Go ahead. Climb up into his lap. He won't bite. "What do you want for Christmas?"
Some kids say, "I don't know" while most spout off a list that would cripple the bank, so-to-speak. But I like kids with confidence and some tough faith. This is not a devotion defending the authenticity and existence of Mr. Kriss Kringle, Santa Claus. This is a note about knowing what ya want. Listen up.
John 8:14, 16 (nlt) --- (paraphrase) For I know where I came from and where I am going . . . I am not alone. The Father who sent me is with me.
There is nothing more attractive than a confident leader. "I know who I am, I know where I'm going, and I know how to get there," are statements that exude certainty and vision. But the most critical issue for confident leaders is whether or not they have the right to be confident. Do they have credibility? Credibility is related not to the amount of confidence one exudes but to one's past résumé of achievements. Credibility answers the question, "What is the caliber of the people who have already placed their trust in you?"
That is part of a devotion I receive about leadership. Check it out here.
Whether you are encouraged or put off by people with confidence and who know where they are going, you have to admit that we all want to follow people who know what they want. If our churches, our homes, our businesses were full of people who couldn't make decisions and didn't know what they wanted, we would be in a huge mess. God wants us to live with and lead with confidence. What do you think?
This leadership devotion (the one I quoted from above and will again) talks about the credibility of a leader. The confidence we have has to have a place to come from, a place where it finds foundation. It has to be a place where results are seen and people are moved to make decisions. I would say that Jesus was that kind of leader. He knew what He wanted and where He was going. You ought to know what ya want and where ya are going to. What do ya say?
Our confidence and our credibility has to be built on things or someone that lasts. It ought to be built on Jesus.
The stock market will crash, buildings will collapse, people will move away, money will be gone and careers will be over. Things change, but Jesus doesn't change. Lets show the world that we know what we want and that we know where we are going by following and leading others to follow Jesus, even at Christmas.
2 Corinthians 3:4 (nlt) --- We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ.
Confidence and credibility are useful tools to have in carrying out leadership functions. They certainly affect our effectiveness in guiding people to Jesus. But they must be driven by a passion for others to experience spiritual freedom in Jesus Christ. Jesus calls us to be completely available for his service in this grand purpose.
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