Let My Leaders Go - Part 2

In Moses’ first attempt at leadership, ‘he went before he was sent.’  It resulted in someone getting killed.  We discovered that, as a leader, your gifting is critical, but it is not enough. Your anointing is necessary, but it is not enough. Zeal, gifting and anointing must be accompanied by leadership preparation.

God gave Moses 40 years of practicing leadership on sheep to prepare him for 40 years of leading His people.  Notice that the venue for his leadership for both the sheep and God’s people was an uncultivated place – the desert.  In that wide open territory, Moses the shepherd learned how to spot both pastures of nourishment and enclaves of danger, then set boundaries for the sheep.  But he had yet to learn how to set boundaries for himself, for he wandered onto sacred territory – which was both good and bad.

“Hey, don’t take another step.  This is My territory.  It’s Holy.  If you cross this boundary, leave your shoes on the other side.”  God was very clear, and He still is.  He has boundaries. 

Shoes carry with them the residue of every place we’ve been and everything we’ve stepped in.  Just as one took their shoes off at the entrance of a Middle Eastern home and had their feet cleaned, God says to leaders, “Don’t bring your stuff into My presence!”

We can’t truly be spiritual leaders unless we spend time in His presence, but we must know the boundaries for His presence.  God, through Jeremiah, defines them: “If you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman” (15:19).  Before we can become His spokesperson, we must learn to take off what is not necessarily bad, but what has no worth, from our good intentions to our compromise.  Take it off!

Secondly, we must learn to set appropriate boundaries for ourselves.  Boundaries that will help us stay balanced physically, emotionally and spiritually.  To make these boundaries effective, they must be communicated.

We must communicate with our family and our followers the requirements of spiritual preparation and the demands of spiritual leadership, and teach them to honor those boundaries.

Then we must teach our followers to respect the boundaries of our family and our personal time.  Communicate appropriate times for calling.  Let your family know that you value time with them and you won’t bring work ‘stuff’ into their time.

Especially of great importance, we must set boundaries for ourselves, taking our days off, vacationing every year, and refusing to be a slave to the demands of technology.  Most importantly, we must recognize when we draw near the presence of God and, respecting His boundary, take our shoes off.

Comments

[Dwayne Hunt]

I think its very important as a leader to pray and seek God. This come by praying and fasting. I think sometime as a leader we can let our emotions get to far ahead of us. When we are fasting and praying we need to spend time listening to God. Where we can properly follow his lead, to avoid wondering around in the desert. That desert mentality will hinder your growth, your focus, and your ability to hear from God. So i think as a leader we should not take another step until we understand our territory. A good leader will seek Gods face trough fasting and praying, we will find precious time in his presents. Where we will learn to set appropriate boundaries for ourselves. That will help leaders stay balanced physically, emotionally, and spiritually, we also must communicate with our family and our followers. It is very important that our followers respect the boundaries of our family and our personal time.