Wise Men Who Worship
By Stovall Weems
In Matthew 2:9-12 we find the story of wise men who followed a star that led to the house where the child Jesus Christ was. When these wise men met Jesus for the first time, they bowed down and worshiped him. We can learn some things from these men who were kings of regions and leaders of people.
Wise leaders . . .
- Know their destiny is in none other than the person of Jesus Christ (v9)
- Humble themselves before Jesus and honor Him in what they do and how they live (v11)
- Bring their best treasures to Him; it was what supported Jesus in that day and what finances His cause today (v11)
- Take time to worship Him
- Hear from God and follow His voice – his direction for their lives (v12)
Matthew 2:9-12 (NLT)
9 After this interview the wise men went their way. And the star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy! 11 They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.12 When it was time to leave, they returned to their own country by another route, for God had warned them in a dream not to return to Herod.
How to Plateau – Stop Increasing
By Stovall Weems
2 Peter 1:8
“For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
One thing I never want to be as a leader is ineffective and unproductive. The verse above was taken from a passage of scripture that I consider to be somewhat of a personal check list: 2 Peter 1:3-11.
In that passage, Peter lists some characteristics that mature believers (leaders) should possess. They are:
- Faith (the starting point)
- Goodness (moral lifestyle)
- Knowledge (a lifestyle of learning)
- Self-control (a lifestyle of discipline)
- Perseverance (a lifestyle of faithfulness)
- Godliness (taking on the character of Christ)
- Brotherly kindness (compassion)
- Christian love (an unconditional, Christ-like agape love)
Not only do we have to possess these characteristics, but they have to increase in our lives for us to continue to be effective and productive. When we stop increasing in these characteristics, we are not growing – we are leveling off. Very soon after that point, we will find that we begin to lose our passion and zeal for leadership. We will loose the “leadership edge” we once had.
If you don’t want to be ineffective and unproductive as a leader, adopt the mentality that forward spiritual momentum (increase) is a must, not an option.
To sustain spiritual increase you must:
- Have regular, consistent encounters with God both privately and corporately (in church)
- Grow in your understanding of the word of God – become a self-feeder!
- Be farsighted (2 Peter 1:9). Don’t get tunnel vision. Look at the big picture.
- Keep your mind and heart focused on Kingdom work.
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