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Leadership Leads… Good or Bad
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“...from the prophets of Jerusalem 
ungodliness has spread throughout the land.” 
Jeremiah 23:15  NIV
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All my John Maxwell training is going to be put to the test in three and a half weeks when I’ll be moderating a panel on Leadership at the Women’s Connection District Retreat in Grimsby, Ontario. {If you’re going, make sure to stop by my table and say hello!}

I have some amazing ladies on the panel who hold various organizational leadership roles in business, government positions, church leadership, and home management. The goal is to elevate the confidence of women in leadership positions and practically help improve their skills, enabling them to walk further and faster into the destiny God has for their lives.

As we’ve been preparing for the panel, I can’t help but look back and rate my skillfulness as a leader. Lots of passes, and plenty of fails. My thoughts went back to my first leadership position as a big sister. 🙂

Sometimes, my little sister, Lori would follow me around playing ‘Copycat’. Remember that annoying childhood game where people followed you around; often one-step behind you, repeating every word you said, copying move you made? Lori used to drive me crazy doing this! Thankfully, we’ve grown up and now have a great relationship! {Don’t we look cute together now 🙂 } As a “big sister” I hope I’ve given Lori more good examples to follow than bad ones! No matter how small your leadership role may seem, it will have a huge impact because

Leadership Leads…Good or Bad!

RECOGNIZING YOUR REACH

Sometimes we minimize the effect our leadership has in the home, school, court, field, rink, church or place of employment. Whenever God has elevated you to a place of leadership, people are going to follow in your footsteps—It’s a scary thing!

A friend once said to me,

“I was forced to go to church and I won’t put my kids through that.
I don’t want them to be forced to live what I believe but to be able to choose for themselves.”

Since she never took her kids to church, they simply followed her lead and have seldom gone to church because they were never given another option to choose from. Failure to give guidance is, in fact, leading, since it causes people to blindly follow your example and not know why.

[tweetthis]You’re leading, even when you try not to lead. #leadership [/tweetthis]

Our leadership in life is followed,
much more than we recognize.

Today’s verse comes from the book of Jeremiah. In his time, many of the prophets weren’t leading well. They weren’t proclaiming God’s word to the people, but instead speaking what they knew the people wanted to hear, so they would keep following them… following them down the wrong path.

These false prophets were sharing a watered-down message with false hopes that led the people to be disappointed in God; causing them to turn away from Him. Jeremiah had to swim against the tide of his time as their poisonous message,

“spread throughout the land”.

Leadership was difficult for Jeremiah, but he knew his responsibility was to clear the path for others, so they could follow the right way; because

[tweetthis]Leadership Leads… Good or Bad #leadership[/tweetthis]

So, what’s going to spread in the future as people follow you?

Prayer

Father… I’m overwhelmed when I recognize that you have given me such influence in my world. Help me to be wise with my words and actions so that my life impacts others to know and love you more! May others follow your plans for their lives as they see me chasing after the destiny you’ve set before me. In Jesus name…Amen

I WILL RISE
Women’s Connection Conference

https://womensconnection.ca/events/conference

If you’re in the area, I hope you’ll join us
Don’t forget to sign up for the Leadership Panel}.
1. Ephesians 1:5
2. Hebrews 13:7
3. James 3:1
4. 1 Timothy 4:12
If you liked the refreshing in this #SoulH2O devotion, you’ll love my latest Soul H2O Devotional book: 40 Thirst Quenching Devotions for Women.

#Dare2Share
Post in the Comment Section below and bolster the faith of someone else!

Other posts about my journey with John C. Maxwell, the JMTeam, or John’s Books:
John C. Maxwell And God Want You To Be A Talent-Plus Person
Mentored to Lead by John C. Maxwell

WHERE YOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP MY BLOG WITH OR PLACES WHERE MY WRITING HAS BEEN FEATURED

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Am I Worth Following?
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“Many other people went up with them.”
~Exodus 12:38 NIV
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When you think about ‘following people’ these days doesn’t your mind go right to social media?

