Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.
Several years ago I read an article titled “How to
Honor Your Leaders”. It is written by Brad Lomenick who leads an organization called Catalyst. Brad discusses
things that we can tangibly do to help those around us be stronger. Some apply this to their boss, others to
their pastor, some to other leaders they are connected to.
The fact is all of us are leaders. Someone is following us, watching us and even
challenged by us. It is important that
we make positive choices to lead well. I
am spending some time this week seeing how I lead my family, in particular my
wife and children.
The article was written to church staff and business
people, but I would like to spend a few minutes applying the principles Brad
shared to how we can as parents or even as children to help our families be
much stronger. I pray these things we
will challenge you as they did me. Ways
to honor those around us…
Pray – Pray for wisdom, for clarity, for
compassion and for a clear in life.
Encourage
–
Lift them up in public and critique in private. Tell your family member how you
appreciate them. Do this consistently. Write them a note. Make sure to pour in to them often.
Confront – I dislike
confrontation, if you see something not right, tell
them. Most people crave feedback, so give it to them with kindness. Confrontation works best though when
encouragement, love, service and trust have been given freely for a long time.
Serve
–
Go far beyond just enough. Be willing to
carry the load. Get things done. Deliver
more than you were asked to do.
Trust
– Put
stock in the fact that they have your best interests in mind. Fight against
sarcasm and cynicism. Show and give
trust, and you will get trust in return.
Understand
–
Find out what drives them, motivates them, and what frustrates them. Lean into
the things that motivate and avoid the things that frustrate.
Protect
–
It is vital to always have their back. Stand
up for your family. Speak up.
Release – Work hard at giving your spouse and children
permission to lead you. Live out of
humility, respect, and openness. Open
hearts and open minds bring strength to our homes. Closed thoughts, arms crossed, and a made up
minds keep us from having stronger and better lives.
May God show us ways that we can strengthen our
families and lead and be led well!
When we get together, I want to encourage you in your faith, but I also want to be encouraged by yours.
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