Alpha Tau Omega

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. James 5:7 (New King James Version)

One of the hardest aspects of being a Child of God is waiting patiently on Him. We know God and His character. We know that He is faithful to His servants, but waiting for His answer to our prayers or His blessings is often so difficult. We want it on our time. We want what we want when we want it. God’s plans are perfect, and we do not tend to doubt this fact. But, His timing is just as perfect also. For what is a perfect plan, if it takes place at the wrong time?

In the book of James, the author gives practical advice for Christian living. He tells us how to daily live for Christ. One of the facets of daily Christian living that James focuses on is being patient and waiting on the Lord. He compares the Christian life to that of a toiling farmer. A farmer waits on the rain. He has no control over when it rains or how much it rains. A famer recognizes this fact, and resigns himself to this. We as Christians should resign ourselves to the fact that we no longer control our lives. We give up control when we ask Christ to be our LORD. Therefore, why fret and worry about something that we have no control over? Why not let go and wait patiently for the Lord to answer and bless in His perfect time? The same one who controls the rain controls every aspect of our lives. He has perfect timing for rain for the crops with which He has no personal relationship. How much more perfect will His timing be for us, with whom He has a deep and personal relationship?

Pray that God will help you to be patient and wait on Him. Pray that He will give you a peace that passes all understanding as you accept His timing.

Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; he directs it to whatever end he chooses. Proverbs 21:1

Harry Truman was the plainspoken American president who said, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” And, he spoke from hard-earned experience. As commander-in-chief during World War II, the feisty Mr. Truman faced many tough decisions, and he never dodged them. Instead, he followed the advice of another president, Andrew Jackson, who once said, “Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thiunking and go ahead.”

Now if Truman were here, he’d be quick to say that genuine leadership is an exercise in character building, not a popularity contest. Genuine leadership often requires tough decisions, decisions that by their definition, are displeasing to some. But, effective leaders are willing to sacrifice popularity for results.
If you are in a position of leadership-whether at church, home, work, or school-it’s up to you to set the right tone by making hard decisions and by setting a proper example. But make no mistake: wise leaders don’t make things too serious. The best leaders learn to laugh (when it’s appropriate), when to have fun (the good, clean kind), and when to lead (by example of course).

Are you the kind of leader whom you would want to follow? If so congratulations. But if the answer to that question is a question, it’s time to improve your leadership skills, beginning with the words that you speak and the example that you set.

If you occupy a position of leadership (and you do), then you should prepare yourself for the day (which will probably arrive sooner than you expect) when you will be faced with a tough, unpopular decision. When that day arrives, you have a choice to make: you can either do the right thing or the easy thing. Do the right thing. After all, every kitchen heats up on occasion, so you might as well get used to it. And, the best way to get used to a warm kitchen is to hang in there and take the heat, knowing that every kitchen, in time, cools down. And so will yours.