Well, mine goes further back than that. My brain goes right back to childhood memories when someone would follow me around…in that annoying, copy-cat kind of way, when a kid just wouldn’t give up and mimicked my every move. It used to drive me crazy! I mean…was I really worth following?

My church is in the middle of a series on Moses. Each week I’m hearing new perspectives on Moses’ life and the story about the Israelites leaving Egypt. When I was reading the story in my Bible, I re-read something I had made a note on years ago and I think it’s a part of the Exodus story details you might have missed?

I’m guessing you know God brought the Israelites out of bondage from Egypt through the Red Sea since Charleton Heston or Steven Spielberg’s, The Prince of Egypt taught you that much! Reading your Bible explains how eventually, the people got it together and entered The Promised Land but…

[tweetthis]Did you know it wasn’t just the Israelites that left Egypt under Moses’ leadership? [/tweetthis]

The Bible tells us that

“many other people went up with them”.

The original wording makes is clear that there were people of different nationalities who followed Moses and the Israelites, out of Egypt and into the desert. Scripture doesn’t give us a reason why these people followed the Israelites out of town, but I don’t think it takes rocket-science to figure it out why they were worth following.

The people would have seen God at work in the miraculous signs and wonders He performed through Moses, all to deliver the people He loved. They would have seen God provide for His people. Who wouldn’t want to join that group? Because of Moses’ and the other Israelites boldness, people were willing to take a stand and follow God’s leading for themselves.

When I was young I didn’t like people following right behind me; but as I read Moses’ story with fresh eyes, I’m filled with the desire to live a life worth following and I hope you are too!

Prayer

Father…Thank you for loving me. I ask that my life would be marked with signs and wonders of Your hand at work so, others will be drawn in and find my life worth following. Help me to lead a clear, straight path right to Your heart. In Jesus Name…Amen

If you liked the refreshing in this #SoulH2O devotion, you’ll love my latest Soul H2O Devotional book: 40 Thirst Quenching Devotions for Women.

#Dare2Share
Post in the Comment Section below and bolster the faith of someone else!
1. Exodus 12:38
2. Exodus 12:19
3. John 12:32
4. 1 Corinthians 11:1, 1 Corinthians 4:16
YOU CAN OFTEN FIND ME LINKING UP WITH:
MONDAY Monday Meditations – Laura J. Davis, Soul Survival – Donna Reidland ,
TUESDAY Cheerleaders of Faith #RARaLinkup – Kelly Balarie ,
WEDNESDAY Coffee For Your Heart – Holley Gerth , Word Nerd Wednesdays — Liz Giertz
THURSDAY Heart Encouragement Thursday – Crystal Storms , Chasing Community – Barbara Bradford Ottinger
FRIDAY Dance With Jesus Linkup – Susan B. Mead , Grace and Truth Linkup – Arabah Joy , Counting My Blessings – Deb Wolf, Fresh Market Friday – Crystal Twaddell ELLEN’S PICKS– Ellen Graf-Martin

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Follow Me

“There remains, then a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.”
Hebrews 4:10-11 NIV
Does the idiom, “Do as I say, not as I do” annoy anyone else? It bothers me when I hear parents repeating it to their kids. They say it as if it’s a joke, when really it’s backed up by their actions. The Free Dictionary describes this phrase as: “Take my advice, even though I am acting contrary to it”.¹ I’m so thankful that we serve a heavenly father who parents nothing like this! God never requires something of us that He has not modeled for us. He tells us to take a Sabbath rest, following His example.
Good Leaders lead by example, not by rule.
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” In Matthew 4:19 NIV. Jesus had every right to say, “follow me” because that is exactly what He was doing, fishing for people. Paul encouraged believers many times to follow his example, even saying twice that people should “imitate” him. In Philippians 3:17, Paul said “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.” NIV We need to be Christians who lead by example, so that we can say, “Do as I say, and as I do!”
Prayer:
Father…I thank-you for modeling good things before me. Help me to follow your example to rest and to model what I say, in what I do. May I live a life that others will be better to follow after. In Jesus name, Amen
¹ https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/Do+as+I+say,+not+as+I+do

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