I’d like to think that reading is truly a spiritual discipline. We certainly know that’s the truth when we think of the Bible. As preachers and teachers of God’s Word, we should constantly be reading, studying, and applying the Bible to our lives and within our ministries. But, we don’t just read the Bible, do we? Today’s generation has more books, articles, blogs , tweets, reviews (such as this one), updates, etc. than any other previous generation. Unfortunately, I think that this plethora of information keeps us continually focused on reading new books, looking for new ideas, and listening to new people. Sometimes we may just need to reread and apply a book we’ve read before. That’s the experience I recently had with Spiritual Leadership, from J. Oswald Sanders. This book is among John Maxwell’s favorites, so it can’t be a miss. I had a chance to read it seven or eight years ago and decided recently to reread it. I’m glad I did. The leadership principles and truths have been intensely relevant and convicting to my understanding and practice of leadership . Let me share a few with you.
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“Example is much more potent than precept” (page 41).
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“True leadership is always from the top down, never from the bottom up. It was leadership from the rear that led Israel back into the wilderness” (page 113).
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“Wesley told the younger ministers of the Methodist societies to read or get out of the ministry” (page 102). “’One reason why people are unable to understand great Christian classics is that they are trying to understand without any intention of obeying them’” (from A.W. Tozer page 102-3). “’In reading let your motto be “much, not many”’” (from Spurgeon page 106).
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“In most decisions the key is not so much knowing what to do, but in living with the results” (page 59).
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“If done ‘as God wants,’ then leadership will surely include intercessory prayer” (page. 49).
Maybe it would be a good idea for you to read or reread a book. One on your reading list ought to be Spiritual Leadership.
