Leader's Notebook
The Truth That Sets Us Free
by Katie Harding on June 16, 2018
“What do I believe? How do I know this is truth?”
Those are the questions I received this week from a leader I am journeying with through her recovery. So much pain from childhood wreaks havoc on women’s lives well into their adult years. And there she was, standing at another crossroad of faith.
That same night as I read Jesus’ words in John 8, I was struck by this phrase in verse 45, “But I speak the truth and therefore you do not believe me.” When we see the word “therefore,” we have to ask “What is it therefore?” Looking back a few verses, we see that Jesus had just told his followers “If you dwell within my revelation I have brought, you indeed are my disciples; you shall know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” He then goes on to tell the Pharisees in verse 44 that they practice the life characteristic of the devil and there is no truth in the devil. He is not only a liar, but he is the father of lies.
As I have pondered all of this, I realize two things:
1. It’s easier to believe a lie than the truth. We have a much easier time believing we are failures than we do believing we are God’s delight. Our minds often want to focus on our mistakes, gravitate towards assumptions or compare how we don’t measure up to others. It’s easy to go there. It’s the enslavement of our human nature, and even though we have broken free, the enemy still wants us to live there in our minds. So, we often accept every lie he whispers to us and live in the shame he offers.
2. It takes work to live out our belief. Belief doesn’t come naturally. It takes work, intentionality and energy. In most passages in the New Testament, “believe” means to “cleave to, trust, rely on and have faith in.” We often focus on the “have faith in” part of belief and neglect the others, however, the rest of the definition is where we gain our strength and the power to persevere. When we cleave to, trust in and rely on the actual indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we live by his strength. We live by his power. We don’t focus on the words of Christ, but actually on Christ himself, who dwells within. And this takes work, because believing lies is a such a natural reflex of the life we've lived for so long.
The good news is that the more we take our thoughts captive instead of allowing them to take us captive, the easier it gets. When we retrain our minds to live in the constant awareness of the One who is ever present, it changes everything. Because it changes us.
Jesus tells us that when we dwell within this revelation, we will know the Truth (Jesus) and the Truth will set us free. He will give us the Holy Spirit who will teach us all things and remind us of everything Christ has told us; he will comfort, counsel, strengthen and intercede. He will also convict us of (not condemn us for) our sin and remind us of the righteousness we have received–the right-standing we now have with God.
And what will we experience? Freedom. Freedom to live in reflective thought, not reflexive action. It’s life-giving and life-changing. It confirms the Truth as we live it out through belief.
“What do I believe? How do I know this is truth?”
Those are the questions I received this week from a leader I am journeying with through her recovery. So much pain from childhood wreaks havoc on women’s lives well into their adult years. And there she was, standing at another crossroad of faith.
That same night as I read Jesus’ words in John 8, I was struck by this phrase in verse 45, “But I speak the truth and therefore you do not believe me.” When we see the word “therefore,” we have to ask “What is it therefore?” Looking back a few verses, we see that Jesus had just told his followers “If you dwell within my revelation I have brought, you indeed are my disciples; you shall know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” He then goes on to tell the Pharisees in verse 44 that they practice the life characteristic of the devil and there is no truth in the devil. He is not only a liar, but he is the father of lies.
As I have pondered all of this, I realize two things:
1. It’s easier to believe a lie than the truth. We have a much easier time believing we are failures than we do believing we are God’s delight. Our minds often want to focus on our mistakes, gravitate towards assumptions or compare how we don’t measure up to others. It’s easy to go there. It’s the enslavement of our human nature, and even though we have broken free, the enemy still wants us to live there in our minds. So, we often accept every lie he whispers to us and live in the shame he offers.
2. It takes work to live out our belief. Belief doesn’t come naturally. It takes work, intentionality and energy. In most passages in the New Testament, “believe” means to “cleave to, trust, rely on and have faith in.” We often focus on the “have faith in” part of belief and neglect the others, however, the rest of the definition is where we gain our strength and the power to persevere. When we cleave to, trust in and rely on the actual indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we live by his strength. We live by his power. We don’t focus on the words of Christ, but actually on Christ himself, who dwells within. And this takes work, because believing lies is a such a natural reflex of the life we've lived for so long.
The good news is that the more we take our thoughts captive instead of allowing them to take us captive, the easier it gets. When we retrain our minds to live in the constant awareness of the One who is ever present, it changes everything. Because it changes us.
