The Christian Leaders First Priority

The time is now for a new generation of Christian Leaders to step up and into, their God given place of leadership. I know it won't be an easy job. However there can be no argument. The time is now. 

I have to say there is much writing and speaking when it comes to the subject of leadership. Many definitions and many different ideas of what makes a great leader, etc. I would like to discuss the Christian Leader. More specifically I would like to discus the Christian Leader and his or her first priority. Why? Because in my humble opinion, this is vital, making a great difference in every leaders life. Especially in terms of actually fulfilling God's call for the individual.

In Peter Drucker's books on leadership, there is a chapter entitled "First Things First."  In Peter Drucker's writing he states that leadership, quality leadership, concerns priorities. He goes on to state in his book The Effective Executive - "Effective executives do first things first and they do them one thing at a time."  I do have to say along with others before me. This is a good principal. However in reality this is two principals:  The first is establishing priorities and the second is managing time effectively.... Which as James Boice brings up so clearly in his commentary of The book of Nehemaih - "Learning to Lead"  Peter Drucker's point really raise two questions. I suggest the following to be the  best way to answer both above questions.

A Christian leaders first priority must be Prayer. Jesus himself set this stage. He drew the line in the sand when he said to His disciples "Watch and Pray" He set the example as He spent the beginning of each day in time alone with The Father in Prayer. I know you know this but the point is people know it but many just are not doing it!  You ask how do I know? Look at the world around you. Look at the condition of the Bride of Christ. Listen to the back biting within the body. Look how one church down the street fights with the other church up the street... Where is the love? Where is the compassion? Where is forgiveness? Where is mercy and truth? 

You see when you and I and every Christian Leader spends the beginning hours of his or her day in prayer, something amazing takes place in our hearts. The love of God seems to just overwhelm, He encourages us and enables us to walk in this radical thing called love. Remember AGAPE! Do you remember that Jesus said, the two greatest commandments are;  Love God and Love our Neighbor as ourselves. Why is this so important? Jesus said the lost world around us "will know you are my disciples by your love for one another."  Love is powerful, we need Gods Holy Spirit and we need time each day in prayer to love people Gods way. 

There is another reason to believe that prayer is the first thing: 

Christian Leadership is a God sized task. It has been stated. that prayer made Abraham Lincoln the man he was. He himself said on one occasion. "I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of those about me seemed insufficient for the day." The popular leadership writer may not agree but The Bible is clear and I personally have discovered in my own life. Prayer is the first thing for the Christian Leader. Take your very next morning, wake up with time in prayer.

Nothing is more important than our relationship with our God. Prayer keeps this relationship fresh, active, agile. It keeps the blood flowing and the relationship intimate.

Ric Bender 
Building better lives in Jesus