This Paradoxical Step of Jesus Seems Counterproductive For Leaders

Jesus Was The Greatest Leader Who Ever Lived

In John chapter six we read that many of Jesus’ disciples turned away and stopped following Him. This would seem to be a pivotal point in a preacher’s ministry. It would be a heartbreaking and crushing defeat to any of us. We might even wonder if we should keep preaching.

The Son of God seems to have simply dismissed the slight against Him.

Not only did He seem to dismiss the slight, Jesus brought the question to the Apostles—the question that would once again reinforce their faith. The question forced them to decide whether they would follow Jesus even if their friends abandoned Him.

At what could be considered one of the lowest points in the ministry of Jesus, He fearlessly risked even His own closest followers with one simple question:

“Do you also want to go away?”

Some people think that losing followers is the worst thing that can happen to a leader. After all, a leader leads others. If you "run off" your followers, you are not a leader. But Jesus taught us that leadership requires the courage to risk that very possibility.

Take the big steps.

Go the places you should go.

Lead with courage and faith.

Challenge people to deepen their level of commitment.

Do not become discouraged if people reject you or your message. Every now and then you have to give people the option: "Do you also want to go away?"

Ask them. Don't be afraid of the answer.

Add This To Get The Most From Life

For true life, add the kind of love the Bible teaches!

“The Greatest of These is Love.”

The above words from Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:13 grow more meaningful as I grow in Christ.

Faith is awesome! It is electrifying! It helps me feel alive and keeps me rooted in God’s word. But love is greater.

Hope! What can we say about it? It has helped countless people walk through this life in the roughest of times. It has brought light to hearts that would otherwise be full of darkness. But love is still better.

How can we quantify faith, hope, and love and come to the conclusion that one is better than the other? It’s not a matter of quantifying but of essence and timeframes.

First of all, our hope for Heaven and our hope to see God one day will vanish when we meet Him. Why would we yearn and long for Heaven if we are already there? Hope will be fulfilled, but love will continue. 

The same is true about faith. We now live by faith, not sight. But one day we will SEE God. Our faith will be fulfilled, but we will always have love. So love is better because of how much longer it will exist.

There is another reason love is superior. Love is better than faith or hope because God’s very nature is love. John wrote by the Holy Spirit in 1 John 4:7-8, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

When we show love, we are showing the essence of God’s character and nature.

Do you want to find God? Love.

Do you want to be like God? Love.

Do you want to show that God is living within you? LOVE.

There is no such thing as loving too much!

For You Nay-Sayers:

Oh, sure, I know that some will say that if you love someone too much you will cause pain, and that is true in a sense. But I’m going to get into a discussion of semantics here. IF we love in the PROPER FASHION then there is no such thing as loving “too much.”

In Galatians 5:23, Paul said that against love (among other things) there is no law. That simply means that God has not restricted us from showing as much love as we are capable of showing! There are no limits to this.

So in what sense can love be unhealthy?

I’m glad you asked! Love must be accurately defined by the Word of God, the Bible. In fact it is a much more complicated idea than most people seem to think.

In Romans 10:13 Paul stated that “love is the fulfillment of the law”. It’s said in the context of talking about all the laws that God has given to us to follow. The gist of the text tells us that when we obey the requirements of God, that is actually the way we show love to God and/or others.

Love By Any Other Definition...

So allow me to try to explain my thoughts here. If I do not treat a person the way God tells me to treat him, then that is not God’s definition of love. And I suppose we ought to admit that GOD’s definition is the only one that really counts. So while I might love my wife, if I am putting her above God, that action/priority is NOT showing her love. It is certainly not showing love to God.

So if you lose your mind and start stalking a girl because you “love” her, don’t blame me for the misery and trouble you’ll find in that pursuit. I said that you could never love “too much” but you can certainly warp love into something that is harmful to you and others.

Is that all semantics? Maybe so, but think about it for a bit and you’ll see the importance of it.

If you follow God’s word in how to treat others, how to treat yourself, and especially how to treat God, you will never find a problem with loving too much!

This Is A Biblical Concept!

