Be Thou My Vision...

Servant Leader, have you seen trouble lately? Are you stuck in the churn, lost in a tempest?

As leaders we frequently find ourselves at odds with those in our spheres of influence. I have been in the past, for certain. I have friends, associates, and current and former co-workers who feel tossed about on a sea of mixed emotions churned up by winds of change. They feel directionless, like a sailor without a compass. They feel abused because they stayed or because their competence frightens those in authority. When they look around, all they see is tumult.

As servants we often find ourselves the buffer between this directionless churn and our charges. We seek to filter what is being said so that those we serve can focus on their tasks and not on the tumult. We divert negative communications, ideas, and even thoughts away from them. We absorb the blows meant for them that would cause more harm than good. In short, we serve them even when they don't know they need it.

I ask you, Servant Leader, when you find yourself amidst the tumult and tossed by the churn, instead of looking around at all the mess, instead of focusing on the trouble surrounding you, look closer. Reduce your sphere and see the bubble of peace where you stand. And if you've been displaced by the tumult and find yourself in unfamiliar territory, gauge that territory for its safe harbor.

"And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace." (Jer 21:7, NKJV)

If you look closely enough, you might just find that God has given you safe harbor. You may also find that He has given you a rock, a strong foundation from which to deflect and protect.

Whether you find yourself moored in a safe harbor in a foreign land or standing firm on a divine rock of stability at home, be at peace. Find God's divine rest. If God can carry an entire people away for 70 years and return them to their home as he did in Jeremiah's day, why can't He find a place of rest for you - one among one hundred sheep?

May God's peace find you wherever you are.

(Photo: millersportcc.com)