Leadership: Willing To Yield To…*
The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
James 3:17 (NKJV)
Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord.
2 Chronicles 30:8 (NKJV)
The practice of yielding is a foreign concept in the 21st century. Most of us want to advance, be the boss, to receive recognition and applause.
Bosses seek to control their destinies.
Assistants seek to control who they can.
Kids and teens seek to control their households:)
Christians seek to control fellow Christians. Therein, churches seek tithes and new members. Denominations seek preeminence. Pastors seek smiles and notoriety.
Have we forgotten to seek Jesus first?**
Consider two definitions of “yield”:
To surrender or submit to someone.
To give a return, often in money.
As followers of Christ, we’re told to do both. Above all, we must surrender to God. Once done, we should submit to our leaders– both to church leaders and to world leaders.*
Jesus said we shouldn’t seek top places, but rather to seek the most humble seats.***
We’re also told to give God “a return”: specifically, to give Him a return on His investment of talents in us: to be soft soil:
To be “fruitful” disciples,
To multiply His talents,
To go unto all nations,
And to spread our Lord’s Good News.
Actors, models, and talent for Christ:
Let’s agree to yield our will to God's will. Please note: It's not a one-time Baptism plunge. It's a day-by-day continuing quest. Lest I be guilty of hypocrisy, I confess my far-too-often failure, as in...
“I resign as boss of my life today. I’m NOT the Captain of my salvation. I’m NOT the director of my own life: not at home, work, church, or anywhere else. Lord, I submit to You, Your timetable, Your will, Your challenges, and Your requests. I’ll try to see the blessings in my tests, and remember my blessings are tests, too. Christ said, 'I can of Myself do nothing' (John 5:30), so I ask forgiveness for believing I can of myself do anything good!”
“If Jesus yielded to You, selfish priests, small-minded people, and cruel Romans, I yield to Almighty God and others you’ve placed in my destiny as leaders, even if they seem ignorant or wrong. I believe you will lead me, avenge me, and work all things together for my good. And at the right time, IF I stay humble (when I know and show the honor is yours), You’ll exalt me. Therein, I’ll rise and shine.“
Maybe you can say what I said better, in your own words, with your own mind and heart. I encourage you to consider it.
Leadership Series: Willing To Yield To… (Part 17)
* NEVER “yield” to peer pressure or evil influences to do sinful or evil deeds.
** 'But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you' (Matthew 6:33)
*** 'When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, 'Give your place to this man,' and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, 'Friend, move up higher;' then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you' (Luke 14:8-10).
NOTE: God is my Ghostwriter. If what I write is good, it’s from God! We’re ALL called to be actors (action stars) for Jesus. We’re ALL called to models of Jesus, and we ALL have gifts, talents, and callings from God– to multiply them in the world for His glory.
P.S. NO DEVOTION, PREACHER, or SERMON… can begin to replace personal time in the Bible. I wholeheartedly and clear-headedly recommend READING THE BIBLE DAILY.
WARNING: Don’t focus on favorite verses, because out of context, they’re often misinterpreted. I plead with you to READ AT LEAST 1 BIBLE CHAPTER DAILY. How long does it take? An average of 5 to 10 minutes!