How Is Your Ripple?

Someone is following in your footsteps

In my life no matter where I have worked or volunteered, I always take a leadership role of some sort.  I don't know how it happens but 99% of the time I end up leading in some way.  

Now as a Pastors wife of a small local church, I find myself wanting to lead with intentional purpose.  Asking myself, "what is the vision and how do we get there?"  I don't want to lead our precious people down a wrong path, just winging it as I go along.  My desire is to constantly point them to Jesus.  As Paul said, "Follow me as I follow Christ"-1 Corinthians 1:11.

I have a hard time with people who profess themselves as leaders but never show up for the job.  You can't lead from the rear...my husbands favorite saying in business.  You have to show up with your gear ready, prepared for the job at hand.  If you are always late, guess what, your employees will imitate your leadership.  If you always tear down your boss, your team will do the same, except, you are the one they will tear down.  Your effectiveness as a leader will be ruined and your job will be in jeopardy.  You will be no longer be an asset to your employer and the people you were training will be impaired.  Your splash of ineffective leadership will ripple through the ranks (so to speak).  This is in the business world, in your home life and in the church.  

In your home life, if a mother is constantly putting down the father, the children will live their lives disrespecting their father.  The father will never have the voice in their lives that he is suppose to have.  Their relationship will be impaired and it will effect the relationship the children will have with other men throughout the rest of their lives.  It goes the other way to...if the father is abusive physically, mentally or emotionally to the mother...the ripple is seen throughout generations (as a rule) without the intervention of Christ.  When Christ enters into the relationship, things change.  

Intentional leadership is relational.  As I build relationships with those souls that God has entrusted me with, I began to desire to see them grow and flourish, mature, become leaders, fishers of men, Spiritual adults.  So they start reproducing new leaders and become Intentional Leaders.  If I don't have relationship with them, then I won't be intentional on the way I conduct myself, showing up won't be a priority, living like Christ won't be my goal.  I won't see the importance of my attitude, preparation, showing up.   I will lead by bullying or complacency, leaving those I have been entrusted with, scarred, broken, impaired, abandoned.  

Intentional leadership alters my speech, my conduct, my attitude, my emotions, my gait.  

I always told my kids that good or bad they are witnessing to someone.  The same goes with leadership...good or bad, you are leading someone.  No matter if you want to or not, someone is watching you, imitating you, learning from you.  It is a great responsibility but just think, what if you lead someone to Christ just by them "Following you as you follow Christ!"  What a legacy.

In my devotion this morning the question was asked..."How's your ripple?"  I ask you, "How's your ripple?"  Our leadership today is our splash, but the ripple will continue, good or bad...again, "How's your ripple?" link