Category: Leadership

Portrait of a Mentor

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As I think about mentoring, Barnabas is a name that pops into my mind. We read a little about his life and ministry and I sense that putting his story into a mentoring context is not doing him injustice.

Imagine the scene at Pentecost, in the upper room, with a group of believers impacted by the resurrection were gathered together (Acts 1:13). They gathered primarily for prayer (Acts 1:14), but one item on the agenda was to find a replacement for Judas (Acts 1:21-22). Two names are put in the hopper; Joseph (who is called Barsabbas or Justus, in Latin) and Matthias.

Tangent alert… we don’t read anything else about these two guys in the NT, except perhaps this is the same Justus of Colossians 4:11, or he’s Joseph (Joses) the brother of James in Mark 6:3 (see also Mark 15:40 – this James became the leader of the Jerusalem church – Galatians 1:19, 1 Corinthians 15:7, Acts 15:13). This is not to be confused with the Joseph of Acts 4:36, who is Barnabas (son of encouragement). I discovered that Barsabbas means “son of the Sabbath.” I found the name also in Acts 15:22, and that he was a prophet (Acts 15:32).

The church grows and soon has many financial needs, who is the one who steps up? It is a guy named Joseph, who is called Barnabas, the son of encouragement. The church had one heart and soul and all things were in common (Acts 4:32). There was great power and they gave witness to the resurrection (Acts 4:33). There was no needy person among them, needs being met through the community (Acts 4:34). Barnabas is singled out as the one named person to sell land and give the price to the church, laying the money at the feet of the apostles. The bottom line, if you want to be a mentor, be generous (Acts 4:36-37).

Saul is breathing threats and murder on the believers in the new church, persecuting and imprisoning all the followers of the Way (Acts 9:1-2). He has an encounter with the resurrected Jesus (Acts 9:3-4, 5-6). Ananias is told to minister to Saul, whose name is later changed to Paul (Acts 9:10, 11-12, 13-16, 17, 13:9). No one trusts him in the early church or the Jews (Acts 9:26, 29), the church must have thought it was a trick. So, Barnabas takes him to the apostles and describes how Paul is a changed man. If you want to be a mentor, believe in people (Acts 9:26, 27).

John Mark went with Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey (Acts 13:2, 13). He turned out to be a quitter, and Paul did not want to take him on the second missionary journey (Acts 15:38). There was such a disagreement that the team split (Acts 15:39-40). Barnabas saw beyond the failure and saw John Mark’s potential; he needed a second chance. If you want to be a mentor, stand up for your friends. Since Barnabas took this chance, Mark became a valued person later in Paul’s life (Colossians 4:10).

Barnabas was sent with Paul to the Jerusalem Council to relay what God had been doing among the Greeks; that they were coming to faith (Acts 15:2). The decision was that Greeks need not become Jews before coming to Christ. Then Barnabas and Paul are sent to Antioch (Acts 15:22) and later continue to teach the people (Acts 15:35). If you want to be a mentor, get excited about what is happening in the lives of other (Acts 15:1-21).

Barnabas was not selected as 12th apostle, but we see in his life that he held no grudge, did not seek power or position. He did not sulk because he was not chosen in the upper room. If you want to be a mentor, seek to affirm others and encourage their walk (Acts 1:23-26). I also discovered that Clement of Alexandria mentions Barnabas was one of the 70 sent out on the preaching journey (Luke 10:1); Tertullian wrote that Barnabas was the writer of Hebrews and the Clementine Reflections claims Barnabas was actually the Matthias mentioned in Acts 1:23-26. That last one is a stretch!

Mentoring is life investment. These are only a few characteristics in the life of Barnabas from which a mentor could learn.

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What Mentoring is, and is Not

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In Christian circles, mentoring is really a subset of discipleship. A disciple is one who would sit at the feet of a teacher and learn of his/her wisdom. The disciple in essence became a follower of the rabbi or teacher. I can imagine that the student was so tied to the teacher that when the student spoke, the hearers would be able to recognize who the student’s teacher had been.

I had a campus minister from college that was (and is) well known in many state conventions. I am able to say that “I am a disciple of …” simply because I was able to learn from him as he invested his life into me.

The world describes what a mentor usually is:

  1. The mentor has achieved superior rank in the organization.
  2. The mentor is an authority in his field or discipline.
  3. The mentor has a certain measure of influence in his field.
  4. The mentor is interested in the protégé’s growth.
  5. The mentor is willing to commit time and energy into a relationship.

