Developing Kingdom Leaders – Tom Yeakley

Taking the Mystery out of Leadership

Archive for the tag “Perseverance”

03 Nov 2025

All Who Are Weary

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30 ESV

Kingdom leaders, as with all leadership roles, live full, busy lives. We are constantly having to choose between the good, better, and best things to allow into our jammed schedules. We know we should schedule with margin, but even when we do, those margins are often sacrificed for dealing with the latest crisis du jour. We compliment ourselves for having the margin available to deal with these urgent issues, but neglect the fact that margin was removed that was originally set aside for relaxation, thinking, exercise, or fun.

The habitual neglect of margin leads to laboring with a heavy load – like trying to run a race with a backpack of rocks strapped onto us. We grow weary. Life and leadership become a burden, and joy is replaced with quick-tempered responses and a ‘woe is me’ attitude.

Note how Jesus addresses this. “Come to me,” He says, “and I will give you rest.” That sounds attractive, doesn’t it? But we might not expect what follows. “Take my yoke upon you.” What? I was expecting an invitation to an extended holiday away. Maybe a beach vacation or at least a long weekend break. Instead He invites us to continue to work, but now we are yoked to Him. He is sharing the leadership yoke, and we find He is carrying the load. His yoke is easy and His burden light.

He concludes with this – if we yoke up with Him, we will find rest for our souls. This is where the burden of Kingdom leadership resides – within our souls. Here is where we carry our gut-wrenching leadership decisions that eat away our joy and rot our bones. He promises to shoulder those issues with us, and we will find peace and rest – true rest for our souls.

The invitation stands – Are you weary and weighed down by life and leadership demands? Lay down your efforts and pick up His yoke. You’ll find a great fit and He will carry the load you have struggled with. He is faithful and true!

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks and tagged , , , , , , , ,
21 Oct 2024

Growing Weary in Doing Good

…how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. Acts 10:38 NIV

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:9-10 NIV

Kingdom leaders want to use their leadership for good – for furthering God’s overall purposes, accomplishing their God-given mission, blessing those they lead, lifting burdens others can’t, etc. But the concerns and responsibilities of leadership can be weighing and cause one to forget our reality. Here’s a short list of what is true for believers who follow Christ and what awaits us.

  1. Forgiveness of sin – 1 John 1:9
  2. Inward cleansing – Psalm 103.:12
  3. Peace with God – Romans 5:1
  4. Eternal life – John 3:16
  5. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit – Galatians 2:20
  6. Victory over temptation – 1 Corinthians 10:13
  7. Resurrection from the dead – 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
  8. A new, glorified body – 1 Corinthians 15:42-44
  9. Immortality – Revelation 21:7
  10. Dwelling place in the house of God forever – John14:1-3

So, as you ‘go about doing good’ do not grow weary in your efforts. Remember your reality. Yes, the headwinds of the world may be in your face, but do not lose heart. Your eternal destiny is assured.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 NIV

Posted in #3 DO - What a Leader Does and tagged , , , , , ,
01 Feb 2021

When God Says “Sit”

 

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”    Matthew 26:36  ESV  (emphasis added)

It’s the night before the crucifixion and Jesus is now taking the 11 (Judas had left them) into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray for an extended time.  Note that He separates the 11 into the three on His ‘executive team’ – Peter, James and John who go with Him a little farther into the garden and the eight who are left to sit and wait.  We know of the three who continually fell asleep and could not watch as Jesus struggled in prayer that night.  But let’s focus on the far side of the garden where the other eight were left.

It’s interesting to note that the Lord’s instruction was open ended.  That is, they were told to sit while He took the three with Him.  He let them know that He would not be far away – I’ll ‘go over there’ – that is, just separate enough from you all to have some privacy in prayer.  The implication was that they were to wait for His return from His exercise with the three.  They are not told what to do while He was gone, other than to ‘sit.’

How hard it is for Kingdom leaders when God says to us, ‘Sit down and wait.’  Leaders are people of action – always wanting to make something happen and never satisfied with the status quo.  We want to ‘get on with it’ and do something – anything other than ‘sit.’  We grow restless quickly, thinking we are wasting precious time or not being ‘productive’ for the Lord.  But it was at the word of Jesus, their Lord, that the eight were told to ‘sit.’  So… they sat down, ‘away from the action’ and waited for further instruction.

Has God told you to ‘sit down?’  Do you feel like you are on the siding watching the trains of life pass you by?  Are you wondering if or when God will invite you back ‘into the game?’  He has good purposes for you and as part of that plan, He is now asking you to sit down.  So, you may grumble or fight against it, thinking how unfair God is or how you are not being utilized as you desire.  Or you can willingly obey His instruction and trust Him that when the time is right, you will be invited to once again get going.

Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us be going...”   Matthew 26:45-46  ESV  (emphasis added)

How’s your attitude? 

 

Posted in #2 BE - Who a Leader Is and tagged , , , , , ,
16 Nov 2020
2 Comments

From Patience to Perseverance

Initially, we thought it would last two weeks to a month.  Then it was ‘Well, certainly by the beginning of summer…’  Next it was ‘For sure, by the start of the fall…’  Now we are looking to Christmas or early spring for relief from the Covid pandemic.  Does it seem like we are playing a type of game where they keep moving the goalposts?

When will it end?  We set our expectations and hope on a future date for relief and a ‘return to normal,’ only to have our hopes dashed by the reality of a virus that seems hard to ignore or conquer.  “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”  (Proverbs 13:12  NIV)  It’s very normal to have feelings of disappointment when our expectations are not met.  But we must guard against going from disappointment to despair where we lose all hope and just give up.

Given the long trial of faith that we all are suffering, we must shift our attitudes from one of being patient to one of persevering.  Perseverance means, “persistence in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.”  We acknowledge our disappointment before the Lord, plead for His mercy and determine, by His grace and strength, to persevere until He determines the end of our trial.

Our hope is not in new policies, better disinfection or therapeutics or even a vaccine.  Rather, our hope is in Him and His strength.  Here are several biblical truths that strengthen my soul during these days.

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.     Hebrews 10:36  NIV 1984

… even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you. I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.    Isaiah 46:4  ESV

For nothing will be impossible with God.    Luke 1:37  NIV 1984

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.    1 Corinthians 10:13  ESV

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.  Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death.  But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.  He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.    2 Corinthians 1:8-10  ESV

… fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.   Isaiah 41:10  ESV

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.    Romans 5:3-5  ESV

“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

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.    James 1:2-4  ESV

But the Lord GOD helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame.    Isaiah 50:7  ESV

Don’t despair!!!  Persevere!!!

Posted in #1 KNOW- How a Leader Thinks, #2 BE - Who a Leader Is and tagged , , , , , , , , ,

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