AWAKE AT THE WHEEL

In my travels from church to church, I’m continually blessed and intimately prodded by a “spiritual” group of people. I’m speaking of a church that expresses balance of love for God and others inside and outside the walls of the church. It seems that when I find this experience, ordinary men and women are demonstrating a hunger for God, His Word and Spirit. I’ve also come across churches that struggle with the love factor and exemplify an unfortunate coldness of heart. But I don’t have to go very far in mulling this over regarding either church before my focus sets on leadership. It goes without saying that whether the heart temperature reads red hot for God or lukewarm, a touch of God’s Spirit continually is the great necessity of the day. And among a body of believers, there is yet an awakening that is most essential. I call it AWAKE AT THE WHEEL.  Joel 2:15 and 17 lay out this declaration: “Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly… Let the priest, who minister before the Lord, weep between the temple porch and the altar.”

Why is the most essential awakening to be among spiritual leadership?

In light of the fact that the leader is the one who has the wheel..., here’s four primary reasons why that awakening is most important:

1Everything rises and falls on leadership. In other words, any organization moves forward or backward in direct proportion to how they are led.

2Spiritual leadership is about moving people onto God’s agenda and His assignment for their lives. The work of spiritual leadership is holy and requires constant contact with the Source of the assignment.

3Spiritual leadership isn’t spiritual unless God is leading the leader. The only dynamic that distinguishes who the leader is and what he/she does is defined by who's leading the leader.

4Fresh vision is the one component spiritual leaders are in need of to keep God’s people moving in the right direction. Spiritual leader, here’s what we can’t forget: Yesterday’s direction cannot be the assumption of today’s purpose. Freshness is the demand from those who follow us and those who we endeavor to reach for Christ.

As spiritual leaders, being awakened by God's Spirit is critical to the safety, soundness and significance of our journey with others. Hey, reason enough...WE'VE GOT THE WHEEL!