Day Twenty-Three
16 Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.
Our response to instruction
One of the hardest things I’ll ever do as a leader is to ask people to move forward for their sakes, when on the surface it looks like it’s for my sake. Those who understand that it’s about trust in God, not trust in me, are the ones that have the response in the verse above.
Leadership is an incredible responsibility; and one that I will never carry lightly. All of us have leadership over someone, or something, even if right now it’s only over our own lives. How we respond to the ask of helping others, the ask of fighting giants, facing fear, leaving our promise alone for a minute to help someone else walk into theirs, is in itself a test of trust. Your response will depend on what you believe. Do you believe that other people affect the outcome of your promise or do you believe that only you and God can? If we think people can stop us from possessing our promise we will live a miserable existence and constantly blame others and circumstances for where we are and what we are or are not doing. We will constantly analyze what is being asked of us; analyze the character and motives of those asking, be fearful of being led astray, all the while remaining in our wilderness of fear. I understand that this lack of trust may be founded in deep hurt caused by people who lead you. Trust me, I’ve been there. But can I challenge you today, by the truth in God’s word that ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD and God can turn the WORST decisions of others into the BEST decisions for us, if we choose to trust HIM. Take a moment to ask God if past hurt and a fear that if you trust someone they “could get it wrong” is stopping you from moving forward and being bold and courageous.
Blessings,
Jane Evans