FOLLOW THE LEADERAs Franklin Graham wrote: “To live beyond the limits is to be on God’s
timetable. Often that means we must be patient.”^2 Every honest Christian
leader knows that there is a lot of...waiting...prayer...fasting...setbacks...
interruptions...disappointments...detours...postponements in serving
the Lord. Leadership maturity and fulfillment of vision do not happen
overnight. “Leadership is developed daily, not in a day.”^3 It takes both
perseverance and patience to become an effective leader. It doesn’t happen in
a moment...a day...a week...a month...or a year! Learning leadership is a
patient lifelong pursuit. It is not the passion of a few moments!
“Leadership is developed daily, not in a day.”
(John Maxwell)When it comes to God’s timing, leaders must learn lessons from nature
about the patience that is required for the maturation process. It does not
take much time or patience to grow mushrooms – they flourish almost
overnight! But it takes lots of time to grow giant redwoods or strong
oak trees that last for centuries! In leadership-development, God has the
long-haul in mind. He is not interested in “overnight successes.” As we
saw in our last chapter, “too much too soon” can become intoxicating to
immature leaders. Thomas Paine rightly observed: “That which we obtain
too easily, we esteem too lightly. It is dearness only which gives everything
its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price on its goods.”^4 God is
far more interested in doing a deep work in us – rather than a quick work.
He desires to develop “oak tree leaders” who will last, not “mushroom
leaders” who are here today and gone tomorrow! God wants time-tested
leaders. The Bible records that God put all of His great leaders through a
season of testing in the wilderness.
“Th at which we obtain too
easily, we esteem too lightly.”
(Thomas Paine)Whether you study the life of Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Elijah,
John the Baptist, the Apostle Paul – even Christ, they were all time tested
and tempered in the wilderness. It was in the barrenness of the desert that
their motives were refined and their character was developed. It was there