Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.” (Nehemiah 2:17, ESV)
I have been thinking a lot about leadership recently. Leadership plays an important role in all of our lives. Maybe you consider yourself a leader. Maybe you don’t. But if you are reading this, you are likely a leader. You are more of a leader than you realize.
The most basic definition of leadership is “influence.” If you have influence, you are a leader. If you are a parent, you are a leader. Being a parent may be the most important leadership role any of us will ever serve. But think about the all the different places you have influence. Those are the places where you exert leadership.
Now the question is: what kind of influence to you offer? Do you influence others for better or for worse? If we are honest with ourselves, we can all grow in our leadership ability. We can all be better influencers.
If you are looking to grow in leadership, there is no greater place to turn than the Scriptures for lessons in leadership. And one of best books in the Scriptures is the book of Nehemiah. I have been using Nehemiah for my morning devotions in the last week. During the next few days, I would like to take a deeper look at Nehemiah and consider some of the leadership lessons to be learned. I want to encourage you to do the same and join me at looking at this important book on the leadership of Nehemiah.
Reflection
- What are your different leadership roles?
- Read through the book of Nehemiah and write down any leadership lessons you discover?
Prayer
Thank you Lord for the influence you have given me. Help me to use that influence for good. I often feel inadequate for the task, but you promise to equip me to carry out everything you have entrusted to me. Amen.
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