Encourage the Good

In my experience the hardest things in leadership are dealing with opposition and managing internal frustration and disappointment. In both cases the strength of emotion that accompanies the narrative makes it hard to chart a steady course.

The people are in need, insecure and in debt. They are in despair and impotent.. This threat is from within.. The division is a diversion from the work of God and a distraction from the real enemy

I can think of a few instances where red mist has descended, and I have acted in ways which I do not look back on with pride. The primal reaction that triggers the fight or flight response tends to escalate a situation in the short term and usually leads to depression and fear.

When we get mad or threatened a desire for control and retribution rises within us. We want to put people in their place but that is not the same thing as God putting people in His place.

Opposition can feel like an indication that we are doing something wrong, but it can often indicative that we are moving in the right direction. 

One of the things to consider facing opposition is what is the truth of this accusation.
Problem is that we resonate with the elements of truth in the accusation rather than considering the truth in the wider context and situation. The people are frail, it is frustrating, and they have good reason to be afraid.

When you are tired and have real issues to deal with succumbing to fear and despair become a much bigger temptations. You lose perspective and the narrative that you believe in is changed. Faith is displaced by fear and the view of the majority reshapes our view of God.

When Leaders take credit for things that God has done they grow their reputation rather than enhance the glory of God and build reliance on themselves rather than faith in God.

Everything is broken down, the state of disrepair is exhaustive, but it is addressed by a comprehensive endeavour where each person and group plays their part. 

Each of us has a part to play. The different individuals and groups have a common vision and a shared purpose. Their diversity enriches the task force as they bring different backgrounds, strengths and perspectives.

In IFES we work in many different countries and contexts. But the common purpose is to help youth, students and graduates discover Jesus, develop undivided lives and grow in influence. Ultimately to see lives transformed by the gospel and companies, institutions and communities shaped by the impact of the word of God.

Nehemiah Episode 4

It is very informative to watch how Nehemiah goes about things in this new season.

He catches his breath. He does not do anything for three days. Rest and reset are important. The whole idea of recreation is being recreated in the image of God. God has ordained rhythms of rest and work, night and day, sleep and activity.

He explores the ground. He needs to see for himself what the situation is. 
This is missiology. He seeks to understand the context and the nature of the challenge. 

He casts Vision and calls to action. The call to action is an invitation.

He faces ridicule and prepares for battle. The quickening of the work, results in an escalation of the opposition. 

Nehemiah: Episode 3

Timing is everything. One of my recurrent prayers is that I would be in the right place at the right time with the right heart, with the right words for the right people.

Nehemiah decides that this day in the month of Nisan will be when he takes the risk of talking to the king. He is a servant and although he has access to the king his position is precarious and he is fearful of losing his position, his freedom or even his life.

He repurposes a situation to turn it into an opportunity. What is interesting is that he leads with emotion rather than words. He lowers his guard and allows the king to see how he feels

If we take one thing from this passage into our daily life I suggest it might be “Pause to Pray”.

 God answers prayer. It is the norm rather than the exception. Prayer is more like putting money in the bank than buying a lottery ticket.

So for me the crux of this is to remember that God is bigger than the biggest challenge I can face, That the opposite of faith is not doubt it is fear and that God can do more in and through my weakness than I can hope for or imagine.

Nehemiah: Episode 2

How does Nehemiah cope in the in between time of a growing sense of what the future may hold and continuing to carry out his responsibilities in the present. How do we cope in our own in between times,  facing the opportunities of tomorrow and the challenges of today? 

I often find conflict in processing experiences and reflecting on how I feel about circumstances. 

There is almost always a lot to process and to be in an emotional interference pattern is not at all unusual. 

Faced with conflicting and contrasting feelings being orientated to the character of God is our anchor and our only compass. 

We can do nothing without God’s help and power.

Now I am an activist, I know the theory of this but the practice is much harder.

I have this idea in my head that is hard to dislodge that leadership is about doing things and that these things should all go well.

I am a servant, I wait for instruction, I seek favour and I need help.

Nehemiah has a huge amount to teach us about leadership but not necessarily the things that we might expect.

The first thing to note is the context that the story takes place in, understanding the times and discerning what God is doing in our moment is crucial if we are to follow God’s leading and allow that to shape our plans, rather than asking him to bless our initiatives.

We do not have all the answers and will not arrive at the correct conclusions solely through our own endeavours. As our understanding grows we need to seek God’s face and not just his hand. We do not conjure solutions from our imagination but humbly come to the Lord.

“What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same and nothing that you did, mattered?” 

 “That about sums it up for me."

Covid 19 has seen many of us feeling trapped in our own version of Groundhog Day. The calendar does tick over for us but the rhythm of our lives has been disrupted. The weeks lose their distinctiveness and one day bleeds into another.

There are days when I have found it hard to be motivated because every single thing on my to do list could be done tomorrow. 

Poetry can give us an epiphany. A different perspective or sudden appreciation of understanding something in a new or clear way.

Historical narrative can also give insight, sometimes through recorded observation, sometimes through myth and legend of how unexpected events or experiences brought an epiphany. Archimedes in his bath, Issac Newton heading the apple, Mendeleev’s periodic dream, Einstein on the street car in Bern all produced incredible new insights that shape our understanding of the world.

 I know a number of wise men and women around the world who are seeking and still haven’t found what they are looking for. I pray that this will be the time when their thirst is quenched with living water.

 I hope that in 2022 we will all be marked by this curiosity to know and experience more of the Lord and a fresh commitment and desire to act on what we know.

Without curiosity we will not have an epiphany!

Projecting strength and preserving image can too easily become a fashion in leadership as well as design.  If we be obsess over our own perfection we will project unrealistic expectations on others and have no way to process failure or deal with trauma. This vulnerability and honesty is one of the things I appreciate about the Psalms. 

The Psalms have been helpful in affirming the reality of help in struggle and the light of the Lord’s love through darkness. 

While we do not know all that is coming or understand all that is going on we do have a choice about how we respond and that does impact and affect what happens next. Romanticised pietism will not prevail through adversity. 

The Psalms give a perspective of praise that is both realistic and real. If being battered by troubles punctures our pathetic perfectionism and breaks its tyranny we will be better off for it. God is with us and because of his mercy, grace and hope we are not demoralised or defeated.