Be Intentional-3

WEEK 1

Being Intentional

Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Being a leader is an honor and a well-earned accomplishment. But most leaders didn’t just wake up one day a become a leader. They had to learn to be a leader, and they often learned from other leaders.

Godly leaders lead in a way that mutually benefits each other. A Biblical leader is humble, approachable, reflective, a delegator, and one who yields to the Holy Spirit.

HUMBLE

Recognizing your position is not meant for self-importance, but for usefulness to God.

Matthew 20:26-28
Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave, for even the son of man came not to be served, but to serve.

APPROACHIBILITY

Being approachable not only earns respect but it also provides room for Godly responses.

James 1:19-20
Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry, for human anger does not produce God’s righteous purpose.

REFLECTIVE

Constant reflection on your own inclinations and attitudes allows God to fill your heart with His goodness, His joy, and His desires.

Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

DELEGATOR

Delegating responsibilities not only keeps you from becoming burned out, but it provides opportunities to equip others.

Exodus 18:21-22 (paraphrased)
Select capable men (trustworthy, God fearing men) and appoint them to serve….that will make your load lighter because they will share it with you.

YIELD TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

Yielding to the Holy Spirit merges our capabilities with the power and the fruit that the Spirit provides. We must trust in Him and not ourselves.

John 15:5
I am the vine; you are the branches Those who remain in me, and I in them, will bear much fruit. For apart from me, you can do nothing.

These characteristics can be remembered with an acronym….HARDY.
A hardy plant is one that can grow almost anywhere. And a hardy leader is one who is strong enough to grow in good and bad situations, while allowing others to grow as well.

Reflect and Pray

  • Thank God for those who have mentored you
  • Ask God who you might mentor
  • Reflect on how HARDY you are in your place of leadership or learning
  • Ask God how you can encourage your leaders

WEEK 2

Being Intentional with Family

John 10:14-15
I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary.
Raising a family may be one of the hardest things we do. But it will most certainly be the most rewarding as well. With so many negative influences in the world, leading your family has never been more important. 

In Psalm 23, David describes the Lord as his shepherd. He knew exactly what the relationship between a shepherd and his sheep should be, as he was once a shepherd himself.  And he knew sheep are completely dependent on their shepherd for provision, guidance, protection and love. He also knew he was completely dependent on the Lord. 

Jesus is our Good Shepherd. We can draw our example of how to lead by loving and listening to Him. Our families depend on us to be committed, trustworthy, responsible, comforting, guiding, prepared, and sacrificial with our time, our resources, and our hearts. 

Read & Meditate on the Scriptures

Read Psalm 23
Ask God to lead you, so you can rightly lead your family. 

Carving out time in your busy week can seem impossible. But God desires the family unit to talk about His Word “when you are at home, when you are on the road, when you are getting up and going to bed” (Deuteronomy 11:19).

  • Does your family have a time during the week when you read God’s Word together and pray for understanding and application?
  • How does your family serve others together?
  • Do you know your children’s greatest desires and do they know yours?
  • Ask God to help shape family traditions to get know the Lord and each other better. 

WEEK 3

Being Intentional with School & Work

Matthew 5:13a, 14a
“Your lives are like salt among the people” (vs 13), “your lives light up the world”

Let’s face it, most of us spend more time at work than we do anywhere else in our lives. So the impact we make at work is an incredible mission! Being a Godly leader at work doesn’t necessary mean you have to be the boss, the manager, or have any earned authority at all. Being a leader at work reflects in your every day character. 
SALT AND LIGHT
Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world! Salt and Light are not only adjectives, which people will use to describe our character, but they are also verbs which indicate action. Most importantly though, they are nouns, which mean they are very essence of who we are in Christ. 
Empathy, kindness, compassion and humility are just a few ways we can ensure that salt and light flow through us. But there are some specific ways that you can season your workplace with salt and brighten the days with light. Read through the following scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to show you how to apply these truths to your life.
  • Value others above yourself (Philippians 2:3-4)
  • Work with all your heart (Colossians 3:23)
  • Do the right thing, even if no one is watching (Philippians 4:8-9)
  • Be a role model for Christ, pointing others towards Him (Hebrews 10:24)
  • Build relationships with your co-workers (Proverbs 27:9)
  • Be careful how you speak (Ephesians 4:29)

Reflect and Respond:

ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS
  1. How can your work make the world better for other people?
  2. How can you influence the people in your circumstances to become their best?
  3. How does your intentionality make you practice Scripture?
  4. How can you announce the gospel to people around you?
  • Prayer for people in school: 
    Ask the Spirit to guide our students into work that makes the world better in resources, in justice, in community, and in the spread of the gospel. Pray also that students would be intentional about the influence they have with others.
  • Prayer for people in jobs: 
    Ask the Lord to empower people to love our neighbors by means of our good work and our influence on people. 
  • Prayer for volunteers: 
    Ask the Lord of the harvest to send volunteers to our local partners (True Faith, Next Step Women’s Center, Center for ASD, Harvest House, and Academy 4). 

WEEK 4

Being Intentional with Your Church

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Two are better than one, because they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help.  But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.
Sometimes you lead and sometimes you follow, but many hands always lead to lighter work, less frustration, group accountability, and strength in numbers.

Many of us are not strong in this area of working together. After all, we can do it ourselves. But just because we could, doesn’t mean we should. 

The joy and responsibility of serving belongs to everyone! And when we decide to do things alone, we steal this joy from others, and often as a side effect, steal the joy from ourselves while inadvertently discouraging others.
  • Jesus certainly could have accomplished his mission on his own, but he chose 12 disciples to accompany him. 
  • Paul chose men to help him with the daunting task of carrying the Word of Jesus into many nations. 
  • Nehemiah strategically organized the workers at the wall to encourage and support each other. 
  • Aaron and Hur held up the hands of Moses to ensure victory against the Amalekites. 
We all have been given the gifts of the Holy Spirit to build up the body of Christ, and He makes the whole body fit together perfectly, with each part doing its own special work to help the other parts grow (Ephesians 4:12,16). 

We all belong together and we are all better together (Romans 12:5-6a). 

Reflect and Respond

  • Pray for a Spirit of unity in our hearts so serving together is fun and fruitful
  • Acknowledge and confess those places where pride or personal recognition might keep us from working well with others
  • Reflect on your gifts and how you can balance those gifts with others in your particular area of leadership and service