Last month we introduced the subject of change. Please send your comments so I can know what you are thinking. The goal of change is maturity which means the believer being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. (Rom. 8:29, “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.“) The more mature a leader is the more likely he or she will accurately represent Jesus.

In our relationship with the Father, with Jesus and with the Holy Spirit the number one way to be always growing, always changing is developing a sincere hunger to know the Lord. “As the deer pants…. “ (Ps. 42:1). “My soul thirsts for you…” (Ps. 63:1). In my humble opinion being hungry for God is the key to life, for the believer and the unbeliever. God does not have an emotional need to be needed. He does know that He is the answer to the cry of every human heart. The Book of Judges ends by saying “everyone did as he saw fit.” (Judges 21:25). God’s people had stopped in their desire for the Lord and became the lord of their own lives. That is dangerous. As leaders we must is so filled with the fear of the Lord that we would not think about being filled with ourselves and empty of the Lord. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Prov. 9:10)

To the Apostle Paul everything else in life was worthless compared to knowing the Lord (Phil.3:10, “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.”) Jesus defined eternal life in terms of knowing His Father (John 17:3, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”) The only thing worth boasting in is knowing the Lord (Jer. 9:24, “But let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight.”) As a believer we are complete in Christ (Col.2:10, “And you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.”) Being hungry for God cannot add anything to that position but hunger does express the believer’s desire to know the Lord by experience not just by position.

When a leader gains new experience in his or her walk with the Lord that change will affect how the person leads and the impact it will have on the ones being led. A hungry leader will help create hungry followers.

(Due to technical difficulties, September’s Newsletter could not be posted until now.  We apologize for the delay.)

Starting this month we are going to look into several ways in which leaders can purposefully change their lives, including their ministry abilities. Change can come by adding more information to our lives or by taking what we do know and using that truth to alter the way in which we live. Our lives are to go from “glory to glory” (II Cor. 3:18, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit”). The process of going from one stage of glory to the next depends upon our obedience, endurance, and our humility. We will only arrive at the next stage of glory when the Lord determines we have successfully changed inwardly and outwardly. The leader must trust the Lord completely during this process, as our lives may seem upside down.

During the change process sometimes what worked before is no longer working. For example, maybe your prayer life has been smooth and productive up to the time of this change process. Now, maybe that same prayer life seems life-less and is not producing answers. The Lord Jesus may be causing you to look deeper into what prayer is, how you are praying and the attitudes of your heart. In this case your prayer life is advancing from “glory to glory.” At the time you may feel like you are moving backwards or are not as close to the Lord as you once were. Keep doing what you know is Biblical, keep believing. But, at the same time, be asking the Holy Spirit to teach you deeper truths about prayer, about walking with the Lord, about being mature in the ways of the Spirit.

During periods of change everything that you have learned in the past has become the foundation for what you are about to learn. Truth never changes, God never changes. We change and how we do things change. Change is for our benefit as well as for all the people we are going to influence in the future. A Christian leader wants to draw people’s attention to Jesus not to themselves. John the Baptist said, “He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:30). Change is the process of the leaders decrease and Jesus’ increase. Change is the believe dying to self and living the Jesus life.

Please be praying for your heart to be in a position to be willing to change. Real change comes from the Spirit of God. Mental change is good, emotional change is good, but not long lasting and not enough to change the heart of the person.