Leading through Service

As I was browsing through music tonight, I stopped on the song "Hold My Heart," by Tenth Avenue North.

"How long must I pray, must I pray to You? How long must I wait, must I wait for You? How long till I see Your face, see You shining through? I'm on my knees, begging You to notice me. I'm on my knees. Father, will You turn to me?"

"So many questions without answers; Your promises remain. I can't see but I'll take my chances to hear You call my name."

This song is a plea to God for Him to answer us and be with us in our time of need. You can rest assured that He, "will never leave you nor forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6, NIV)

After that, I came across the song, "God of Wonders."

"God of wonders beyond our galaxy, You are holy! Holy! The universe declares Your majesty. You are holy! Holy! Lord of heaven and earth."

"Hallelujah to the Lord of heaven and earth!"

God is the Creator! He is in control. Remember that. No matter what you are going through, He has you safe in His hands, if you trust in Him.

The Scripture for tonight came from Philippians 2:25-30. Paul says:

"But I think it is necessary to send back Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs. For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me." (NIV)

Epaphroditus is noted in scripture in Paul's letter to the Philippians. He did not hold the same position as Paul, but he still made a difference for the Kingdom of God. Paul takes these six verses to explain his importance. The small people, who may have little influence, matter too!

Just because someone is not in a high leadership position doesn't mean that he or she cannot make a difference. Keep that in mind. Whether you are a leader or a follower, you can make a difference. Do not think that you are too small. If you are in a leadership role, do not look down on the "small people." They may very well be the keys to the success of your organization.

The reflection question tonight asks: How can you lead from the shadows?

You can be an enabler. You can help others in need, regardless of whether they have a high level of influence or not. It's about the service, not a reward. "'For even the son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve." (Mark 10:45a, NIV)

God bless you!