Memory Lapses?

Leadership without Easy Answers). I think that’s one of the reasons that Scripture is filled with instructions to “remember.” The fourth commandment instructs us to remember the Sabbath. Moses frequently tells the Israelites to remember all the ways that God has provided for them. In the period of the judges, the nation was guilty of failing to remember. And many of the Psalms highlight the importance of memory, reciting the attributes of God and the ways that He has intervened in history to deliver His people in miraculous ways. Unfortunately, leaders often suffer from memory lapses. In the face of opposition or the point of crisis or the moment of decision, they forget all the ways that God has been with them in the past. Rather than seeking God, they decide it’s time to roll up their sleeves and make something happen. Rather than trusting that God will deliver, they see a situation as hopeless. Granted, our leadership challenges don’t always turn out the way we would like, but that doesn’t mean that God has abandoned us. One of the most powerful disciplines for a Christian leader is spending time in Scripture, seeing the God story in the lives of others, and then reflecting on how God’s providential hand has been at work in the leader’s own life. This simple practice can change the way that a leader assesses a situation. Instead of concluding that God is absent, the memory-powered leader will ask what God wants to teach him or where God is at work in those difficult moments. As the psalmist says, “Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the great love of the Lord” (Psalm 107:43). It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>