We all want to do better and achieve more. I’ve built a business around it. For the serious Christian leader, increasing our capacity to work and lead with greater effectiveness and improved results comes with responsibility. It requires that we maintain dependence on God. And being dependent on Him means that whatever we have, energy, health, money, things, time, gifts, they are to be available for God to use as he sees fit. If he increases our capacity – for whatever and in whatever – He wants it to be surrendered to Him.
Too often, we Christian executives, leaders and professionals divorce our professional life from our private walk with God. Professionally we put in all the effort to improve, develop and rise higher. But … God does not want our effort divorced from His provision. It will simply remain ‘our effort’ and nothing more. But when we realize we have one life, a life made up of all we are and everything we do, at home, at work, in the community, publicly and privately and that it is ALL under God, then we can make real progress.
Christian leaders are more like reservoirs with an inlet and outlet through which God’s blessings flow. If there is no control at one end to conserve and reserve what has come in, that water simply flows through with limited benefit available, if it is put to use at all. But, harness that reserve and benefit can be gained even through dry seasons. Not only that, others can benefit from the overflow of the reservoir. There will be availability when normal supplies are not there. That’s when leaders stand out, drawing from reserves others may not realize are available.
God never allows the increase in your life without wanting it harnessed in the benefit of others, even if it is never seen in a public way. Otherwise the increase, the new capacity only goes to the head and puffs us up with pride. Harnessed and directed, it can be used by Him in multitudes of ways. Blessing our employees or volunteer staff, building into our community, creating improved products that help people, coaching our staff to greater lives and contribution ... and the list goes on and on.
Only in the practice of allowing good things to flow through us do we see our God-given capacity for their stewardship. We begin to understand that there is great blessing in giving and being a channel. And only in surrendering that stewardship during the use of it do we experience the extent of the blessing God is desirous to put in to our reservoir. Often in God's way of doing things, the more we allow to flow over or through our reservoir, the more He brings in to keep it full, refreshing and useful.
Increasing your capacity in a way that is honoring to God is predicated on two things. The first is that you enjoy it. God has given it to you as a wonderful blessing in your life. You daily need to be grateful for His goodness. The second is that you use it for Him. Wise stewardship of new learning, time, space, money, energy, opportunity, love, information and wisdom is an investment made in eternal things. It advances the kingdom of God and all the good and blessing that may imply for you and your family, company, organization, church, community or world.
God is our ultimate reserve. We have everything in Christ. If our “assignment” from Him finds us feeling low on reserve, with the well appearing dry, God is there just as He is when we feel filled to the brim. Paul said he had learned a secret. It was good that others shared with him and strengthened him. Nevertheless, even without those resources he could still “do everything through Him who gave him strength.” (Phil 4:10 – 14). God is our ultimate resource.
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