Crushing Pride with the Weight of His Glory

Leadership. It's cool. Or so I thought.

"Hey Josh, Congrats on being Chair!" someone would say.

I think to myself, a bit confused. Having barely started, I wonder where the praise comes from. A few years back, I thought it would be so very cool to be Chair of CCF. I greatly admired the past chairs and wanted to be admired myself. Pride. Yes, I was quite arrogant (and am still working on this).

More recently, my perspective on this whole endeavor has changed. By signing up for this position, I'm committing to "take up my cross", to following Jesus Christ with complete dedication. It wasn't easy for Jesus to take up the cross, to bear the shame, to receive our sins and the pain, to suffer and to see his best friends betray him. It isn't easy for today's Christian leader to take up their cross, to be wrongfully accused, to face disappointment, to be open to attack, vulnerable. It's really tough.

I'm not immune to pride. It's something I still wrestle with. However, with my particular calling as Chair for this upcoming year, any pride that may have risen has been crushed by the weight of God's glory. Yes, I'm proud to serve God and feel quite honored to serve in this capacity. However, I'm painfully aware of my inadequacies and weaknesses. And scared of the path that I must walk. To truly take up my cross and follow Jesus, wherever He leads me.

The call to leadership is heavy. As time passes, I'm growing more aware of my responsibilities to God and to others.

I will close this post with the Jesus Creed:
"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength." The second is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself." There is no commandment greater than these.
In this next season of my life, I need to be wholeheartedly devoted to loving God and loving others, truly. I will pursue this with a single-minded intensity.

P.S. Today is Day 1 of N of No Coffee (Day 1 = Aug 1, 2010). Guess N. Do you think N can reach 365?

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