Faith and Leadership

"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." -- Peter Drucker

"Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check." -- James 3:1-2

Leaders are prominent in today's society.
Look no farther than your parents.
A teacher or instructor.
A public servant, a police officer, a politician.
A youth pastor or a pastor of a church.
These are a few of today's leaders that make up a large portion of society.

However, we do have leaders in the wrong place at the wrong time.
In reference to James 3:1-2, there are people who should not becomes teachers or leaders, because they cannot meet the standard that they wish to desire.
The standard can either be a doctrine, a personal standard, a liquid standard set by peers and followers, or the standard that God laid out before us.

"In your unfailing love You will lead the people You have redeemed. In Your strength You will guide them to Your holy dwelling." -- Exodus 15:13

God shows us leadership in love. Through love comes the strength necessary to lead a group of people from point A to point B, to allow you to lead your people into success and victory.

"My steps have held to Your paths; my feet have not stumbled." -- Psalm 17:5

Leaders need to lead by example, particularly by watching their 'footing'. Christian leaders need to be aware that their actions are watched and emulated through a group - the footing of that leader usually determines the overall footing of that group. It is therefore necessary to ensure that you have not fallen from the path of the Lord, to protect your followers from falling astray.

"Think how you have instructed many, how you have strengthened feeble hands. Your words have supported those who stumbled; you have strengthened faltering knees." -- Job 4:3-4

Leaders build up their people. Their teachings and instructions should build up their followers, and their motivation needs to carry their followers throughout the task, reinforcing and strengthening their will to carry out the given task. Christian leaders also need to reinforce God's Word into their followers, through fellowship, Bible reading, and prayer. The following quote reinforces the point of supporting and strengthening your followers:

"Leadership is based on inspiration, not domination; on cooperation, not intimidation." -- William Arthur Wood

Therefore, leaders need to work with and inspire, while building up, their followers. Leaders should not have to rely on a domineering presence or a sense of intimidation to work the group into accomplishing the task.

"I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life." -- Proverbs 4:11-13

Leaders are teachers, and teachers are leaders. The two are inseparable. The leader needs to instruct his subordinates on the relevant things that will guide and protect them for the rest of their lives, even to the day that they become leaders and will inevitably replace you.

"The true aim of everyone who aspires to be a teacher should be, not to impart his own opinions, but to kindle minds." -- Frederick William Robertson

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires." -- William A. Ward

"Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil." - C. S. Lewis

As a teacher, you also impart Godly morals into your students. To attempt to teach them without morals is like showing a kid how-to change reality, without showing him the effect of emotion and the effect of consequence - without morals, there is no stop or limit to what a person can do, even if it endangers themselves and the people around them.

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea." -- Mark 9:42

As leaders, you must be careful to lead in a manner that will strengthen your followers, not break them down. If your follower falls, it cannot be said that it was the fault of the follower; rather, the leader is to take blame for not protecting his follower.

"If it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." -- Romans 12:7-8

Teachers teach.
Leaders lead with diligence.
To encourage is to encourage.
Mercy is graceful and cheerful.
Serving it to serve.
Many leaders have trouble these days confusing the meanings of these. It's simple, that if you intend to do something, do it with the fullest of strength and determination, and do not warp the meaning of the word to benefit yourself.

In the end, it is not necessarily you who may benefit, but it is your subordinates and your followers. As a leader, God gave you these followers so that you may raise them in the manner that He desires.

-A. L. Balatayo

Walking Wounded

"Love is not a victory march; it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah..." - Hallelujah, Rufus Wainwright

Let that thought sink in for a second.

For a few Christians such as myself, we always fight the battle from the front, where the people we love are perfectly behind us, and witness the celebrations and the cheer from behind, where we can always oversee everything and ensure that the people we love, nurture, teach and protect can express themselves without facing the horrible reality of combat.

Many Christians are a good bunch - they love each other genuinely, and they love other people. Sure, they may be a few exceptions (no-one is perfect; as long as we're in the flesh, we will always have to combat sin). They do their best to live out their newly-found Christian lives, expressing their love of Christ to the world in a small flickering flame to a giant bonfire that is found in churches and larger congregations.

These Christians are the regular ones. They're comparable to sheep, since they cannot be expected to be able to defend their spiritual faith against a concentrated attack by a skilled enemy combatant, or their physical selves against an assailant.

And, being a person who can somewhat see with physical and spiritual eyes, I will be discussing the spiritual side of the fight.

