Month: August 2020

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – 2 Timothy 2:2

One of the major challenges of leadership is the inability of leaders to transform their followers into leaders. All over the world, and in every area of life, including the religious circles, we have a situation whereby leaders are unable to develop other leaders within their organizations. It is rare to find an organization whose employees exhibit the same leadership qualities with the person at the top. What usually happens is that leaders take the front row and then act as if they are superhuman. They do all the most important work in their organizations. And if it’s a religious organization, they might even be the only ones to preach on the pulpit. So we’ve created an atmosphere that makes people think leadership is the exclusive right of a select few. The trouble with that kind of leadership is that when the leader passes on, the organization perishes.

By transforming his followers into leaders, Paul was able to plant many churches. Paul knew that the success of his missionary work depended on his ability to develop enough leaders who would be able to teach like he did. So he dedicated his time teaching his followers how to teach. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul said, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” From this statement, you can see that Paul actually taught others so that they could also become great teachers like him.Therefore,Paul advised Timothy to depend not only on the grace that is found in Christ but to also hinge on his teachings. Don’t just lead well, teach others how to lead.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to be a leader’s leader. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: 2 Timothy 2:1-7

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Luke 21:37

The leader who eventually gets to his destination is the one who remains consistent. To be persistent actually means to keep at it, all the time. In my work on leadership, I’ve learned that leaders are encouraged to be persistent because of the challenges they are bound to face as they pursue their goals. No matter how anointed you are; you are going to incur obstacles along the way. There will be times you wouldn’t feel like getting up from your bed. If you are not persistent, setbacks will make you quit. But when you constantly pursue your goals on a daily basis, the challenges will surely give way. The little steps you take each day will eventually mount up and force its way, pulling you out of your difficulties.

The apostle Paul knew this leadership principle. In his letter to Timothy, he proudly said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the good faith.” Paul was acknowledging the fact that his journey was a battle, but like a persistent sportsperson, he stayed committed to his cause and eventually won the race. On one occasion, Paul entered a synagogue and consistently preached for three months. Then some people decided to oppose him. But Paul didn’t quit. Instead, He took the disciples who believed in him and went to a different hall where he preached daily for two years, until both the Jews and Greeks in the province of Asia heard the gospel. Jesus also did His work in a persistent way. “Each day Jesus was teaching at the temple”. It wasn’t like Jesus didn’t face problems in His ministry. But He persisted by working every day. To succeed in that leadership position, you have to be willing to do that work every day.

Prayer: Lord, give me the grace to do my work every day. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Acts 19:8-10; Luke 21:37

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – John 7:16-19

One day, as Jesus was teaching at the Feast of Tabernacles, the Jews who heard Him were impressed. Then they asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?” In His reply, Jesus said His teachings were not His own but of God. He explained that if anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether His teaching comes from God or whether He spoke on His own. The people were confused. Actually, Jesus intended to make His critics understand that His teachings were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Because He was sent by God His teachings didn’t come from Him. He wanted them to know that it is the sender who owns the message, and not the messenger. And He needed them to realize that if they could abide by God’s will they would also have the same experience. In other words, if they did what God wanted them to do, they would no longer do things their own way. For whomever does God’s will brings honor to God and not to himself.

To succeed in any leadership position, find out what God wants you to do. God may not ask you to be an expert teacher like Jesus. But He would certainly give you a leadership task intended to bring honor to Him. When you choose to do God’s will, He will partner with you and surely equip you with the right tools. He would inspire you with the right ideas that would enable you fulfill your purpose. Today, Jesus wants you to know that when you work for the honor of the Father, He will give you revelations on how to fulfill your assignment. People will look at you and be amazed at your work because the God you serve does amazing things.

Prayer: Dear Lord, use me for your own purposes. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Job 7:16–19; Acts 22:14; Ephesians 5:17         

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – 2 Timothy 2:1

No doubt, the apostle Paul is one of the greatest leaders in the Bible. Paul was not only a leader who did remarkable things, but also, he was a leader’s leader. No reader of the New Testament can ignore Paul’s obvious effort in developing leaders. Paul was not only an individual who was able to lead effectively in his own capacity as leader; he was also a leader who succeeded in transforming his followers into effective leaders like himself. You will agree that a large portion of the book of Acts captures the leadership journey of Paul as he moved from place to place, planting Churches and then leaving them in the hands of his mentees. So while the Acts of Apostles captures Paul’s church planting expedition, the epistles contain most of his leadership tips to his mentees. Each of Paul’s letters contains scriptural expositions and leadership ideas on ways his protégés could lead.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul said to him, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” What was Paul trying to say? Obviously, that was a statement aimed at encouraging Timothy. As his mentor, Paul was giving Timothy instructions on how to effectively lead the Church under his care. Timothy was a young Pastor who needed guidance. And Paul was aware that Timothy was saddled with a lot of responsibilities. He was expected to be an exemplary leader, to teach rightly, manage people and do a whole lot of other things that would ensure the growth of his Church. Paul knew that there was no way Timothy could succeed without the “grace” of God. So he advised Timothy to depend on the strength that can only be found in Christ. Today, I challenge you to depend on Jesus!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I need your grace. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: 2 Timothy 2:1-7

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Written By Ben Dankaka

Meditation – Matthew 11:16

During one of His teaching sessions, Jesus compared the attitude of the people to a situation in the marketplace where some children sat down and complained that they had played the flute but the people did not dance. And when the kids went ahead and sang a funeral song, the people didn’t mourn. As at the time that Jesus made the statement, He was concerned with the way the people had responded to both His ministry and that of John the Baptist. That is, when John came and preached the message of the kingdom of heaven through an unusual method, the people ignored him and even called him a “demon”. And when Jesus Himself came and preached the same gospel but through a different technique from that of John the Baptist, the people also snubbed it and insulted Him.

My friend, know that whichever way you decide to pursue your purpose, you are going to be criticized. It doesn’t matter how talented you are; people are going to oppose you. This happens because anyone who is living a life of purpose belongs to a rare class of people called leaders. And by nature, leaders are individuals who stand out among many because they are driven by a sense of purpose. Their purpose is what actually makes them break the traditions. Recall that when John the Baptist showed up, He preached a unique message, and urged the people to repent. Unlike the Pharisees, he drank no wine, lived in the wilds and lived, eating locusts. Jesus on the other hand, interacted with people, even though He also preached the message of the kingdom. In contrast to the Pharisees, he mingled with “sinners”. So He was also criticized. But despite the oppositions, John and Jesus succeeded. You too will succeed in spite of the criticisms.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the strength to face criticisms. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 11:1-19

Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.