Do You Know How To Ride the Draft of Social Change?
Good Morning Friends,
For me the Bible is essential reading to form our thinking and for helping us to learn how to lead during this time of global change. Everything seems to rise or fall on leadership…how God uses flawed people to carry out His purposes…how successful we are at imitating those who imitate the Word made flesh. Some people think that the consciousness of people around the world has grown to such a critical mass that the force of its unified presence is going to change the world forever. Today’s devotional gives us insight into the role of and proper response to human leadership in our developing a transformational relationship with God… in our becoming an image of Christ during times of change. In the Bible are scores of leaders doing good things, doing purposeful things that almost always come with resistance. Birds flying in formation, cyclist in a race, have figured this out. Social change…spiritual change faces a similar headwind that also needs cooperation, leadership and a little rest. Think of the vision casting of Nehemiah. Think of Moses and Moses passing the torch to Joshua. Think of Paul and Titus. Think of Jesus and the Centurion who knew about leadership. Do You Know How To Ride the Draft of Social Change?
Scripture: Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
Hebrews 10:23-25 (NRSV)
After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.’ And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave does it.’ When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, he said, ‘I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.’ When those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave in good health.
Luke 7:1-10 (NRSV)
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
Titus 2:11-14 (NRSV)
Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
Hebrews 13:7 (NRSV)
Message: If you do not want to be transformed, don’t read the Bible. God speaks through the Bible, reveals His truths through the Bible and God works in our lives through the Bible. The struggle comes when we put this into practice. That is why we need human leaders filled with the Holy Spirit to guide us. Appreciate your leaders. Take a good look at their lives and let their faithfulness and truthfulness instruct you so you too can be used by God to humbly lead others as well. Are you encouraging and inspiring others by facing the resistance of life with its chaos, challenges, confusion, anxiety and weariness? Have you learned to draft behind the servant leadership of Jesus? It is after all the work of being a follower of the Way.
Today’s scripture from Hebrews encourages us to work together in the face of resistance. The issues here abound but one example of this resistance is our love as a culture with addictions. It permeates the media…violence…sex…fear become tools for selling products like alcohol, drugs and unattainable images. Paul gives us an understanding that badly formed spiritual leadership, leadership that does not reflect a God-filled life, can be very damaging and certainly so in such a culture as ours. Paul describes grace in a unique and wonderful way to young Titus, explaining how grace opens doors and leads us into right actions… what is good. This undeserved sovereign favor- grace- teaches us about leadership…that human leadership that is secondary to that of God. Our God is the leader who heals and saves, corrects and blesses calls and judges. God provides the personal leadership that brings us good in our lives. We learn that perhaps the best leadership for us is a bit inconspicuous but also firm, filled with God’s strength endorsed in our actions. This is the leadership that Paul encourages and hopes to see developed in Titus and in us, a grace that teaches us to say “no” so Christ can be the “yes” in us that encourages others in the hope of the salvation of Christ living in us. Friends, awaken to the consciousness of Christ in you. Be empowered by a mind that helps you discern right actions and with resilience accomplish something together that is impossible to do alone. Friends, it is about the relationship and always has been.
Pray we figure out how to work together. Pray that Christ helps to pull us along. Pray that in our daily walk we look for those who are struggling and give them spiritual, relational, physical and financial encouragements. Pray we have a vision of God acting. Pray we are forward thinking in a way that allows God to do for us and with us what we could never do alone. Pray we have faith and love in Christ’s leadership. Pray we hear, feel and see Jesus’ new command. Pray we respond to the urgent call of Jesus when in the fight of his life…the fight of our lives. Pray for the one thing that demonstrates the worthiness of leadership…..the one thing that counts for success….. Pray for love, because then, when we love, they will know we are Christians. Pray for momentum that carries us the distance.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 