To know Christ personally, powerful and sufferingly is the treasure of a lifetime.                                             Philippians 3:7-10

#4.  Joy develops when we learn the secret of relying on Jesus as the source of our Power.
In chapter four, Paul has learned the secret to the Christian experience.  This is something that Paul learned in the school of hard knocks.  It is to be content in any and every circumstance through Christ who strengthens.                                                                                                    Philippians 4:11-13

Where does joy come from?  How can we tap into this ever flowing river of joy?   Jesus is the source of joy.  Jesus is our life Purpose, our Pattern, our Prize and our Power and when we abide in Him two things happen.  We bear much fruit (Joy is a fruit of the Spirit) and so glorify our Father and the joy of Lord becomes our and our joy is made full, John 15:5-11.

Challenging Assignment:   Center your life in Jesus Christ by thanking Him that He is in every one of your circumstances and choose to rejoice.  Bow your heart before Him and let the presence of His grace and peace rule in your heart.   Memorize and meditate on Jesus as our life Purpose - Philippians 1:20-21,  Jesus as your Pattern - Philippians 2:5, Jesus as  your Prize - Philippians 3:10 and Jesus as your Power, Philippians 4:13.   With these truths in your heart, be on the look out how you can serve others in love and with joy!                                                  

bringing out the best

Community — bringing out the best in people

A 5C devotional for healthy leader development

One of the ways to bring out the best in people is to believe the best about them.  “Love always looks for the best . . .” 1 Corinthians  13:7 MSG.  

Focus on the person’s potential in Christ not on his or her problems or failures.  Make this the platform for which you develop your relationships and deal with difficult issues. 

Read the following:  

            God’s attitude toward us — Rom 8:29-30

            Jesus’ attitude toward Simon-Peter — John 1:42, Luke 22: 31-32                           

            God’s attitude toward fearful Gideon — Judges 6:11-12

            God’s attitude toward diffident Moses — Exodus 4:10-12

Challenging Assignment:

Add to this list of God’s attitude towards other biblical characters and how He worked with them.   Do a character study of Barnabas from the book of Acts and Epistles and observe his attitude towards those he interacted with.  Find a Barnabas in your life and hang out with him or her for a period of time to see how they bring out the best in people.  Go do the same. 

Enjoy the day by bring out the best in people.