Leadership

 Proverbs 28:16 – The prince that lacks understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hates covetousness shall prolong his days.

   Leadership is so much more than merely occupying a position; in fact, positional leadership is the lowest, and least effective type. Occupying a position of authority might give you some power, but it does not make you a leader. One who aspires to be a good leader needs many different tools in her tool kit, and, in order to be effective, she must also know how to use them. Shiny new tools may look pretty, but they will be of no benefit to anyone, unless they are put to proper use.

    The highest type of leadership is interpersonal leadership, and one of the primary qualities of that kind of leader is an intelligent and wise understanding of people and things, and how everything relates and is connected. If one lacks the skill and ability to understand, then it matters not what university diploma hangs on the wall, what title is written on the door, or how many years of experience one has under the belt. Understanding is a primary and vital key to the success and effectiveness of any enterprise or relationship. Sadly, however, there are many people in positions of authority, that not only lack these things, but are not even aware of what they lack. They simply do not know that there is a vital need to learn these skills and do better.

    The English word understanding can be traced back to another way of spelling it, and that is; inter-standing, and doesn’t that speak volumes to us? To be an understanding person, then, is to have keen perception and wise intelligence that sees how all persons interact. Truly, we do not stand alone; we inter-stand. John Donne made reference to this truth, when he wrote, centuries ago, ‘No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.’

    There is an old saying that tells us that nature abhors a vacuum, which means that a bare piece of land will not stay bare for long; something will blow in and take root. Likewise, there is no vacuum in leadership, so if a leader does not possess this quality of understanding, he will not simply be ineffective, unfortunately, other forces will come in and take root and he will, instead, whether knowingly or unknowingly, be a strong force of oppression. Understanding motivates us to lift people up and empower them, but the lack of it pushes people down and oppresses them.

    Another necessary trait of a good leader is an abhorrence and strong distaste for covetousness. To covet is to have a consuming desire to possess for one’s self only. It cares not who owns something, or who has a right to it. It is an extremely self-centred greed, bordering on narcissism, which dictates that the only thing that matters is unending variations of the word, me. Understanding is all about the wide world of others and covetousness is all about the narrow world of self-absorption, which latter world, of course, was fathered by the original, self-focused narcissist; the devil.

    If we are proactive and intentional about realizing what it will take to be a compassionate and decisive leader, there will never be a vacuum. Indeed, the door to all those selfish and harmful elements will stay closed, and our families, organizations and churches will enjoy the blessing of fulfilment and productivity, leaving a legacy that will be enjoyed for a long time.

    

Pick up the Scent Again

 

Proverbs 8:32 – Now therefore hearken unto me, O you children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.

    Imagine what life would be like if we always made wise choices. How would our financial situation look? What state would our health be in? What about our friendships or marriage? Realistically, though, we know that we do not always choose wisely. We live in a very imperfect world and there are many other factors and forces that come into play. A wise person then, may not necessarily, be someone who always acts wisely but one who, after making a wrong choice and possibly even falling, gets back up, dusts himself off and continues down the path of wisdom.

    We are exhorted by Wisdom to hearken to her. Hearken has its’ roots in an Old English word which was used to describe the hound dogs returning to the place where the scent had been lost in order to find it once again. Isn’t that powerful and picturesque? How many times have we lost the scent of God and have gotten off track and lost our way? Wisdom brings us back to the place where the scent has vanished and locates it for us once again.

    A hound is dependent on its nose for tracking, not necessarily its’ eyes or ears. It trusts its’ nose more than what it hears or sees. We, likewise, are to walk by faith and not by sight, not trusting our own understanding, but trusting in the wisdom of God. In other words, wisdom may not always look like wisdom, consequently, there is an element of faith that must go ahead and make the choice that it senses it must make. Purchase the land that other buyers are passing over. Befriend the person who is considered a lost cause. Apply for the job when it appears that it is way out of reach for you. Enter the contest. Start the business. Attend that church. Meet new people. Write the book. Learn the instrument. Trust what you sense inside; trust the guiding wisdom of God.

    Children are those who know that they can not make it on their own. They know their place and recognize their need for another to help. We are to have the spirit and attitude of a child; open, receptive, teachable and pliable. An innocent child is simply happy to be alive and eagerly taking in all the wonder.