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The Devil is a crafty fellow.
He's also a fairly smart one - he's a master tactician.

He doesn't attack the strong and entrenched... directly.
Instead, he targets the weak ones, like a lion target its prey.
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings." -- 1 Peter 5:8-9

As much as 1 Peter warns us about the method of targeting, many saints and followers of Christ have not solidified their faith.
This can happen to anyone.

How so?
The Devil attacks the strong chain by corroding the weakest link.

That weak link may be the friend of someone who invited them.
It may be the emotionally weak sister who is struggling to attain that stability.
Maybe it's a brother whose friends have slowly displaced his footing, and have caused him to fall.

In either case, a successful attack will create a 'walking wounded' Christian - a Christian who feels as if their faith is empty.
This can happen to anyone.

The walking wounded lives a life in which they still love God, but the burden they carry is too great.
It's a heavy burden, comparable to actually being injured - as the physical body cannot perform optimally under injury, neither can the spiritual body.
To a person who can see such a deteriorated state, it's a bit devastating to see someone fall from their perch, and break their legs upon landing.
Regardless of a person's strength, if the weakest link in the chain breaks, then the chain will fall apart.
This is why the walking wounded as such great tools in Satan's arsenal: by attacking the weakest person in the group, he can simultaneously attack and weaken everyone, making people more vulnerable to sin.

However, there is a cure!
Praise the Lord that there is a cure.

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” -- Matthew 11:29-30

The Lord is a great bearer of heavy stuff.
He bore our sins (which is something in itself, considering you may be sinning right now, and we all will continue to do so for the rest of our time on this earth), so why won't people allow Him to bear their infirmities?

Well, this verse is one of those many things that is more easier said than done.
Us human beings love vanity and value our pride more than anything: we attempt all things to solve our own problems without involving anyone else, because any external assistance would damage our rather fragile sense of pride and dignity.
Therefore, many people know they have a problem; it's just that they don't really want to bring it to the Lord, because they think they can solve it on their own.

The Lord is a marvelous doctor.
For those of us who can, our job is as soldiers and as medics.
Our job as soldiers is to protect the weaker ones under us from Satan's attacks through fellowship and prayer.
Our job as medics is to take care of the wounded, and bring them back to God, where He can allow the healing to begin.

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." -- James 5:16

"My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins." -- James 5:19-20

-A. L. Balatayo

Child Soldiers and Christians

It's been a while since I last wrote, so forgive me for the hiatus.

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As of yet, many people portray the Christian faith in a light that corresponds to peace, love, harmony, all the good things that make good people go round and that make life worth living.

That is, until you meet the ugly, radical side of things.

Like Islam (but in far smaller numbers, and equally far less strength) certain Christian factions out there have seem to begun what appears to be a cultural war against today's post-modern America (and the Western world). From groups such as the church in the movie Jesus Camp, to the Westboro Baptist Church, it appears that Christians today are seemingly arming up against society, to 'take it back' for Christ.

As much as I admire their fire, it's totally wrong.
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
(and in some cases, morally disturbing)

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:13

Faith? Yes - we can all see that they strongly "believe" God.
(I placed quotations, which will be explained at the bottom)
Hope? Yes - they have a hope and a vision, to reform and fight back against the post-modernistic American society.

But, where is the love?

Is it love to tell children that God hates us all and that they must be the fighters to "reclaim" America for the Lord?
Is it love to tell the international community that God hates them and that He enjoys killing serving members of our nations' armed forces?

These so-called Christian groups have forgotten about the 'love' aspect of being a Christian.
It's not all about ourselves, and it's not about trying to ram stuff down other people's theological throats and forcing them to accept.
God gave us free will, and He also gave us a heart, to take care of each other and to love each other.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." - Mark 12:30-31

So, that doesn't meant teaching our kids some politics and about how the Left is destroying liberty as we know it (which is partially true, but common-sense people know when to keep their faith and their political view separated), and it doesn't meant stomping on a national flag and chanting 'God Hates Fags' or some other hate that furthers the Devil's propaganda.

It means reaching out into the community, and being the Lord's hands.
Work at a soup kitchen.
Volunteer at a soccer game or something.
Provide food to the poor.
Preach the Gospel, and rescue the people who want it and need it.

Maybe the world of organized religious doctrines has stopped listening to the love part of the Christian faith, and has acted on their own accord.
Only the Lord knows, and only He knows what will come of this...

-Aimann L. Balatayo