As leaders we all go through life and work holding to past regrets, those disappointments over lost or missed opportunities. We’re sad or repentant over things that we wish we had done differently.
Thomas Paine (1737-1809) was an English-born Founding Father of the United States. An inventor and philosopher, he authored Common Sense, a pamphlet that was influential at the start of the American Revolution.
As Jesus began teaching on earth, His words about leadership and leading were shocking. In fact, they were so at odds with religious leaders of the time, they believed Jesus could not possibly be the Savior they were hoping and waiting for.
On the surface the story of Job may seem a cruel game. A faithful man, he suffers greatly, questions God, and receives God’s pointed response. How should we lead when faced with trials and difficulty?
Whether it is blamed on error, faulty equipment, circumstances, acts of God or wrongdoing, failures happen all the time. Our culture has become acutely focused in failure on fixing the blame and less and less interested in fixing the problem.
Scripture tells us “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). A peacemaker is one who helps reconcile parties who disagree. Spiritually a peacemaker is one who leads others to reconcile with God and with one another.
People in general and leaders in particular are proficient in making choices. Our culture is organized around constant choice-making. Choices are literally everywhere, all the time.
Life and work at some level are to be about reaching, striving, pushing forward. God did not put us on the earth to do nothing with our lives. Yet that is exactly what many men are doing in our culture.