Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – December 19, 2016
My servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house. Numbers 12:7
A faithful leader is already successful. God calls leaders to be humble, faithful servants—in contrast to proud leaders who are only motivated by what they want. Faithfulness is so counter to what our culture clamors for in leaders: tall, dark, handsome—thin, pretty, smart—but faithful, really—what does that even mean? Faithful means to show up at work when I would rather be at home—to show up at a child’s school event when I would rather be at work—to show up and care for my mother-in-law who is a stroke victim, when it’s inconvenient—or show up for a volunteer responsibility, when I don’t feel like it. It is staying committed to a relationship, when I have been hurt or misunderstood. Faithfulness is day in and day out—doing what’s right—with a right attitude—motivated by right reasons.
Moses modeled faithfulness as a leader in the face of not feeling at all sure of his abilities to speak or influence the people. Yet, the Lord brands him as the most humble man to ever live (Numbers 12:3) and it is out of his position of utter dependence on God—that God shows His servant favor and instills courage in his heart to remain faithful. Moses recognized his very real limitations as a communicator, so the Lord sent him a gifted spokesperson, his brother Aaron. God is resourceful! A faithful leader is not expected to be equipped with all the gifts—but to recognize their limitations—and surround themselves with other gifted leaders.
“Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2, NKJV).
What about a leader’s shortcomings? Their areas of vulnerability? A faithful servant of Jesus does not forget their failings, but they are not defined by them. Rather humbled by their weaknesses, they remember their identity is in Christ—not in their work, giftedness, net worth or accomplishments. Even though I know my identity is in Christ—I still struggle—I struggle with and sometimes worship approval. Embarrassingly, my heart can obsess over anxious questions:
Does my wife accept and respect me? Do the people I work with admire and like me? Do my children and grandchildren love me and want to be around me? Are my friendships authentic or just nice people who are trying to impress each other with our successes and spirituality? Why do my fears and apprehensions capture my imagination and lead me down these unproductive, even destructive paths of self focus? When I drift away from the security of my Savior Jesus—I’m overcome by insecurity. A faithful leader finds their approval and worth in how the Lord loves them. In our hyperactive, ambitious, survival of the fittest world—we must remember:
As a beloved child of God you are greatly loved and very dear to His heart, and because you are “in Christ”—you are His faithful son or daughter in whom He is well pleased. You have been bought with the great and precious price of Christ’s death (1 Corinthians 6:20), raised by His resurrection to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4), kept and led by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:18) to become the unique person and leader He has called you to be. Becoming a faithful leader means you are first thoroughly and dearly loved by your Lord and Savior Jesus—commissioned as His love ambassador—so you can then do your best, trust God with the rest and rest in Him. In Christ you are already beloved and as you love those around you, by God’s grace—you grow into a faithful servant of God—you are becoming a faithful leader like Jesus!
“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I praise You for Your faithfulness to me, even when I fall short.Application
Who or what do I need to remain faithful to—who has not been faithful to me?Related Reading
Genesis 5:22; Proverbs 2:8, 3:3; Luke 16:10; 1 Timothy 3:12, 5:9Post/Tweet today
Faithfulness is doing what’s right—with a right attitude—motivated by right reasons. #WisdomHunters #faithfulleaderWorship Resource
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