Leaders

I am a third generation painter. My father is a painter, as was his mother before him. Painting has always played an important role in my life. My training in art came along side life training. I remember learning about points of perspective, and proportions of the human body, just as I remember learning to ride my bike and dancing ballet.

Would I go back to my first day as a pastor? I was pondering this the other day. After much thought, I concluded, Absolutely not. I wouldn’t go back if I could. I have learned a lot. The scars have taught me to walk closer with Jesus. I’ve seen enough of my weaknesses to not be surprised by them anymore.

The question persists strongly for those of us raised in evangelical America, where we are taught to seek God’s will for our lives in every area, especially the big decisions. So when I was head over heels in love with Anne (being a good Evangelical) I wrestled with whether or not she was “the One” God had chosen for me.

I had seven years to confirm that she was valuable as she mostly ignored me. Well ignored may be too strong: the thesaurus says disregarded, overlooked, or bypassed would be equally descriptive. Just pick one. The point is I finally caught her, and the compliment of my life was that she traded all her other options (and they were numerous) for me.

I had an eight-year head start since I was counting the quality of our marriage from the first day we met, which she didn’t even remember. Apparently, buried somewhere in my psyche, was the expectation that she hadn’t caught up yet. No wonder the poor woman couldn’t get a break.

In Revelation 3:8 God told the church at Philadelphia that He had set an open door before them even though they had “little power.” Many times God opens a door for leaders who doubt their leadership abilities. How could I be considered a leader or have anything to offer leaders? Julie had to do some rethinking about leadership and asks several important questions.

I met an older couple at the hospital when I was doing the hospital ministry. I wish I had their picture, but bringing a camera in to take pictures of patients is frowned upon! The husband happily told me that he and his bride had been married for 69 years. He teared up as he told me about his special lady. He still sounded so in love with her. I asked him what the secret was to such a long marriage. He immediately answered, “Love purely.”

Hmm … what began as a demo had developed into a significant marriage moment with a little bit of embarrassment. The “expert” coach-trainer was being asked in front of the class to improve his listening. The observers were quiet. They realized that this was sacred territory.

A large number of high-profile Christian leaders stumble on moral issues not by ignorance but by the hidden traps of authority and freedom they enjoy. A healthy blend of character, competency, and openness to God boils down to integrity of heart in a healthy leader who makes a lasting difference.

Sometimes, God will tell you to do things that make no sense in the short distance between your nose and the rocks of obstacles and defeats. Once in a while we can get a glimpse of the big picture and see how it makes perfect sense.

A lighthouse stands firm when storm waves crash over treacherous rocks along the shoreline. It shines a light of encouragement over the dark waves toward wary seafarers. Christian leaders can feel tossed about in the storms of trials and troubles, and the truths Brittney shares can be the same beacon of encouraging light as a lighthouse on a dark night.

Wouldn’t it be great if life had a delete button? We could easily erase all of our mistakes. Then again, would it be so great? How would we experience the Father’s great love and mercy?