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“Our contemplation and evaluation should lead naturally to calculation – how much will it cost me to change? What things must be different? Are certain friends or acquaintances a roadblock on my journey of glorifying God? Are any of my activities or habits wrong? Do they hinder my pursuit of God’s glory? Am I feeding any unhealthy appetites that have become taskmasters? What must I do to overcome these? Where can I get help? (Again, a trusted friend can be of enormous value.)” ~ Skip Hertzog
As Jesus wraps up his answers concerning who we should be developing as future leaders, he tells three specific, short stories that all point to the same truth: Teach people who are willing to pay the price of leadership. Listen as he explains …
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 13:44-50 (NKJV)
We become like Jesus when …
o We carefully identify the sacrificial within the crowd!
Paying the price is what leadership is all about. Over the course of your life, leadership will be one sacrifice after another. Every day there is an exchange for the Eagle Leader. Why? Because you are willing ‘to give up to go up.’ Such a life of release is only possible because we have the ultimate reward waiting for us as Christ’s followers … His approval.
In these turbulent times choosing protégés wisely is of ultimate importance. We have little time and few resources to restart with. Too much depends upon the willingness of those we mentor – they must be sacrificial and committed. Jesus longed for each Eagle Leader to reproduce themselves in the lives of others. He also wanted to prevent the wasting of our time in the process!
© 2009 By Dr. Matthew Lee Smith
