The Inspired Leader: 101 Biblical Reflections for Becoming a Person of Influence (6 page)

As we grow in our faith and understanding of what it means to be called by God, it can be intimidating to consider that
we
are the priests He is referring to in the above passage. In fact, we know that priests and pastors are not restricted to clerics ministering in church buildings adorned with crosses. A defining moment in the life of a committed follower of Jesus Christ occurs with the realization that we
are
priests, and that as priests we hold a special responsibility to be “faithful” in carrying out what is on the Lord’s heart and mind.

We, of course, are not capable in and of ourselves of the faithfulness God asks of us. Fortunately, the High Priest, Jesus
Christ, lives in us through the Holy Spirit (Galatians 2: 20; Colossians 1: 27). As the High Priest, He commissions, guides, and empowers us to be “faithful” and to execute what is on His heart. Our role is to accept this commission and diligently seek Him with all our heart, mind, and souls—hearing His voice and being obedient to His priestly assignments.

The rewards of obedience to what is on the Lord’s heart and mind are clearly stated:
“I will build him a sure house and he shall walk before My anointed forever
.” In our role as “faithful” priest, God has given us a confidence built upon His firm foundation so that our walk is along the path that He has ordained uniquely for us. The significance of this promise should not be overlooked and any risk taken or effort required pales in comparison to the promised reward. So, “Lord, I come before You in humility and awe and ask that You work through Your servant to do what is on Your heart and on Your mind; so that I may be Your faithful priest in the assignment You have given me for Your plans and purposes in the marketplace. I love You Lord and trust in Your promise of a sure house and to walk before Your Anointed forever.”

By the way, I answered my mom promptly and directly, “I am, Mom. I am a priest and I am serving the Lord in His ministry field in business.” Thankfully I don’t have to wear a starched collar or black robe.

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

1. Do you see yourself as a priest? If so, how? If not, why not?
   

2. Are you confident you know what is on God’s heart and mind? If so, list some of those things.
   

3. Take a few moments to spend time with God and ask Him to lay over your heart what is on His.
   

Lawrence A. Collett

Chairman of the Board, Cass Information Systems, Inc.

WE UTTER THIS statement every time we repeat the Lord’s Prayer. It is accompanied by the connecting phrase “
on earth as it is in heaven
.” In making this request we are generally focused on some future event. We visualize an “end time” period when God will transform the earth, as we know it. His Kingdom will then be present and its rule effective on this planet.

Biblical reality, however, places the kingdom within our grasp
now.
We can, and should, expect to see the many facets of the kingdom expressed in our lives, daily. What prohibits us from doing so?

In addition to deferring this reality to a future event, we also have a tendency to limit the performance of the kingdom to an earthly framework. That is, we reduce kingdom activity and results to what we see and experience in our earthly lives. Our expectations and plans correlate to what our reason and logic perceive.

In doing so, we miss the enormous impact kingdom resources can have on our lives, our work, and the world. Our thoughts and expectations are defined by the “normal” rather than the “supernatural.” We settle for less and miss the awesome experience of kingdom power and growth. We also miss the “blessing.” That is, seeing the glory of God become reality and experiencing the fullness of His being during our time on earth.

One of the many things Jesus accomplished on earth was to make the kingdom a present reality that can be expressed in our work and daily activities. We can, and should, expect to see kingdom results in all that we put our hand to. This certainly has applications for our business endeavors.

How do we react to challenges that may have a detrimental effect on operational or financial performance? Do we limit ourselves to MBA teachings and methods or allow the kingdom to impact the situation?

In the kingdom, we think bigger than normal. We expect a global impact that affects future generations. We allow ourselves freedom to pursue and expect what seems otherwise impossible. We broaden our scope because we have access to kingdom resources. We are unwilling to settle for worldly activities and results. We expect to overcome, create, exceed, and pursue the unthinkable, the impossible, and the seemingly unobtainable.

When the kingdom comes, we can expect to see the fruit of its activity. We have full access now! What are we waiting for?

