Which Leader are You? by Kim Checkeye

One of my favorite authors on Leadership is John Maxwell. One of my closest and dearest friends brought him to my attention many years ago. I love to read his books on how to grow as a leader but one of my favorite things he has is his “A minute with Maxwell.” Due to my hectic schedule, I do not have large amounts of time to sit and read a book so being able to fill myself with these nuggets, encourages me to grow as a leader.

This morning I listened to his one minute segment on PRIDE. Here are a few things he said:

"There are two types of pride. One pride helps and the other pride hurts. The pride that hurts is when I put myself before others. The pride that helps is when I am doing my work well, being a person who is affective, and a person of excellence, a person setting the bar high for the standard that I have to perform and lead in.

One pride will make you and the other pride will break you."

Over the years, I have seen this to be so true. I have seen many leaders care only about one thing – themselves. I have seen leaders’ use and abuse people only to get out of them what they need in order to make them succeed. I have seen people destroy precious ministries that were founded on a dream by God because they wanted to make it all about them. Everything they say and do has that underlining factor of ME.

On the other hand, I have seen amazing leaders who long to strive for excellence within themselves and with those around them. I have seen leaders push their people to grow in their gifts and abilities so they can become the leaders God is asking them to be. I have watched powerful leaders encourage and sometimes push their people to grow past their hurts, struggles, attitudes, heart issues etc. so they can grow more into the imagine of Christ. So they can grow into the leader that God is calling them to be for the call He has on their life.

One leader hurts. One leader helps.

But what has amazed me the most is how people will actually follow the one that hurts rather than the one that helps. Why is that? What makes us do that? All I could do was look at my own heart for the answers.

In my 38 (almost 39!!!) years of life, I have followed both types of leaders. I know for me, it was easier to follow the leaders that hurt because if you followed the ones that helped, it meant I had to change. It meant I had to raise the bar of the standard of who I wanted to be and take the steps toward change. Take the steps towards transformation. Take the steps to not be the same person I have always been. Sometimes it was easier to follow the one that hurts rather than the one that helps because it causes us to look deep within ourselves.

Make a list of all the leaders you follow in your life. Think about who they are and what they say and do.

Then make a list about yourself. An open and honest list about who you are. Are your conversations, emails, blogs, motives and thoughts always about you? If yes, then come to the Lord and ask Him to change and mold you. If you have a teachable and trainable heart, He will do this with you. Don’t beat yourself up. Focus on changing and allowing God to teach you His ways about leadership. Just think of the leader you will become!!!

If you are a leader whose thoughts, conversations, emails, blogs and motives are about striving for others, helping others to succeed and helping others to grow, then praise God. Go get yourself some chocolate and have a party. But beware! The enemy knows that you are a good leader. He will attempt to side track you and slowly bring in pride in a way, shape or form that you are not expecting. When that happens, deal with it immediately. Pull it out and burn it. Then shake the dust off and get back into the game.

Which leader are you and which leader are you going to follow?

Wonder Woman by Shana Minervini

The story that is on my heart this month is a My Sister’s Closet testimony. My Sister’s Closet is an upscale shop where women can donate clothes, purses, scarves, wraps, shoes, you name it. We buy all our jewelry new. I have spent a pretty penny snatching some gorgeous items before they even hit the floor. My Sister’s Closet sells these fine clothes at a low cost to you. As you look around the shop at the clothing, you will notice that there is a scripture attached to the price tag. All the money that is made from My Sister’s Closet goes straight to the ministries of Truth for Women. With this money, we are able to host bible studies, support groups, seminars workshops and help women in a crisis.

My cousin Melissa attended the Passionate for Truth women’s retreat in January. At the retreat, she bought some jewelry from My Sister’s Closet. I asked Debbie, who works for MSC, to let me know which bracelet Melissa had her eye on so I could buy it for her as a token from the retreat. I got busy with something, probably laughing and talking up a storm with someone and returned to my chair. I discovered that Melissa had bought me the bracelet I wanted to buy for her. Melissa also bought a few of these bracelets for herself.

The bracelets are silver with scriptures engraved on them. I was so touched by the gift because my scripture was Galatians 5:22-23 “But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” I immediately put the bracelet on and thought to myself every time I want to have patience, I will look down at the bracelet to remind myself to calm down. When I want to have self-control and not scream at the person who just cut me off or yell at my family for not having the house picked up the way it should be, I can look at my bracelet.

I started to think of Wonder Woman, she, too, wore bracelets~ the bullets would ricochet off any attacks. I can just picture myself in my car holding my wrist up in the air with the sound effects psh psh psh. Or stopping myself from an argument with my husband with my arm bent in the air and the silver bracelet guarding my mouth. The bracelet was a reminder to me that I am above any circumstance because I have the Holy Spirit. I have a choice on how to handle the situation. I am a Wonder Woman of God!!

Melissa was wearing her bracelet John 3:16, "God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life." Melissa felt that the bracelet was meant for someone else. Immediately, her friend at work, Joan, came to mind. Her husband is dying of cancer and God showed Melissa that Joan feels so alone and she feels helpless at times. Melissa knew that God wanted her friend to have it. She got into work and looked for her friend but she wasn’t there. She called her and asked if she was going to come in. Joan’s plan was to come in briefly and pick up a few things. When Joan came in Melissa rushed to her and said “Joan, God wants you to have this bracelet. He wants you to know that you are not alone and that He is with you during this time.” The two of them wept together. Joan said “You don’t know how much I needed to hear this right now.” God used the bracelet to comfort her pain. Just the day before, Joan told Melissa, she had come across that very same scripture.

Last year there was a woman who came into My Sister’s Closet . Her physical appearance showed that she had been through so much in her life. She came in and tried on some clothes. Deb, our salesperson, told her how beautiful she looked and she wept. Deb asked her why she was crying and she said, "Because no one has ever told me I was beautiful before." The women sat next to the register in a chair for about an hour with complete joy.

Ladies, the bible tells us in Psalm 139:14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." God does not make mistakes.

My Sister’s closet is an outreach for women who are hurting and also for women who like beautiful clothes at an awesome price. Our goal is to help the hurting. Remember, one changed life can affect countless others.

If you have a testimony for My Sister’s Closet or Truth for Women we would love to hear from you at info@truthforwomen.org. If you have any spring or summer clothes you would like to donate, please stop in. We love hearing and sharing all the great things that God does.