We know how you think matters in leadership and our Christian walk, but it is dangerous to get stuck in your head.
In our communication, we want to communicate from the heart.
The heart matters to God in the positive and negative senses.
"heart" occurs 832 times in 771 verses in the NKJV.
From the bible to author Dr. James Dobson and others we have seen emotion.
The bible says when Jesus was going to leave, He would give us another comforter or Helper. (John 14:16)
The Bible further tells us His purpose: He is to lead us, guide us, and teach us.
John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.
John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”
We all know emotion can get in the way of effective leadership.
We can look at Moses for example who was a great leader but because of the children of Israel murmuring and complaining God told Moses to talk to the rock and Moses said cool and he went and beat the rock. Numbers 20:1-13
And it kept him out of the promised land and Moses would die later looking at it from Mount Nebo near Moab.
Or what about Elijah He is my favorite. He proclaims a drought.
He is used by God and God tells him to go present himself to Ahab and I will end the rain. 1Kings 18,
goes on to say how Elijah called down fire from heaven at Mount Carmel and got victory over the gods of Bail and the drought ends.
In the very next chapter, he is running from Jezebel being fed by angels, and hiding in caves.
1Ki 19:9 And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
10 So he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.”
11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire and after the fire a still small voice.
13 So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the
entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 And he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life.”
15 Then the LORD said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.
Now I say all that to say, Elijah is a man like us.
James 5:17-18 says
Jas 5:17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.
In 1970 Dr. James Dobson wrote the Dare to Discipline
In 1992 He revised it with the New Dare to Discipline
When reading them you see in the first, he is all about being stern, spare the rod spoil the child but in the second he says,
“The best way to get children to do what you want is to spend time with them before disciplinary problems occur—having fun together and enjoying mutual laughter and joy. When those moments of love and closeness happen, kids are not as tempted to challenge and test the limits. Many confrontations can be avoided by building friendships with kids and thereby making them want to cooperate at home. It sure beats anger as a motivator of little ones!” ― James C. Dobson, The New Dare to Discipline
Why did he change__________ Glad you asked?
On 15 March 1989, corporal punishment of children became explicitly banned through a new law stating that "using violence and inflicting physical or mental suffering is unlawful".
By the way, He also wrote Emotions can you trust them.
We as leaders don’t have the luxury to be doubleminded
James says it twice
James 1: 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.
Greek meaning
A. wavering, uncertain, doubting
B. divided in interest
Leaders should be people others want to follow.
Craig Groeschel said, “Impressing someone is not the same as connecting with someone.” —
Romaine Pastor Chuck Smith Assistant Pastor wrote in his book Second, A second is there to protect the ministry and that paster.
There is a misconception that emotion makes a leader weak. But emotions are not only relevant and important, they are the catalyst for change and growth. The fastest way to change someone’s mind is to connect with their heart.
(And their stomach)
The main thing is whether are we submitting to the Holy Spirit or leaning on the flesh
The Holy Spirit will always see us through till completion, the flesh is prideful and fickle.
The perfect example of that would be the day Daniel asked me to read a verse and I had my wrong glasses, not my reading glasses.
The Holy Spirit said don’t do it Phil and I said to myself, self, I got this!
And as you saw I got up there and sounded and looked crazy but that is what pride does.
This I will close with Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable.
People may admire you for your strengths, but they connect with you through your weaknesses as well.
Just think what that does to a high schooler who knows they are not alone
We have a big responsibility as High school leaders.
Amen
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