Diligence in a Leader

I just ran across this verse in Proverbs 12:24: “The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy [man] will be put to forced labor.”  I might not have noticed it except that in the New International Version it says it like this: “Work hard and become a leader; be lazy and become a slave.”  According to Matthew Henry, the lazy man is one who fails to keep his promises.  This verse seems to say that God recognizes the faithful worker and rewards him with responsibility and authority.  This principle is reiterated in Jesus’ parable of the talents: the one who was faithful with little was given more authority.

That brings to mind Proverbs 6:6-8 which points us to the example of the ant.  “Go to the ant, you sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise, which having no captain, overseer or ruler, provides her supplies in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.”  The wise woman takes care of her responsibilities, without someone checking up on her every minute.  That is a wonderful quality for anyone to have, as long as what you are doing is in accordance with those you serve.

If you are a leader, a leader-in-training, or simply a woman involved in women’s ministry, you should take note of these scriptures.  Are you one who works hard and responsibly, doing what you say you will do diligently?  Are you faithful, whether someone is overseeing you or not?  If so, you have the makings of a leader!

“Those Whom You Gave Me”

After a recent study of Jesus’ prayer in John 17, I was pondering how this portion of scripture applies to those of us in leadership in women’s ministry.  In this prayer, we see Jesus’s heart as He prays for “those whom You gave me” – speaking of His eleven disciples with Him at the time, and His heart for us, “those who will believe on Me.”  Jesus had manifested the Father’s name to this small group of men (vs.6) and had given them the Word of God (vs. 8).  He had preached about God, but He also lived out God in an observable way in their midst (“he who has seen Me has seen the Father”).  He had discipled them by encouraging and exhorting them as they stepped out in ministry.  Jesus had poured His life into this small group of very ordinary men…men that He refers to as those God had given Him. We see Jesus’ heart for them as He prays for them. He commits the “keeping” of them to the Father (vs. 11), and prays for their unity (vs. 11, 21), their joy (vs. 13), protection from the evil in the world (vs. 15) and their purity (vs. 17).

Perhaps in a similar way, God has “given” us women…the women who take the step to walk in the door of a women’s event or women’s Bible study.  In a very real way, those women are those whom God has given us.  He has put them in our path, perhaps temporarily, so that we can live out God in an observable way so that they can know God better. God has given us the opportunity to teach them, disciple them, and minister to them individually.  Some may leave, not being truly a part of us; others may stay and learn and grow with us.  Who are those women that God has given you?