Jesus tells us that when we dwell within this revelation, we will know the Truth (Jesus) and the Truth will set us free. He will give us the Holy Spirit who will teach us all things and remind us of everything Christ has told us; he will comfort, counsel, strengthen and intercede. He will also convict us of (not condemn us for) our sin and remind us of the righteousness we have received–the right-standing we now have with God.
And what will we experience? Freedom. Freedom to live in reflective thought, not reflexive action. It’s life-giving and life-changing. It confirms the Truth as we live it out through belief.
What Does Jesus Want Me to Share?
by Katie Harding on June 1, 2018
In this social media driven society, are we as leaders always to share everything with everybody? Is Reality TV the lay of the land or are we to have filters for authenticity, vulnerability and transparency?
In answering questions like these, there is one source that can give us much greater insight than Google, and his name is Jesus. While on earth, Jesus not only came to restore our relationship with God, but to model life for us here in God’s kingdom.
In looking at Jesus’ life and reviewing the short, yet impactful, story of the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46), I believe we can find answers to the questions above.
In this passage, we see three distinct groups Jesus directly related to: his outer circle (a group of twelve), his inner circle (a group of three) and his audience of One (his relationship with the Father).
To his outer circle, Jesus told them, “Stay here while I pray.” He was open and honest about his actions and intentions. He told them about the bread and wine representing his body and blood, and he shared about the hard days ahead. He was being authentic, especially about his need to pray in that moment. Authenticity is being real and true to who we are with everyone. God doesn’t want us to speak lies, but he doesn’t want us to live them either. Being authentic is living and leading from our true self, not our false self. It’s not being who others think we are but living true to who we really are at our core.
As Jesus walked on further, he invited his inner circle to make this journey with him. He began to share his deep feelings of anxiety and distress. He told them about the sorrow and grief that was encircling his soul and feeling crushed from the thought of his bleak days ahead. He was being vulnerable, very vulnerable. Vulnerability is being completely honest with others and being able to share our deep feelings and struggles without fear of condemnation or retribution. Our circle of vulnerability is usually comprised of those who will speak truth to us in love.
After Jesus asked his inner circle to keep watch and wait with him, he leaned in to converse with his audience of One, our heavenly Father. He stretched out in front of Him in prayer and spoke his deepest thoughts, “Is there any way this fate can pass from me?” In this intimate time of communion, he was free to question. Free to doubt. Free to express fear for what lay ahead. Free to be transparent. In a transparent relationship, there is nothing hidden that remains hidden. We are free to put everything on the table. Things we are willing to face and tough things we’d rather forget. Like the relationship Jesus had with the Father, our transparent relationship is where we find our greatest source of strength. We can share everything with Him, knowing we are totally and completely loved, trusting that God always has our best interest at heart. “Not my will, but yours.”
Sometimes as leaders, we can cause more damage than good by sharing everything with everybody. As we come to understand the difference between authenticity, vulnerability and transparency, we can better discern what is appropriate to post on social media or discuss with others. I have often used these words synonymously in the past, but as I reread the passage about Jesus’ final hours in the garden, I now realize how important it is to understand the difference. We are to be authentic with all, vulnerable with a few and totally transparent with the One.
In this social media driven society, are we as leaders always to share everything with everybody? Is Reality TV the lay of the land or are we to have filters for authenticity, vulnerability and transparency?
In answering questions like these, there is one source that can give us much greater insight than Google, and his name is Jesus. While on earth, Jesus not only came to restore our relationship with God, but to model life for us here in God’s kingdom.
In looking at Jesus’ life and reviewing the short, yet impactful, story of the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46), I believe we can find answers to the questions above.
In this passage, we see three distinct groups Jesus directly related to: his outer circle (a group of twelve), his inner circle (a group of three) and his audience of One (his relationship with the Father).
To his outer circle, Jesus told them, “Stay here while I pray.” He was open and honest about his actions and intentions. He told them about the bread and wine representing his body and blood, and he shared about the hard days ahead. He was being authentic, especially about his need to pray in that moment. Authenticity is being real and true to who we are with everyone. God doesn’t want us to speak lies, but he doesn’t want us to live them either. Being authentic is living and leading from our true self, not our false self. It’s not being who others think we are but living true to who we really are at our core.
As Jesus walked on further, he invited his inner circle to make this journey with him. He began to share his deep feelings of anxiety and distress. He told them about the sorrow and grief that was encircling his soul and feeling crushed from the thought of his bleak days ahead. He was being vulnerable, very vulnerable. Vulnerability is being completely honest with others and being able to share our deep feelings and struggles without fear of condemnation or retribution. Our circle of vulnerability is usually comprised of those who will speak truth to us in love.
