Leadership 107
Scripture Reading - Luke 6:36 KJV
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.
Greetings fellow believer in the Mighty Name of Jesus in today’s lesson we will continue our conversation on “Leadership”. In our first lesson Leadership 101 we taught on the three principles that every good leader should be and they are 1) Open to Hear, 2) Quick to Adjust and 3) Slow to Step. Stating that a “godly leader” listens openly to hear what the group is saying to leadership, then that “leader” quickly adjusts to all good advice that was shared and after that the “godly leader” shall proceed with a clearly communicated safe pace knowing slow and steady typically gets the job done. In Leadership 102 we mentioned that a “good leader” must have “vision”. We stated that spiritual insight is a must because spiritual insight allows the “leader” to see some distance into the future which is necessary to see exactly where you are going. We also discussed in Leadership 103 three qualities of a Godly leader in reference to honesty, being full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. In the Leadership 104 lesson we highlighted the importance of being meek. Specifically pointing out that biblical meekness includes humility of mind and gentleness of heart. In Leadership 105 we discussed the “leadership” quality of operating in faith and patience. Declaring that we must operate in faith first to get the ball rolling in God’s direction and then use patience to stand strong until the complete fulfillment of God’s Will (the promise, the blessing) is manifested in our life. In Leadership 106 we explored the virtue of empathy. We recognized the fact that the only way for a “leader” to identify with their followers is through empathy and knowing what your workers are going through is critical for a proper understanding of your people. In today’s message we will teach on the virtue of “mercy”. This is another reason why we keep repeating that the best “leaders” are Godly because who knows more about being “merciful” than God? We must remember that God in all His Perfection looked into man’s sinful nature and saw man’s hopeless dilemma then He chose to have “mercy”. Yes, God’s “mercies” are new every morning and great is God’s faithfulness to always have compassion and “mercy” upon us according to Lamentations 3:22,23. We stated before in a previous lesson that “Thee Ultimate Leader is God” and we can see in today’s reference verse that God, the Father is “merciful”. Today’s reference verse shows us at least two things which the first is God expects us to be just like Him and the second is God is not just applying mercy sparingly but rather “He is full of mercy”. The word “merciful” is even better than the word “mercy” because some people will show “mercy” on occasion but “being merciful” is a more biased state of mind and heart. What we (ihlcc) mean by that is the “leaders” who are “full of mercy” will always be “inclined to show mercy” because their heart delights in “mercy” as opposed to judgment. Yes, “being merciful” basically means that “mercy” flows directly from your spirit into the spirit of the one who is in need. This is why it is easy to see that most people know when they have done wrong so they are typically expecting judgment and some form (level) of condemnation. The weaken individual knows that they have messed up by doing something wrong and their conscience is usually tender and vulnerable so pouring on the “sweet soft oil of mercy” can quickly heal their hurting heart. The opposite of “mercy” is judgment and we all have experienced judgment after a mistake or sin because the majority of people are generally quick to judge. Although judgment may present the facts and make the speaker feel good it does very little to uplift and edify the person it was spoken to. We (ihlcc) have learned through experience that “God delights in mercy” so when given a situation that one or the other could be applied “we tend to follow mercy” to win God’s approval and strengthen the person who needs it the most. We all know too well that “The Lord’s mercy” allowed us to have fellowship with God, so why would we as children of God withhold this fruit of the spirit when it is needed for another. It is obvious that as long as you are “leading people” there will be errors, shortcoming, sins, mistakes, misunderstanding, weaknesses and etc… demonstrated in your workers or in those you lead but thanks be to God “being merciful” covers them all. According to James 2:13b ESV - Mercy triumphs over judgment. We generally follow a rule of thumb by watching to see if the person consistently repeats a bad or erroneous issue to see if they need some correction (a simple discussion) about certain behaviors. However, whether they need a conversation or not we still “apply mercy” because that lets the individual know we love them either way. We “apply mercy” to keep our heart right because “being merciful” influences how we work with people because our attitude is key. Those who apply judgment are typically firm and cold whereas those who “apply mercy” are generally soft and warm. We (ihlcc) choose to judge no man, we only judge certain actions contrary to the Word of God done repeated over a good (healthy, months or years) portion of time because refraining from judgment is what “mercy” is all about. Choosing to “show mercy” also includes forgiving those who have wrong you by not being offended by them. Yes, many people are just mean and they do certain things for no other reason than to frustrate your peace and well-being. However, greater is “God’s mercy” and grace in you than all the evil and wickedness in the one opposing you. Yes, our attitude on purpose is to be merciful toward them simply because God, our Heavenly Father and our Lord Jesus Christ is merciful toward them and all mankind, including you. Those who practice sin as a lifestyle will surely reap the same wickedness upon their own head unto hell but those who “practice mercy” as a lifestyle shall surely see Heaven on earth and the life after. So be encouraged this day to “be merciful concerning others” and know in your heart that when you do you are being just like your Father in Heaven and your Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!