Is it
possible today to live a blessed and blissful life in such turmoil as we see in
the news every day? Is it even possible to live free from daily cares and
worries?
The
volatility of financial markets threaten retirement plans of peaceful bliss.
Health issues and aging threaten long term plans for peaceful bliss. Broken and
betrayed relationships mar plans for peaceful bliss. Everywhere we turn life
has a way of being chaotic, unpredictable, painful and unfair. The bliss of a
blessed life almost seems to be a “pipe dream.”
How do Christian transformational leaders
function in times like these? Is there a glimmer of hope in what “blessed”
means? Can such leaders live “the bliss of a blessed life?” If so, what does it
look like?
To my
mind the following aspects of “blessedness” present themselves to the wise, understanding
transformational leader.
First,
there is the power of a spoken blessing to others. In the Old Testament world
there was the known reality of spoken blessings and curses. Words were
understood to have power. This undoubtedly comes from the Genesis narrative of
God speaking and the creative process occurred. Spoken blessings have a
creative power. When we encourage and bless others, that creates motivation and
goodwill that is so much needed in organizations and groups today.
Second,
such leaders embody a way of life coming from a center of understanding and
experiencing the goodness of God. Remember the old hymn, “Showers of Blessings?”
Christian transformational leaders lead from a heart of gratefulness that sees
untold blessings poured out on them daily. Living a grateful life as a response
to God’s goodness alters everything. From such a posture, thanks can be given
constantly. Being blessed produces words of blessing to God!
Third, a
deep reliance on the goodness of God erases paralyzing worry. When we count our
blessings one by one, that very process itself crowds out worry. Worry can take
over, divide the human spirit, fill the mind and heart with anxiety, and
paralyze decisions. Living a blessed life means we do not let worry define our
thought-world, neither will we allow worry and anxiety dictate how we treat
others. Worry unchecked leads to the fruit of fear. As Christian leaders we
model for others what such deep reliance on God without crippling worry looks
like.
Fourth,
the state of our blessedness is a serendipitous blessing of our covenant
relationship with God. Because of our covenant relationship with God, we stand
knee-deep before God in blessings. That blessed state is like the air we
breathe. Every day and every moment is a divine gift. Our very life is a gift.
The giftedness of the moment is the intangible blessing of being in covenant
relationship with God. As Christian leaders we model for others that kind of
life.
Finally,
the blessed life now is but a taste of the blessed life yet to come! Taste.
What an interesting word for the spiritual life of leaders. We tend to think of
taste related to our trip to the restaurant. But “taste” is the experiential
and existential personal journey of faith we enjoy with God now. It is also the
“fore-taste” of what is yet to be. Christian leaders have a spiritual vision
that can see what many others cannot. This God-given vision encourages others
to taste and see that the Lord is good. Then, and only then, can others
envision the possibility of what the taste might be for the future with God!
O, the
bliss of the blessed life of the Christian transformational leader!
In Christian
love, Curtis
