Arise, SHINE, Be Encouraged

The Spirit of God will teach you. Lead like Jesus and prepare to be amazed.

“Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!’ He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’” (Matthew 8:24-27, NIV)

As I read these verses, I think of all the times as an Executive Coach and Ministry Leader my clients and peers have recounted similar situations when suddenly a storm appeared and either they or their employees or volunteers panicked and were overcome by fear based on the circumstances.

Careful review of these verses reveals crucial points about Jesus’ servant leadership behavior. Jesus: (1) examined the disciples’ thoughts and emotions and under-stood their actions were motivated by fear and concern for their personal safety and welfare (2) resisted the urge to respond emotionally out of anger or frustration (3) recognized what needed to happen to restore their sense of well-being (4) demonstrated a sense of urgency and took immediate action (5) showed total confidence in His ability to quiet the storm (solve the problem) and meet their emotional and spiritual needs (6) remained silent when it was all over so that the disciples could process and reflect on what happened and learn from their experience.

As leaders, are you and your team in the midst of storms that seemed to blow in without warning? Are the raging winds and waves a serious threat to your production capability, quality, customer base, profit margin, employee morale, goals and objectives? When you face storms and your team is emotionally hijacked, I encourage you to read and study the Gospels. Pay close attention to the words and actions of Jesus, the greatest model of servant leadership in human history. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you how to lead like Jesus. Ask Him to show you how to: walk in faith; assess the situation; control your emotions; show a sense of urgency by taking action; model confidence; use the storms as a learning opportunity. The Spirit of God will teach you. Lead like Jesus and prepare to be amazed.

 

Lord, thank you for teaching me valuable lessons on leadership as I study the Gospels and the life of Jesus. Thank you for giving me a servant leader’s heart and helping me “lead like Jesus.” Through the blood of Jesus and in the name of Jesus I pray, amen.