God’s Way, God’s Time, Book Review Example

Leaders need people skills, but a leader in the church often views more visible contributions as most important and charming leaders as more effective. The contribution of thousands of dollars toward a church or evangelism negatively affects the church when credibility, service, and sacrifice are challenged. Dedication to the Lord more often involves modeling or ministering in small groups. As Kouzes and Posner write: “It’s not about them. It’s about you and me.” (121) Serving the you naturally develops new skills and an appreciation for the merits of sacrifice. The authors write that passions create suffering and that how we approach the suffering of the self and of others defines the spiritual benefit received. (124-125) Finally, hope springs as eternal as the love of God. If we have faith, we rejoice in the words of the old hymn: “I know that my Redeemer lives!” Hope nurtures, heals, empowers, and reveals. The leader who sacrifices knows that it always get better.

The first book of Corinthians tells us much about the linked nature of leadership and service: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.” (15:58) Nothing is more personal than the private actions and inner thoughts of a person, and toiling in the Lord’s work is recognized by the Lord and provides the knowledge of self which is required to connect with others.

God made each of us special and sees through a shallow show of leadership not from the self and not from a genuine desire. For a struggling conversationalist, the human urge to control one’s environment sometimes makes aspiring leaders, like me, feel cornered about the lack of a natural whizz-bang personality. Do we miss out while caught in our solitary reflection? Kouzes and Posner always put a leader’s relationship with God and with the self first. Leadership begins with self-control. Balancing service with personal limitations can be hard to accept. God helps, but he does not completely change who we are. He does change the opportunities and how open we are to receiving what we arrogantly perceive to be the right course. God provides; I need to listen, follow, trust, and learn.

References

J. M. Kouzes & B. Z. Posner. (2004). Leadership Is a Relationship. Christian Reflections on the Leadership Challenge (pp. 117-126). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Print.