The Traits of Effective Leaders - Martin Wiles

The next day, Moses sat as usual to hear the people’s complaints against each other. Exodus 18:13 NLT

The stress of leadership can be overbearing.

I’ve never had people with problems lined up before me from morning until night, but other people’s situations have laden my shoulders. My day has begun by sitting for seven hours with a family whose loved one was undergoing a complicated heart surgery. Then it was off to the shut-in’s house, who needed someone to talk to. After gobbling down a bite of supper, it was off to a leadership team meeting. When I finally plopped down in my recliner at nine p.m., the phone rang. So and so had been in an accident. I was off again.  

Responsibility hounds leadership positions, and Moses had his share. He was responsible for leading more than a million people. Along with providing for their daily needs, he had to listen to their disagreements. Fortunately, his father-in-law gave him some sanity-saving advice.

Effective leaders aren’t afraid to take advice from people who are qualified to give it. Jethro told Moses he couldn’t care for all the people’s needs by himself and then offered him a solution, which Moses accepted.

Effective leaders recognize they can’t do everything and shouldn’t try to. Jethro helped Moses see his unrealistic attempts. Moses’ attempt—while well-intentioned—was impossible.

Effective leaders train and delegate because they know they have limits. Jethro suggested that Moses divide the people into smaller groups. Then he was to find qualified leaders who could listen to the complaints and handle them. Only significant situations would come before Moses.

Effective leaders genuinely care about those they lead. Although Moses had to reorganize his structure of handling disputes, the fact that he tried to handle them demonstrated his concern. Those he led could be aggravating, but he loved them.

Let God show you how to be a more effective leader. Then lead.

Prayer: Father, we acknowledge we cannot effectively lead without Your guidance. Direct us to be loving leaders who guide others as You do us. 

Tweetable: What steps can you take to become a more effective leader? 

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Mastering Godliness - Amy Dagit

Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness. 1 Timothy 4:7 ESV  

One afternoon, I received an exciting email: my devotion had been chosen for publication. That night, I celebrated with my husband. We snuggled on the couch and toasted my achievement.

Fast-forward a couple of weeks, and the publisher posted my devotion on their website. I expected a few edits, but nothing I worried about. I navigated to the website and read.

My demeanor plummeted into despair. The final product gutted me. I thought the edits were heavy-handed. The editor had deleted my favorite word, and I felt my voice had been erased. I stomped upstairs, fell into bed, and cried while the voice in my mind reiterated the wrongs in the published devotion.

After drying my eyes, I walked downstairs, sat at my computer, and worked on another devotion. The Spirit quickly prodded me. I had not responded with godliness. Instead, I rejected God’s gift, grumbled rather than prayed, and  wallowed in the lies. I had forgotten my purpose was to reach others with God’s Word.

I am thankful for the Spirit’s nudge. I learned that godliness does not come easily. It requires immersion, practice, toiling, striving, setting an example, and checking ourselves.

Godliness entails our commitment to live according to God’s Word. When acting godly, we reveal God’s character to others and lead them toward eternity. And yes, others notice. But, of course, the opposite is also true. Our ungodly acts can push others away from the Father.

Think about your reaction to a situation that didn’t happen as planned. Did you respond with grumbling, take out your anger on a loved one, or believe the lies? Why not use the Bible to create a list of godly responses for unexpected situations?

Tweetable: How can you do a better job of mastering godliness? 

Amy Dagit is a writer and copyeditor from East Central Illinois. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Besides editing and writing, Amy loves to travel and photograph. Her writing has been published in The Wanderlust Within, 50 Haikus, and Inkspirations Online. She blogs about editing, writing, and travel at amydagit.com.

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Southern Fried Chicken Strips

 

 

Ingredients

1 EGG

½ CUP BUTTERMILK

1 CUP PLAIN FLOUR

 ½ TEASPOON GARLIC POWDER

1 ½ TEASPOON PEPPER

½ TEASPOON SALT

½ TEASPOON PAPRIKA

2 POUNDS CHICKEN TENDERLOINS

OIL FOR FRYING

Directions

WHISK EGG & BUTTERMILK IN 1 BOWL.

COMBINE FLOUR, GARLIC POWDER, PEPPER, SALT, AND PAPRIKA.

DIP CHICKEN IN EGG MIXTURE, FLOUR AND THEN IN EGG MIXTURE AGAIN.

HEAT OIL TO 375 DEGREES.

FRY CHICKEN 2 TO 3 MINUTES ON EACH SIDE.

Tweetable: Why not try this Southern favorite? 

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Holding Pattern - Karen Huffaker

The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16 NIV

Daily, it seemed as if we were in a holding pattern.

With all the happy excitement of high school graduation season ahead, the weather didn’t appear so bright and sunny. The final weeks were a flurry of last-time activities: senior walks, revisiting primary schools, enjoying fond childhood memories and early teachers, field day, senior picnic, senior parade, graduation practices, ceremony at the racetrack, and pool and garden parties galore. Unfortunately, forecasts of rain, showers, or thunderstorms loomed.

Many prayers were made, flowing through prayer circles and prayer chains almost daily. We would make it through one event with only moments to spare, thankful that the weather cooperated, only to repeat the process the next day. I prayed, as many others did, that the Lord would hold back the rain.

