Category: Shepherd Daily Devotional

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

Real leaders are like farmers. They don’t depend on luck.

When farmers set out to cultivate their land, their main objective is to produce crops. But the farmer knows that the only way he would realize his objective is by working hard. Real farmers don’t depend on luck. They know that if they don’t work hard, they would starve. The farmer knows that the only way he can have a harvest is by farming. If he doesn’t work on his farm, he would not have crops at harvest time. The farmer knows that whatever he sows is what he will surely reap. For that reason, he works hard, cultivating his land.

Leadership works in the same way. Like the farmer, the leader reaps whatever he sows. Just as the farmer cultivates his land, the leader nurtures his own people. Like the hardworking farmer whose land produces good crops for himself and others, the leader who spends his time, impacting lives, would eventually have impactful people, who would in turn serve him. Most importantly, just as the hard working farmer is usually the first to receive a share of the crops (2Timothy 2:6); the effective leader also shares the same privilege from those he empowers. Lead like the hardworking farmer.

Prayer: Dear Jesus, I am willing to work hard in your vineyard. 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 Benjamin Dankaka

True leaders are individuals who pay a price in order to attain a prize.

Although leadership comes with a lot of challenges, it has its own benefits. That is to say, leadership has a price as well as a prize. If you are that leader who has been surrounded by a lot of challenges, be assured that your situation isn’t abnormal. Whatever problems you are facing in your capacity as leader is the price you have to pay in order to get hold of your prize. This is a universal law of leadership.

In my assessment of leadership, I have seen many leaders who start well but when they begin to encounter challenges, they lose their focus and even forget why they were leaders. So in their attempt to get the prize by all means, they end up breaking the rules. You see, leadership is a like a race. You can’t cheat the process. To get the prize, you must abide by the rules. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul advised him to see himself as an athlete. Paul said, “If anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Timothy 2:5). Hold on and resist the urge to cheat!

Prayer: By the grace of our Lord Jesus, I will abide by the rules. 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 Benjamin Dankaka

To become an effective leader, you have to be familiar with the culture of your profession.

There are many reasons why leaders fail. One of them is the inability of leaders to adhere to the rules governing their profession. Every field has its unique culture. An Army General, for instance, is expected to act and lead differently from an Accountant General. Although they are both leaders, they operate under different rules. So leaders must act according to the guiding principles of their profession. Which means, to become an effective leader, you have to be familiar with the culture of your profession, and then make sure you act according to it, or else, you will fail.

Paul said to Timothy, “No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs- he wants to please his commanding officer” (2 Timothy 2:4). The statement was intended to make Timothy realize he could no longer act as an unbeliever because he had become a Christian leader – a “soldier” of Christ Jesus. When he was a “civilian” he got himself involved in civilian affairs. That is, he acted like an unbeliever, doing whatever he wanted. Now that he had become a soldier of Christ, he could no longer live that way. In God’s kingdom, leaders take orders from Jesus.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I submit to you. 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 Benjamin Dankaka

As a leader, you must realize that challenges and all sorts of hardship will come your way.

Every leadership position comes with its own challenges. In most organizations, including Christian groups, individuals get to the top, with the assumption that their positions would shield them from hardships, hoping their leadership journey will be a smooth and steady ride. So when problems hit them, they give up easily because they were not ready to deal with hardships. When leaders aren’t prepared to confront and endure hardships, they would certainly be unable to lead effectively. As a leader, you must realize that challenges and all sorts of hardship will come your way, whether you are a Christian or not.

Paul, in his second letter to Timothy said to him, “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” Recall that the major theme of that letter was leadership. As a young pastor, Timothy needed leadership lessons. As part of his counsel, Paul wanted Timothy to recognize that “enduring hardship” was expected of him. Notice that Paul said, “endure hardship with us.” Like Paul and other leaders of the Church, Timothy was expected to face his own troubles as a leader. As you take on that leadership position, be prepared to endure the challenges that come with it!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the strength to endure hardships. 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 Benjamin Dankaka

Don’t just lead, teach others how to lead.

One of the major challenges of leadership is the inability of leaders to transform their followers into leaders. In general, it is rare to find an organization whose employees exert the same leadership qualities with the CEO. What usually happens is that leaders take the front row and then act as if they are superhuman while they perform the most important work in their organizations. So we’ve created an atmosphere that makes people think leadership is the exclusive right of a select few. The trouble with this kind of leadership is that when the leader passes on, the organization crumbles.

