Yesterday, God dropped a bomb on me. Funny enough, it was through a 6 year old and in a McDonald's play place.
We were up in the sky tubes. You know, the dirty little plastic things that kids love and their parent's knees dread. I had chased Dianna up the tube (by chased, I mean that I fought my way up and while Dianna ran laps).
We played up top for just a minute when Dianna announced, "I'm the leader! Follow me!" Upon saying this she crawled down the tube you climb up to enter, aka the tube that would destroy my knees to go down. So I watched her run down the tube and do what she wanted to do with us alone.
God spoke to me in that instant and said, "That's the leadership you need to grow in Ryan. You can't announce what is to be done and encourage others to do it while you sit on the sidelines cheering on."
All at once, I realized what was wrong with my leadership. I've been trying to figure out my systems (which have plenty of room to grow), ministry roles and rotations, and so many details. But my character - the part of it which dreams - needs exercise in action.
I can dream and I can call towards a predicted future, but what good is a prediction if you aren't at the head of the action.
I remember hearing stories of a successful military leader, I think it was Alexander the Great. When the battle came, he didn't call orders from the back of the army like most military leaders do. He charged into battle at the front of the infantry.
Right now, leadership for me needs to look like this - running to the front of the army screaming "Forward!"
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