Friday, June 17, 2005
Leadership:JOSHUA and CALEB
By John C. Maxwell, "21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader's Day" (excerpt)
The day that Joshua and Caleb stood before the children of Israel and tried to get them to enter the promised land, I doubt the two men really understood what was at stake. They certainly possessed the vision of God for His people to enter the promised land. When the people resisted their rallying cry, the two men told them, "The land we passed through to spy out is exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us unto this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey" (Num.14:7-8).
They also recognized the power of God to defeat the enemies. Both Joshua and Caleb had been present when God had closed the Red Sea over the Pharaoh's army. But did they truly understand that their ability (or, rather, their inability) to lead the people in that moment would determine whether an entire generation of people would enjoy the land of milk and honey promised to their ancestors -- or die in the desert?
Obedience to God is important. Because Joshua and Caleb were obedient, they alone of the adult Jewish population entered the promised land. But for leaders, obedience isn't enough. If they can't take others on the trip, they fail their God-given mission...
The root of their problem was fear. Joshua and Caleb looked at the land of Canaan and saw potential. The rest of the people looked and saw only pitfalls, even though God Himself had promised the land... When followers are faced with prospect of taking unknown territory, they always experience fear. The greater the challenge, the greater their fear is likely to be. What causes them to overcome that fear and move forward in spite of it? Leadership. It's the size of the leader, not the size of the challenge, that determines whether people conquer new territory. If a leader's influence is great enough, the people will follow.
When Joshua and Caleb tried to lead people into the promised land the first time they lacked influence, and as a result they accomplished little. But forty years later, when Joshua tried again, the people gladly followed. Why? Because he had become a person of great influence -- nothing more, nothing less.
"God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible -- what a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves."
The day that Joshua and Caleb stood before the children of Israel and tried to get them to enter the promised land, I doubt the two men really understood what was at stake. They certainly possessed the vision of God for His people to enter the promised land. When the people resisted their rallying cry, the two men told them, "The land we passed through to spy out is exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us unto this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey" (Num.14:7-8).
They also recognized the power of God to defeat the enemies. Both Joshua and Caleb had been present when God had closed the Red Sea over the Pharaoh's army. But did they truly understand that their ability (or, rather, their inability) to lead the people in that moment would determine whether an entire generation of people would enjoy the land of milk and honey promised to their ancestors -- or die in the desert?
Obedience to God is important. Because Joshua and Caleb were obedient, they alone of the adult Jewish population entered the promised land. But for leaders, obedience isn't enough. If they can't take others on the trip, they fail their God-given mission...
The root of their problem was fear. Joshua and Caleb looked at the land of Canaan and saw potential. The rest of the people looked and saw only pitfalls, even though God Himself had promised the land... When followers are faced with prospect of taking unknown territory, they always experience fear. The greater the challenge, the greater their fear is likely to be. What causes them to overcome that fear and move forward in spite of it? Leadership. It's the size of the leader, not the size of the challenge, that determines whether people conquer new territory. If a leader's influence is great enough, the people will follow.
When Joshua and Caleb tried to lead people into the promised land the first time they lacked influence, and as a result they accomplished little. But forty years later, when Joshua tried again, the people gladly followed. Why? Because he had become a person of great influence -- nothing more, nothing less.
"God is looking for people through whom He can do the impossible -- what a pity that we plan only the things we can do by ourselves."
# posted by F O O D F O R T H O U G H T @ 9:20 PM 
