Developing Kingdom Leaders – Tom Yeakley

Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Archive for the tag “Execution”

15 Jul 2024

Come to Grips with the Possible

Some years ago, I spent a day with J.O. Sanders, assisting him in his travels from one end of the island of Java to another. As we transited from trains, planes, and automobiles we discussed much about life, ministry, and leadership. He asked me questions that caused me to reflect upon my plans, hopes, and dreams for ministry in Indonesia. It was a wonderful day!

Somewhere during this day, he said this, “Tom, I have something I’d like to say to you.” Well, as you can imagine, that got my attention. “Of course,” I said, “Please do so. I’m interested to hear what you have to say.” “Tom, you need to come to grips with the possible,” he said. Hmmm, I thought. I wonder what he means by that. So we continued our conversation with me asking him to please explain further.

“Tom, you’ve told me about your hopes and aspirations – your plans and your initiatives. But your youthful zeal and idealism has set you up for daily frustrations and great disappointments. It’s not wrong to have those future goals and dreams. But don’t live there. Live and labor in the present and trust God for whatever outcomes He deems best from your effort. Come to grips with what’s possible today, work hard at what He gives you to do, and leave the outcomes to Him who is good and always does what is good. Don’t be so focused on what remains undone. Do what you can, today. There will be time and resources to accomplish all He intends for you tomorrow.”

It was only later that I realized this was the same counsel Jesus gave His disciples when they questioned the effort of a women who anointed him with expensive perfume. There was much left undone that the money from the sale of the perfume could have been used for. Jesus’ reply was poignant, “Leave her alone. She has done what she could.”

That short dialog with J.O. Sanders marked me. Since that day I have sought to apply his counsel to work hard each day, do what I can, and leave what is undone for tomorrow. Jesus said it another way, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34 ESV

Another leader once counseled me, “A mark of maturity in leadership is being able to live with unfinished tasks.”

Therefore, work hard each day. Do what you can. Tomorrow will come with its own special challenges. Come to grips with the possible!

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , ,
24 Sep 2018

God’s Help in Generations

The Lord your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little. You will not be allowed to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals will multiply around you.       Deuteronomy 7:22    (NIV  1984)

These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience) … They were left to test the Israelites to see whether they would obey the LORD ‘s commands, which he had given their forefathers through Moses.        Judges 3:1-2, 4   (NIV  1984)

The Lord’s promise to deliver the land to Israel was a sure thing.  When God makes a promise, He backs it up with His unchanging character and His ability (omnipotence) to do whatever He says.  But, what His promise does not include is the process for handing the land over to Israel.  The ‘how’ of the fulfillment will be different than thought or imagined.

The Lord’s promises and purposes have a long time-horizon.  He was preparing Israel for a long-term occupancy.  Certainly, He could have wiped out all the occupants with the wave of His hand or the breath of His mouth.  But, knowing what was best for His people long-term, He chose to deliver it ‘little by little.’

The Lord’s ways and thoughts are not our ways or thoughts (see Isaiah 55:8-9).  Therefore, as Kingdom leaders, we must be filled and led by His Holy Spirit who indwells us to know how to execute our leadership in alignment with His purposes.  Learning to turn our hearts and minds to the Lord’s voice within us will enable us to do what He desires.

While this may seem a very subjective process, there is a very objective component.  The Holy Spirit will never lead us in ways or thoughts contrary to His Word.  Thus, our own familiarity and depth in the Scriptures enables the Spirit within to guide and direct us.

So, is it your ways and thoughts or His that you are executing?  Are you sure?

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , , , , , ,
30 Apr 2018
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Missional Mindset #3

Our God is a missional God who works. Jesus reminds us that the Father is always at work and that He too is working (see John 5:17).  Because we are created in His image, we too are to have a missional mindset that sets a context for our life and leadership.

In the past two blogs, we have looked at how Jesus communicated His mission-task to those around Him.  For three and one-half years He executed His mission and then, having completed it, returned to His Father.  Below are some of the passages that show the completion of that world-changing mission.

John 13:1  It was just before the Passover Festival.  Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father.  Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

John 17:4  I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.

John 17:6  “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world.  They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word.

John 17:8  For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them.  They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

John 17:14  I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

John 19:30  When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.”  With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

It’s not enough to know your God-assigned mission or task.  And it’s not even enough to begin to work at it.  We must complete or finish the mission that we begin.  Paul’s exhortation to Archippus is a great reminder –  Tell Archippus: “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord.”   (Colossians 4:17  NIV  1984)

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , , ,

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