The Bible is often misunderstood. For starters, it is important to realize that it’s a collection of 66 books in one, consisting of various literary genres, with all 66 books telling a single story: the story of all stories. With the limited space of a blog post, today’s post attempts to answer the question: How does the Bible impact my leadership? If what you are about to read piques your curiosity, I challenge you to crack the Bible open yourself. A good starting point is the book of Mark, one of the four Gospels of Jesus’ life. 16 chapters long, it can be read in a couple of weeks if you allot ten minutes a day.
The Bible reminds me that we all were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). So, everyone I am attempting to lead is a treasured child of God (Galatians 3:26-29). Further, all these children have sinned, and so have I (Romans 3:23). Because of this Fall, the ground we all work on—and even the corporate boardrooms we meet in–is cursed and will never reflect fully the way things were meant to be this side of heaven (Gen 3:17-19). Thus, I am not surprised when there is division, strife, or relational conflicts in business, or even the Church (James 4:1). Jesus, after all, said that life is full of trouble (John 16:33a). And, when our hope is in things of this world, like personal gain, the business being profitable, or even in our family – as good as families are – we will eventually learn that this, too, is chasing after the wind (Ecclesiastes 1:14).
So, maybe there is nothing better than to eat, drink, and be glad? (Ecclesiastes 8:15).
Jesus, however, tells us he came to give us so much more than personal gain (John 10:10). So, I can approach trouble with the reality that God is big enough to hear my cries (Psalm 142). More so, that I have hope despite this trouble, because Jesus overcame the world (John 16:33b). He overcame it by paying my ransom (Mark 10:45), and he offers the same gift to every human being that comes to Him (John 3:16). Thus, thousands of years before “globalism” and “inclusion,” Jesus gave the greatest commission to his followers, and the greatest invitation to the world (Matt 28:18-20).
Therefore, I am reminded every day that every person I meet matters. And every person deserves to receive this invitation.
I must admit that this news isn’t accepted by all, and even some of Jesus’ contemporaries doubted it (Matthew 28:17). But our God is bigger than any human thought or way (Isaiah 55:8-9), and is apparently okay with questions (Psalm 13:1).
As I face the challenges of each day, I am encouraged because God is with me (Deuteronomy 31:6, Isaiah 41:10). I have hope and joy because “Truly, he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken” (Psalm 62:2).
Of course, one day I will die and face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). But even though death is like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2), I still have hope because of what Jesus did for me (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). More importantly, I have hope for what Jesus will do, and for that day when “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4). That puts our daily company conflicts in perspective.
I guess the real question is…
How doesn’t the Bible impact my leadership?