Just to clarify that this is a biblical idea: Peter wrote in 2 Peter 1:5-7 that (among other things) we should add love to our faith. If you look in verse 5 it says that we should do this “giving all diligence”. Diligence simply means haste or earnestness. “All” is self-explanatory. Peter said that we should devote ourselves to adding these spiritual elements to our faith—and one of those elements (in fact, the greatest) is love.

So do you want to live like never before? Great adventures in life await you when you embark on this journey! With all your gusto and might, add love to your character. Don’t hold back. Jesus came to show us how to truly LIVE—and He has shown us the best that life can offer. It all begins with deciding to love.

What do you think? Start the conversation below!

Be Careful of Your Steps

Be Careful of your Steps!

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:15-16). 

The word “circumspectly” is an interesting word. Some translations render it “look carefully”. 

According to Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, the original Greek word is akribos. It is used 13 times in the New Testament. It is variously translated in those other New Testament places as “accurately”, “carefully”, “diligently”, and “circumspectly”. 

Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words states that the word “expresses the 'accuracy' which is the outcome of carefulness.”

That one word tells us a lot about our Christian walk. We see that we are to be accurate, careful in how we live. 

While on the hills at the camp I attend each summer, I have learned a little more what this word means. Through certain circumstances I found myself outside my cabin, walking barefoot on a steep part of a hill that is covered in rocks of all sizes. Those of us “tenderfoots” know what that is like. I thought I could just start walking, but my soft feet and my extra weight helped me decide quickly that I had to be very careful where I placed my feet! I can say with all certainty that I learned what it meant to walk carefully and accurately in a physical sense!

We need to learn to walk in such a way spiritually. We must be careful where we place our feet— careful that we stay on the path, careful of any obstacles in our way and of dangers that can come upon us. What we are discussing is not just common sense things but those things the Bible teaches us.

Some people seem to care very little about doctrines of the Bible. God clearly is concerned about what we believe. Beliefs have consequences—even those beliefs we think are harmless. They may lead to great problems. They might lead others to difficulties. We must be careful about what we believe and what we follow.

Paul said that failing to walk carefully/diligently/accurately/circumspectly is foolish and a waste of our time. We should use our time wisely by learning and following the Bible. The days are evil. Satan is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Let us be wise and follow the will of the Lord in all things! Allow the Word of God to permeate and rule in your life. 

Here are some simple, common-sense ways to help you watch your steps:

Study the Bible.

Daily reading and serching the Scriptures is the best way for you to grow.

Meditate on the Bible.

Find ways to creatively apply what you learn. Without application, the Bible will not make much of a difference in your life. Without thought, it will be very difficult to find applications that are helpful. (Thoughtful meditation also helps prevent you from "finding" things you already wanted to see there.)

Pray about decisions you make.

Prayer helps you align your motives and priorities. God is there and He does care. He is willing to aid those who come to Him.

Listen to the advice of wiser men and women.

Sometimes we don't want to hear it, but others do have perspectives that we might not have. They have knowledge and wisdom that we might not have attained at this point. Being open to the advice of other wise individuals is a great way to grow! And if you find a wise person who is willing to take the time (and risk) to share wisdom with you, you are indeed blessed!

Make decisions based on priorities and principles established by the Bible, not feelings and whims.

It is easy to go by our gut reaction. We tend to think that we have some power within us that allows us to automatically make the right decisions in life simply by instinct. Your instinct might do well for saving you from physical or emotional harm, but it is usually a poor guide for growth. It is usually good for defense, not offense. This is one of the reasons Jeremiah said, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9).

Choose between good, better, and best.

Consider this article on an event involving Mary and Martha. Sometimes making good choices has nothing to do with good and evil. Sometimes it is all about deciding between what is good, better, and best.

What do you think? Tell us some things you do so that you step carefully.

Seed-Sowing and Rocket Science

The sower performed a simple role in the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23). He threw seed on the ground.

This is not rocket science. All it requires is time, a desire to learn a little, and a desire to spread the message to others.

After the sower in the parable sowed the seed, his work was finished. It did not matter who sowed the seed, just that someone did it. It had nothing to do with personality. It had nothing to do with the sower's clothing or attractiveness, wealth, fame, or talent. (See 1 Corinthians 3:5-9.)

That’s not to say that the sower is not important. It’s just that no one should boast. We're just seed slingers. God gets all the glory. Or at least He should.