Disputes

To begin my devotional time tonight, I listened to the song, "From the Inside Out," by Hillsong.

"A thousand times I've failed, still Your mercy remains; and should I stumble again, still I'm caught in Your grace."

"Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades. Never-ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame! And the cry of my heart is to bring You praise! From the inside out, Lord, my soul cries out!"

As leaders, we will fail at times. As Pastor Jon from Restore Church said a few weeks ago, it's not about how you fall, but about how you get up. The best way to get up is to take the Savior's hand and let Him guide you from there.

Tonight's Scripture came from Philippians 4:2-5. Paul mentioned a dispute between two individuals and asserts that they should be of the same mind.

Teamwork is essential for projects to succeed. Even if there is a single individual in charge, he or she must work with other members of a team to be successful. No individual can lead solely by himself or herself.

Many organizations actually have leadership teams. Being a leader does not automatically mean you are the sole person of authority. You may have influence. Your ideas may be accepted at times. However, that may not always be the case. Other people have good ideas too, and many times, those ideas will probably be better than yours for certain situations. Different people bring various experiences and backgrounds to the table. As a leader, you must learn how to play off of each other's strengths to reach the best possible outcome.

Euodia and Syntyche, the two individuals from the beginning of Philippians 4, needed to work together rather than against each other. Disputes will inevitably arise. However, when they come up, a leader should be able to properly handle the situation and create unison, as a team working toward a common goal.

When petty differences arise, I try to reason with each party. That may take the form of speaking with each person or group individually, or of me being the facilitator of a discussion involving both parties.

Regardless of the situation, common ground needs to be established for progress to be made. Leaders should be able to help reach that point when the need arises.

As I continued reflection, the song "Rescue" came on.

"I need You, Jesus, to come to my rescue! Where else can I go? There's no other Name by which I am saved. Oh, capture me with grace. I will follow You."

Godly leaders must remember that He is the ultimate Leader. In times of need, we can turn to Him for guidance. We can each pray, "Lord, lead me so that I can lead them."