Leading with Confidence

Leadership can obviously be a challenge at times.  Sometimes leadership feels like a constant challenge.  I remember many years ago when I stepped into the role of Associate Pastor (Nice title to help the older folks fund the youth ministry position) I was thinking to myself, “Now what?”.  A huge challenge lay before me.  The last youth minister was gone and regardless of what the church members felt about him either way I was staring at stepping in and taking leadership.  “Oh my word.......I don’t even know what I’m doing.”

We find a great example to learn from as leaders in Joshua.  Moses is gone.  Now God is letting Joshua know that he is about to lead the people.  I can’t help but think Joshua was feelings some of the feelings we might feel when we step into leadership or our leadership roles change within the ministry.


Joshua 1:6-7


6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.

3 Things about Leadership I learned from Josh:


Confidence - We need to be confident in leading.  Not a self-confidence but a confidence in God.  He has called us to the leadership position we are in.  We are part of his plan so our confidence in him.  In verse 5 God told Joshua, “I will not fail you or abandon you.”

Obey the Word - Do what the Bible says.  Key to leadership is obeying God.  Moses set the example for Joshua.  Moses left the safety of the wilderness to go back to Egypt, the country he fled from after killing the Egyptian.  Obedience isn’t always the easy or popular route.

Don’t stray - Don’t deviate even the slightest.  If you are following God’s lead and direction then God has a destination in mind for your leadership.  If you deviate even the slightest in directions you end up in a different destination.

God told Joshua that if he did the above three things, “you will be successful in everything you do.”  As leaders we want to be successful, not for the “pat on the back” but to honor God and bring him glory.