WANTED: LEADERS.

Tag – You’re it.  Whether you like it or not, the reins have been handed to you.  For most of us, it’s an uneasy feeling to know that the fate of our family, our community, and our world is resting lightly in our hands.  We didn’t ask for the responsibility and sadly, we don’t realize what we’ve been put in charge of until it’s too late.

I am grieved deeply when I see so many guys throw the reins to the ground and walk away from the responsibility.  Who is going to do this?  Who are we leaving it up to?  When we walk away from our obligation of leading then we leave a vacuum, and in the place of true leadership comes chaos.  Then, we have the audacity to sit around and complain about how terrible the world has become…. we did this… we can correct it.

I don’t know about you, but there is no way I am going to leave a world all screwed up for my daughter to have to deal with.  What in the world are we thinking that the next generation will pick up the pieces?  How can we expect to raise a generation of leaders if they’ve never experienced what a true leader looks like?

Want some examples?  Why is our culture allowing our children to dress like whores and act like sluts only to play it off as cute and harmless?  Since when did it become OK to allow our young men to treat girls like objects and disrespect all authority?  Yes, there comes a point when you have to allow freedom of expression and original thought out of your kids, but there’s also a sense of decency and decorum that you are responsible for teaching them.

Leadership isn’t running for political office or community organizations.  In fact, these leadership positions make up a miniscule number of the total leadership pie.  Leadership starts in your home.  Whether you are young, middle aged, or older, you are responsible for your household.  I hold you accountable for any garbage that you produce.  I expect you to hold me accountable as well.

Your children don’t know how to lead.  The idea that leaders are born is a bunch of crap.  I am astounded at the amount of guys that leave decisions and judgments up to their children.  On what experience do they have to make those decisions?  What kind of pressure are you putting on them by making them the leader in your home?  That doesn’t seem quite right now does it?

Leaders are formed in the home or they are formed by some experience.  Your job is to be an example.  You don’t have to be Martin Luther King Jr. or Ghandi, you just need to be consistent and founded on principles that do not fail.  These principles are found in God through Christ Jesus.

The key to leading your family is learning how to be founded in your faith.  When you focus on God and follow His command for life, you will naturally lead and begin making the better decisions.

We are born with a tendency to follow.  Even the great leaders in history were formed by someone or something ahead of them.  If no one steps forward to start the march, then the mob will rule and get absolutely nowhere.  It’s painfully obvious that our current culture has thrown the reins down on the ground and made “leading” something oppressive and overbearing.  If we have no example, we will create our own version of leaders… who are usually ill equipped to make a decision in the best interest.

Church congregations are desperate for leaders.  The “don’t hurt anyone’s feelings” attitude has melted our resolve and crushed our spines to a point of weak passive groups of people that can’t make a decision.  If you attend a church and you have found yourself wondering why things are all screwed up, and that things need to be changed… wake up… you’re being called to lead.  Pick up the reigns and do something about it.  God will show you how and where.

God created you and me and gave us dominion over all the animals and responsible for the world.  When we were children, our job was to learn, observe, and grow in our faith.  Now that we are men, it’s our job to lead this world.  If Christian men are quiet, pushover, passive, and non-confrontational then we are handing our families, communities, and churches over to the world to lead.

I don’t know about you, but I will not quietly into that good night.  I will not stand by and let the world teach my child what is right and wrong.  I will not allow bad religion, fouled up teaching, or misinformed counseling to establish what we believe.

Guys… it’s up to you now.  I don’t really care what happened to you then… it’s now.  God is big enough to change your heart, your mind, and your life to one that not only leans on Him for understanding, but goes into action with confidence and strength.  You can do this.

Do not let your time pass you by.  Do not allow someone else to take control of your life and your family.  Do not let a tragic past of no leadership stop you from taking control of your life and getting back on track.

No one wants to hear excuses, and no one wants to hear you whine about how bad things were or still are.  Either wallow in your failure or get on your knees before God Almighty and allow Him to heal you and show you how to lead.

These are tough times and you’ve got to man up and grab the reins.  You will make mistakes, but don’t give up.  Are you going to do this?  Your family needs you, your community needs you, your church needs you, and your world needs you.

Stop complaining and start doing.  Come on… it’s time.

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About

Welcome, and thanks for dragging yourself over to Live|Bold! My name is Greg Arnold and I am pumped to see you here. This interactive online community is here to point every man toward the cross. Whether you have been a follower of Christ for ages, or you are just stumbling into this strange new world of faith, we have something of value to offer you. This online e-zine is a cross between a blog, a social network, a resource center, and a pulpit. My hope is to inspire you to live your faith on the outside and be a real man for God. We need you in the fight.