4 Words That Should Express the Attitude of Every Leader (And That’s All of Us)
I was recently asked to present some material for the Cedar Springs church of Christ in Louisville, Kentucky on the book of Zechariah. It was difficult to condense fourteen chapters into one forty minute presentation, but I tried to at least hit the high points of the particular aspect of the assignment given to me.
There was one point that was outside the scope of my assignment that I think is important enough to discuss here. The point is made in just four words, but those four words are, at least in my mind, very powerful.
When Donna and I returned home, I resumed teaching a class I’ve been teaching on Wednesday nights to young men who are in the tenth through the twelfth grade in high school. The focus of this class has to do with what the Bible has to say about the role of men in the home and the church. While I am teaching those young men, Donna is teaching young women of that same age about what the Bible says about the role of women in the home and the church.
It is my opinion that both of those classes are vitally important in today’s society. In short, it is my opinion that the biblical model for both men and women has been overlooked, ignored, and/or in some cases scoffed at. That, however, is a subject for another time I suppose.
The reason that I brought those classes up has to do with something I told my class during the very first session and have reminded them of a couple of times since then. It is my opinion that, in some way, every person is a leader. I’ve told the class that, if nothing else, somebody is looking to them as an example. I’m trying to not merely prepare young men for leadership roles, but to encourage them to be effective and positive leaders now.
All of that brings me to those four words. The setting for those four words written by Zechariah has to do with a time in the future from when he was writing. According to the text, the following was to take place at that time:
The inhabitants of one city shall go to another saying, ‘Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts, I myself am going.’ (Zechariah 8:21, ESV)
Did you see those four important words? They are not spoken by people with some sort of official title or position. The people who spoke them were identified merely as inhabitants of a city. They apparently were inhabitants who were excited and interested enough to speak four very impactful words.
Let me suggest just some of the things those four words are. You can probably add to my list, but at least these words are words of…
- Encouragement
- Cooperation
- Leadership
- Unity
- Action
- Determination
- Purpose
Whatever these words are, they are obviously not the words of somebody sitting in an ivory tower or on a throne barking orders to underlings or those at least deemed to be “beneath” the person who might say those words.
Have you noticed the four words yet? Have you considered their impact? As you deal with others, can you say the following words?
I myself am going.
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AUTHOR: Jim Faughn