love and leadership
Hey lovelies! I hope your week is beginning smoothly! I have been incredibly excited that we have had some drizzly chilly weather lately so I can wear my violet-colored wellies and feel the fall breeze. Since we had lived on the coast of Mississippi for the past five years, we had not experienced a real fall, so I am bursting with joy that we are able to experience this again!
Living in a new place, I have new opportunities for leadership and ways to influence people for Jesus. Today we discussed leadership in my small group of fantastic senior girls at church. We see the example of Barnabas in Acts 11. They were first called Christians at Antioch (Acts 11:26). I love this! Christians, meaning “little Christs” to those observing them, was not necessarily a compliment, but the believers did not seem to mind. They were living lives that reflected Jesus and people noticed.
As we live our everyday lives, we have opportunities to love people the way Jesus loves people. We have opportunities to lead. Many of us think of leaders as loud, energetic, outgoing, and the center of attention. Some leaders are composed of this personality, but not all. Someone who is content in quiet places and does not desire to have the spotlight can be just as influential. God gives each of us a unique personality to lead in a unique way.
Where do you lead? It does not necessarily mean in a church setting, because we lead in many areas. Leadership for the high school girls I meet with on Sundays looks different than my leadership as a counselor/homeschool mom/mommy blogger. How can you lead?
Sometimes we simply take what we are already doing and begin consciously speaking the Truth! The high school students I know are affecting students and teachers by speaking up for what they believe in classrooms here in Tennessee. College students I know are friends with people of different backgrounds who listen to what Jesus has to say through them. College classrooms turn into a place of interesting dialogue regarding cultural issues and can be a great place (or tough place) to share Jesus. For those carpool mommas, picking up your kids and friends after school can create a perfect opportunity to ask about school and friends and love on kids while sharing the love of Jesus from the old minivan. Anybody have workplace friends? They need to know Jesus too! Sometimes people may need some encouragement in their faith as well.
Between college and seminary, I worked at Chick-fil-A in the mornings and Victoria’s Secret in the evenings. It sounds funny but I did fold panties and measure for bras to make money for seminary! Woohoo! One night when closing, another girl and I were sitting on the floor, folding a panty bar and Jesus was brought up. We had the best conversation about how God still loves her no matter what bad choices she regrets. She just did not feel God could love her, but we were able to talk over panties about how He loves her no matter what.
How do you lead? I would love to hear how you create purpose where you have been placed in life. How have you seen God work in people around you? Where can you make purposeful time to lead where you are? I am encouraged by hearing how others are leading in their lives! I know this is short, but worth chatting about. Have a great week. Share God’s love in your places of influence!
Hugs,
Charis