But also, a mentor is not many things:

  1. He is not a buddy or pal; to be invited to the family reunion; to become your new best friend.
  2. He is not “on call” for grievances or frustrations.
  3. He is not to be dismissed when the protégé decides the relationship is no longer useful.

There is a relationship of trust. The mentor sees potential in the protégé and does what he is able to help the protégé reach his personal, professional or spiritual goals. The mentor will often not be able to take an unwilling person anywhere, since the mentor then turns into a parent, policeman or judge. One might start that was but the protégé must be able to see past the desire of the mentor to see the protégé succeed, to the protégé having his own desire to succeed.

I’ll post more information on mentoring as the days go by. King’s Grant is embarking on a new strategy in 2010 that involves mentoring, so these articles are the beginnings of our mentoring training that will begin in the fall 2009.

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Mentoring 101

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Mentoring is not really a new idea. It was a way of life between generations; passing on information, history, stories and a legacy to the next generation. In the past, there was not much talk about mentoring because it was expected, assumed, and therefore unnoticed.

As I study the Bible, I notice that nearly all training of people in Scripture was through mentoring. One of my favorite examples was the relationship between Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 19:19, 20, 21); I’ll share more about them at a later date. The point is that he followed Elijah, forsaking everything he had come to know.

In the New Testament, Jesus spent more time developing a few people than dazzling the multitudes or crowds with sermons and authoritative teaching. He invested himself into the Twelve; He spent time with them. One of my favorite Bible passages is Mark 3:13-14, where Jesus called His closest men to himself. Did you catch what He called them to do? Our attention generally goes to “sending them out to preach” because that was the task given to them. We often overlook the phrase just before that, “He appointed the Twelve, that they might be with Him.” I call it the “with Him” principle, and it is the same call that Jesus gives to us.

I once heard a story about a turtle perched on top of a fence pole. An inquisitive mind would wonder how it would have gotten up there (where many people might just let it go unnoticed). The answer is, that someone else put him up there. This is a simple truth in life about success. Successful people never reach their goals alone. Mentoring will help people get to where they want and need to go.

Have you heard about the origin of the word “mentor?” In Homer’s Odyssey, Mentor was a friend of Odysseus. When Odysseus left for the Trojan War he placed Mentor in charge of his son, Telemachus, and of his palace. He was to teach Telemachus not only book learning but the wiles of the world. When Athena visited Telemachus she took the disguise of Mentor to hide herself from the suitors of Telemachus’ mother, Penelope. As Mentor, the goddess encourages Telemachus to stand up against the suitors and go abroad to find out what happened to his father.

The modern use of the word mentor refers to a trusted friend, counselor or teacher, usually a more experienced person. Some professions have “mentoring programs” in which newcomers are paired with more experienced people, who advise them and serve as examples as they advance. Schools sometimes offer mentoring programs to new students, or students having difficulties. I have in my office a certificate of appreciation from the Virginia Beach school system for “dedicated service and commitment” as a mentor.

Why cannot this concept exist in the church today? In the next few months, King’s Grant Baptist Church is working on a mentoring strategy to help our guests and new members to discover the life about which Jesus spoke (John 10:10). This life is caught more than it is taught. It’s time to step out of the comfort zone into real life! I trust you’ll want to be involved.

Essential Elements for Men’s Ministry

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It’s important to know the reason(s) the Men of Steel group exists, so here are eight biblically-balanced benchmarks for a healthy ministry to men. Let me know what you think, what we could add, or how to implement these.

FILLING – God’s man is able to feed himself. Consistently studying and applying God’s Word independent of the church or small group is essential. To do this, a man must be taught how to study the Bible. (1 Peter 2:1-3; Psalm 1:1-3).

TRAINING – God’s man receives regular biblical instruction (1 Thessalonians 2:13). This can be achieved through a weekly small-group Bible study.

PRACTICING – God’s man learns how to apply God’s Word to all areas of life. It is essential to allowing room for accountability within the men’s ministry for the purpose of consistency and obedience to God’s Word (James 1:22-25; Ezekiel 33:30-32).

UNITING – God’s man makes it a priority to connect with other men (at least two times a month) for the purpose of community, accountability, confession, and prayer (Galatians 6:1-3; James 5:16; Hebrews 10:23-24).

