“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” — James 1:22
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The Bible is full of life lessons and principles for us to abide by, with one book in particular known to give great wisdom: Proverbs. Recently, I was reading Proverbs 29 and found five lessons we would do well to lead by:
1) Gossip isn’t just harmful to spread, it’s harmful to hear. Sure, as leaders or teammates, we know we shouldn’t gossip. But it goes further — we shouldn’t even listen to gossip. It might seem harmless, but when a leader listens, it spreads negativity through the entire team. Proverbs 29:12 says, “If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked.”
2) Value every member of your team. Never overlook, dismiss, misplace anger on, or devalue the young coach, the player who rarely plays, the entry-level employee, or anyone else who might feel voiceless. Treat everyone with love, respect, justice and appreciation for their contribution. When you do, you gain healthy authority and respect. Proverbs 29:14 (MSG) says, “Leadership gains authority and respect when the voiceless poor are treated fairly.”
3) Lead with humility, not pride. Lead with pride, and you’ll fall and suffer public humiliation. But live and lead with humility, and you’ll lead honorably. Proverbs 29:23 tells us, “Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor.”
4) Don’t let criticism shake you. Even with the best intentions, perfectly executed plans can still attract criticism. This is summed up perfectly in the quote, “You can be the sweetest and ripest peach, and still there will be someone who hates peaches.” If you let yourself be bothered by the opinions of those who don’t matter, you’ll compromise your standards. Proverbs 29:25 (NLT) warns, “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety.”
5) Expect resistance when you lead righteously. I used to think that striving to be more righteous would bring more support and promotion. The truth is, there will always be those with wicked, evil and ungodly motives who despise you for leading righteously. The sooner you understand and accept that such people will always hate on you as long as you lead the right way, the better off you’ll be. Proverbs 29:27 says, “The righteous detest the dishonest; the wicked detest the upright.”
Applying Biblical wisdom will always honor God, regardless of the circumstances or how great the opposition. You will never regret living and leading God’s way.
— Nick Graham
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