renew | Craig T. Owens

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Leaking Influence

March 22, 2013 — Craig T. Owens

Jim Collins has great advice for leaders: When things are going well, look out the window (at your people); when things aren’t going well, look in the mirror (at yourself). This is as true for business CEOs as it is for pastors.

Pastor, you leak.

I leak.

We all leak.

It’s impossible to just maintain where we are. There needs to be a constant refreshing, a constant refilling. We need to keep learning, keep changing, keep renewing. If we don’t, well, this is how Oswald Chambers described it—

“If you are in a position of authority and people are not obeying you, the greatest heart-searching you can have is the realization that the blame does not lie with them, but with you; there is always leakage going on spiritually. Get right with God yourself, and every other one will get in touch with God through you.” (my emphasis)

Pastor, don’t wait: Look in the mirror today, get right with God, replenish what’s leaked out of you, and then watch to see how others in your congregation will begin to move toward God themselves.

Posted in Pastoring. Tags: influence, Jim Collins, leadership, Oswald Chambers, pastoring, pastors, quote, renew. Leave a Comment »

You Can’t Give What You Don’t Have

June 19, 2012 — Craig T. Owens

It seems like a pretty simple concept. If I don’t possess something, as much as I may want to give it away to someone else, I can’t do it.

We know this, don’t we? If my best friend really needs $20, and I really want to give him $20, I cannot help him if I only have $12 in my wallet. I cannot give what I do not have.

So when you take the time to strengthen yourself physically—by getting enough sleep, by exercising, by eating a healthy diet—you are simply preparing yourself to be able to give your physical strength to another.

When you take the time to recharge yourself emotionally—by taking some solitude time, by getting around positive people—you are preparing yourself to be able to give your emotional strength to another.

When you take the time to expand your mind—by reading a book, by taking a class—you are preparing yourself to be able to give your intellectual strength to another.

And when you take the time to renew yourself spiritually—by reading your Bible, by praying, by going to church—you are preparing yourself to be able to give your spiritual strength to another.

“Brethren, let us look well to our own steadfastness in the faith, our own holy walking with God. Some say that such advice is selfish; but I believe that, in truth, it is not selfishness, but a sane and practical love of others which leads us to be mindful of our own spiritual state.” —Charles Spurgeon

Look at the life of Jesus. He never apologized for taking time away to pray, to sleep, to talk with His Father. Then He was never at a loss when someone needed physical, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual strength.

What are you doing to recharge your batteries? It’s never selfish to take the time you need to gather the strength you will need to help others. In fact, being prepared mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually is one of the most loving things you can do.