Who's Leading You?

I recently began using Tim Elmore's Habitudes as my devotional for each day. I honestly cannot say enough about how awesome these things are when it comes to how it teaches people. There is a part of me that is in awe of what he does with each image and another part that is jealous that I can't pick out these ideas and lessons. But, through this, I came across another thought:

 How do you lead if you're not being led?

I have been involved in some sort of leadership for most of my life. Leadership for me began when I recognized the gifts that God had given me to lead people. That is not a cocky statement, that is more a comment on the reality of my life. I have always desired leadership because it is in the weave of the fabric that makes up me. So, this question has been asked of me many times in my life. However, this question carries a distinct weight to it when applied to Christian leadership.

For the Christ follower, there is a collection of sixty-six letters, books, and accounts from the greatest Teacher ever intended to guide and direct our very worldview and the way that we go about our daily lives. But, more than that, we are a part of a Body that is interwoven and connected for the purpose of extending the reach of the name of Jesus. This Body is meant to build itself up and edify the other parts of the Body. Yet, at the head of this Body is its Lord/Savior/King.

I've noticed, in my life, that I need others to help push me; guide me, into new levels of leadership and devotion. It is one thing to dedicate ourselves to Bible Study (which is a given to me) but the form of our creation to be relational beings suggests to me that we were intended to have people in our lives that help to lead us. For some that means a book, for others that means a mentoring relationship, and still others it means both. So, the question comes back to you and me in a very introspective form:

Who is leading you and who are you allowing to lead you so that you can lead others?

A New Dedication to Discipleship

In my life, I have noticed that there really isn't a conversation that I'm not willing to jump into. This has proven to be devastating and helpful all in the same time. Devastating for the original conversation and the person that now hates me for destroying their "awesome" conversation (clearly, it couldn't be that good. I hadn't entered it yet.) and helpful in the sense that I get to exercise my ability to hold a conversation. Actually, there have been a few conversations that I have been in that have helped me know a few new things about where I want to choose to take my life.

Tonight, I am getting together with some guys that I have began a bit of a tradition with that includes wings, Cherry Pepsi, usually broccoli bites (if Corey gets them) and some good ole conversation. The crazy thing about this meeting is that it has just been about us connecting together and sharing our lives with each other, sometimes. And we would challenge each other to live more like Jesus and push ourselves to be more like the person that God has called us to be, sometimes. I say sometimes, because sometimes, I choose to miss #MondayNights. I do it because I am selfish and have decided that there is something better to do other than spending time with the guys.

What is ironic, is that I have been that pastor that pushes you to get into a small group whether you want to or not and hounds you down when I hear you weren't at your small group; gets really frustrated when you decide to choose other things over your small group and generally come across as this legalistic, frustrating and abrasive guy that doesn't really care what you were doing that you couldn't be at small groups.

Well, I have decided // to follow Jesus. No, just kidding. I have decided to dedicate myself to something that I really don't have any idea how to accomplish. I am dedicating myself to putting in the time to develop relationships beyond what they are now. I am confirming in myself the calling to do life with another human being and doing it at a level that I would only do with the closest of people.

As I have made this decision, I have recognized that I have to make this something that I want to do. I can't make it something that I have to do. Even in my own psyche, I have to make it something that I want to do. So, tonight, when we get into the knitty-gritty and we start to lay out plans and we start to develop a small group, I'm going to dive in; I'm going to express my need for something more in life and what I want to see our small group become. Because I'm part of this group and I want it to mean something in my life.

So, here's my lesson. I need to start helping people see the importance of doing life together in a setting that they can do life together. These things don't start as programs every time. They can, but the best ones start because people decide to take things to a new level.

What things are you doing to intentionally do life with people?
What things are already in place right now that you simply need to recognize your needs and express those needs in order to want that more in your life?

GC

Teachable Tuesday: Being Discipled

There are times in our lives where we want to live life footloose and fancy free. There are times in our lives where we desire responsibility. And sometimes we desire some sort of instruction in our lives. Maybe these aren't just seasons, but they are areas of our life that we desire to have someone audibly and directly give us some instruction or teaching. Think I'm making this up? Do you go to church? That's what I thought.

Recently, I was meeting with Derry and there were a couple of things that we needed to talk about with regard to some of those areas in my own life. Areas where I needed to see someone just tell me that this was how it was going to be. I needed to hear from someone of superior wisdom and discipline that these things needed to just get put on the "done" list.

It's funny, because things like reading my Bible, spending time with Jesus and completing tedious tasks should be something that is so easy to grasp and apply discipline to my life. And yet, discipline is one of the most difficult things to see in our lives. It is pretty clear that the rebellion that I so desperately try to refute continues to be present. Thankfully, I have people in my life that have been given the responsibility to help sharpen me and allow discipline to be introduced into my life.

What about you?
What do you do to see discipline introduced into your life?

A load of posts lately...

I don't want to be that guy that apologizes to the 14 readers of my blog, so I won't, but I have realized that writing on this blog this needs to be a discipline of mine not for those 14 readers, but for myself. I am convinced that if I make more areas of my life more disciplined, then that attitude will spread to other areas of my life.

So, when it comes down to it, this is the start of a revamping. I'm committed to it and I recognize that I am not able to accomplish this change on my own. If this is going to happen it is going to be because I allow God to take over my life. So, here's to allowing God to change me!

Responses to DB - A Blog Series - The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Disciplines

This topic is so difficult for me. I find myself faced with a very undisciplined life in regards to following traditional disciplines. Fasting, devotions, Bible memorization, etc. All of these are difficult for me to say that I do them on a regular basis. I like to use the excuse that it is because of my busy-ness in college and all the other extracurricular activities that I participate in, I am unable to sustain a consistent, disciplined life. And this is not healthy to me. I know this. I "put my faith in Him and trust in His Spirit to guide me." And yet, I do not allow for that spirit to give me sustenance each and every day.

I have recently begun to work out and spend that twenty minutes, attempting to be a decent steward of the temple that He has entrusted me with. And I have tried to continue to rise in the morning at a decent time (although this has been a major challenge as I near the end of my time with those that are closest to me). However, these are meager attempts to discipline myself into a lifestyle that will allow me to be most productive and still be poured into by His Spirit.

I feel that this is most difficult for me because it was never a part of my life earlier than my college years. I'm 23 years old and let's face it. That's not old by any means, however, I have established myself in some habits that i simply cannot break easily; Healthy and unhealthy. However, it is by the Spirit that I have realized the desperate need for spiritual disciplines to be present in my life if I am to effectively lead people on a "Spirit-guided" path.

So because of this, I have devoted myself to spending some time fasting, each week; spending some time reading Scripture, each day; spending time in prayer, and not just speaking to God, but listening for God, each day. I feel that by devoting myself to this, I have allowed Him to push me to a new level of devotion and dedication to His cause.

How can I seek His heart each day if I don't even know what His Heart looks like?
How can I seek His heart each day if I don't know where to look?
How can I seek His heart each day if I don't allow Him to guide me?
How can I know what His Love truly is unless I depend on Him for life?