From time to time, we get the opportunity to share a devotional blog from one of our amazing staff members. Our goal in this is to encourage and equip…to extend our reach past treatment, to prevention. Our hope is that these devotionals will reach teens and parents with spiritual truths that they can utilize as they journey life together. Here is a devotional from Adam Holderread, our Intake Coordinator and one of our Phase 3 Facilitators.
At Ozarks Teen Challenge, we are always seeking to put leadership into context for our young men. Some of the students have a natural ability to step into leadership expectations. Others may struggle, but the goal is always to speak to the leader within each and every one of them. I work as the Intake Coordinator here at Ozarks Teen Challenge but I also am a phase facilitator for our Phase 3 students. Phase 3 is focused upon the concept of servant leadership and we get the opportunity to help our students find their unique leadership potential. I wanted to share a devotional from Joshua 1-2 that speaks a lot to the topic of leadership potential, responsibility, and opportunity.
We see such a paradigm within the beginning of Joshua, chapter 1. Here, we find Joshua getting ready to step into the leadership role that ultimately, Moses could not fulfill. Moses died never entering the promised land. Was he capable and did he have the ability? Absolutely he did, but he broke his covenant with God (Deut. 32). God expects big things from his leaders. Not big as in results per se, but big as in commitment. God desires big commitment in the finite details. Are we leading properly, effectively, and in humility? God expects us to lead and demands loyalty to His presence in our lives. This is strong symbolism of what accomplishing goals and leading others can do for those around us. For Moses, it was the entire nation of Israel. What a responsibility!
Joshua was able to enter into his role as the leader of the Israelites because of the ground work Moses had achieved. Moses’s labor while effective, was ultimately ineffective in achieving entrance into the promised land. This is another important point… we can walk in communion with the Lord, but ultimately never see His TRUE PURPOSE fulfilled in our lives. God is sovereign and can do what He wants, but think about that for a moment… God doesn’t need us. WE get to partner with HIM. What a gift!
As His children, we’ve been given a gracious portion from the Holy Spirit in our respective ministries, families, and careers. Are we managing them properly? Are we setting the tone for the leadership that will come after us? Is there legacy?
From chapter 2, we read about Rahab and her assistance of the spies. I look at this and am amazed at God’s inclusion of people. Rahab, a prostitute, had a profound impact on the legacy of the children of Israel. God can use anyone, from any background to accomplish His purposes. Again, what a testimony that HE chooses US. We all have a seat at his table. Do we recognize those around us that need an invitation to inclusiveness? I know the above question is weighted, but think about the implications. We have an ability to reach, gather, and invite people into the yoke of Christ… and it is a yoke, difficult at times, but a labor of love towards a harvest of God’s rich, goodness.
Another powerful point is that people knew about the God of the Israelites. It wasn’t something where they were unsure. God had just dried up the Red Sea and performed countless miracles. God is God. He’s a boss. This pushes me to a challenging question: are we living in such a way that the miraculous events in our lives point to God’s handiwork? God’s craftsmanship is to be honored and celebrated in our lives, our workplace, and the social relationships we are a part of. The questions above are not merely reflective, but are part of a bigger challenge for our students and your sons. Not simply questions to ponder, but challenges focused on establishing a foundation. This foundation, when submitted to the authority of the Holy Spirit become daily mindsets, attitudes, and running dialogues with God and His presence in their daily lives.
-Adam Holderread
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