SURVIVING – God’s man learns to address major life temptations and/or crises according to his need and life-stage. Support and encouragement from the small group is essential (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).

REACHING – God’s man gets involved in some form of men’s ministry based on his gifts and talents. God has called each of us to pour out to others what He has poured into us (1 Peter 4:10-11; Ephesians 4:11-13)

IMPACTING – God’s man invests time and resources into the lives of other men; through shared activities, spiritual mentoring, and modeling (2 Timothy 2:22; Proverbs 27:17; Mark 3:13-14).

SHARING – God’s man learns to actively share his faith in order to lead others into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ (Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15; Matthew 28:18-20).

Who is in Control?

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Part of the Lord’s Prayer mentions, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:13).

It’s amazing to think about the fact that every act of your life is motivated by a spiritual force. So, the question for today is, “Who is controlling you?” Or we might ask, “What is motivating you?”

I am a lover of cake! Old classic cake flavors are “Devil’s Food” and “Angel’s Food.” So, aside from the dessert, which sort of food are you feeding your body? What spirit is being satisfied through your soul?

If the spirit of the enemy is allowed to work in you, then you are grieving the Holy Spirit; something the Bible tells us not to do (Ephesians 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 5:19). Any time you allow the enemy to work his will through your mind or body, you grieve the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit also desires to use you; He wants to use you for God’s glory and God’s service. The Spirit provides a gift for you to use in the service of God. The Holy Spirit’s purpose is not to dominate you or crush you, but to fulfill you.

Satan desires to use you for his own purpose, as a pawn in his hand to laugh in God’s face. He desires to use you, abuse you, and then refuse you. You are in a state of living death when you give in to the enemy’s purpose.

Temptation is Satan’s tool for getting you to do things that you really don’t want to do. Deep inside your spirit, you know that what he is tempting you to do is wrong. The worst and most hardened criminals in our world today know they have done wrong, and they often blame others for their actions. They may act as if they don’t care about the fact that they’ve done wrong, been caught, or are facing serious consequences, but deep inside, they have to know. They knew when they were doing wrong that what they were doing was wrong.

Satan’s lie is that you have a right to do wrong. Society is at fault. You have a right to get even with society. Your daddy is at fault. You have a right to rebel against him. Your boss is at fault. You have a right to steal from him or cheat him. God is at fault. He made you this way. You have a right to act the way you do because He made you with this temper, this anger, this lust, this desire.

God’s Word says that you have a right to choose. Joshua said to the Israelites, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve … as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15). You have a right to choose, a free will, a mind that can make a conscious decision. But none of us have a right to sin.

My challenge today, is to make sure that you are yielding the control of your life only to God. Eat a bit more “angel’s food” and see how your life can change. Imagine how our lives, marriages and families can be different if we totally yield to the will of God.

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Discipleship is Caught, Not Taught

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I suppose that from the very beginning of my spiritual life, back in high school, I have been fascinated with the process of growing into the image of Christ (2 Peter 1:3-11, 1 Thessalonians 1:5-6, 2:8, Ephesians 4:11-16, Philippians 1:6). It is a long process and I know I have not arrived (no one can do it in this life) but our goal is to get closer each week. Going to church can help, but it’s one thing to study the Bible and learn from it. It’s another to take that knowledge and translate it into life change. How often do we simply go through the motions of being people of faith? We believe the right stuff but have no clue on how to put it into practice.

 

How does one even hear God, much less become obedient to Him? Would it not make sense to be around people who are what you want to become? There’s biblical precedence (2 Timothy 2:2). Timothy had a “Paul” to help him grow up in the faith. Another example is the relationship between Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 19:20).

 

Elijah had defeated the prophets of Baal in an historic victory on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18:21-22, 38-39). Then for some reason he tucked his tail and ran away from Jezebel (1 Kings 19:2-4) fearing for his life. He was discouraged to say the least, and felt so alone; but was he alone? God was with him through it all. God spoke through the still small voice (1 Kings 19:12-13) and reassured him that he was not alone (1 Kings 19:18). Then the very next story is the appointment of Elisha to be the prophet’s helper and successor (1 Kings 19:19).

