Tag: Stress

Let’s be careful that we don’t by-pass relationship with God to get on with the activity, and start worshiping at the altar of what we do For Him. Jesus was very careful to point out that what He did was through the authority God gave Him. He also worked at maintaining that close relationship with His Father.

That little yellow mask that drops down from the ceiling in an airplane gives life-saving oxygen in a depressurized cabin. Oxygen is something that we take for granted while our feet are firmly planted on the ground. Sam discusses how our relationship with God is as crucial to leadership life support as oxygen is to the physical body. He outlines how self-deception toward responsibilities can be as detrimental to the physical body as lack of oxygen.

To be unhurried like Jesus is to abandon outcomes to God. You’re not trying to make anything happen. You’re not trying to get anyone to do anything. You’re waiting on God. You’re patient. You’re free to enjoy the moment, love God and be loved by God, and love your neighbor.

We sometimes need to take on challenges to understand properly “if the Lord does not build the house, the laborers work in vain” – including in any leadership transition and organizational change.

Every leader at times has probably reacted defensively to another. I have and I regret every single time I did. Leaders naturally face situations that can easily provoke a defensive reaction. But seldom does defensiveness move our churches and organizations forward. So how can we avoid defensiveness? I suggest five proactive ways.

Fall follows Summer, which follows Spring and time marches on just as God designed. He limited time for us in set hours in a day, and set days in a week. We think there are not enough hours in a day, but God knew before He created time how mankind would use it. Scott discusses some poignant points about time management, and notes that pride may be the greatest weakness regarding the use of our time.

2014 was the hardest and darkest year in my life. Christmas 2013, I was diagnosed with burn-out. I had to stop work completely. This was incredibly difficult. I was so used to being busy, to having my head filled with stuff, to be carrying on. I have always done so much in my own strength, relying on my own insight. But this proved unsustainable.

Just a little rain transforms an arid desert into a magnificent blooming garden. That rain changes the arid environment and draws life from dormant seeds. The same can happen when we face changes in our lives. Sam experienced not one, but four painful organizational changes in his 24 years with World Vision. He said, “I was laid off once, resigned once and ‘stormed out’ once.” Sam outlines some growing lessons from Psalm 37.

I am not a medical doctor or counselor, but I have learned the rhythms in my own life and have sought counsel continually from leaders I respect. I have seen and also learned the hard way that pushing through seasons of exhaustion can backfire. Here are signs I look for and encourage other leaders to look for in their own lives.