Word for the day: “Leadership resolve.”
Ezekiel 3:20 (NLT) If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths.
Beloved Leaders,
As leaders and people, we need to have a sense of resolve in our life’s journey. Resolve, as a verb, means to come to a decision concerning a matter. As a noun, resolve means a strong determination to take a course of action. In either instance, leaders will need to have resolve as an integral part of their journey.
WE WILL ALL BE FACED WITH OBSTACLES AND OPPOSING FORCES IN LIFE.
It’s time to look at your obstacles as character builders. I have discovered that we must learn to grow through them and pray our way through them. In fact, we must also learn the lessons of our times of challenge and obstacles. I’ve faced obstacles and opposing forces all my life, and I have developed a resilient resolve because of them.
Whether we like it or not, overcoming obstacles, impediments, and obstructions is a part of life. Working our way through obstacles will probably be one of the biggest hurdles we all will face in our life’s journey.
As English French physician Havelock Ellis wrote, "Pain and death are part of life. To reject them is to reject life itself." Obstacles, large and small, present themselves to us throughout our whole existence. In other words, no pain, no gain. Regardless of how connected, smart, or financially secure we are, we will encounter struggles, challenges, opposing forces, and at times, heart-wrenching moments. I’ve learned to thank God in times of opposing forces because it has added a dimension of personal resolve to my life.
LEARNING TO MANAGE AND OVERCOME OBSTACLES IN LIFE LITERALLY BUILDS CHARACTER AND RESOLVE.
Every challenge and every obstacle we successfully confront in life serves to strengthen our will, confidence, and ability to conquer future obstacles. As Moliere, the French playwright, actor, and poet widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and universal literature, wrote, “The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.” I believe in my heart of hearts that obstacles have character-building elements embedded in each of us that would’ve been dormant otherwise (Romans 8:28). When you respond in resolve and constructively to your biggest challenges, the qualities of strength, confidence, character, and power for living your life will emerge from deep inside of you (I John 4:4).
Of course, since we are all human, it is very easy to get caught up in self-pity, unfairness of life, or why me? Which is real but can also be a trap door. When we do, we can fail to recognize the opportunities for wisdom and growth that accompany obstacles of any kind. However, as soon as we allow ourselves to reach that place of meaning resolution, we can think more clearly. We can let go of self-defeating and unproductive thoughts and get down to the business of dealing with what's before us. The resolve definition means to come to a definite or earnest decision about a matter; determine (to do something): I have resolved that I shall fully live life with all that’s in me.
Quote James Baker, Jr. - Great things come out of times when we are faced with our greatest obstacles.
POINT TO PONDER
In addition, we should not be afraid to ask for help. People can be surprisingly generous with sharing and caring, especially in times of challenges and crisis. It’s amazing the people the Lord will place in your path in times of obstacles. You can possibly meet a mentor or colleague who’ll encourage and support you for years to come.
Do you resist or complain about the obstacles in your life?
How do you respond to obstacles in your life?
Is it time to develop the discipline of resolve in your life?
Do you need a mentor in your life?
Who do you have in your life to provide emotional support?
The answers to these questions will change your life forever!
Special Thanks,
Chief Encouragement Officer (CEO) James Baker, Jr., and our leadership team are incredibly thankful to those aligned with us. Help us equip this generation of leaders for their God-given assignments. Your generous donation supports our labor of love, From Grace and Truth Leadership's mission to embrace, empower, and encourage leaders and emerging leaders globally.