Having What It Takes

Last week I spent a little bit of time thinking about the question from John Wesley, "How is it with your soul?" I challenged each of you to ask yourself that question, and I went a bit farther by questioning whether we would be willing to ask that question to each other. When Kelli called from Willow Creek, I heard Maxine in the background say, "ask him how it is with his soul?" I don't know if I also heard Maxine's evil laugh behind the question or not. I have been thinking a great deal about this question this past week, especially as I am trying to order my own soul.

One of the things I am doing as part of my spiritual formation is to read through the Bible this year. I am right on target. I have never read from cover to cover like this before, well, I have attempted it many times, but I have never made it this far - I just finished Judges. I have read every book in the Bible many times - especially in seminary. But I am really trying to make this daily through the Bible in order a central part of my development as a follower of Jesus and as a leader.

The leadership of Israel during the time of the judges was either really good, or really bad.

Gideon - Good guy. Lessons learned - God uses us in spite of our limitations. Even when you make great spiritual progress you can still easily fall into sin if you aren't consistently seeking God. Leaving a legacy is very important. Gideon's was not good.

Abimelech - Bad guy. Lessons learned - Power hungry and ruthless - killed 69 brothers. Leadership isn't about power, but about serving. He didn't get it. The whole nation suffered.

Quotes from Henry Blackaby:
"Leaders do not have to prove God is guiding them. God's presence will be unmistakable."

""The definitive measure of leaders' success is whether they moved their people from where they were to where God wanted them to be."

"If your place is not great enough to suit you, make it so. The minister who is unable to make a place great is too weak to hold a great one."

"Society-shaking, world-changing, history-making thought is not produced by lackadaisical, lazy minds."

How is it with your soul today?