After Jesus asked his inner circle to keep watch and wait with him, he leaned in to converse with his audience of One, our heavenly Father. He stretched out in front of Him in prayer and spoke his deepest thoughts, “Is there any way this fate can pass from me?” In this intimate time of communion, he was free to question. Free to doubt. Free to express fear for what lay ahead. Free to be transparent. In a transparent relationship, there is nothing hidden that remains hidden. We are free to put everything on the table. Things we are willing to face and tough things we’d rather forget. Like the relationship Jesus had with the Father, our transparent relationship is where we find our greatest source of strength. We can share everything with Him, knowing we are totally and completely loved, trusting that God always has our best interest at heart. “Not my will, but yours.”
Sometimes as leaders, we can cause more damage than good by sharing everything with everybody. As we come to understand the difference between authenticity, vulnerability and transparency, we can better discern what is appropriate to post on social media or discuss with others. I have often used these words synonymously in the past, but as I reread the passage about Jesus’ final hours in the garden, I now realize how important it is to understand the difference. We are to be authentic with all, vulnerable with a few and totally transparent with the One.
A Time of Transition
Over the past four months, I have taken part in a Women Leaders Coaching Group with Jenni Catron, author of Clout and The Four Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership. During the four months of coaching, Jenni often repeated a phrase that is found in her books and on her website: “Lead Yourself Well To Lead Others Better.” What I have learned from God’s Word during this same time, as the Lord created a paradigm shift of thought through the coaching, has totally transformed my life. Over the next few months and at our NWN Leadership Forum on January 6, 2018, I plan to share more about this with those in our Leaders Network. In the meantime, as our calendars flip to fall today and we begin a new season, I hope you will read the following and journey with me through a time of transition...
Throughout my life, it has always been in the fall when I have seen God’s hand at work in the most amazing ways. This year promises to be no different. However, this year is a very special year for me; I have experienced God’s transformational power at the root level of life. Changing that which has continually usurped my ability to lead myself well for all of my life.
This fall will be one of “crossing over” as I move from feeling like a captive to longstanding, undisciplined behaviors to a new season of experiencing greater freedom in Christ.
As I reflected on what this crossing over might involve or how to proceed, I reviewed the first few chapters of Joshua and studied how the Israelite children prepared to cross the Jordan River to the Promised Land.
When Joshua assumed his new position of leadership, God assured him that He would be with him and would never fail Joshua or abandon him. The Lord reminded Joshua to be strong and resolute (NEB) and told him he would be successful and could live confidently if he did the following:
1. Study God’s word continually. (Read God’s Word everyday, not just on Sundays.)
2. Meditate day and night on God’s Word. (Think about the scriptures, listen to what God is saying, and discover how to make it applicable.)
3. Obey God’s teachings. (Follow God’s desires and His ways, and be faithful to the vision.)
Then Joshua gave the Israelites instructions in preparing for their time of transition. I used his directives to help develop a checklist in transitioning to this new season of life.
- Get ready to go early; don’t leave everything until the last moment.
Joshua led the children of Israel to the edge of the Jordan River four days ahead of time so they could begin the preparations for crossing to the Promised Land. Many women are so conditioned on using every minute to accomplish more than we have time for that we often end up running from task to task, never able to work ahead and get things done without stress. This is one of the aspects of my character that I need to change during this transition year. I need to work ahead and stop procrastinating. I need to focus on what God has revealed, work towards that goal, and let go of those things that are not part of the vision.
- Follow the Lord your God and move forward in faith.
God knows the plans He has for us; He has ordered our steps. Yet we often want to lead and let God follow. The first time God planned to send the Israelites to the Promised Land, they surrendered to fear and trepidation instead of moving forward in faith. We often face many obstacles in our lives that can fill us with panic and intimidation. When that happens, we need to trust in God’s power and ability to overcome, and follow Him as He leads us to new paths of right living. As I prepare to cross the “Jordan River” myself, I need to practice the art of moving my feet forward, even if it’s a new path and I don’t know where the path will lead. I also need to practice patience and self-control as I follow behind my Master, and not succumb to the urge to speed up and run ahead.
- Purify yourself.
