Leading By Living

"Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less." If you have ever read a John Maxwell book, then you have no doubt seen that sentence before. If not, then consider this statement.

Leadership is the ability to influence others. Note, that influence isn't universally good, or universally bad. You can have strong influence in many people's lives, and that isn't necessarily a good thing. You can also have strong influence over a few people's lives and make a tremendous positive impact.

Every moment of your life, you are influencing someone. Whether it is your kids, spouse, co-workers, employees, or even friends, you are influencing them.

The real question is, how are you influencing them?

In 1 Timothy, Paul is talking to his protege Timothy, about leading others, more specifically leading others that are older than him.

Paul gives Timothy this advice in 1 Timothy 4:12 "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity."

Paul basically tells Timothy, lead people. Lead by living in a way that honors God. Give them as little ammunition as possible to make an accusation against you.

So please allow me to ask you this question today, who are you leading? Who are you influencing with your life? Are they better off because of your influence?

Make the necessary adjustments to lead well, to influence well. Lead by living.

Patience Partnered with Love

You know that person that has a personality that just rubs you the wrong way? Maybe it's something insignificant like the sound of their voice, or whistle their nose makes. Maybe it's something a little more substantial like differing points of view on a topic you are passionate about, or they have said or done something that deeply affected you.

Whatever the reason, you find your patience stretched, and you are tempted to react in a way that normally you wouldn't.

We have all been there, and we have all reacted in a way we regret. So what are we supposed to do in these moments? It feels like we have done all we can, and we are ready to blow.

I have a suggestion for you to consider. You don't just have a patience problem, you also have a love problem.

1 Peter 4:8 says, "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."

Patience that is rooted in love, goes a lot further than patience that is rooted in self-discipline.

So the next time you find yourself feeling thin, and when you are tempted to react in a way you know you will regret later, consider this thought.

Ask God to increase your patience, but also ask that God would increase your love too.

The Power of Real Friendship

I confess I have never been real great at building deep friendships. I am not sure if it's just the fear of being vulnerable with other people, or something else. Yet, the friendships I have kept over a long period of time, have added such value to my life.

With that said, my definition of friendship has changed drastically over the years. Most of my friendships early on were based off who I could have the most fun with, or who would join me in my crazy adventures.  

Growing up I had a small group of people I would call my close friends. Of that group, there is really only one that I would still consider a close friend. Not because I don't like the others, or we had some terrible falling out. 

Truth is, the reason why most of the other friendships faded, was I never took the time to develop those relationships into anything deeper than just a friendship of convenience. 

Real friends, and real friendships are powerful, and life changing. Friendship is a gift from God. The Old Testament story of David and Jonathan shows an amazing story of two friends who were so committed to each other, that even when the entire world seemed to push them apart, they still cared about each other, still encouraged each other, still told each other the truth. 

It's a scary thing to commit to stand with someone, no matter what. To choose to be there even when you're tired; to speak hard truths when you'd rather be silent; to forgive even when it really hurts. 

Yet, these are the friendships that truly help us grow. The friendships that carry us through the most difficult times. These friendships are truly powerful.

So allow me to encourage you with this thought, if you haven't put the effort into building some strong, lasting friendships, consider giving it a try. If you haven't allowed yourself to let your guard down long enough to let some real friends in, consider giving it a try.

Choose to be a real friend, and allow them to be a real friend to you. It is a gift from God, and it will change your life for the better.