A Staff of Giant Slayers!

There are so many books and articles out there on leadership it almost makes you think, ‘does anyone really know what leadership actually is?’.

We stress over the people we lead. We stress whether we have the right team to make our vision a reality. We stress whether we have people in the right roles to fit their gifts and personalities. We stress as to why our team doesn’t always do what we want them to do! Leadership can be stressful!

However, when I look at leadership from a biblical perspective, it isn’t really stressful, it isn’t complicated and it isn’t rocket science. When I see the biblical view of leadership it is simple. The biblical view of leadership is that people who are like you will follow you. People who believe in you will follow you and people will do the things you do. If you are having a hard time leading a team, take a look at yourself and ask the question, ‘am I dreaming big enough, am I pursuing something worth others investing in and am I killing enough giants so that my team start to kill giants?’.

Let me explain. In 2 Samuel 21:15-22 we see an incredible series of events. Many years after King David had killed the famous giant, Goliath, some of Goliath’s family came on the scene and started causing problems again. All of Goliath’s family were giants also, just as menacing and just as frightening as the big man himself. David, being the resident giant killer could have rolled back the years and challenged each one of Goliath’s family,  but there was no need. You see, David’s men told the king to stay put. They wanted to kill the giants! So four of David’s men each took on a giant and that day, four giants instead of one were slain! All by average men who followed a King they believed in. They had heard the stories of David’s greatest victory and wanted to be like David.

I can guarantee that if David had never slain his giant, the people he led would not today be known as giant slayers!

Leaders with the greatest team or staff of giant killers know themselves what it takes to be a giant slayer. What do you need to overcome today as a leader so that tomorrow the people you lead will know they can overcome the problems that come their way? What kind of people do you want following you? You must first become that kind of person, then those like you will follow you!

Foggy Times

Today is the last day of summer, so my friend Paulie and I decided to finish the summer of with a little contest on the golf course. At 7am this morning we tied off. It was cold, damp and it had only been light for about 20 minutes. The cold and the damp didn’t bother me because the forecast was for clear skies and a temperature in the mid 70’s. Perfect golf weather we thought!

As we tied off we noticed that a thick layer of fog was settling in on the course. After the first hole (which Paulie chipped in for birdie!) the fog became pretty intense. So much so that we could see only about 150 yards in front of us. For the next five holes we could not see where we were hitting the ball. After numberous lost balls and incredibly high scores I realized golf is almost impossible to play if you can’t see where you are going. Our bad play got worse and the fog started to get into our heads. After about seven holes the fog lifted and the sun starting to come out. It was too late to save my score! I had hit 54 shots for nine holes! My worse score since I was about 13!

Most people would have given up, but not us. I challenged myself to break 90 for the round (something that normally isn’t a problem, except today!). As the sun came out our play become like night and day from the front nine. I finished the round with a 92. Not a good score overall, but a great score considering the foggy hole I’d got myself into.

This just made me realize how important in life it is to know and see where we are going. It is important to know the plan for our lives and keep the finish line always in our sight. Many times the fog of this life will come in and cloud our vision. It is at these times that we get frustrated and even lose our way. However, we need to hang in there. You maybe going through an ugly nine holes in your life, but be assured that the fog will lift. I’m not sure when, but it will, and when it does be ready to have the best last nine holes of your life!

1 Corinthians 13:12 tells us this, ‘We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us! (MSG)

God has made the way for our lives. We just have to follow the path he has set. It is in the foggy times that we need to lean on him to direct us through the course of life. When the fog lifts, then is the time to enjoy the opportunity God gives us to fulfill what he has designed.

Clearing Some Space

My computer in my office is dying a slow death. It is now the slowest computer known to man! Slight exaggeration but my phone does perform at a much better rate than this large piece of equipment I call a PC!

After several weeks of becoming increasingly frustrated I decided to do a bit of clean up work. While that is not the long term answer (the long term answer is a shinny new Mac!), it sure has helped in the short term.

It took me two hours this week to clear my files and programs off and then to re-install the programs I actually need. While it is never going to be the envy of the office, it now has the capability once again to assist me in my work. When you spend more time waiting for your computer, or fixing your computer than actually using your computer for what it was bought for you know there is an issue.

Many times in our lives we get to a place where we slow down to a point where we stop working. It is at these points in our lives that we need to take a moment and spiritually and mentally detox. We need to evaluate what programs or things are running in our lives and decide whether they are slowing us down or helping achieve what we were designed to do.

Take a moment this weekend and evaluate all the things in your life. It maybe time to go back to basics and get back on the road to your destiny and fulfilled dreams.