LEADERS ARE PATIENT
- “And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was
promised” (Hebrews 6:15). - “Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering,
take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord” (James
5:10). - “Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just
as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom
that God gave him” (II Peter 3:15). - “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and
kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was
on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and
the testimony of Jesus...Since you have kept my command to
endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial
that is going to come upon the whole world to test those
who live on the earth” (Revelation 1:9; 3:10).
No leader will last in the long run without a balance of persistence and
patience! One of the key components of patience is self-control. When a
person loses their self-control, they soon become impatient and irritable
- and often impulsive and irrational. Self-control through Spirit-control is
a very essential quality for sustained leadership. Spirit-control takes place
through mind-control or thought-control. Almost all victories or defeat first
happen in the mind. Every leader must be able to control his thought-life by
continuing to “...renew his mind” through God’s Word (Rom.12:1-2). In
order to fulfill his vision, every leader needs to have a sustained leadership - rather than a short-lived leadership. Very often it is this attribute of
self-control that makes the difference between a sustained leadership that
goes the distance and one that is cut short by carnality. Usually, it is a lack
of self-control in some area that fosters impatient, irrational, impulsive,
and irritable behavior in the life of a leader. His life and leadership
become erratic and presumptuous in ways that ultimately disappoint and
disillusion his followers – and often destroy his leadership.
Principle:
“Sustained leadership is the result of self-control,
which comes from Spirit-control through mind-
control.”