Calling MYSELF out

So for some reason, if have been feeling that "new day" feel the last two days.  A cloud is lifted.  I hope forever, but I will take for now.  At least long enough for me to focus on what is important.

It seems in life that whenever I face trouble, doubt, fear, depression, disappointment, etc, it means that I am not facing the all mighty and powerful God, creator of the universe.

So, here I am to roll it out for myself and my God, and lets take it from there. Lets start this off with a blog post from Perry Noble, who always rocks my world in the name of Christ Jesus, and made me post this blog and reflect.  Read his blog, then read my reaction after.

Four Reasons Why Leaders Stop Leading

from Perry Noble dot com by perry

#1 – Fear – being a leader does not mean that we will never be in situations that make us shake in our shoes; in fact, it means quite the opposite.  When a leader allows the fear of a circumstance to trump the fear of God in his life…he ceases to lead.
#2 – A Desire To Please Everyone – Moses, the greatest leader in the Old Testament, had people ready to kill him on several occasions.  After Jesus preached His first sermon people took him to a cliff and wanted to throw him off.  (Luke 4:28-30)  The Apostle Paul actually had people who traveled from town to town just to persecute him.  If Moses, Jesus and Paul could not please everyone…why in the world would anyone think they could.  When the shift goes from please “Him” to pleasing “them,” it’s over.  You’ve ceased to lead!
#3 – Addiction To Comfort – There is always a price to pay if you want to go to the next level…and so often when that price begins to impact a leaders comfort zone he will back off from leading the charge and slip into cruise control.  This type of person refuses to seek advice from other leaders.  They refuse to read anything that may be helpful.  They refuse to attend any sort of conference that may challenge them.  They refuse to believe that there are better, more effective ways to do what they are doing.  All because IF they did these things they may have to face CHANGE…which totally blows up comfortability.
#4 – Disconnection From God – THE most DANGEROUS thing a leader can do is to STOP focusing on God and BEGGING Him for direction.  Going back to Moses for a second…all Big Mo did was listen to God and then do what He said.  When we become so busy “doing” leadership rather than focusing on the ONE we are supposed to be following in order to effectively lead others…we (AND the people we lead) are in trouble.

I let fear take over.  I let fear shake me in my shoes.  Why?   2,3,4.  Because I took my eyes off of Jesus, saw the storm raging around me and ended up sinking.

One of the NT characters I can closely identify with is Peter.  Time and time again I see myself in Peter's shoes.  Time and time again I make dumb mistakes.  But Jesus forgives me, just like Jesus forgives Peter.  And oh the tears I shed when I read about Peter jumping in to swim to shore so he can be with Jesus faster when he realizes he returned. 

See, He is always there.  I am just not always paying attention.

Forgive me God.  The whole reason I felt so far away from you is that, much like your children the Israelites, I got distracted, I forgot your goodness, I got selfish and overwhelmed and full of fear.

And the Lord responds: (Isaiah 54)
¹⁰ Though the mountains be shaken
       and the hills be removed,
       yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
       nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
       says the LORD, who has compassion on you.  ¹¹ "O afflicted city, lashed by storms and not comforted,
       I will build you with stones of turquoise, ^[a]
       your foundations with sapphires. ^[b]
 12 I will make your battlements of rubies,
       your gates of sparkling jewels,
       and all your walls of precious stones.
 ¹³ All your sons will be taught by the LORD,
       and great will be your children's peace.
 ¹⁴ In righteousness you will be established:
       Tyranny will be far from you;
       you will have nothing to fear.
       Terror will be far removed;
       it will not come near you.
 ¹⁵ If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing;
       whoever attacks you will surrender to you.
 ¹⁶ "See, it is I who created the blacksmith
       who fans the coals into flame
       and forges a weapon fit for its work.
       And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc;
 ¹⁷ no weapon forged against you will prevail,
       and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.
       This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD,
       and this is their vindication from me,"
       declares the LORD.