LEADING INSIDE
by Michael Winakur
I am excited to start Cross Culture Church’s blog up. Why do we blog? As we move into an amazing season of becoming Great Neighbors who display and declare the Good News of Jesus, our hope is that this blog will give us one extra opportunity to help you stay on track with Jesus, grow in your faith and call others to do the same.
The monthly rhythm will cover leadership development, spiritual development, amazing stories and vision. This week I would like to talk to you about the most important thing I learned in the past year. Leading Inside.
When I hear the word leadership, my inclination is to think about how a person is leading others in church, business, or on a team. This I will call leading on the outside. Whether it be through speaking, team meetings, one-on-ones, or serving in the trenches, outside leadership happens whenever others can see.
These are all great things but in 1 Samuel 30:6 David does something unthinkable. “Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” In the midst of leading outside with plenty of opportunities to take on, he strengthens himself in God. There was so much work to be done and obstacles to overcome but David stopped to spend time with the Lord. He went to the gymnasium of the Lord, if you will. If David would not have strengthened himself in the Lord, his strength would have been founded on performing, pleasing, self-interest and so many other things that return void.
True leadership starts with you and Jesus. Leading inside means taking time to allow God, yourself and others to help lead YOU inside your heart and mind. True leadership flows out of places where we cannot perform. What are you doing inside to help grow in Jesus to find strength? Today in the midst the busyness, stresses and even good things in the outside life, take time to strengthen yourself in the Lord. Spend time with Jesus; read his word; write about the things of your heart to Jesus; and invite others to speak into your heart about ways you can be a stronger leader. Everything starts from the INSIDE.
In Jesus,
Michael