The sad AND unfortunate truth is that we live in a fallen world; we make mistakes, hurt others and are often hurt by others. Dirt makes its way into our hearts and before long seeds can take root and bitter weeds begin to grow. Everyday when we come before the Lord, we need to examine our hearts and look for any dirt that may have found its way in. It’s a time to confess sins, ask for forgiveness, and surrender any hurt that we may be harboring. We need to be honest with ourselves and honest with our Lord. Jesus didn’t come to condemn us but to save us, to cleanse us, to take away our guilt, and forgive us of our sins. Jesus was wounded so we could be healed, totally and completely. As I move through this time of transition, I need to make a daily practice of moving about the chambers of my heart to review its contents, and get rid of any dirt I find there.
- Listen to what the Lord your God says.
We live in a time of the worldwide web, multi-tasking, tweeting, instant messenger, cell phone city, and television day and night, anywhere, anytime. There is always something to do, someone to talk to or someplace to go. We are surrounded by a lot of noise screaming for our attention, often distracting us from the important by promising instant relief or gratification. It’s not easy to turn our ear away from those who yell the loudest or clamor for most attention, yet it’s possible. From the very beginning of His ministry, Jesus took time to withdraw from the crowds to pray and listen. As I prepare for this time of transition, I need to be intentional about the discipline of silence and listen, not only during times of prayer but throughout the day, to the still small voice of the Spirit first and foremost.
- Remember God is giving us a land of rest.
The Promised Land God calls us to is not a land of turmoil, but a land of peace. He promises to give us rest on all sides from our enemies. It’s so easy to be caught up in the enemies of life—busyness, stress, frustrations, hurriedness—and be totally overwhelmed and disgruntled, but that is not the life God is calling us to. As I transition to this new season, I need to claim this land of rest, and remember not to worry about anything, but pray about everything (Phil 4:6). Each day I need to make a practice to humble myself before the Lord and recognize that He rules over everything and is in control, and I can trust Him. Totally. I will make a concerted effort to accept the peace that Jesus so generously offers and learn how to make this stillness of soul an everyday, moment-by-moment, occurrence.
As we make this “crossover” from summer to fall, I plan to put into practice some of the disciplines that the Lord gave to Joshua. I hope that you will join me in this journey.
God is definitely on the move, and as Paul claims in his letter to the Philippians, “I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead” (Phil 3:13).
Women of Influence
Recently as I was praying, the following phrase came from the Lord, “Women who are leaders and devoted to Me can change the world.”
As I reflected on those words, my thoughts were drawn to a few very specific women in the Bible— those who went to the tomb that first Easter morning. They were leaders, women of influence, and they influenced not only each other, but their actions are still influencing us today.
These women were brave enough to journey with Jesus to the cross, despite the animosity of the crowd. They didn’t run away when they saw Christ being persecuted; in fact, they remained steadfast and focused until the end, even when others of His followers fled.
They were humble and caring and willing to do what needed to be done, when it needed to be done. They didn’t hesitate and weren’t timid. They were ordinary women open to being used by God for his extraordinary purposes.
After Jesus was laid in the tomb, the women went home that night to prepare the burial spices, and then they took a very important step. They stopped. Instead of rushing to get their task done, they rested quietly on the Sabbath and didn’t let their work get in the way of their worship. It gave them each the time to prepare their body, mind and spirit for what God had laid on their hearts to do. And when the sun rose the next morning, so did the women. They
went out early and without delay. They didn’t exhibit any fear or concern of how they were going to move the big boulder in front of the tomb.
Instead, they trusted, and their trust in God made them bold, determined and disciplined. It led them to be the first ones to hear the news of the risen Lord and to be able to share it with others. And even though the disciples first laughed at them when the women told them about Jesus’ resurrection, the men didn’t ignore their message. They still went to see for themselves.
That was influence at work. It’s called leadership. And the world was forever changed. By ordinary women.
Has the Lord put something on your heart to do? If so, what is your first step—to race to get it done or to stop and sit with Jesus? Today, I would like to encourage you to take a few moments to worship before work and see what a difference it makes.
As I reflected on those words, my thoughts were drawn to a few very specific women in the Bible— those who went to the tomb that first Easter morning. They were leaders, women of influence, and they influenced not only each other, but their actions are still influencing us today.
These women were brave enough to journey with Jesus to the cross, despite the animosity of the crowd. They didn’t run away when they saw Christ being persecuted; in fact, they remained steadfast and focused until the end, even when others of His followers fled.
They were humble and caring and willing to do what needed to be done, when it needed to be done. They didn’t hesitate and weren’t timid. They were ordinary women open to being used by God for his extraordinary purposes.
