STRONG [.]
Leadership requires strength.
Strength is too often miss-understood, miss-represented and miss-used by Misguided Mavericks who consequently give the rest of us leaders a bad name.
What does STRONG actually look like? Are you strong? Are you true? True to yourself and the person God intended you to be? As a leader, does your strength inspire and empower people? Or are you one of them? Misguided? Harsh not strong?
Let’s look for a minute at the pseudo strong. We’ll call them Misguided Mavericks. (And before you point the finger be careful, we all have the propensity and capacity to stray that way.)
They are fascinating and dynamic creatures. They are absolutely captivating. I love being around them. They challenge me as a leader. What do you do with a Misguided Maverick? Initiators of remarkable ideas, yet rebels to authority. They struggle to submit spiritually (to pastors, parents) and naturally (to teachers, law-givers). For all the zeal and gift they carry, they sabotage their longevity for a lack of credibility.
Jesus reminded us over and over to be faithful UNDER leadership in order to be trusted by Heaven AS a leader (Luke 16:12). Jesus marvelled at and honoured the people of stature and authority who submitted their credentials to His (Matt 8: 5-13).
Strength, true strength, is pensive, considered and counselled – by the Holy Spirit and wise mentors. True strength is teachable.
In the presence of teachability even weaknesses can be fashioned into strengths. The reverse is sadly also true – in the absence of teachability even strengths run the high risk of being whittled down into weaknesses. If you don’t believe me, just read Samson’s story again (Judges 13-16).
Teachability is the key ingredient to strength.
Proverbs tells us that the opposite to teachability is foolishness. The thesaurus lists the word “stupid” as the antonym for teachable. Now that's pointed - the opposite of teachable is stupid! Don't shoot me, I'm just the messenger.
When you have a teachable heart, you allow the voice of conviction to touch the areas of weakness in your life, and you are humble enough to follow its directives.
A teachable heart is smart enough to recognize God as its source of gifting, calling and opportunity.
It’s not the universe that is blessing you; nor are you a self-made success. You were created and intended by a divine Creator. God is the source of your identity, calling and resource, so you can live accordingly.
Teachability acknowledges God’s authority.
It glorifies God rather than self. The reason this leads to strength is because you can now tap into the infinite source of your potential. Because He is limitless, your weaknesses are no match for His resource - you can grow!
Samson was called and anointed by God but refused to seek God. On numerous occasions he ignored the ordinances of God on his life. On other numerous occasions he ignored the advice of Godly counsel to his life.
What are the Godly authorities in your life?
The Word of God is the primary and most renewing source of Godly authority. Read it, devour it, meditate on it and do as it says.
Who are the spiritual fathers and mothers you can trust and glean from? We can so easily pick and choose from a plethora of authoritative voices with just the click of a button. Our lives quickly become filled with many voices but remain without fathers who have access to our lives and can offer the accountability necessary for growth. We cannot blame our fathers and mothers, if we were rebellious sons and daughters. Teachability acknowledges authority and develops strength under its covering and wisdom.
Teachability allows you the privilege of “failing forward”.
What we see in Samson is a refusal to learn from his mistakes. He did the same thing over and over, paid dearly each time, and never learned from his experiences.
We don’t not have to be defined by our failures. We can actually fail forward and learn towards the future. This is how weakness becomes strength. God forgives, covers and provides a way out if we surrender.
Romans 8:28(NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
It is supremely important to understand that failure is not a destination or a name.
Failure is just an event; don’t camp there.
Get up and try again. Ask the hard questions. Skill yourself. Learn. Staff your weaknesses so that you have a plan for next time
Teachability safe-guards you from emotional responses.
Samson was impulsive. At one point he burned down a field of grain and his father-in-law’s house. You may have at some stage also wanted to burn down your in-laws' house, but you thought better of it – good on you.
Another time Samson killed a thousand men with the jawbone of a donkey. The Bible says he used the “jawbone of an ass” but I think there’s only one person in this story deserving of that name and it’s not the donkey.
Samson was self-seeking and driven by urges of self-gratification. If there were another sure way to turn strengths into weaknesses, it would be to behave this way.
But my weakness can become strength when I resist the urge to react, and apply God’s empowering Grace and authority to my life (James 4: 6-7).
I don’t know where you’re at today or what position you hold. Regardless of how you feel or what happened yesterday, get up and dust yourself off. Plumb the depths of your experiences so that you can fully appreciate the lessons they contained for your future growth.
You are stronger than you realize.