 

Look at what happened. When Elijah handpicked Elisha as his successor, Elisha immediately killed his twelve set of oxen and ran after Elijah just to be with him (1 Kings 19:21). No doubt he knew what a great privilege it was to be selected by the great prophet. Killing the oxen meant there was no turning back. He chose what he wanted and took dramatic steps to follow though on his commitment. But, it was not enough for Elisha to be handpicked. He also wanted a double portion of Elijah’s anointing (2 Kings 2:9). As we read the miraculous activity of Elisha, it appears that God answered this prayer.

 

If you want to grow in your Christian life, ask God to lead you to another man who is far ahead of you spiritually and simply start hanging out with them. As you walk alongside him you will begin to catch what he has. You will begin appropriating the anointing that is on his life that will mix perfectly with your unique gifting and talents.

 

We need more people today who are willing to run after their “Paul” or “Elijah.”

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How Can I Encourage Others?

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Believing in people before they have proved themselves is the key to motivating people to reach their potential. Everyone loves encouragement; to have others believe the best about you and your abilities.

Here are four facts about having faith in another person:

  1. Most people don’t have faith in themselves. Many believe they will fail; the light at the end of the tunnel is a train. With even a little faith, anyone can do remarkable things.
  2. Most people don’t have someone who has faith in them. People today are isolated; they don’t get support at home or from their boss. Ninety percent of inmates where told they will never amount to anything and will end up in jail. Even those closest to them do not believe in them.
  3. Most people can tell when someone else has faith in them. Our goal should not be to get people to think more highly of us, but to get others to think more highly of themselves. People can tell when we genuinely trust and believe in another person.
  4. Most people will do anything to live up to your faith in them. People will rise or fall to the level of expectation you set for them. If you express skepticism and doubt, they will return your lack of confidence with mediocrity. People thrive around those who have confidence in them.

How can you become a believer in people? We must believe in them and express that belief!

  1. Believe in them before they succeed. Everyone loves a winner, so it’s tough to believe in someone before they have proven themselves. Every person has seeds of greatness within them, so when you believe in someone you allow those seeds to grow.
  2. Emphasize their strengths. Leaders don’t have to exercise their authority and point out the deficiencies of others. Motivate others to see their potential and to focus on their strengths. Give others the power to succeed. Praise them publicly and privately for a job well done.
  3. List their past successes. Knowing their strengths may not be enough, so listing past successes reminds them of their potential. King David looked back on his successes and had confidence in the future (1 Samuel 17:33-37).
  4. Instill confidence when they fail. When people fail they have two choices: give in or go on. Some people are resilient and can get going, others are not that determined. Give them a push and inspire confidence. We can share our own failures to build their confidence, too. Success is a journey, not a destination. Babe Ruth said that we should never let the fear of striking out get in the way.
  5. Experience some wins together. If you have the will to win, you’re halfway to success, if not, you’re halfway to failure. Work with people and allow them to experience smaller victories. Then hand over more difficult challenges.
  6. Visualize their future success. A person can live 40 days without food, four days without water, four minutes without air, but only four seconds without hope. When you cast a vision, you paint a picture of their success.
  7. Expect a new level of living. We all live under the same sky but we all don’t see the same horizon. Have faith in people, dream big dreams, and expand horizons. Putting faith in others involves risk.

This is a continuation of REAL Leadership, material from John Maxwell’s Leadership 101.

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REAL Leadership

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This week I had been approached about the possibility of doing a series on leadership. There are certainly plenty of resources available so I thought we’d take a look at the top leadership guy, John Maxwell. I went to a REAL Leadership conference years ago and thought some of the things learned would benefit the Men of Steel in their professional lives as well as their families.

REAL stands for Relationships, Equipping, Attitudes and Leadership. Let’s take a look at Relationships:

Why are relationships important? They are the glue that holds team members together. Solid relationships are built upon mutual respect (you can’t make someone feel important if he secretly feels like a nobody), shared experiences (you can’t be relational with someone you don’t know), trust (as you respect people and spend time with them, trust develops), reciprocity (one-sided relationships don’t really last) and mutual enjoyment (as relationships grow, people begin to enjoy one another).

What do we need to know about others? People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. I generally agreed with this statement until my friend Craig (an anatomy professor at the medical school in Norfolk) said “until you’re looking for a surgeon.” Great point!

Why do people fail to understand others? Fear (fear can be in most work environments, we must give others the benefit of the doubt and replace fear with understanding), Self-centeredness (this is natural for people, so try to see from the other person’s perspective), failure to appreciate differences (a team is no good if they all have the same skills, we need people who have talents that we don’t have), failure to acknowledge similarities (put yourself in the other person’s shoe and ask how you’d handle the situation).

