peace

Look to the Bread of Life to Satisfy Your Hunger

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Every leader longs for others to recognize the value they bring to an organization or a task and to be appreciated for their contributions. A leader brings value because of their training and the skills they have developed. A leader brings their experience and creativity to solve problems and develop effective plans for the future. A Christian leader brings a heart that is sensitive to God’s leading and works out of the spiritual gifts God has blessed them with.

Leaders want to do a good job, so they generally put in many hours of work, often more than what they are compensated for. They are too invested in the project to stop until success is in sight. Some struggle to find a balance between their work and the rest of their lives.

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Everyone, leaders included, has a tendency to see themselves as their job or their position. I am a pastor. I am a music director. I am a plumber. I am a teacher. I am a designer. It is common for us to find our identity in what we do or the role we fill. Our hunger for significance and purpose in life can easily cause us to be swallowed up by our role.

But what happens if our role no longer fulfills us, or we aren’t recognized for our contributions, or the job doesn’t end up being as fulfilling as we had hoped?

In John 6 we have the story of Jesus feeding 5000 men (possibly up to 20,000 with women and children included) with one boy’s lunch. It is a miraculous expansion of one lunch that fed thousands. There were even enough leftovers for each disciple to pick up a basket full. The next day the crowd comes to Jesus looking for more miracles.

Jesus uses the illustration of the multiplying of bread to introduce himself as the bread of life. He tells the crowd around him that he can give them bread to eat so they will never be hungry again. Jesus is not talking about physical bread but saying that their hunger inside will never be fully satisfied with any food or experience or pursuit of fulfillment apart from belief in Him.

Jesus talks about how the Father draws people to himself, how the Spirit gives life, and that by believing in him, in Jesus, people can find true fulfillment.

Leaders need to recognize that their fulfillment cannot be found in their work. Yes, enjoy your work, do it well, and celebrate how your leadership is contributing to the success of your organization or church, but recognize that your fulfillment in life must come from a close friendship with Jesus and dependence on Him for joy in life.

Remember that the people you lead may turn on you. Circumstances may impact your leadership in ways that are beyond your control. Projects that you planned and love may fail. If you find your fulfillment in your work, you are setting yourself up for personal failure, but if you find your fulfillment in Jesus and a relationship with him, you will never be let down.

Look to the bread of life for true satisfaction and to fill the hunger inside for peace and joy in life. Then lead out of that heart that is at peace with God, and as a result, at peace with your leadership, whether it succeeds or fails.

Look to Jesus for fulfillment in life and lead out of the peace of knowing you are right with him.

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe

Fruitful Leadership #3: Peace

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Peace is not a common commodity in our world today. There are conflicts between countries, in business, in families, and in our workplaces.

When I think of a picture of peace, I remember the lake at the camp I spent a number of summers at. It was a fairly large lake, so it was a rare morning where the lake was completely calm. Yet once in awhile, the winds died down completely and turned the surface of the lake into a sheet of glace. Not a ripple to ruin the effect.

It’s a rare day when the wind isn’t blowing in our lives. It’s not easy to experience complete peace.

As a Christian leader who wants to allow the Holy Spirit to work in and through us, we do want to bear the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5: 22 . We want peace.

Yes, we want peace in our workplace. I’m primarily thinking of peace as the absence of conflict in the workplace. We want peace on our teams as they work together. We recognize the need to not let conflict simmer but to address it and work through it before it boils over.

Peace takes constant monitoring of the situations we are in. It takes discernment to know when something is eating away at peace and needs to be resolved. But if you are a leader who desires a peaceful workplace you will need to ensure you are at peace inside first.

Peace begins inside you – if you don’t have peace, you will have a hard time being peaceful in your relationships. Peace begins with a relationship with the Prince of Peace. We want Jesus to continue to help shape us to become like Himself. And we invite the Holy Spirit to work in our lives to make us more Christ-like. We need to pray that God will help us forgive others and not continue to carry personal hurts. We need God to fill us with His peace. Knowing that we are right with our creator, the God of the Universe, is a great place to start with peace.

To live out peace as a leader, we need to be at peace with our relationships at home. If we are in conflict in one area of our life, it is bound to create cracks in our peace with others. We cannot separate our private life from our public life. Keep short accounts at home before you even step into your leadership role. Peace is evident in harmonious relationships.

It is in the heat of the moment that what is inside comes out. When that mistake is made, or someone falls short of your expectations – what is your first response? If it is anger and shouting and judgement – you may need to work on peace in yourself first. Peace begins in us.

Peace has to be worked for. There are times when our Canadian troops have been sent into countries where there has been conflict, and they are called Peacekeepers. Jesus asks us to be peacemakers and says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Matthew 5:9) As Christian leaders, we need to be people of peace. This spiritual fruit should be produced continually in our lives in our relationships and in our leadership.

Peace may cost us something. There may be times where we need to apologize and make things right. There may be times where we will need to address issues with those on our team that won’t make us popular. Peace means addressing the issues that are causing conflict. Those in conflict may not always want to resolve that conflict. As leaders, we can ask God to give us great wisdom in how we lead through conflict and bring peace.

But let’s remember, peace, as a spiritual fruit, can only be produced in our lives as we continually are at peace with our God. If this is fruit of the Spirit, then we need to surrender to the Spirit’s work in our lives. And then we will bear the fruit of peace.

May you experience peace and excel at peacemaking!

Keep looking up,

Andy Wiebe