John Maxwell on Noah:
A Man of Righteousness
There's something about righteousness - the kind of morally virtuous
lifestyle powered from above - that qualifies a person to lead God's
people. Noah, the man God chose to rescue the human race from
extinction; demonstrated just this kind of righteousness.
Humankind had grown so evil that God pledged to destroy it and all
living things on earth (Gen. 6:7). But the Lord's pronouncement of
judgement didn't come without hope; God had charged righteous Noah to help save a remnant.
God didn't choose Noah randomly. He knows whom He can count on
to get things done - and it's not necessarily the one with the most skill, talent, or social standing. Rather, it's the one who daily walks with Him, the one who hears His voice and follows His lead. Noah was just such a man.
No doubt Noah had his own weaknesses and frailties. But he walked
with God, and it was that close walk that made him righteous before
the Lord (Gen. 6:9). Noah's righteousness qualified him to be used by God to help save the human race from annihilation, and in the bargain kept him and his loved ones from certain death.
Noah still stands as an example of the kind of person God wants to use. God hasn't changed, and even now He looks for righteous
leaders who can help Him change the world.
Mike's Thoughts:
The Meriam-Webster on-line dictionary defines righteous as:
1: Acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin
2a: Morally right or justifiable
It is apparent to me that God seeks righteous people to be leaders. He wants leaders who walk with Him and rely on Him every day. To be a true leader, one doesn't have to be the most skilled, talented, or socially endowed; rather God seeks those who seek Him on a daily basis. God knows that we all have our weaknesses and frailties, but in spite of those shortcomings, we can still be righteous leaders by seeking Him in every decision we make. Will such leaders sometimes fall short of expectations? Of course! Even so, God seeks leaders who realize their limitations and seek Him to overcome them. God seeks leaders who desire to be used by
Him to lead others.
I can see where when one reads the first definition of righteous by Meriam-Webster where it says, "free from guilt or sin" that one could say that no man can measure up to this and therefore no man should be considered righteous. However, I believe we must take the entire first definition in context. The context is that there is an "act" taking place. While no man is perfect without guilt or sin, a righteous leader can take individual "actions" which are "in accord with divine or moral law" and the impetus behind that
individual action can be "free from guilt or sin".
Mike's Action Points:
1- I need to walk with God every day.
2- I need to seek God on the decisions I make.
3- I need to take action in accordance with divine or moral law (i.e.: the Ten Commandments).
Please see my leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
Showing posts with label noah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label noah. Show all posts
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Leadership Skills Today For Tomorrows Legacies
Genesis 8:6-13:
6 So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. 7 Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. 8 He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself. 10 And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. 11 Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 12 So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore. 13 And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry.
Mike's Thoughts:
There's a valuable leadership lesson for me in these verses and one that should be part of Noah's legacy to leaders forever. The lesson is that it is a leader's responsibility to practice patience when making important decisions. The leader is to make sure they have enough accurate information before taking action. I'm sure that Noah was under pressure from his family to open the ark after being cooped up with all those smelly animals for so long. It's not explained, but to open the ark early might have proven disastrous. Noah waited until he got the correct information and then waited some more to be sure before he acted. Although it is not mentioned, I'm sure Noah prayed daily over the proper timing for his action. His patience and strength were rewarded as his family was richly blessed.
Mike's Action Points:
1- I need to be patient and not make hasty decisions when the situation does not warrant it.
2- I need to pray for guidance.
3- I need to seek the correct information needed on which to act.
4- I need to resist the urgings of others to take hasty action.
Please see my leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
6 So it came to pass, at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made. 7 Then he sent out a raven, which kept going to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. 8 He also sent out from himself a dove, to see if the waters had receded from the face of the ground. 9 But the dove found no resting place for the sole of her foot, and she returned into the ark to him, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her, and drew her into the ark to himself. 10 And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. 11 Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 12 So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore. 13 And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry.
Mike's Thoughts:
There's a valuable leadership lesson for me in these verses and one that should be part of Noah's legacy to leaders forever. The lesson is that it is a leader's responsibility to practice patience when making important decisions. The leader is to make sure they have enough accurate information before taking action. I'm sure that Noah was under pressure from his family to open the ark after being cooped up with all those smelly animals for so long. It's not explained, but to open the ark early might have proven disastrous. Noah waited until he got the correct information and then waited some more to be sure before he acted. Although it is not mentioned, I'm sure Noah prayed daily over the proper timing for his action. His patience and strength were rewarded as his family was richly blessed.
Mike's Action Points:
1- I need to be patient and not make hasty decisions when the situation does not warrant it.
2- I need to pray for guidance.
3- I need to seek the correct information needed on which to act.
4- I need to resist the urgings of others to take hasty action.
Please see my leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
Monday, August 17, 2009
God Modeled Leadership
John Maxwell's Commentary in His Introduction to Genesis:
God's Role in Genesis:
God wanted His creation to begin well. He communicated His vision
for the world to Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, then to Isaac and Jacob.
Like all good leaders, God took initiative. Yet He never forced His
leadership on anyone. Each time His people failed, He laid out His plan, then selected those He would invite to take appropriate action. He relentlessly pursued His plan of redeeming men and women from their failures, even as He maintained a relationship with them.
Mike's Thoughts:
There are many leadership lessons in this paragraph and I will use them as Mike's Action Points for today:
1- If I'm to be an excellent leader, I will communicate, communicate & communicate!
2- I will take initiative.
3- I won't force my leadership on anyone.
4- I will communicate my plan over and over.
5- I will select those I wish to invite to take action.
6- I will relentlessly pursue my plan.
7- I will maintain a relationship with my people.
Please see my leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
God's Role in Genesis:
God wanted His creation to begin well. He communicated His vision
for the world to Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, then to Isaac and Jacob.
Like all good leaders, God took initiative. Yet He never forced His
leadership on anyone. Each time His people failed, He laid out His plan, then selected those He would invite to take appropriate action. He relentlessly pursued His plan of redeeming men and women from their failures, even as He maintained a relationship with them.
Mike's Thoughts:
There are many leadership lessons in this paragraph and I will use them as Mike's Action Points for today:
1- If I'm to be an excellent leader, I will communicate, communicate & communicate!
2- I will take initiative.
3- I won't force my leadership on anyone.
4- I will communicate my plan over and over.
5- I will select those I wish to invite to take action.
6- I will relentlessly pursue my plan.
7- I will maintain a relationship with my people.
Please see my leadership blog: http://legacycoach.blogspot.com
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