The Old Testament prophet Elijah came to my mind. He announced that dew and rain would not fall until he said so. Oh Lord, please let it be that way, I thought selfishly. We were dependent on God to withhold the rain.

On graduation night, weather apps forecasted rain again, and heavy clouds surrounded the racetrack. We held our breath with ponchos and umbrellas on standby, but the Lord held back the rain—sending only wind.

Two days later, thundershowers threatened our lakeside graduation party. Again, we prayed. Just as the celebration began, the sun appeared. The party was a wonderful event for family and friends. Later that night, the skies opened and delivered rain while we slept.

God often shields us from storms, hardship, harm, evil, temptation, negative influences, disease, and disaster. Our prayers for help are effective, and the Lord hears them. We must not give up hope. He also protects us from many things we may never know about. He is a loving God who is merciful and compassionate. He cares about us and what is important to us. Like any good father, He watches over us and bestows blessings.

If we keep our hearts right with God and believe in Him, great things happen.

Prayer: Father, thank you that you care for me so deeply.

Tweetable: Are you in a holding pattern because you haven't prayed?

Karen Huffaker is a freelance Christian writer. She has taught children’s Sunday school and single mom’s Bible studies and written poetry. She is from the Deep South and loves reading Christian books, devotionals, genealogy adventures, fishing, and all things family. She is also passionate about her grandchildren’s sporting events. 

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Searching for the Stray - Martin Wiles

If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others on the hills and go out to search for the one that is lost? Matthew 18:12 NLT

Her name was Mou Mou, and she was a stray.

Where she strayed was the crumbling house, nestled next door to the house my wife and I rented. As we sat on our front porch eating lunch, we heard her meowing. I suppose the aroma of the fried chicken attracted her. My wife, a cat lover, threw her a few pieces of chicken. Although this little stray was skittish, a few pieces of chicken soon warmed her up to us.

Before long, she strayed over to our front porch. Since she meowed continuously, her name was easy to come by. Then one morning as I opened the front door, she didn’t greet me as she always had. There were signs of a scuffle. Perhaps a dog. Our little stray was nowhere to be found. We searched but with no luck.

Like the shepherd who leaves the rest of the flock to search for the one stray, God owns the business of searching. While the shepherd, like us, might not always locate the stray, God always finds the person He’s looking for.

I’ve been a stray on quite a few occasions. I was a stray before my father told me how much God loved me and wanted to have a relationship with me. God found me. I became a stray again during my teenage years when I strayed into territories believers shouldn’t tread.

God searched for me by pricking my conscience. He found me when I decided to listen and let Him take me back to the flock. And there have been times when it wasn’t sin that caused me to turn into a stray. Financial meltdowns, broken relationships, gossip, rebellious children, and death accomplished the same. But God was just as faithful to search for me when such times stole my time and focus.

Regardless of why you stray, God is faithful to search for you and bring you back to the safety of the flock.

What are some things that tempt you to stray?

Prayer: Father, thank You for searching for us and returning us to Your loving care when we stray. 

Tweetable: Have you strayed from God? 

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Worthy of the Calling - Martin Wiles

Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling. Ephesians 4:1 NLT

Ralph Johnson was following God’s call but wasn’t sure he was worthy of the calling.

As a young adult, he had entered the ministry. With one son in tow and two more to come, he lived his life by the biblical mandate that if a man can’t control his family, he was not worthy to lead God’s church.

This wasn’t an issue until his firstborn began experimenting with teenage rebellion. Had it just been talking back, he could have handled it, but it went further. He cut school, drank, smoked, and experimented with drugs. To top it off, he didn’t care who knew. And many church folks did.

For the next four years, Ralph battled bouts of depression and threatened to resign. He breathed a sigh of relief when his oldest son graduated high school, but more challenges came when his two younger sons decided to follow in their older brother’s footsteps. For most of his ministry, Ralph didn’t feel worthy of his calling.

God often places special callings on our lives, but the foundational calling is his invitation to believe and serve. Obedience is the acid test that we’re walking worthy of our calling. Jesus said if we loved him, we would obey.

Obedience produces certain traits, demonstrating we’re worthy of the calling. One is humility. Not weakness. Not being someone’s doormat. Instead, not thinking more of ourselves than we should—but at the same time, not less. Another is gentleness. Not prone to revenge. A third is patience. Recognizing God is working to form us more into his likeness. A fourth is unity. We’re bound to other believers by the mutual belief that Jesus is the only way to the Father. And finally, peace. Searching for common ground that unifies rather than differences that divide.

Walking worthy of our calling takes work, diligence, and ingenuity. Most of all, it takes allowing God to guide our steps.

What traits are keeping you from walking worthy of your calling?

Prayer: Father, we thank You for the calling You have issued to be Your representatives in this world. Help us walk worthy of that calling. 

Tweetable: Are you living worthy of God's calling? 

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Snickerdoodle Cookies

 

Ingredients

1 large bag of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix

1 container of cinnamon sugar

Directions
Mix cookies according to package.

Roll into small balls and dip in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet and mash slightly with a fork.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Tweetable: Why not mix up this simple but sweet treat?

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