To move forward in life we need some organizing principle and leadership. This is how we make sense of the world – finding our place in it and how we can make a meaningful contribution.
Leadership is responsible in part for setting things in order and not allowing chaos to reign. And this is not always connected to official positions per se. But whatever it looks like, a leader organizes so that those within the realm of his influence can thrive.
As such, it’s important to honor the different positions of leadership throughout our life – those over, under, and also from within.
As kids we’re born under the authority of our parents. They set a foundation that has a lasting impact throughout our lives. And as adults, while we might no longer be under direct human authority, we still submit ourselves to bedrock truths, guiding principles, and, of course, God. We need authority over us to still organize and take meaningful steps forward in life.
At the same time, part of maturity is eventually offering our strength and leadership to others as well. Certainly, this is true on the home front, and we might also take on various positions of authority at work. And, to be fair, we bring order and offer leadership wherever we use our gifts and talents to make a difference. We make the world a better place by wisely exercising the authority given to us over our kingdom.
But much of this rests on actually leading ourselves – perhaps one of the most neglected positions of leadership. In many ways it’s easy to submit to external authority or to guide others in the way they should go. It’s much harder to get our own house in order, our own inner world as it were. Yet we discover a life of peace and increasing impact as we embrace this inner leadership.
In the end, the good life requires organization and leadership; it’s chaotic and meaningless otherwise. Humbly submit to the authority over you, lead those under you, and set in order your inner world as well.
Photo by Boba Jaglicic on Unsplash
