Lead me so we can lead them...

My husband's employer asked him to develop a "Leadership Plan" for his job.  He asked me to sit down with him over the weekend and do a self assessment. We looked up all kinds of qualities and attributes of great leaders and asked input from our friends and family and then sat down and evaluated each one and put them into "Strengths" or "Weakness" columns. Then he came up with ways to improve his "weaknesses" and wrote a set of personal and work related goals.

I have to just say how proud of him I am for doing this because it's not a task for the faint hearted.  Not too many of us would sit down and really contemplate "Am I really fair?" "Do others think of me as trustworthy?" and "How do I lead by example and motivate people without jeopardizing my integrity?" Nor could I say any of us would be too eager to put our weak places on paper and then present them to the person who signs your paycheck.Yet, even though this is a hard thing, I think we could all benefit from a little self assessment every once in a while.

This morning I was praying over my husband and his presentation today, his job and his schooling...our future. I opened up my devotional and today's key verse came from Matthew 16:24.  This wasn't a new verse to me, but one I've been clinging to my for the last year as I've been praying for God to lead me.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple

must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."

Matthew 16:24 (NIV)

"Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead.

You're not in the driver's seat; I am.

Don't run from suffering, embrace it.

Follow me and I'll show you how.

Self-help is no help at all.

Self-sacrifice is the way, my way,

to finding yourself, your true self."

Matthew 16:24 (MSG)

Later I opened my email and was met with Matthew 16:24.  And so I thought maybe God is trying to tell me something...maybe in these few lines lies the key to being led and to leading.

Denying myself...rejecting momentary satisfaction. Choosing to do what God has called me to do regardless of whether it's what I want to do or how difficult it may be.  

Taking up my cross...stop pointing fingers at others and blaming my circumstances and wishing it would all change.  Admitting my sin as sin and becoming disgusted enough with it to want to change. 

Follow Him...really follow Him and who He is and how He is.  The ultimate leader. The one who leads by example and whose actions are worthy of imitation.