Go First
There are times when leaders have to break new ground and be the first to step into uncharted territory. The people following often trust the leader enough to go with them into the unknown. When I come upon a scary situation and my family is with me – I always go first. I can also do that as a leader in the church where I serve or the industry that I work in. Leadership can sometimes be fearful and even lonely, but leaders lead with courage and boldness.
Nehemiah and the leaders of Jerusalem were deciding who was going to stay in Jerusalem now that the walls were rebuilt and the temple rebuilt. There were plenty of enemies on all sides who wanted to undo what they had just completed. Check this out…
1 Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns. 2 The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 11:1-2 NIV)
I commend our leaders who aren’t afraid to lead. I’m not always in agreement with where they lead, but they are our leaders. I’m thankful to live in a government by the people and for the people. The people who are our leaders are not without imperfections like the rest of us. I do think that leaders have a lot of pressure to gather information and make decisions according to the info gathered. I also see leaders who form laws and regulations that change our lives on a daily basis. These are often good laws that protect us. There are occasions though when “it seemed like a good idea at the time” and mistakes are made. I think a good sign of a leader is to own it and move on. I do believe all leaders are to be held accountable for choices that they make. This accountability makes for better leaders.
I like to see myself as a leader who first follows the Lord. I’m not afraid of breaking new ground as long as the Lord is leading me and directing my steps. If I’m walking in step with the Lord, then I’m never alone in leading.
Pressing On!
Dwayne