Living Your Fullest Life

My purpose is to give life in all its fullness. - John 10:10 TLB

Living your fullest life requires three things:

1. A good mentor.

Paul writes: "Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine" (Philp 3:17 NLT). Good mentors lead by example; they know that in order to be followed they must first be respected. They carefully tailor their instructions by understanding your strengths and weaknesses - knowing whether you are right-brained creative/intuitive or left-brained analytical. They know whether you learn visually or verbally. They know when you need a pat on the back or a kick in the seat of the pants. If you have such a mentor you're blessed. If you don't, ask God for one.

2.Your best effort.

Andrew Carnegie said, "There's no use whatsoever trying to help people who don't help themselves. You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he is willing to climb himself."

3. A little extra.

This is the "extra mile" principle Jesus taught (See Matt 5:41). It involves:

(a) A little extra effort.

Art Williams said, "You beat 50% of the people by working hard; you beat the other 40% by being a person of honesty...and the last 10% is a dog fight." If you want to win that fight, make up your mind to always do a little extra.

(b) Extra time.

"Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come" (Hab 2:3 NIV). Gutzon Borglum, the sculptor who created the memorial to the American Presidents at Mount Rushmore, was asked if he considered his work to be perfect. He supposedly replied, "Not today. The nose of President Washington is an inch too long. It's better that way though. It will erode and be exactly right in 10,000 years."


Note: The article is taken from The Word for Today", by Rhema Broadcasting Group in association with The Vine - www.thevine.co.nz.

It's Durian Season Again......!!!!

There is a wonderful scent in the air in Penang starting from last week, do you smell it? It is durian season again. I was in Balik Pulau last Saturday and I see the Durian trees started to bear fruits and there are roadside traders already opening up their durian stall. Visiting Balik Pulau or any neighborhood market in suburban Penang where lots of durians in all shapes and sizes are displayed, I wonder how any other fruit can be considered tempting next to this ‘King of Fruits’. To me, the world is divided into 2 classes of people when it comes to durian. Either you love it or you hate it.

Anyone who loves Durian likes the smell. Their mouth may water at merely the smell. Many others can't get past the smell to even try to taste it. I had the privilege of bringing some foreigners who had negative idea on durian on a durian tasting tour. The outcome is almost 80% of them started to love it when they manage to overcome the smell of the durian. That is why some describe Durian as "Smell Like devil but taste like angel". Oh well, to change this negative preconceived idea, you got to bring them to taste the best durian in Malaysia which I believe in my considered opinion is the durians from Balik Pulau.

This fruit is so controversial, they actually ban it hotels and some air-conditioned public places. I always believe that our army should use it as bombs in any conflicts.....ha ha ha....it is lethal and the same time act as a food supply for our soldiers when the conquer enemy grounds....!!!

Durian has been called the “King of Fruits” and is native to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Alfred Wallace, the natural historian who co-originated the theory of Natural Selection with Charles Darwin, describes the taste of durian in his book The Malay Archipelago: "A rich butter-like custard highly flavored with almonds gives the best general idea of it, but intermingled with it comes wafts of flavor that call to mind cream-cheese, onion-sauce, brown sherry, and other incongruities."

So, what are you waiting for? Come to Penang and try the Balik Pulau durian.

Coconut Jelly

I am really amazed to see the innovation that is evolving around Coconut water (in Malay we called it Air Kelapa Muda). Traditionally, we drink young Coconut water as a remedy to cool down our body especially in hot places like Penang.

Today, we can see different type deserts and drinks are made out of young Coconut. While I was in Melaka, I use to enjoy Coconut Milk Shake. It is made of young Coconut water, the coconut flesh and Vanilla Ice Cream that are blended together with some ice. The best Coconut Milk Shake in Melaka can be found at a small road side stall in Klebang.

Recently, we tried Coconut Jelly in Penang. Instead of coconut water, you get smooth and yummy coconut jelly. According to some blog writer, the process of making coconut jelly is as following: "The outer husk of the coconut is initially removed and then roasted in the oven. After a cooling period, they are then placed in the cooler room. During this period, jelly will be formed."

The coconut jelly is made from 100% fresh pandan coconut which you can see in actual size is a bit smaller than normal coconut. But when you drink the water inside, there are pandan taste in it. This is perfect to be transformed into coconut jelly as it acts as a natural flavoring for the jelly.

The Coconut Jelly is a brainchild of Malaysian by the name of Joel Jeyachandran. The best part of this yummy dessert would be the jelly within that is preservative free and fresh to be consumed anytime throughout the day. You can even savor the fresh flesh after that.

There are couple of places in Penang that you can get Cococut Jelly. One is in Jalan Dato Keramat and the other one in Abu Siti Lane. I am sure there are other places too.

If you drop by Penang, I would recommend you for a session of indulgance with this chilled coconut jelly, something worth trying.

Rules Or Relationship?

Not that we are adequate in ourselves. - 2 Corinthians 3:5 NAS

Have you ever watched someone walking a dog on a leash when the dog doesn't want to go where its owner is going? The owner is constantly tugging on the leash, pulling the dog from here and there, telling it to "stop that" and "come back here". That's the way a lot of us live. We are on a 'law leash'. Our lives consist of "Stop that; come back here; don't do that". Only it's in terms of "Read your Bible; pray; go to church; pay your tithes; witness". Now, these are certainly the things we should be doing, but God never meant us to do them at the end of a leash. What a difference when you see a dog and its owner that have a strong relationship. The dog doesn't need a leash to go for a walk. Its owner can just speak a word and the dog responds. Now we're not comparing ourselves to dogs, we're comparing performance-based Christian living to relationship-based Christian living. Big, big difference!

Paul writes: "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, who also made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Cor 3:5-6 NAS).

When God redeemed you, He wrote His law in your heart and mind (See Heb 10:16). That means He wants to relate to you from the inside. You shouldn't need an external system of rules to 'keep you in line', because you have internalised God's Word and you have a desire to obey and please Him from your heart.

Note: The article is taken from The Word for Today", by Rhema Broadcasting Group in association with The Vine - www.thevine.co.nz.

To obey is better than sacrifice

"To obey is better than sacrifice"- That is exactly what Samuel told King Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22. King Saul was given a clear instruction through Prophet Samuel to destroy the Amalekites and EVERTHING that belong to them. This was because of what they have done to the people of Israel years before, when they came out from Egypt.

But King Saul decided to spare Agag and some of the livestock belongs to the Amalekites. Saul deliberately put his own agendas ahead of God's plan. When Prophet Samuel questioned King Saul on this, King Saul tried to cover up his action by offering "godly" reason for his actions. He hadn't done what God told him, and yet he tries to portray himself so wonderfully.

We may fall into the same trap as King Saul by putting our own personal agenda above God's plan and desire upon our lives. We too may use "godly lingo" to give the impression that we are more spiritual than we really are. Like Saul, sometimes we attempt to turn our disobedience into religious service. Sacrifice without obedience is simply an outward performance of a religious duty or act.

I wonder how often we put priority on things or noble causes in place of the most important things in life. How many of us sacrifice our families for our jobs or our congregations or our ministry for example. We fill our lives doing "good things," but they are not God's things. Prophet Samuel gave a good insight into one of God's desire for our lives. Our God prefers obedience more than sacrifice. I believe when we obey Him with all our heart, our sacrifices to Him will be authentic in nature and will flow naturally.

It is us that God wants, not our sacrifices.

Be Blessed

Small Seeds - Big Harvests!

The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon [Peter] and tell him, 'We have found the Messiah.' - John 1:41 NIV

Pastor Tony Evans writes: "I was born and raised in inner-city Baltimore. By the time I was about ten, my parents...looked to be heading for divorce. But then one day everything changed; someone witnessed to my father and he accepted Christ. My father developed the habit of getting up at midnight, praying that God would save his family. This went on for some time. One night my mother came downstairs to the living room where my father was praying. She began crying even before she reached the living room. When my father asked what was wrong, with anguished tears and a desperate heart she said the unforgettable: 'The worse I am to you, the better you are to me, so whatever you have must be real. How can I have it too?' That night my father led my mother to Christ. Not long after that my parents led their four children to Christ too. I was the oldest. I was saved at 11, felt the call to be a minister by the time I entered my teens, and was totally ministry-oriented by the time I hit 18."

Since that day Tony Evans has built a great Church in Forth Worth, Texas, preaches daily on hundreds of radio stations, and reaches multitudes for Christ each year. Andrew brought his brother Peter and introduced him to Jesus. And Peter eventually brought multitudes. But whose contribution mattered most? Both! So pray, encourage, witness, and reach out as God directs you. You never know what a big harvest your small seed will produce.

Note: The article is taken from The Word for Today", by Rhema Broadcasting Group in association with The Vine - www.thevine.co.nz.

God's Promises

I woke up at 5.30a.m.this morning rushing to close my windows as it was raining cats and dogs and the wind was blowing rather strong. I was thinking what a day it would be because in Penang, when it rains, the traffic will go crazy especially in the morning as people rush to school and work. The lyrics from the song Manic Monday by The Bangles was already playing in my mind. Some call it Monday Blues....!!!!

I went back to bed and woke up at 7.15am still thinking what a day it would be. But to my amazement, I saw a bright morning with an awesome rainbow on the horizon. What a scene!!!! I am reminded about God's promise to Noah in Genesis 9:12-17. The rainbow speaks to us of the promises of God. To this day we see God keeping this promise, we have rainbows in the sky and no world-wide floods. God keeps His promises, the rainbow is the proof. If God didn’t give this promise to never flood the earth again, every time it rained - everyone would be running for hills thinking God was not happy and was going to flood the earth again.

God's promises are still relevant today. There are many promises in His word. For example, He said:

• Hebrews 13:5 – God will never leave you or forsake you.

• John 10:28 – No one can snatch you out of the hand of Jesus

All of us have troubles and fears, and will continue to have them as long as we live. Let us remember that God will see us through in every difficulty that we go through. Let's look for His promises and believe what He says. Let us seek to lay hold upon all Christ has for us; let us seek promises. If we do, we are sure to find them. God will fulfill every promise He has ever made.

Be Blessed.

Let Your Yes be Yes

In the real world, men are constantly politicking and positioning themselves to protect themselves and increase their power within their social and economic worlds. To do this self promoting work, we use our words. To achieve our ends, we sacrifice our integrity and the honor of our words.

We are living in a world where empty promises are becoming a norm. It is common to see people say what they don't mean. Statements like, “I’ll be on time!”, “I’d love to do that!”, “I don’t mind!” and “I love you!” are typical catch phrases that are so abused right now that we typically question the motive of anyone who chooses to use them.

To be followers of Jesus, we must not be like the world in how we build up self with our words and our boasts. Jesus gives us a good pointer in Matthew 5:32-72:

"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

To be a follower of Jesus our entire perspective on how we speak and why we speak must experience a conversion. Our words are to reflect the truth and to be used to communicate the truth humbly. Never are our words to be used to deceive or to manipulate. Such a transformation of our speech is central to the life of a follower of Jesus.

In sum, let us walk in truth and speak the truth in love.

Be Blessed.

The Grace To Do It!

Pray for those who mistreat you. - Luke 6:28 NIV

There's no way to go through life without being hurt. But if you think what the person who hurt you did was bad - wait until you see what bitterness will do. It will extend your pain, infect your attitude, control your moods and cause you to lose friends. Few things are worse than a person who only wants to talk about "what they did to me". Get rid of the score cards. Burn them! If you know where they're hidden you haven't let them go yet. Jesus said, "There is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can't get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others" (Matt 6:14-15 TM).

"But you don't know what I've been through." No, but in reading the Scriptures you'll discover what Jesus went through. Would you like to compare notes? His family thought He was mad. Some of those He healed called for His death. Even His disciples bailed out when the going got tough. Then add to that the weight of carrying the sins of the whole world, and you've more than reason to harbour bitterness. But instead He preached forgiveness - from a cross!

And His Word to you today is: "Bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back" (Luke 6:28-30 NKJV). You say, "That's hard to do." Yes, but God will give you the grace to do it!

Note: The article is taken from The Word for Today", by Rhema Broadcasting Group in association with The Vine - www.thevine.co.nz.

Serving God With One Eyebrow

The strong Spirit of a man will sustain him in bodily pain or trouble. - Proverbs 18:14 AMP

David Rabin was a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University. When he was 46 he was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease. He knew what would happen. Stiffness in the legs, then weakness; paralysis of the lower limbs and then the upper. Eventually his body would no longer obey his commands. He could form words only with the greatest difficulty and eventually not at all. He lost his ability to treat patients and could no longer go to the hospital to work. He would have had a brilliant academic career; now he couldn't even turn the pages of a book. But there was one thing he would not surrender: his spirit! One day he heard from a fellow physician who also had Lou Gehrig's Disease about a computer that could be operated by a single switch. That switch could be operated by anyone, however physically challenged, who retained the function of just one muscle group. David Rabin still had enough strength in one part of his body - his eyebrow. So for the next four years he used it to speak to his family, tell jokes, write papers and review manuscripts. He carried on a medical consulting practice. He taught medical students. He published a comprehensive textbook on endocrinology and achieved a prestigious award for his work. And he did it with the only thing he could control - a single eyebrow.

The Bible says: "The strong Spirit of a man will sustain him in bodily pain or trouble" (Pr 18:14 AMP). David Rabin proved that's true. With a Spirit that refused to give up, and one eyebrow, he served God and blessed the world around him!

Note: The article is taken from The Word for Today", by Rhema Broadcasting Group in association with The Vine - www.thevine.co.nz.

Christian Experience....

Recently, I was reflecting on a quote from Charles F Banning that says "Too many of us have a Christian vocabulary rather than a Christian experience. We think we are doing our duty when we're only talking about it."

It is indeed a very appropriate quote that reflects many of us today. In the context of Christian service, there are many who will come forward and give great suggestions and recommendations and in fact would quote Bible verses to support their opinions but not many are willing to plow the land and make their hands dirty.

One principle that I learn over the years that I believe is a key to Christian service is the importance of yielding ourselves to God and having a servant's heart. When a person yields himself to God, putting aside all pride, God can work with that yielded life. You see, God is perfectly righteous, just, and holy, and knows our limitations as humans.

Dwight L. Moody gave this illustration:

A farmer went with his son into a wheat field, to see if it was ready for the harvest. "See, father," exclaimed the boy, "how straight these stems hold up their heads! They must be the best ones. Those that hang their heads down, I am sure cannot be good for much." The farmer plucked a stalk of each kind and said: "See here, foolish child! This stalk that stood so straight is light-headed, and almost good for nothing; while this that hung its head, so modestly is full of the most beautiful grain."

Well, when we surrender our lives to Jesus, He works in us and through us - and brings forth fruit - from the surrendered life.

Be Blessed

Fireproof

Have you watched Fireproof? Fireproof is an inspirational movie created by Sherwood Pictures. Fireproof is the third feature film from Sherwood Pictures - the creators of Facing The Giants and Flywheel. With hope-filled, heartfelt storytelling, the movie making ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church continues to touch the world with good quality Christian movies. They have successfully deliver a strong message again from the movie.

Fireproof is a movie about a Caleb Holt, a veteran firefighter trying to save his own marriage from burning to the ground. His wife already pull the trigger to get the divorce, and he is also ready to let bullet hit him, but his father give him 40 days ‘Love Dare’ quest for him to save his marriage from burning down.

I just watched the movie last Saturday together with our youth. There are some great quotes from the movie that I feel it would be great if I shared it in here so that you may give a thought about it as well:

"I have learned that you never leave your partner—especially in a fire."

“You can’t just follow your heart. Your heart can be deceived. You have to lead your heart.”

"Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it. "

“A woman’s like a rose. If you treat her right, she’ll bloom. If you don’t, she’ll wilt.”

"When most people promise 'for better or for worse,' they only mean for the better."

Anyway one the best scene of the movie that I love the most was during the conversation between John Holt (father of Caleb) and Caleb Holt. Here it goes:

John Holt: Has she thanked you for anything you've done the last 20 days?

Caleb Holt: No! And you'd think after I washed the car, I've changed the oil, do the dishes, cleaned the house, that she would try to show me a little bit of gratitude. But she doesn't! In fact, when I come home, she makes me like I'm - like I'm an enemy! I'm not even welcome in my own home, Dad. That is what really ticks me off! Dad, for the last three weeks, I have bent over backwards for her. I have tried to demonstrate that I still care about this relationship. I bought her flowers, which she threw away. I have taken her insults and her sarcasm, but last night was it. I made dinner for her. I did everything I could to demonstrate that I care about her, to show value for her, and she spat in my face! She does not deserve this, Dad. I'm not doing it anymore! How am I supposed to show love to somebody over and over and over who constantly rejects me?

John Holt: [As the camera swings around to include a crude wooden cross in the frame, the father replied] That's a good question.

It is simply an awesome movie. Hollywood veterans will tell you that if a low-budget movie makes it into theaters, it's a miracle. But when Alex and Stephen Kendrick say that, they mean it literally. The Kendrick brothers, ministers at Sherwood Baptist Church are the writers, producers and directors of the surprise hit Fireproof. Shot on a $500,000 budget with an all-volunteer cast and donated sets and locations, their movie made $6.8 million in its opening weekend at the box office, coming in fourth overall, between a Samuel L. Jackson thriller and a Coen brothers farce.

Get an original copy of the movie and watch it together with your family. You will be Blessed.

EASTER - HE has risen!!!

In the next couple of days we will be celebrating Easter, a season where we celebrate the resurrection of our Savior. Although we are living in challenging times and we hear of great uncertainties caused by economic gloom, political instability, emerging lawless culture and broken family relationships, there is still HOPE in JESUS because HE is ALIVE. Easter brings hope to mankind.

There is also a crisis of faith in the midst of us today. Many of are confronted with the essential question, "Is the Christian religion natural or is it supernatural?" Many will avoid the question even while attending Easter services. The following poem suggests the possibility of such superficiality. The first two stanzas say:

On the third day
we eat brunch
wear bright dresses
munch on jelly beans
and marshmallow bunnies

On the third day
we sing hymns
and go to church
if we can find a parking spot

Friends, we may take Easter merely as what been mention above. But to those of us who are alive in Christ, we confess the third stanza of the poem with gratitude and praise:

And on the third day
this God of ours
recovers from death
in a way that changes everything.

Jesus died a voluntary death and suffered crucifixion as the Savior of the world. He bore our sins in his body on the cross, but He died as a victorious Savior. In His voluntary death, He won the victory over sin, death and hell, and was raised to the newness of resurrection life on Easter morning. The New Testament always links His absolute sovereignty as Lord of life to that event. The resurrection endorsed, proclaimed and demonstrated the victory that Jesus won at the cross. He died as our Savior, but He now lives as our Lord.

Why not give Jesus a chance to come to your life this Easter? To experience God’s love and reality is as simple as ABC.

Admit That We Have Missed God’s Standard for Us (Romans 3:23)
Our wrongs separate us from God and we are bound for eternal separation from Him. To escape from this punishment, we need God’s forgiveness.

Believe that Jesus Christ Died For Us (Acts 16:31)
We must acknowledge that Jesus Christ died on the Cross to pay the penalty for our wrongs, in order that we may be forgiven.

Confess Our Faith in Him (Romans 10:9)
Our acceptance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross gives us a right standing with God. The hope of a new beginning is ours.

Let us bring the Easter meaning into our heart by this simple confession of faith: “Jesus, we welcome You into our heart as our Savior and confess that You are our Lord. We believe that God has raised You from the dead and that You are alive forevermore!”

Be Blessed

"Cat" Food

The title of my blog today might be catchy. First of it is nothing to do with an animal. I am referring to the city of Kuching (literally means Cat in Malay). I was in Kuching for couple of days on business trip. This time around, I decided to try out some of the local food. My staff who are based in Kuching took us around to some of the good eateries in the city.

Here is some of my food tour in Kuching:

Fried oyster - It’s a Chinese type of fried oyster with egg, which tastes really good & crispy. The Sarawak version of fried oyster is omelette like and the oysters are concentrated in the center. The eating style is also different! You cut and eat it like Pizza and it is crispy. Generally the local in Kuching just called is as “or-luak” in Hokkien.

Kolok Mee – A famous Sarawak noodle which can be found at any coffee shop in Kuching. Basically it’s just a noodle served in a light sauce with some condiments like sliced BBQ pork (In Mandarin it as “Char Siew”), minced meat, & vegetable . Some of us would not like it as it is too dry. But you can always request for some soup.

Sarawak Laksa – This is a “must try” Sarawakian dish. Sarawak Laksa is very much different from those you can find anywhere else outside of Sarawak. It’s a rice noodle (Chinese called “bee hoon”) with a thick gravy base of sambal, various herbs, sour tamarind, garlic, galangal, lemon grass & coconut milk, topped with omelette strips, chicken strips, prawns, fresh coriander and optionally lime. You can find Sarawak Laksa at basically any coffee shop in Kuching.

Midin – The locals greatly indulge in jungle fern such as the midin (quite similar to pucuk paku that is popular in the Peninsular). Midin is much sought after for its crisp texture and great taste. Midin is usually served in two equally delicious ways - fried with either garlic or belacan. You can get it in most of the restaurants in Kuching.

If you have not been to Kuching, why not make a trip to Bumi Kenyalang. They have lots of things and adventure to offer.

Weaving.....

Over the weekend, I visited Queensbay Mall and was fascinated by the demonstration of "Songket" weaving. The art of Songket weaving consist of using traditional heirloom to make intricate Songket brocade through painstaking weaving with gold or silver thread. It is very delicate process and it take lots of time and precision skill set before a beautiful motif is formed. It is recorded that a normal weaving process make take few days and for those with complicated designs, it may take weeks to be completed and may cost thousand of ringgits.

As I was observing the whole process, I am reminded that in life, we do go through similar weaving process. Sometimes it is painful and sometimes we don't understand what will the outcome be, but our good Lord knows exactly the "pattern" and the "design" that HE intended for our lives. We cannot know all the answers to all the conundrums and enigmas of life. That is why the exhortation of Scripture is always that we must trust the revelation of the Father's wisdom in areas we cannot understand. We need to just surrender to Him.

He has made every thing beautiful in his time: also he has set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Be Blessed and have a great week.

Blogging Revolution

Blogging has revolutionized the mode of how people express themselves. In the era of high technology and digital information, messages are able to be passed effectively beyond borders and barriers, both political barriers and individual mind barriers.

Blog aggregator, “Technorati”, estimates that 3 million new blogs are launched every month. As the number of bloggers increases daily, the number of blog site that goes to stall-mate or dead is also increasing proportionately. Tech researcher Gartner Inc. reported earlier this year that 200 million people have given up blogging, more than twice as many as are active.

Blogging is also becoming a lifestyle to many people. It is not anymore something that we do in our past time. Mark D. Roberts, one of the most prominent "pastor bloggers," announced that he was leaving his pulpit ministry at Irvine (Ca.) Presbyterian Church to become senior director at the Laity Lodge retreat in Texas. "My blog now becomes a part of my primary work," he told his congregation.

Bloggers are discovering that it's not necessarily the quality of their blog posts that matter. It is matching their quality with frequency of update. "Good bloggers work like dogs," says Michael Parsons, editor of the tech site CNet.co.uk. I guess it is one’s choice of how we want to spend our time in blogging. Excessive blogging may not be good to us but there are times we need to do it in order to express ourselves and pass our message across. Excessive blogging is not a recipe for healthy living, especially if you're working a day job that's not paying you to blog

Wish you a great weekend and Be Blessed.

Pitfalls For Leaders

Work hard and become a leader. - Proverbs 12:24 NLT

If you are a leader, try to avoid these pitfalls:

(1) Micromanaging vs. leading.

Managing people requires an eye for detail, whereas leading involves vision-sharing, goal-setting and motivating. And you must know the difference. When you micromanage rather than lead, morale plummets because people need clear objectives and the freedom to figure out how to reach them. Don't micromanage; it diminishes the sense of 'ownership' those under and around you need for good team dynamics and problem-solving. President Eisenhower once said: "Pull the string and it'll follow you wherever you wish. Push it, and it'll go nowhere."

(2) Confusing individual loyalty with team building.

It's good to work closely with key individuals, but it's also important for people to stay 'connected to each other' (See Rom 12:5). Make sure everybody gets to be on the team, feels valued and learns how to interact with one another.

(3) Being afraid to try things.

Stretching people into new areas means they'll make mistakes. While locking them into the same routine may keep them (and you) safe, it takes the motivational wind out of their sails. Being a leader means risking other people's failures and biting your lip as you let them 'toddle' out into the unknown. Like a parent who prays harder when their teen takes the family car out for their first drive, you must accept that some challenges which frighten you are liberating to others. Solomon said, "Work hard and become a leader" (Pr 12:24 NLT). That raises a question. If you are leading others, who is leading you?

The best way to lead, is to follow God and obey His Word!

Note: The article is taken from The Word for Today", by Rhema Broadcasting Group in association with The Vine - www.thevine.co.nz.