One Hit Wonder, or Lasting Legacy? #2
In my last blog we looked at Shamgar, an Israelite leader who only really had one great moment of victory, followed by a life of failed leadership. A single gift, a great moment, a day of courage, is not enough to be truly faithful, divinely successful, lastingly fruitful.
There are several things we need to add to our natural gift and natural passion to grow and leave a lasting legacy:
Character
“And David shepherded them with integrity of heart…” Psalm 78:72
David, God’s “man after my own heart”, had integrity of heart. While not sinless, the core of his being ran after God’s purposes with openness, repentance and passion. If you let repentance be your friend, honesty your style, authenticity your goal and humility your attitude, then you will be able to use life’s difficulties and humbling’s to build Christ’s nature in you. Don’t avoid the humbling times, or resist correction. Don’t give up at set backs or blame God in the waiting seasons. The Bible guarantees these things will come to bring you to glory!
Cooperating with God’s character building seasons will give you a legacy that outlasts your few failings, just like David.
Competence
“And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.” Psalm 78:72
Life is not only about purity and passion, it’s also about skill, ability, competence and being able to deliver results. David led with skill – He knew how to address people, when to be kind, when to be confrontational. He was wise, strong, caring, capable, skilled.
When Solomon became king, his drive for God’s wisdom came from a particular reasoning. He prayed:
“I don’t know how to go out, or how to come in” (1 Kings 3:7 KJV).
A unusual phrase – it simply means he did not know how to go out to battle and win. And he did not know how to come back, celebrate, rest, recover and worship. In other words, he hadn’t learned the rhythms and seasons of a true leader yet. He wanted to become skilled as a leader to leave a lasting legacy.
Make becoming a truly skilled leader and kingdom influencer your goal, by setting your heart on becoming competent.
Here’s how Jesus us taught us to become skilled…
Coaching
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”Matt 16:24
Jesus taught us to be disciples, learners. To have teachers, coaches. To have others speak into our lives with advice, wisdom, insight. To find models to follow.
I remember being around 20 years old, and God telling me that he was bringing a coach into my life. He simply said “I am bringing you a Jonathan very soon”. I was studying King David and his friend Jonathan, at the time. Instantly I knew what God meant. A friend who would teach me how to live in greater destiny was about to come to me.
The next day a man walked up to me and said “God’s told me to be your Jonathan!” (His name was NOT Jonathan!)
Well, we travelled together, he taught me, we met royalty, drove around southern Africa together, saw incredible miracles together. That coaching, and the influence of quite a few others, helped add skills to my passion and my raw gifting.
Have you asked someone to coach you yet? It will change your life and your legacy!
Next time….I will talk about the most important legacy building trait the Bible gives us.
Build a Stronger life, with the Stronger Online Course. If you have a desire to develop strength for your life – to protect your marriage or enjoy singleness, to fulfil your vision or grow your career, to enjoy a long life and keep your integrity, then this course is just for you!
So what’s in the course?
- Downloadable chapters of Jarrod’s book “Stronger”
- Over 15 hours of downloadable audio and video teaching from Jarrod Cooper
- Journalling
- Group discussions