Blog In Audio:
Greetings,
As children of God, we must grow in thinking as our Father thinks. There is plenty to think about and the thoughts of God are always thoughts of faith, hope, and love. They are thoughts of life and they are life-giving in their nature. Knowing God as our Father empowers us to know that we are sons and daughters of God. Being a leader is not about leading people into the ways of ministry. It is not about leading people into being successful in life. Our role as leaders is to serve those we lead into knowing who God is and knowing who they are in life. When we know who we are, our thought life will be true to who we are.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
These verses are true to the thought life of sons and daughters of God. These thoughts are true to the character of our Father God. The thought life of a leader must set an example for all to follow. They must think on noble things. Noble thoughts are filled with reasoning, strategy, imagination, emotions, and desires that seek to live for the wellbeing of others. This is the testimony of knowing we were born to live as and to be expressions of God’s kingdom in all things. His kingdom is a kingdom of life and a kingdom of giving life to others in our world.
Sons and daughter of God think on things that are just. Leaders must set an example in this. Just things are not necessarily fair things. It is just in the kingdom of God to forgive the unforgivable. It is just in the kingdom to love the unlovable. The justice system of the kingdom of God is based upon the tree of life, not the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It is a justice system of making decisions for others based upon who we are, not what they deserve.
A leader must think on things that are pure. As sons and daughters of God our true nature is to be authentic with a desire to find good and to be innocent to evil in all things. Pure thoughts are thoughts that are within the sphere of one’s own business. They are thoughts of believing the best for others and not the worst. Pure thoughts are innocent to evil and wise to good.
A leader must maintain thoughts that are lovely. Lovely thoughts are thoughts that are motivated by love. Those thoughts are motivated by a love for God and a love for people, especially those we lead. I believe that lovely thoughts exhibit a kindness of heart. Leaders must be kind and facilitate kindness in those they lead. God is kind in His heart and the attribute of kindness is in the heart of sons and daughters of God.
A leader must think on things that are of a good report. When a bad report comes, a leader must know that love covers a multitude of sins and that looking for the good report is the aim of every child of God. God’s report is always a report of life. Even what the enemy has intended for evil in our lives is turned for good by our Father’s love. In the world it is easy to be distracted by the bad reports of death, dysfunction, debilitation, and the many attributes of darkness. Leaders lead in being sons and daughters of God’s good report. It is an expectation in their hearts and minds.
If there is any virtue a leader must think on that. Virtuous thoughts are thoughts of helping others. It is not a matter of what we can or cannot do in life. Life is a matter of being life for the sake of others. Something of heaven should be coming off of each of us to others in our world. Even as it was when the virtue of God came off of Jesus and healed the woman with the issue of blood as she reached out to touch Him in the crowd, God virtue can only flow from us if our thoughts are to be givers of life to others at all times in our world.
A leader must think on things that are praiseworthy. Praiseworthy things are things of honor and even a willingness to be misunderstood or unpopular in some way for the sake of someone else. I believe that praiseworthy things are things of the excellence of who each and every one is meant to be in Christ. We must live to be praise to God in the excellence of each of our own identities and we must also look to see the excellence found in others for the glory of their Father in all things.
A leader must meditate upon these things in order to lead others to do the same. These things are part of guarding our hearts before God. All believers must embrace these things, but leaders must excel in these attributes. It is part of keeping our hearts with all diligence. These things are the natural fruit of knowing God and knowing who He is. It is the testimony of being known by God and knowing we are sons and daughters of a Father of life and love. There’s plenty to think about. Think on these things.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
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