the basics of life

Leadership has great momentum in today's contemporary churches. Don't believe me? Go read any pastor's blog and see what topic has the most blog posts. Leadership is fine and dandy, and I'm not knocking it, although I'm not sure everyone really knows what it really means. :::Note - I don't want you posting a comment to tell me what you think it means. Thank you for your consideration.::: I know I want to be a good leader, but it is not my driving passion. I know that I am in a key role in our church that requires me to exhibit leadership skills, , but I think there are three qualifications that are more important to my role. They weren't listed in my job description *brief pause for laughter, as I never really got a job description*, but I know that they are important to God. So what should drive me? What questions should I ask myselph to gauge my effectiveness as a leader in His church and His world every day? Well, here's a list I like to call the basics of life (basics...whoa-oh-oh. basics of a-li-ife. thank you 4Him):

1. Have I done justly today?
2. Have I loved His mercy so much that I have extended it to those I have encountered today?
3. Have I walked humbly with my God today?

You can read 100 books on leadership, subscribe to all the blogs you want, and do your best to implement all the shiny new ideas on leadership floating around, but if you fail in these three areas (originally found in Micah 6:8), I'm not sure anyone will really want to follow you. In the words of Charlie Bucket, "Just in case you were wondering, you can count me out." We need to get back to the basics of life (a heart that is pure, and a love that is right...sorry. if it makes you feel any better, the song is now stuck in my head, too). I think God finds these things more pleasing than "taking it to the next level" as a leader. I've been thinking a lot about wanting to take it to the next level as a servant. So what's going to drive you?

Oh, and just in case you were getting nostalgic and thinking, "Dang, I need to listen to that song again..." here you go: