Skip to main content

Waiting for the dam to burst.


Christian Leaders waiting for breakthrough.

For many Christian leaders waiting for God to answer prayer or a petition, is often frustrating. Waiting for God to open a door, or make a way through a particular problem, or even waiting for a promise to be fulfilled, can be stressful to say the least.

People say to me that God is teaching me patience; unfortunately I have failed that test on countless occasions.

Recently I have been reminded of the story of Joseph in Egypt. Joseph was in prison for something he didn't do. While there he interpreted the dreams of two people, for one it didn't turn out well but the other was released back into the service of Pharaoh. Joseph said to the man "Remember me....and mention me to Pharaoh" but the man didn't remember he forgot Joseph. (Gen 40:14 and 23). But God had not forgotten.

Joseph was 17 when God first showed him the dreams that got his brothers all upset. For over thirteen years he worked as a slave and in prison before finally God began to move and he entered Pharaoh's service. He was probably nearly 40 years old when he revealed himself to his brothers after the dreams that God gave him as a 17 year old were finally fulfilled.

Sometimes we are like the water that builds up behind an irrigation dam wall, the water levels get higher and higher, the pressure mounts, till eventually the pressure valves are opened or the dam breaks and the flood is great, and the waters spread over the dry barren landscape before us. God's blessing and purpose are revealed and the harvest is plentiful.

The question I would ask is are we as leaders prepared to wait for 13 or 14 or even 15 years to see God move, or do we want instant gratification?

Perhaps as we wait for our breakthrough our prayers should be "God remember me I cannot do this on my own."

God hasn't forgotten.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Part One of The myths of following a Christian Leader.

Christian Leadership disconnects. When I look to a Christian Leader to be my covering, I look for four things; are they biblical and scripturally sound? Do they have a vision? Are they good motivators? And lastly, can I trust them? On the face of it you may see, these things are obvious and self evident. I am not so sure though, sometimes I find a disconnect that is not always so obvious. Don't get me wrong, I want to sit under a great leader no matter what size their church. I want to know I am being taught sound doctrine and biblical and scriptural principles. I want to follow a great vision that is full of direction, purpose and passion. I want to be motivated not just by words but action and deeds. I also want to be able to say that the person I serve, I trust. As Christian leaders we have to accept that the world we live in is becoming more and more complex. We deal with issues that our New Testament counterparts say little, if anything about.   It is no longer g...

Manifesto of Intentional Christian Leadership.

Manifesto: We Promise to do the following- with intent, when in Christian leadership: 1) People Matter. People are our purpose. People are not a means by which we can create our own ends. When we reach out to people they are our objective. 2) We will help people think. If people are our objective we will not get bogged down in the process. We will help people to think through our process in order to recognise our objective rather than just getting them to do and blindly follow. 3) Create great environments. We need to help people become great, not just fix their problems. We do this by creating great environments by which they can grow and build their relationship with God. 4) Create opportunities for initiative. People need to see and experience a spirit of excellence. They need to see opportunities where they can succeed rather than just avoid errors. 5) Be curious. As a leader you don't need to know everything even though a little knowled...

Playing well with others.

Today's rambling. Looking over some of my old school reports the other day and was amused at how some of the comments, that teachers made about me have shaped my life and in many respects made me who I am today. One teacher wrote that I didn’t play well with others, I was 5 at the time maybe I had an excuse. Another teacher in my high school years, the wood working teacher or wood shop teacher for my American friends wrote; “If you value your life you will keep him away from power tools and other dangerous equipment. I can’t remember why he wrote this, obviously I did something that made him fear for his life. Today as an adult I have to say that I don’t do well in committees, for most of my life I have been self- employed. I have steadfastly stayed away from power tools and other wood working equipment, basically anything that can cut something off and is a danger to life and limb. Over the last 10 years I have been looking at and teaching about Emotional Intelligence ...