DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
LEADERS LEAD. | Day 26 of 40 (LENT)

I woke up this morning with a simple thought, “Leaders lead”.

I was pondering an important decision regarding our bible fellowship, and that’s where my mind landed, “Leaders lead”.

After we’ve prayed, done our research, sought counsel, weighed the pros and cons, and drawn from our wisdom and past experiences, we as leaders make decisions and move forward because that’s what we do. We lead.

And the most effective leaders lead from a place of service. We don’t count it lightly that we’ve been entrusted with the responsibility and gift to cast vision and make decisions that impact lives. We constantly ask the question, “What are the needs of those entrusted to our care?” And we keep those needs ever present as we serve and set courses of action.

Time Magazine’s “People of the Century – Top 100” list included several of the most influential servant leaders of all time, many of which sacrificed their all in service of those whom they led:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mother Teresa
Mohandas Gandhi
Nelson Mandela

The selfless character that these humble giants possessed can also be seen in Nehemiah and the leaders of Judah that we’ve been studying over the last couple of weeks.

We’ve seen Nehemiah, a former cupbearer to the king, become broken over the condition of his people. He then fasts, prays, asks the king for resources, and gets commissioned to go rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, which is a stepping stone to rebuilding the nation of Judah. As new governor, Nehemiah appoints godly leaders to help govern and rebuild the city.

The wall has been rebuilt in 52 days, but the city is still fairly vacant. That’s when the leaders lead by example and start moving back into the city and arranging for other people to move back into the city. That was a big step.

Day 26:
Read below or click: NEHEMIAH 11: 1-2
Entire Chapter: Nehemiah 11-12

1 Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem, the holy city, while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns. 2 The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

What a great experiment?!
The leaders went first. Somebody had to step out and get the ball rolling. Then, others were assigned to follow suit and all were commended who volunteered for the move. The rest of the chapter lists all the leaders by name and genealogy. There are priests, Levites, and gatekeepers, all listed by name. Again, this is a big deal.

It’s like Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founding Apple, Inc. and enlisting their first team of movers and shakers. They did not know what to expect. They had no guarantee of success. But somebody had to step out.

Most of us have a leadership capacity in some area of our lives, whether it’s at home, work, or socially. Are we willing to step out first and take the plunge, if need be, for the sake of those whom we are responsible for?

Would we leave our established lives to move to a city that is being rebuilt, that may or may not make it? Would we take the risk?

What decisions are you facing today?
I want to encourage you to boldly move forward.
Sink or swim, we’ve got to jump in the water.
How will we know what a great city we can build if we don’t move and make it happen?

Leaders lead!
That’s what we do.
So, leaders… lead!

Go forth,
Naima

DAILY PRAYER (LENT):
1) Confession & Repentance – Let’s confess our wrongs and ask forgiveness
2) Complete transparency – Let our guard down and talk to God about our lives.
3) Listen – Let’s quiet and listen to God’s Spirit re: the scriptures, etc.
4) Intercession for others – Let’s pray for our family, friends, coworkers, church, etc.