I have this feeling that this will not be a fun blog to read. It might annoy you a little. So I just want to say, that I am not trying to pass judgment on other people. I see my blog as kinda like a journal. When I get things in my head, I jot it down here, and that is how I remember it better. And I as I have said in the past, someday, probably not too far from now, I am going to start getting old, losing my mind, and probably like going senile or something. I am not looking to forward to that, can you tell? But here is the record of the things I will forget. So please remember, if you get annoyed with me, that I am saying this to myself first and foremost!
Ezra 7:10 "And Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel his statues and judgements."
So, Ezra wanted to be a leader, as many of us to do. I notice how Ezra didn't just say; 'Wow, it'd be kinda cool to help out the country of Israel, help fix of some their problems they are facing, get things straightened up.' He wasn't like; 'Israel has some problems, and I know just the right way to fix them!'. Which I feel like is what happens sometimes in our churches to today. We all have ideas about how to fix the problems in our church, what needs to be done to make it grow, how things should be ran. I think one of the reasons that we aren't successful as leaders is because we try to just do it all ourselves. Unfortunately there are ways two ways to do things; God's way & our way and only one of these ways is the correct way, can you guess which?
Ezra wanted to be a leader, but he didn't just run to Israel with his ideas of change and try to force his ways upon the people. Instead the first thing he did was to prepare his heart. So, if you want to be a leader and effect change in your church, your family, your work, your school, your community, your country. The first step is to prepare your heart. We need to be in prayer. And I am mean good effectual prayer; serious prayer, asking God for help, asking God for guidance, asking God for strength. In other words, God should be the one leading this, not you. Also, Ezra prayed that God would prepare his heart. I think this might be because of the fact that, he was in for a long, hard road, learning about God, and growing closer to God. That would require for him to take a close examination of himself. Before you can fix others, you have to fix yourself, and we all have things that need fixed ourselves!
The next thing Ezra did was to seek the law of the Lord. This makes me think of Proverbs 2:1-5 "My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God."
These verses tell us how to seek to know and understand the law of God. It is a lot of work. It has be the most important thing in your life. It means that you read do your Quiet Time, Bible study, and prayer, even when you have been busy ALL DAY, your kids have been fighting, the housework is behind, your favorite show is waiting on the tivo, and you just don't have the time, you still do your Quiet Time, Bible study, and prayer. If you don't have time for Quiet Time, Bible study, and prayer then you need to fix that, because if you are going to be a leader, you MUST have time for it! I know in my own personal life, if I don't get up early in the morning, before the kids are about, then by the end of the day, it feels impossible to do my have my Quiet Time. How easy it is to find time to watch TV, read a book, play a game, see a movie, etc, but when it comes to seeking the law of the Lord, we just don't have the time. For myself, I have to say that I have to give up some TV time, and maybe put up my favorite books for a little bit, maybe spend a little less time on facebook. I am not saying we should have no fun time in life. I don't think there is anything wrong with enjoying a little entertainment, but it shouldn't come before seeking the law of the Lord. I guess this part all goes back to preparing your heart, probably part of the prayer should be that God help you have the strength to keep up with your Quiet Time, Bible study, and prayer and that it would be more than just a habit. That it would be become something that you enjoy and desire.
After preparing his heart and seeking the law of the Lord, the next thing Ezra did with himself, was to do it. In other words, he did it. I am not going to go into this for long, it's pretty simple. When faced with temptations, Ezra obeyed God instead of doing what was easier. When it came to controversial subject, rather than taking the way of least resistance, he would choose God's way. He did the law of the Lord, he was keeping the commandments.
Finally, after preparing his heart, seeking the law of the Lord, and doing it, then after all that, he went on to teach it to others. He helped to make an historical impact on the country of Israel. He helped rebuild the country, he was able to obtain the physical needs that they were lacking, he rubbed elbows with leaders of many other nations, and he even effected the repenting (the turning away from sins) of an entire nation! That is just an AMAZING legacy! What I wouldn't give leave some kind of imprint on others, from what I did for God in my life, like Ezra did?
I keep thinking about something that Mary said, and I am not quite quoting here, but you know someday, I am going to stand before God. The things that I have done in my life will be burnt, when it's over, the things I have done for Him are going to be the gold, the silver, the things that last. The rest will just burn away. Every moment that I waste, is a moment that will burn away.
I also think about the fact that I will answer to God for what kind of leader I have been. Like I mentioned before, we often like to think that we want to be a leader, effect change, etc. We should remember that taking on this task means taking on the responsibility and answering to God for what we have done. So, it is probably not a good idea to do it half-heartedly!
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