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Are You A Self-serving Leader?
| Posted at 05:21 PM on March 18, 2009 |
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Are You a Self-serving Leader?
By Holly Spence
The scripture, ?Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.? Psalms 139:23-24 came alive for me. I made an earnest request of God to show me my heart, His word to ?search me? came alive, and the revelatory excavation of the scripture is truly light unto my path.
The heart has four chambers and each chamber has valves and vessels that are responsible to keep the body alive. It is important to have our heart fully functioning to eliminate the probability of heart failure or other frailties within the body. Plain and simple, ?the condition of our heart determines the operation of our body?. Serving is a matter of the heart. Your heart will determine whether you are a self-serving leader or a servant leader.
A self-serving leader?s heart is easily detectable based on[1]:
· Whether you spend your time self promoting
· Self-interest
· Spending your time protecting your status or position.
· Not willing to share their job responsibilities or mentor someone to take their place.
· Not willingly accepting or receiving feedback that will enhance their ability to lead those that have been assigned to them.
Self-serving leadership is self-promoting and always desires the praise of man for service rendered. Self-serving leaders think serving will masquerade the unsavory, despicable, and gauche quintessence of the heart. Allow this chapter to serve as a caveat that everything done in the dark shall come to light. ?For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.? Matthew 23:12
?For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.? Luke 12:34
A servant exemplifies the following scripture ?Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but humility consider others better than yourselves.? Philippians 2:3 NIV. Serving is the giving of your self and giving just as serving is a matter of the heart not the condition of your circumstance.
[1] The Servant leader by Ken Blachard and Phil Hodges
What In The World Are You Thinking?
| Posted at 01:17 PM on February 12, 2009 |
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What In The World Are You Thinking?
What do you want for your life? What goals do you personally have for yourself? What is hindering you from achieving those goals?
The answer to these questions, or perhaps the inability for you to answer these questions, could be a direct result of the way you think. What you have been thinking is what you have been practicing and is manifested in you life, “For as a man thinketh so is he”.
In order to change your thoughts, first have to identify what thoughts you currently play over and over in your head.
Let’s start with the negative thoughts. Use the space below to identify negative thoughts that have contribute to your “Stinking Thinking”. Include when it was said and who said it to you.
This may not have been easy for you, but in order to change your thoughts it’s imperative that you identify where you currently are. If you weren’t able to complete your list, I suggest you take a couple hours or couple days and come back to complete your list before moving on.
Some reasons why people have difficulty identifying their negative thoughts is due to the inability to face the truth. You have to be committed to telling yourself the truth throughout this process. You also must be willing to make a change, and “LET GO”. Your attitude and willingness to change will ultimately determine the level of empowerment you experience.
Excerpt from “The Power of 10 Gaining Empowerment in 10 minutes, 10 words, 10 people” by Holly Spence
Servanthood: Position, Title or Worship?
| Posted at 11:18 PM on January 10, 2009 |
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Servanthood: Position, Title or Worship?
“O come let us worship and bow down:
let us kneel before the Lord our maker”
Psalms 96:6
Webster’s Definition of Servant - one that performs duties about the person or home of a master or personal employer.
Hebrew Definition of Servant - eded (5650) from the root word abad (5647), which means to work.
Greek Definition of Servant - doulos (1401) from the root word deho (1210) to bind or bond, translated as slave or servant.
The most popular definition we are familiar with is the Greek definition diakonos (1249) –an attendant, a waiter teacher, pastor, deacon, minister or servant.
Often we may have the opinion that a certain level of achievement or status has been reached if we have someone wait on us. In many churches, some people are looking to be elders, pastors or bishops and think that the title of servanthood should be removed. This conventional opinion has created murals of egos on the canvas of our churches today.
In every position within the church there is some level of servitude that takes place. A bishop or pastor serves those entrusted into their care, through counseling, development or building of faith through the Word of God, etc. Elders and deacons are put in place to further assist the pastor to serve the people of God.
Regardless of the title, bishop, elder/pastor, deacon, steward/trustee, worship leader, grounds keeper, director of the usher board, head armor bearer, chief of the sound ministry or children’s church coordinator, you are in a position of servanthood. Some of the greatest leaders in the bible are referred to as servants opposed to a title, for example Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Paul, Priscilla and many more.
So often we have a spiked temperature of desire for a certain title or position in the church. We think that having a title makes us great in the Kingdom of God, or it makes us look and feel important in the Body of Christ. Changing our hearts and minds by the Word of God will produce a natural fever-reducing antidote to this unbalanced desire. Position and title come along with responsibility, persecution, inconvenience, flexibility, selflessness, a submitted life and a glad heart. We want positions and a title in ministry, but are not willing to commit to the sacrifice that it requires. We falsely believe that a position and title gives an increased level of respect.
If you need a position and title to make you feel important there is an inadequacy in you that must be corrected.
Excerpt from "Servant Leadership The Heart That Serves" by Holly Spence order on our product page.
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