Life for Leaders is our free, digitally delivered devotional, sent to your inbox every morning.
Cherished Co-Laborers
When we hold other believers dear to us, we find mutual reminders of the ties that bind us together.
Read Post Who’s Holding You? Part 2
There are many different ways to be “held” by people. Sometimes we need someone like Joe to tell us encouraging things about ourselves. Sometimes we need someone who just listens. Sometimes we need lots of empathy. Sometimes we need to get out and do something fun. Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky remind us that leaders of change need places to be “held” by others. The relationship of Paul and Timothy in the New Testament offers a fitting biblical example of “holding.” If we’re going to do wise inner work, we need people in our lives to support us in that effort by offering their listening, kindness, wisdom, and love. And, of course, we need to offer the same to others.
Read Post Who’s Holding You? Part 1
Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky remind us that leaders of change need to create “holding environments.” But we also need places to be “held” by others. The relationship of Paul and Timothy in the New Testament offers a stirring biblical example of such “holding.” If we’re going to do wise inner work, we need people in our lives to support us in that effort by offering their kindness, wisdom, and love. And, of course, we need to offer the same to others.
Read Post Inner Work and Acknowledging Your Limits
A crucial part of the inner work of leadership is being realistic about the limits of our abilities, competencies, and gifts. Sometimes leaders seem to think they need to be omni-competent, able to do everything required of leaders. Plus, to be fair, sometimes the people they lead expect the same of them. But wise and effective leaders will have done the inner work of leadership, honestly evaluating what they do well and what they don’t do well. When we do this, sometimes this evaluation will lead to additional training and/or coaching so that we can grow in our competencies. But sometimes it’s right for us to say to ourselves and others, “I don’t do that very well. I need some help with this.”
Read Post Astonishing Acts of God – Part 2
King Nebuchadnezzar realized the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego is truly a deliverer. Similarly, from the scriptures our hearts are warmed and encouraged and we can shout in adoration: our God is a protector and deliverer.
Read Post Astonishing Acts of God – Part 1
During life’s challenging times when we are faced with conflict, and even with confrontation to go against God’s Word or compromise our beliefs, we can miss an opportunity to see God at work in amazing ways.
Read Post Inner Work and the Exercise of Power
No matter where you are when it comes to exercising power, I believe the Lord wants you to do the inner work associated with power. Pay attention to your hungers and fears, your temptations and hesitations. Ask the Lord for the grace to be humble, not by never exercising power, but rather by learning how use your power with genuine humility as you serve others. Above, all, may God grant you the grace to “humble [yourself] under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).
Read Post Unmasking Your Desire to be the Solo Hero
We who lead might be tempted to seek our own glory as the solo hero who solves the big problems of our organization. But, though individuals can make a difference through their efforts, that difference is most effective when it involves equipping, encouraging, and supporting others. For this to happen, we who lead need to examine our hearts, to identify and work on any tendencies we might have to want to be the exalted hero. We must learn to empower others and rejoice in their accomplishments.
Read Post The Inner Work of Knowing What You’re Really Seeking
It feels good when people praise us. But sometimes we can be so eager for the approval of people that we neglect the approval of God. The example of the Apostle Paul encourages us to make pleasing God our chief motivation. In order to do this, we need to do the inner work of searching our souls for what we’re really seeking in life and leadership.
Read Post Must Have Been Something in the Water
Jesus’s baptism means something for how we understand his glory in Epiphany. It also means something for how we understand his temptation, and his ability to resist temptation, in Lent.
Read Post When Ash Wednesday Falls On Valentine’s Day
In Psalm 103 there’s a profound relationship between our dustiness and our belovedness. Because God loves us, God sees us in all of our sinful, mortal dustiness, yet has compassion for us. Therefore, when we think of love as an attribute of God, we can make a connection between Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day. When we receive the imposition of ashes and hear it said, “You are dust, and to dust you will return,” yes, we’re reminded of our mortality. But we can also remember that God has compassion for us because we are dust. God’s love for us, the powerful, deep, abiding love revealed through the cross of Christ, is right there with us in all of our dustiness.
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