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

1. How are you presently seeking the kingdom of God as a top priority in your life?
   

2. In what areas of your life, such as work, family, church, do see opportunities for God’s kingdom to be advanced?
   

Greg King

Principal of GCK Ventures, LLC

MOST OF US work or have worked in jobs where we are able to influence a lot of people. Whether it’s with employees, analysts, investors, or the media, we have an opportunity daily to serve the Lord in a significant way. I was in just such a position as President of Valero Energy Corporation for many years and I enjoyed this aspect of my job more and more over time. After all, I was serving the Lord in a big way and it felt good.

As a result I tended to focus on certain words of Jesus such as
“the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked”
from Luke 12:48 and
“I will put you in charge of many things”
from Matthew 25:21 NIV. I wanted to be a “five talent” guy for the Lord and I thought the best way to do this was to serve the largest number of people He placed in my path.

What I didn’t realize until recently is that I had other “bigger” assignments that I either ignored or neglected. I knew that the role of husband and father was a higher priority than those work assignments, but was I living that way each day? What about opportunities at my church or my relationships with extended family and friends? Those were important, but did I view them as important to God as shepherding thousands of employees at my company?

God revealed to me that I was trapped—the big assignments at work were constantly pressing me to work harder, which took away my energy to invest in family, church, or other important relationships. The validation at work fed my ego and gave me significance. I sought the affirmation of man rather than God’s affirmation—an easy trap to fall into when you lead an organization of any size. I had become too focused on the world’s view of big assignments, but God wanted me to see things from His point of view as He makes clear in Isaiah 55:8,
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.”
I needed to change my “measuring stick” from the world’s perspective to God’s perspective.

My definition of a big assignment is changing. It is now much easier for me to obey God when the Spirit nudges me to take a walk with my wife, spend time with a friend in need or write a note to my mother-in-law! The world does not applaud or affirm me, but I know that God is smiling. These are big assignments in His eyes.

This is not to say that being in a position to influence large numbers of people is bad or is not an assignment from God. But what is our motivation? Obedience or our needs? God’s smile or the world’s temporary pat on the back? This transformation has been significant for me. I now embrace each day, waiting for the Lord to reveal His plans for me instead of asking Him to bless my plans.

Are you more focused on the assignments from God that ultimately feed your ego, give you more power/prestige or add to your bank account? My challenge to you is to ask God to reveal any assignments that you have been neglecting or ignoring and that you would instead embrace them with passion, joy, and gratitude regardless of what others think. God’s smile awaits us as we obey Him.

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

1. What is your definition of a “big” assignment?
   

2. How has your view of big or important assignments changed over the years?
   

3. How might God evaluate your life and job differently than the way the Harvard Business School might evaluate it? Whose evaluation matters most to you?
   

PETER, ANDREW, JAMES, and John were in the midst of their daily routine at work, when Jesus suddenly passed by their fishing boats.
“Follow Me, and I will make you become…”
(Mark 1:17)
Jesus said. You can’t truly follow Jesus without becoming more like Him. The longer you are with Him, the more you will view circumstances from His point of view. He will place His love for people over your heart. His confidence in the Father will become your attitude. Following Jesus will inevitably change you.

Paul claimed that when you become a Christian, it is no longer you who directs your life, but Christ, who lives out His life in you (Galatians 2:20). In time, Jesus’ character becomes your character (Galatians 5:22-23). What a blessed thought! Regardless of how selfish or greedy or hard-hearted we may have been when we commenced following Jesus, we can one day act, and think, and approach life the same way He does.

We must be mindful that God accomplishes His divine work in our lives not once a week as we attend church services, but every day as we go to work. As we interact with difficult clients or troublesome colleagues, Christ will be transforming us into His likeness. Our successes as well as our failures become God’s instruments for our character transformation. Every circumstance and relationship becomes a divine tool. What can appear to be a hardship may in fact be God’s vehicle for accomplishing His greatest work in our life.