After Jesus was laid in the tomb, the women went home that night to prepare the burial spices, and then they took a very important step. They stopped. Instead of rushing to get their task done, they rested quietly on the Sabbath and didn’t let their work get in the way of their worship. It gave them each the time to prepare their body, mind and spirit for what God had laid on their hearts to do. And when the sun rose the next morning, so did the women. They
went out early and without delay. They didn’t exhibit any fear or concern of how they were going to move the big boulder in front of the tomb.
Instead, they trusted, and their trust in God made them bold, determined and disciplined. It led them to be the first ones to hear the news of the risen Lord and to be able to share it with others. And even though the disciples first laughed at them when the women told them about Jesus’ resurrection, the men didn’t ignore their message. They still went to see for themselves.
That was influence at work. It’s called leadership. And the world was forever changed. By ordinary women.
Has the Lord put something on your heart to do? If so, what is your first step—to race to get it done or to stop and sit with Jesus? Today, I would like to encourage you to take a few moments to worship before work and see what a difference it makes.
Spending Time in the Wilderness
It has been two months since I have posted anything on our Leading Well page or almost on any page of the website. I realized last week, in my study of John the Baptist, that before John began paving the way for Jesus, he had been in the wilderness. Somehow reading those words resonated with me, and I felt like for the past two months I too have been in the wilderness, unable to write or think creatively.
Normally we look at the wilderness as a less than desired place to be. A place that we would rather run from than run to. However, as I reflected on the verses about John the Baptist, I realized that it was during his time in the wilderness that John received the word from the Lord that propelled him into ministry. It was similar with Joshua. It was when Joshua was in the wilderness that he received his calling and was given his marching orders. And then there was Jesus. Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit after a pinnacle moment in His life. His baptism. It was during His 40 days in the wilderness that Jesus hungered and was sustained by God's truth. He wasn't teaching or preaching, instead he was building up His inner resolve against the enemy by feasting only on what the Lord had to offer.
I have come to the conclusion that being in the wilderness is not necessarily a bad place to be, as we may often think. Instead it can be a very holy time, a time to listen much and speak little. A time to reflect and repent and renew. The past two months have been a very busy time in the life of our Network - both for our churches and for our women, so I had thought that it was just the busyness of the schedule that had made me lay my pen down. Now I realize that I wasn't meant to write during this busy season. I was in the wilderness, and it was a time for just listening. Listening to God's Word, feeding on His truth and discovering some of the next steps in moving forward. What I have learned has been incredible.
There may be times when you too will find yourself in the middle of the wilderness. I would encourage you to not be discouraged by the fact that you are not completing what maybe you think you should be doing with your time. Instead, embrace this time, let go of the unnecessary and just listen. Listen to what the Lord has for you, and then follow His leading. Let the wilderness be a place to recall or discover your purpose. Let it propel you on the next steps of the journey the Lord has planned for you.
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope'" Jeremiah 29:11.
Normally we look at the wilderness as a less than desired place to be. A place that we would rather run from than run to. However, as I reflected on the verses about John the Baptist, I realized that it was during his time in the wilderness that John received the word from the Lord that propelled him into ministry. It was similar with Joshua. It was when Joshua was in the wilderness that he received his calling and was given his marching orders. And then there was Jesus. Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit after a pinnacle moment in His life. His baptism. It was during His 40 days in the wilderness that Jesus hungered and was sustained by God's truth. He wasn't teaching or preaching, instead he was building up His inner resolve against the enemy by feasting only on what the Lord had to offer.
I have come to the conclusion that being in the wilderness is not necessarily a bad place to be, as we may often think. Instead it can be a very holy time, a time to listen much and speak little. A time to reflect and repent and renew. The past two months have been a very busy time in the life of our Network - both for our churches and for our women, so I had thought that it was just the busyness of the schedule that had made me lay my pen down. Now I realize that I wasn't meant to write during this busy season. I was in the wilderness, and it was a time for just listening. Listening to God's Word, feeding on His truth and discovering some of the next steps in moving forward. What I have learned has been incredible.
There may be times when you too will find yourself in the middle of the wilderness. I would encourage you to not be discouraged by the fact that you are not completing what maybe you think you should be doing with your time. Instead, embrace this time, let go of the unnecessary and just listen. Listen to what the Lord has for you, and then follow His leading. Let the wilderness be a place to recall or discover your purpose. Let it propel you on the next steps of the journey the Lord has planned for you.
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the LORD. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope'" Jeremiah 29:11.