Things everyone needs to understand about people.

  1. Everybody wants to be somebody. We want to be regarded by others, to do something significant. Treat people as if they are important.
  2. Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care. People are your greatest asset, so love them, do good, be honest, help them, if better is possible, to do good is not enough.
  3. Everybody needs somebody. Contrary to popular opinion, there are no self-made men or women Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. Give honor to those who helped you get where you are today.
  4. Everybody can be somebody when somebody understands and believes in them. Go out of your way to make people feel special. Invest in them. Everyone has the potential to become important in the lives of others.
  5. Anybody who helps somebody has the potential in influence a lot of bodies. You can impact a lot of people! The nature of influence seems to multiply.

Choose this day that you will seek to understand others. How will this impact your marriage, your family, your work environment? Next time I’ll write about the building blocks of relationships.

Is This Sunday School or Just Christian Living?

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Beware; this is a long post, written in anticipation for the King’s Grant Strategy Rally, February 8 at 4:00.

I am a fan of small group Bible study and fellowship groups! Well, that’s probably not a real secret, but when I challenge classes toward growth and outreach, I hope that you are helping to move people toward higher levels of commitment to Christ and His church. If you have not heard by now, that last phrase is the vision statement for our discipleship ministry at King’s Grant. Where many may think I am just promoting a Sunday School program, what I am really doing is promoting proper Christian living.

Let me explain. When we are actively involved in our Christian lives, doing something with our faith and not merely believing the right stuff, Jesus is able to shine through. Our behavior, thoughts and attitudes reflect Christ. I hear you saying, “I know all this already. So, what does Sunday School have to do in all of this?” Sunday School is about community. The Christian life does not really exist outside of community. There are no Lone Ranger style Christians.

To truly become a Christian, it is much more than just believing the right information about Jesus (James 2:19), it’s about following Him (Matthew 4:19), being a disciple of Jesus (Luke 9:23), and allowing Him to live through us (Galatians 2:20). Christians are a part of the body of Christ (Romans 12:4-5) and have become the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). So, since we are to live out our Christian lives in community, what better community does the church have than the Sunday School?

There are small groups for every age group.

  1. Childcare is not a problem so adults can get together with people similar in age or life stage.
  2. There is Bible study and discussion on life issues to help each person move toward deeper levels of commitment to Christ and His church (there’s that vision statement again).
  3. There is life connection, through shared hopes, dreams, struggles and successes.
  4. Oh, one more thing, there should be hospitality!

I’m going to share a few Bible verses that ought to be lived out through the Sunday School. Out of that premise, I want to discuss two ideas that will foster community in your small group.

A Key Principle: Practicing Hospitality

Take a look at Romans 12:13.

The Living Bible paraphrases it this way: “Get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner.” I like that. Your small group needs to make eating together a habit! When we talk about hospitality, it is not the same as social entertaining. Entertaining focuses on the host (a spotless home with just the right food) while hospitality focuses on the guest and their needs (their nourishment or even a place to stay).

So, what is the nature of the language of this verse? Is this a proverb, prophecy, parable or command? It is a command, right? As surely as God has commanded us to pray or give, or serve, or do anything else in the Christian life, God has commanded us to get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner (showing hospitality).

Notice it is a habit. The word habit is actually not in the Greek. Kenneth Taylor (the author of the Living Bible) put it in there to emphasize that this is a present tense verb, which, in the original Greek, emphasized a linear action. It is not something we do one time and we are done. We do it over and again. It is a lifestyle. It is a habit. It is the way the Christian life is lived.

Christian living is not done all alone. It is not done sitting on benches watching the same events happen on the same stage, and looking at the back of someone’s head. We grow as we are joined together (Ephesians 2.21, 4.16). Remember that the church is the people rather than the building. The Christian life is a very connected life. Remember that the world is watching to see if we are living out what we say we believe.

Now notice the word invite. What can you expect to happen when you invite guests home for dinner? Not every person that is invited shows up, but you can’t do anything about whether they come. All you are responsible for is inviting. So, think about your small group. Are you inviting people to social gatherings and bringing them into the community of faith? How often can you reasonably have a social event in order to make practicing hospitality a habit?

Now let’s look at 1 Peter 4:9.