To build a legacy, Paul depended on his ability to develop others. So he dedicated his time teaching his followers. 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.” Notice that 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, 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 Benjamin Dankaka

To build a legacy, transform your followers into leaders.

The apostle Paul was a leader’s leader because he was not only 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 portion of the book of Acts captures Paul’s leadership journey as he planted Churches and left them with his mentees. And while the “Acts of Apostles” captures Paul’s church planting expedition, the epistles contain his leadership tips to his mentees. Each of Paul’s letters contains scriptural expositions as well as ideas for effective leadership.

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul said, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” What was Paul trying to say? You see, Timothy was a young Pastor. And Paul was aware that Timothy was expected to be an exemplary leader, 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 Benjamin Dankaka

Isn’t it amazing that we cannot see the break of dawn until we’ve passed through the darkness of the night?

Generally, light is one of the most widely accepted symbols and the leading force in every area of life. In religion, it is the principal force, often associated with God. In the secular world, light is seen as illumination. We like to think of light as the ultimate symbol of progress. Therefore, light represents leadership because the symbolism of light is used to show direction. We’ve been taught to believe that you cannot advance if you don’t have light. While light is a symbol of growth and power, darkness is seen as a representation of death and destruction.

By reason of that, we often embrace light and try to avoid anything associated with darkness. But in reality, darkness plays an important role in the making of light. Indeed, light is a positive force but we cannot have light until we’ve experienced some form of darkness. Before God created light, darkness was over the surface of the deep. Light, was therefore created out of the dark. Isn’t it amazing that we cannot see the break of dawn until we’ve passed through the darkness of the night? If life is hitting you with dark experiences; stay strong. You light will show up!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the courage to pass through the dark. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Psalm 23

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

The quality of your relationship with God is determined by your willingness to act like a child.

If you can understand the ideal relationship between parents and their children, you would understand how your relationship with God should be. One time, Jesus told his disciples that “anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Jesus was not only speaking about the need for us to believe in Him in the same way that children often believe in the “impossible”. Beyond that, Jesus wanted His disciples to adopt a childlike attitude as they relate with God. Just as children depend on their parents, we too are required to depend on God.

If children do not worry over what they would eat and wear because it is provided by their parents, why should we worry over those things when we are also children before God? If children would submit to their parent’s will, why shouldn’t we also submit to God’s will? The quality of your relationship with God is determined by your willingness to act like a child. Always think of God as your Father because God’s ultimate desire is NOT for you to act as His slave but for you to be able to call Him, “Abba! Father!”

Prayer: Dear Jesus, teach me how to act like a child. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Mark 10:13-16; 1 Peter 1:3-5

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

To overcome adversity, keep your mind focused on your work.

As Jesus went about doing His work, He was often confronted by obstacles. Once, some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” Normally, that statement was enough to put fear into His heart. But Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox, I will drive out demons and heal people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.” In other words, Jesus made them realize He was determined to succeed against all odds.

Clearly, Jesus didn’t allow challenges to stop Him. Although, He was God in human form, He had to face a lot of challenges before achieving His goal. Interestingly, Jesus didn’t achieve His goal without confronting Satan. He had to confront and overcome the enemy before fulfilling His purpose. If Satan would have the audacity to attack Jesus, He would do the same thing to anyone. The devil doesn’t care whether you are saved or not. By all means, he would try to stop you from doing what God has called you to do. To overcome the devil, do what Jesus did. Keep your mind focused on your divine assignment.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, send workers to the harvest field. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Luke 13:31-32

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

Written By Benjamin Dankaka

It is largely our responsibility to help those who are troubled.

Oftentimes, our failure to help others isn’t caused by a lack of concern. Generally, we often feel pity for the needy. We are all born with the ability to show empathy to our fellow humans. Although we naturally feel pity for those who are troubled, most times, we do not realize that it is our responsibility to help them. On the day that Jesus looked at a crowd and noticed they were “harassed” and “helpless”, the scripture likened the crowd to a flock of “sheep without a shepherd.”

Jesus blamed the condition of the crowd to the absence of individuals who would not only be sympathetic but would take the initiative and help the people through effective leadership. So Jesus advised His disciples to “ask the Lord of the harvest, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Therefore, it is largely our responsibility to help those who are troubled. That is, the task of working in the harvest field isn’t God’s job. It’s our responsibility. As long as we do not ask God to use us as workers, we would always have helpless and harassed people around us. Today, ask God to make you a worker of the harvest.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, send workers to the harvest field. Amen.

REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: Matthew 9:35-38

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