Many leaders are sabotaging their leadership. Countless leaders are doing things which are foolish. They are doing things which are not normal. But there is hope.
One of the most famous leadership stories Jesus ever told was the one of the Prodigal Son. This parable from Luke 15 is pregnant with implications for leaders. Just look at its main characters – The loving and compassionate father. The bitter older brother. The younger brother who wasted his life only to come to his senses and go back home.
This past Sunday, Dr. Ike Reighard, the delightful senior pastor of Piedmont Church, delivered the best message on this passage from Luke 15 I have ever heard.
The following are 19 Things It Is Not Normal For Leaders To Do Ike taught those in attendance. You can listen to his full message by clicking HERE.
- It is not normal to become so fixated on what you do not have that you completely forget what you do have. Jealousy is the fear of being displaced. However, the greatest form of obedience is when we do something because we love God.
- It is not normal to make the worst decision you’ve ever made in the best place you’ve ever been, and turn around and make the best decision you’ve ever made in the worst place you’ve ever been. Do you know how many people are leaving the Father’s house? Anything that Jesus was willing to die for is important. And Jesus died for the church.
- It’s not normal to think you can make poor choices and live a good life. Insanity is doing the same thing over-and-over and expecting different results. The distant country is not a geographical location. It is a state of mind.
- It’s not normal to believe you do not reap what you sow. The height of fallacy is to think we can sow certain things and life’s just going to work out. It doesn’t always work out.
- It’s not normal to trade the father’s house for a farmer’s pig pen.
- It’s not normal to trade the things that are good and right for the things that are bad and evil.
- It’s not normal to allow your quest for freedom to lead you into bondage. In your quest for freedom many people do not get anything. They wind up in the pig pen.
- It’s not normal to come to your senses when your senseless actions place you in a mess. You can’t fix stupid. The first step to getting out of stupid is to recognize how stupid stupid is. The road to hell is paid with good intentions. You need more than intentions. You need direction.
- It’s not normal to get up from where you are and head out for where you need to go. But it sure is wise.
- It’s not normal to say “I’ve sinned. I am sorry. Please forgive me.” But it will change your marriage. But it will change your relationship with your kids. Forgiveness is the key relational issue in the Bible.
- It’s not normal in a family to feel anger when you should feel joy. There are people who get joy from keeping things stirred up. This is what happens in churches.
- It’s not normal to feel you’ve been cheated when you’ve actually been rewarded. The older brother was rewarded. We have all sinned. We are all in the position of the Prodigal Son.
- It’s not normal to think your obedience is a burden rather than a blessing.
- It’s not normal to run and meet someone who had run away from you.
- It’s not normal to unconditionally love those around you. Prodigal means “lavish”. It’s really the story of the Prodigal Father. The Father is the one who is lavishing love.
- It’s not normal to have an abundance mentality rather than a scarcity mentality. While the sons are worried about the inheritance, the Father is thinking He has so much more.
- It’s not normal to have someone like God who sees you as you can be rather than what you currently are.
- It is not normal to have a Father who sent his Son to die for you. But that is exactly what God did. Our Father wants to build a bridge. None of us have the perfect family. You can’t put enough filters on your social media to make your family perfect.
- ****BONUS**** I’ll add one more. It’s not normal to have a pastor like Ike Reighard. But I am sure glad I do.
What is one thing you learned that is not normal for you to be doing?
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