PITFALLS FOR LEADERS

"WORK HARD AND BECOME A LEADER." PROVERBS 12:24

If you are a leader, try to avoid these pitfalls:

1. Micromanaging vs. Leading.  Managing people requires an eye for detail, whereas leading involves vision-sharing, goal-setting and motivating.  And you must know the difference.  When you micromanage rather than lead, morale plummets because people need clear objectives and the freedom to figure out how to reach them.  Do not micromanage; it diminishes the sense of 'ownership' those under and around you need for good team dynamics and problem-solving.
2. Confusing Individual Loyalty with Team Building.  It is good to work closely with key individuals, but it is also important for people to stay 'connected to each other' [Romans 12:5].  Make sure everybody gets to be on the team, feels valued and learns to interact with one another.
3. Being Afraid to Try Things.  Stretching people into new areas means they will make mistakes.  While locking them into the same routine may keep them [and you] safe, it takes the motivational wind out of their sails.  Being a leader means risking other people's failures and biting your lip as you let them 'toddle' out into the unknown.  Like a parent who prays harder when their teen takes the family car out for their first drive, you must accept that some challenges which frighten you are liberating to others.  Solomon said, 'Work hard and become a leader.'  That raises a question.  If you are leading others, who is leading you?  The best way to lead, is to follow God and obey His Word!

STRIVE FOR INTEGRITY, NOT POPULARITY

"The integrity of the honest keeps them on track...."  Proverbs 11:3

Joseph refused the advances of Potiphar's wife, not because he thought he could not get away with it, but because he knew he could not live with himself if he accepted them.  The world needs people who cannot be bought; whose word is their bond; who put character above wealth; who possess opinions and a will; who are larger than their vocations; who do not hesitate to take chances; who would not lose their individuality in a crowd; who will be as honest in small things as they are in great things; who will make no compromise with wrong; whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires; who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it"; who are true to their friends through good report and evil report, in adversity as well as in prosperity; who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning and hardheartedness are the best qualities for winning success; who are not afraid to stand for the truth even when it is unpopular; who say "no" with emphasis, even though the rest of the world says "yes".

In what he calls a compromise of integrity, Psychiatrist Leo Randall analyses the relationship between former President Nixon and some of his closest confidants in the Watergate scandal.  He records a conversation between Senator Howard Baker and Nixon aide Herbert Porter.  Baker: "Did you ever have qualms about what you were doing?" Porter: "No!"  Baker: "Why?"  Porter: "Group pressure.  I was afraid of not being considered a team player."  So strive for integrity, not popularity!

HOW LONG WILL THIS ATTACK LAST?

"Having Done All...Stand." Ephesians 6:13

The size of the prize determines the severity of the fight.  The enemy knows your vulnerabilities and he will push you to your limits.  When he does, remember: "Blessed is the man who endures...when he has been approved, he will receive the crown" [James 1:12].  "Approved" means victory qualifies you for greater things.  "Endures" means your staying power is being tested.  So, "having done all...stand."  You say, "How long will this attack last?" The prince of darkness hindered Daniel's prayers for 21 days [Daniel 10:13].  Goliath defied the armies of Israel 40 days and nights [1 Samuel 17].  Your enemy is relentless; you must be too. When it comes to prayer, your persistence overcomes his resistance.  "You have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise" [Hebrews 10:36].

David did not get into trouble with Bathsheba until he left the battlefield.  It is the safest place to be.  So stay there, keep fighting and God will come to your aid.  When Joshua needed extra time to defeat his enemies, the sun stood still.  God was saying, "As long as the sun does not go down you will not go down either, for the same power that is holding it up is holding you up."  Isn't that great?

Jesus healed people in different ways.  Some He spoke to, others He touched.  One day, He told 10 Lepers to go and show themselves to the Priest.  And the Bible says: "As they went, they were cleansed" [Luke 17:14].  They were probably wondering, "When will it happen?  How will it happen?"  Faith does not demand details, it just keeps moving obediently forward, believing God for the right result!

HAPPINESS KEYS [PART TWO]

"Blessed...are those who hear the Word...and obey."  Luke 11:28

Jesus said, "[Real] life is not measured by how much you own" [Luke 12:15] but by how you live.  That is why it always wise to:

1. Challenge Yourself.  Examine how you spend your leisure time.  After a long day, it is easy to relax in front of the television but you will be happier if you are physically and mentally active.  Go for a walk, play with your children, take time to read God's Word and pray, even when you do not feel like it.  Jesus said that in order to follow Him, we "must give up the things [we] want" [Luke 9:23].
2. Reach out to others.  The smallest good deed is worth more than the most impressive intention, so if you want to help yourself, help others.  Not only will it make you feel better, being around other people who are giving of themselves keeps you connected to a larger cause.  The enemy does not mind you talking about your faith as long as you do not practice it, whereas God never teaches us anything without giving us an opportunity to put it to work.  That is why Jesus said, "Blessed...are those who hear the Word...and obey."
3. Be more patient.  A man who rode the ferry to work prided himself on his punctuality.  But one day he overslept.  Fearing he would be in trouble with his boss, he raced to the dock only to see the boat six feet out from the terminal.  Taking a leap, he landed on the deck.  Smiling, the Captain said, "Great jump! But if you had waited another minute we would have docked and you could have walked on."  Do not be in such a hurry; give it a little time.  "Patience...can...overcome any problem" [Proverbs 25:15].