Going at it Alone

“And if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell.  But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” – Joshua 24:15

Is leadership really about having followers?  What if no one is willing to follow you?   Do you have the conviction to go at it alone?

It is often stated that a leader must have followers. Although there is some truth to that statement not everyone with followers is necessary a leader.  Leadership is the conviction to go at it alone.  Joshua was the protégé of Moses who inherited his legacy and was charged with taking the children of Israel into the Promised Land.  After conquering the land and dividing the inheritance, Joshua gave his farewell address as he sensed his death coming near. In his speech he warned the children of Israel about the dangers and the consequences of turning away from the Lord and serving other gods.  He challenged them to reject the foreign gods of the Amorites and the gods that their fathers served prior to crossing the Jordan and serve the Lord only. But in case they chose not to, he declared “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”  Joshua was willing to follow the Lord with his entire household even if no one else did.  This type of leadership inspired the children of Israel to follow the Lord through out his life and all the days of the elders who outlived him.

“Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had known all the works of the Lord which He had done for Israel.”  Joshua 24:31

What type of leader are you?  Do you have the conviction to stand alone?

As a Biblical Entrepreneur, you must be willing to stand alone.  There are many temptations in the marketplace, especially as you experience business success, but you must have the conviction stay true to your values.  As you seek to stand alone remember the following:

1. Cultivate a private intimacy with the Lord through prayer and study of the Word
2. Be committed to your values no matter what
3. Accept the fact that everyone may not agree with you
4. Don’t just go with the crowd
5. Remember that you are never alone, there are at least Three others with you (God the father, the Son and the Holy Spirit)
6. It is not a popularity contest
7. Jesus went to the cross alone

As He faced His ultimate assignment Jesus found Himself all alone. The crowd rejected Him, and His disciples forsook Him.   Only a condemned thief and His Heavenly Father were with Him.  Because of the intimacy He had with His Father throughout His life, and especially the night before His crucifixion, He was able to bear the rejection and follow His conviction alone.  The strength to stand alone publicly is determined by the degree of intimacy you have with the Lord.

My prayer for you today is that God grants you the grace to cultivate your intimacy with Him so that you may develop the strength to stand alone.