Well over 25 years ago I was attending a very large business meeting in Portland, Oregon. Although I was scheduled to speak the following day, I had purposely come to the meeting on Saturday evening for the specific purpose of listening to my dear friend, Bill. Bill was the featured speaker at the Saturday evening session of the week-end function. I knew he was excited about being with us and just knew in my heart that he would have something very important and significant to tell us. I went over to the coliseum early so as to get a good seat where I could easily hear him deliver his talk. I was not disappointed. His message was powerful and very uplifting and encouraging. His talk, as he delivered it, grew in strength and fervor. It crescendoed in empowering inspiration to the point that most of the listeners were ready to charge the enemy with nothing more than a squirt gun. Tens of thousands of people attended this meeting. They all were greatly impacted by my friend’s words. It was a site of applied leadership at its finest. Bill could certainly connect with the audience.
As my friend neared the end of his talk, he made a statement that rocked my world and forever changed the way I looked at life and leadership of other people. Bill, standing bigger than life on a great stage before all of those thousands of excited people, microphone in hand, boldly proclaimed an absolute truth of life when he stated, “If you don’t know what you stand for,…if you don’t stand for something…then you will fall for anything !”
Is not that statement the absolute truth? Of course, it is!
I began to mull over and over my thoughts about exactly what it was that I personally stood for. What is it that causes me to “dig- in” and prepare for the long hard fight to persevere and win? What do the people with whom I am associated stand for…I mean really stand for. What is my personal cause?… and is it greater than my personal dreams?
These are really important questions that each individual needs to ask themselves…that everyone needs to have their own answers to and know why they are answering in the way that they are. What is it,… that you really and honestly stand for in your own life? …and how committed to the accomplishment of your cause are you? Would it be worth giving up your own life if that were what was required to accomplish it? Oh it is these type questions that begin to separate the men from the boys.
Well permit me to point out to you that you will never be ready to succeed in life unless and until you know exactly who you are, what you personally stand for, where you and your family are really going, how you are going to get there, and why you are making the journey. Is that perfectly clear???
Whenever these questions cannot be fully answered, then your train moving toward your own personal success has been derailed and is in a temporary “hold” position until you resolve the correct answers. An “I don’t really know” answer immediately pulls you off the roadway and onto the siding to wait until you finally figure out who you are,…where you are going, and how you are going to get there. All too many people get started on the Road To Success, but soon get sidetracked and stay on that siding for such a long period of time that they lose all of their forward-moving momentum. Sadly they never seem to muster up enough excitement or energy in their lives again to get re-engaged. Consequently they never reach where they said they really wanted to go. They never become who they really wanted to be. They let themselves and their own family down and mostly they disappointed their Creator by never living out what His intended purpose was for their life. How sad! God must definitely cry a lot.
To become a real leader of other people,…to become a great influencer of other people’s lives and accomplishments,…to be a major player,…a major contributor,…you must,…absolutely must… possess and exemplify real personal courage,…mental toughness,…and a committed sustained work ethic. No exceptions. Success is not an accident. Success is a planned event.
You may ask,… How in the world do you do that? That is a very good question. Based upon what I have already told you in previous discussions, how do you think you do it? Simple,…just go to the Word of God first and see what He has to say about getting it done.
Now a little word of caution might herewith be in order. Whenever you are seeking some instruction as to how to get things properly accomplished, you must be absolutely certain that you seek out only the good, right, and properly qualified teachers from whom to receive your guidance and counsel. As is the case in almost every arena of life and instruction, there are an over-abundance of unqualified, incorrect, incompetent, fraudulent, and totally false teachers. These type people are discussed and described in great detail in the Holy Bible in The Book of 2 Peter, Chapter 2, vv.1-6. The Apostle Peter describes in full detail these false teachers : who they are, what are their actual destructive beliefs, what is their lust for power, why they always exhibit their complete denial of Christ’s deity, why they all are driven by consuming greed, and why they all have a perverted sensuality. These false teachers are easily recognized as they always exploit God’s people and His followers. Therefore, God has chosen to punish them and rescue those who stand for what is right and godly. This is exactly the reason why you never want to hang around these false teachers, have any business dealings with them, or socialize with them in any way, shape, or form. They will be judiciously dealt with by our loving, jealous, and just Father God.
The Apostle Peter contrasts self-appointed bad leaders with good and godly raised leaders:
1. The fall of angels : God cast them into prison to preserve the godly (4).
2. The days of Noah : God sent the flood, but rescued Noah (5).
3. The destruction of Sodom : God destroyed the city, but spared Lot (6).
It is never easy to take a courageous stand. It is always very difficult. A mighty price will always have to be paid by the one(s) taking such a stand. Misery, pain, and suffering will always follow the one standing for that in which he totally believes because it is the right and godly thing to do.
Don‘ t allow yourself to be fooled by the enemy. Whenever you choose to take a courageous stand,…it always seems cheaper to :
1. Stand for what is easy: Some leaders look for the easy road and take it.
2. Stand for what is popular: Some leaders check the pulse of the majority.
3. Stand for what is comfortable : Some leaders choose what fits them best.
4. Stand for what is convenient : Some leaders do what fits their calendar.
5. Stand for what is beneficial : Some leaders stand for what profits them.
6. Stand for what is wrong : Some leaders simply stand for the wrong issues.
Now you will only be able to stand for the right and good things in life and stand against the wrong and bad things in life when you know who you really are and what you are in the process of doing. That will always be the case when you have a great cause to your life and it is a good and godly cause. Always stay on the God side of things and of life. That way you will always have the Power on your own side. You will always have the Protection on your side. And, you will always have all of the believers on your side to lend a helping hand if and whenever one may be needed.
Leaders Gotta Lead…………