Here is part two about questions I try to keep in front of me based on II Timothy 2:15…
#3 - Does God Approve?
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved…”
This kind of overlaps with the last question; however, I believe the conclusion is slightly different.
Whenever I am wrestling with a decision and I think I have came to a conclusion the final filter I run it through is, “Is this a good decision or a God decision? Does God approve of this?”
I have a philosophy…could be debated I guess…but I think that I am right! :-) I am all about getting as many people around me as possible to help make a decision. The book of Proverbs speaks over and over again of not trying to make leadership decisions alone…
However…I believe there are certain times in a leaders life when God will reveal to him the right decision that needs to be made…and he, at least for a while, will feel all alone when it comes to his conviction.
Remember Dave in the cave? Saul is after him, wants to kill him…goes into a cave to drop a load and David “just happens” to be in there? It looked like the right opportunity! His men were telling him to go for it—heck, they even had a verse!
BUT…David knew that God would not approve of him killing Saul (even though Saul was in an incredibly vulnerable position!)
If I ever as a leader try to make everyone around the leadership table with me happy and ignore God in the process…that makes me a poor leader.
Now, before I move on from this let me clearly say that in the nine years NewSpring has existed there has been LESS than five times EVER that I have disagreed with my entire leadership team.
AND…each time that happens I don’t ever pull the authority card. A few times we have tabled the decision to seek the Lord more…and at least once I asked them to trust me because I really felt like I had heard from the Lord.
(If you are pulling the “God told me” card every week and never allowing the leaders at the table to speak…you’ll run off your best leaders!)
I’ve said it for the longest time—leadership is as easy as listening to God…and if we listen and obey—He approves. It is THAT simple!