    To be blessed is to be in a state of happiness and contentment, never wishing you were someone else, or wanting to be somewhere else. No! A blessed person has all that they need even though they may have many challenges and difficulties to face. It is a spiritual and emotional state that money or fame can never buy because it is not acquired through money; it is acquired through wisdom. There are many rich people in this world who do not have what the blessed person has, and those same rich people may even envy them because that condition of lasting happiness and satisfaction may have eluded them all their life.

    To keep God’s ways implies that we must be aware and on guard that there are enemies to walking in the paths of God. There will always be diversions and different paths being offered in an attempt to side-track us, so to speak. The paths of wisdom are well-established ways that are time-tested and time-trusted. We do not have to reinvent the wheel; those paths already exist. We just have to pick up the scent again and stay close to wisdom’s guidance. They that keep those ways and follow those paths are those who will continue to enjoy the blessing of God’s peace and contentment, no matter what comes their way, and that, my friends, is a satisfying life.

 

The Torn Veil

Mark 15:38 – And the veil of the temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom.

The death of Jesus was accompanied by an exceptionally significant and remarkably unusual occurrence; the veil which cordoned off the area of the temple known as the Holy of Holies, was torn in two. According to historians, that veil or curtain, was approximately sixty feet wide, forty feet high, and four inches thick. This was an extremely heavy and strong fabric. It would not be possible for any man to tear this veil; only God, Himself, could have torn it. It is also interesting to note that it was torn from the top to the bottom, which seems to establish that this was, in fact, an act of God. Someone has once said that if change does not come from the top down by revelation, it will come from the bottom up by revolution. In this case, God Himself, was initiating a dramatic change, from the top down.

The temple was always considered hallowed to the Jew, but the Holy of Holies was the place of utmost sacredness. There was such a holy fear and deep reverence about it that the average person would not dare to ask any questions about its’ mystery. Why was there a veil to begin with? What lies beyond the veil? Many priests ministered in the holy place, but only one priest was granted access to the Holy of Holies and that was the High Priest, and He was only permitted behind that thick curtain once a year on the Day of Atonement. Even though he was the High Priest and carried a lot of authority, on that day his authority would not be what protected him; his only safeguard would be his humility, and so he ventured in with trepidation and great precaution.

The veil was torn. A tear in any fabric is difficult, if not impossible, to mend. God was making a statement about the veil; He did not want man to step in and try to fix it. No! For God knows that when man attempts to fix things, particularly spiritual things beyond his understanding, he always makes matters worse. Religion is man’s attempt to fix things, mend things, and make them right. Religion wants to sew the veil and get back to the way things were. God, however, wanted a lasting change and He tore the veil for that reason.

That veil separated men from God’s presence, it put distance between them. It shrouded man’s understanding of God, thus creating a distorted view of the True and Living God. When the veil was torn it symbolized the freedom for all people to draw near and come close to God. It is as if God was saying, ‘Come, do not be afraid to approach my presence. You do not have to be anyone special, you do not need a list of credentials, or an impeccable lifestyle. All can come. All are invited. All are welcome.’

The other exciting thing that the torn veil illustrates is that not only can men now freely come to God, but God Himself moved out from behind the heavy curtain. He would no longer be veiled in mystery because of His choice to allow Himself to be seen in a new light. He would now be mobile and not limited to a certain place or city. Religion always insists that specific places are more sacred than others and so we must journey to those places to benefit. However, in God’s mind, it is not about the sanctified places as much as it is the sacred faces. Our gracious Father loves and values people, He longs for relationship.

He tore the veil because that veil only served a purpose until Jesus died. His death marked the beginning of a new era for mankind. It inaugurated a new relationship between God and man; indeed, Jesus’ death initiated a completely new creation. There would now be no separation, no barrier, nor exclusion.  It is as if our Father is saying, ‘It matters not where you have been, nor where you are right now. I am calling out for you. Like a love-struck man pursuing the woman of his dreams, I am pursuing you. I will not stop, my love for you is relentless. Don’t run from me. Slow down, stop, and listen. There is only one other veil that needs to be torn, and that is the veil in your mind that stops the true light from entering. I have torn the veil of the old way of doing things, now you must tear the veil of lies that have kept you from me. Rip the veil of fears that have blocked me out. Simply whisper the name of Jesus and the inner veil will be destroyed. The light and warmth of my love and grace will penetrate your heart and you will see how valuable and precious you are to me. Together we will walk, full of hope, into a brand-new and fulfilling future.’