Living to Lead

I remember a time when I had just become an adult. I worked at a collection agency. I am a people person, outspoken, and gung-ho, this job was my cup of tea. I was good at it most of the time and received rather large bonuses from the payments I was able to convince people they just had to make. Then one day, a woman trying to explain why she couldn’t make a payment, while I tried telling her all things are possible, stopped me in my tracks.
She said,
    “Honey, you can’t be older than 20, you haven’t even lived yet.     You don’t know what the real world is like and you don’t know my circumstances and what life has handed me. You can’t even imagine, but I can not take care of this bill.”.

It wasn’t until this morning in reflecting, this memory came up and I understand now, exactly what she was saying. You have to live to lead.

I have been placed in several positions lately. Positions in which I am the helper. I have been leading everyone around me for as long as I can remember. Some of this is due to my character and some of this is due to circumstances, either way, It’s not easy for me to watch someone else be the boss. The first thing I had to do was recognize I was being put in these positions and that is was probably for a reason.

The primary reason, I am convinced, is my husband. While I have always sought his approval in everything, I was the primary decision maker, responsible for most things where our life was concerned, and honestly, I threw the biggest fit when I didn’t get my way so , I usually got my way. It made my life easier to have this illusion of control, and it made his life easier to not watch me throw a fit.

These things have changed. As we work through recovery programs, life turned upside down, I have learned, doing anything driven by self-will, won’t work. This is especially true when it comes to being a leader. As my husband gears up to head into the call of ministry he is answering, I gear up to learn and answer my call as his helpmate.

Genesis 2:18 KJV “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him”
So am I still a leader? You betcha! God has given me a testimony and it is my responsibility to share it, to lead others to Christ by setting an example. To lead others.. it’s a responsibility, an honor, a privilege. Not a position and definitely not anything that should result in “power trips.” It is being humble, being honest, being grateful and being a help to this world so that we can meet our brothers and sisters in Christ in the home that God has waiting for us.

Matthew 28:18-20 KJV “And Jesus came and spake unto then, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world, Amen”

Are you a helpmate for God and you spouse? Are you living to lead? Are you ready to leave Fingerprints?




A grateful believer in Christ,

~Johnna