GENTLY LEADING

"So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at
the pace of the droves before me and that of the children, until I come
to my lord in Seir." - Genesis 33:14

Work often determines that we move at a pace that can put incredible
stresses upon people and relationships. Jacob was a man who learned to
manipulate and control outcomes. He even stole the birthright of his
brother, Esau, through trickery. The Bible speaks of Jacob as a man who
strived with God. He knew how to force situations to his advantage. It
took years for God to break down all the rough edges of Jacob so that he
could be worthy of becoming the patriarch of the 12 tribes of Israel.
God saw something in Jacob that He could use.
Robert Hicks, in his book Masculine Journey, describes five biblical
stages of manhood that must be passed through before a man becomes a
mature man of God. One of those early stages is known as the "warrior
stage." In this stage of manhood, the man is known by what he does, what
he accomplishes, and he is totally defined by his performance. It can be
a tumultuous time for the man and those close to him. It is often
signified by broken relationships because the goal is often more
important than the way the goal is accomplished. When I meet with a man,
I can easily determine what stage of life he is in by hearing him talk.
Jacob had successfully passed through these five stages based on the
verse above. It takes someone mature to be able to "move along slowly at
the pace of the droves before me and that of the children." Leaders who
never come to understand this may be successful materially but fail at
the most important aspect of leadership-leading at a pace that his
followers can maintain. The roads are full of wives, children, and
workers who cannot keep up with the pace of leaders and are left behind
with broken dreams, broken hearts, and unfulfilled promises.
Are you a person who is more concerned with outcome than how you achieve
the outcome? Can the people around you describe you as someone who leads
at a pace that ensures respect and admiration? Ask the Lord for the
ability to be a godly leader who understands the condition of his flock
and the pace in which you can lead without alienating.