Again, what is the nature of the language of this verse? It is also a command to show hospitality. We are commanded to show, offer and welcome others. You can’t control whether or not people come, but you are to offer.

How are we to offer hospitality? This verse adds “without grumbling, murmuring, grudging or complaining.” I wonder why Peter had to add this phrase. Perhaps there are two reasons:

First, all good ideas can be reduced to work. When we have people over, we like to have the house clean. Somebody has to make the dessert, vacuum the floor, clean the bathroom and so forth.
Secondly, some people are kind of hard to love. Some times we will invite them and they will come and it will be fun and all is well. But, sometimes we will invite them and they will be boring, or obnoxious, or irritating, or late, or even ungrateful. So, offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Our next verse is 3 John 1:8.

We ought to show hospitality. It is not exactly an imperative, but it is something we ought to do; not just mentioned once, but this seems to be a theme in the New Testament.

Look at the word partners or fellow helpers; this means working together. Many times we as teachers are not too good at this part. We are into teaching. Our students are into discussing, reading and studying. Teachers generally are not the most fun people in the room; perhaps they are a bit bookish and cerebral. The good teacher knows that s/he needs partners in the ministry, and must let others know how much they are valued.

To me, work together implies we want to get a whole team of people helping with this. We want our team to include:

  1. Inreach leaders to invite every member
  2. Outreach leaders to invite every prospective member and guest
  3. Fellowship leaders to plan the social activities
  4. A class leader who will serve as an overall organizer and see that everything happens as it should.

The goal is not for the teacher to do the work of ten people; it is to get ten people involved in the work.

My final verse is Luke 14:12.

Have you ever had a lunch or dinner and invited only your friends? I believe all of us generally do it this way, but Jesus told us to live differently; to live open and inviting lives. He wants us to form a habit that each time we have a lunch or dinner we think about inviting and including someone who is not a part of the group. How can you organize your class to live out this Christian life principle? Josh Hunt, the “double-your-Sunday-School-in-two-years guy puts it into a formula: “invite every member and every prospect to every fellowship every month.”

Don’t just invite your friends. Invite people who are far from God, in need of a church, who would benefit from being a part of your community. Remember that we can’t just wait for them to join us, they need an invitation. Invite guests. Invite absentees from your class. Keeping inviting them to the party, or to your dinner!

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Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

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Have seen the show? Sort of humbling as they ask questions, isn’t it? Think about all of the knowledge that you have acquired over the years, and how much of it has long since been forgotten? But when you think about it, we rarely forget the wis­dom we have gained over the years. In this passage of Scripture, we read about the wisest guy who ever lived. When asked by God, “What should I give you?” (2 Chronicles 1:7), Solomon was smart enough to ask God for both wisdom and knowledge (2 Chronicles 1:10).

 

It Takes Wisdom and Knowledge

Solomon could have asked for anything he wanted, he had a blank check from God… money, power, women, world peace, a fast bass boat… but he showed that he was wise beyond his years when he recognized that he needed both wisdom and knowledge to effectively lead his people. Knowledge was not enough for him and it’s not enough for us either. A wise person uses knowledge to live properly and to live well.

 

These two prerequisites for effective leadership haven’t changed since the time of Solomon. They are timeless and they apply to leadership at any level. Regardless of your job description and title, you are a leader in some way. Leadership is simply the art and science of influencing others. Good sources of knowledge aren’t too hard to come by—you can find out about almost any subject on the Internet and what you don’t find there you can probably read in a book. Finding good sources of wisdom, however, tends to be a little more difficult.

 

Wisdom is more caught than taught. Who are the wise people that you consider your role models? What men do you know that appear to have it together in their marriage, or in raising their children, or in their career? What can you learn from them? Are you teachable? Are you willing to learn from others? How often do you claim to have it all together when just below the surface you are wounded, scared, disappointed and desperate?

 

Wisdom is a Process

When we think of various sources of wisdom, we often think of the “school of hard knocks.” Experience can be a good teacher, but a wise person prefers to learn from the good and bad experi­ences of others rather than having to learn every­thing the “hard way” himself. A wise person also reads the Bible, and when he reads, he asks God to help him truly understand what he’s reading and how to apply it. He asks God to help him see the connections between things, see the bigger picture. In other words, he asks God to make him wise.

 

Remember that wisdom is not out of reach, you just need to go to the right source, to the one who can give it to you. (James 1:5).

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