A Coward's Guide to Leadership

Scripture Verses that Caught my attention today: Galatians 1:3-5 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Observation: Paul is rooted in what Christ has done (given himself for our sins) and Christ’s purpose (to set us free from the present evil age).

Application: The other day I began a personal little writing project called: “A Coward’s Guide to Leadership.” I started it more for personal catharsis than anything else and I’m not even sure how far, if any further at all, I’m going to go with it. It just was and is a way to give voice to the fact that our very real worries and fears in life can be embraced for the sake of mission. We can name them and claim them and even hold them up semi-proudly and say, “yes, this is all part of me.”

Indeed! Trying to ignore them is hopeless. Pretending they don’t exist is a lie. Trying to swerve around them requires too much unnecessary energy—a theft of sorts from more noble pursuits. Better to plow right through.

Did I mention that, to some extent, they are the reason I am up right now? Writing an hour or more before the alarm was set to go off?

So be it. What’s the big deal?

This is what Paul understood so well. He had plenty of reasons to fear. Plenty of reasons to worry. There is evidence elsewhere in Scripture that he did both. But through it all he also understood something incredibly basic: Christ gave himself (which I think is even more profound than simply dying, though he obviously did that too) for our sins AND Christ did so for a reason (to set us free from the stuff of this “evil” age that endeavors to do us in).

In similar fashion we have daily opportunities to give ourselves over as well. Our motivation may be different—for we have no need nor ability to be a divine sacrifice—but there is still reason to hang in there. Or should I say ‘hang on there?’. Christ hung on the cross but we hang all our hope on Christ. Or maybe more accurately, Christ hangs onto us—the reason for our hope and proof of our utter dependence all rolled into one.

Prayer: Dear God, but why is this all still, at times, so hard? Shouldn’t it get easier with time and experience? Couldn’t you at least produce a little infomercial on the three easy steps to worrying without worrying and fearing without fearing? If so, let me know when it’s ready. In the mean time here I am. Use me as you wish. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

(Readings today included: Deuteronomy 13-15 and Galatians 1)