Leaders and the led.

When I attended my re-acceptance conference as a Salvation Army Officer one of the interviewers asked me the following question: "Andrew, we don't foresee any difficulty with your ability to lead but what about your ability to be led – are you willing to be led?" I responded by saying that I had no problem with being led by a 'leader' but I wasn't going to be misled by some namby-pamby, limp-wristed individual who didn't know where they wanted to go and to be truthful wasn't even very sure of where they were!

Leadership is a gift and a rare one at that. I could probably count on one hand the number of proper leaders I have served under – both in the Army and during my time when I worked in local government. Great leaders attract great followers, inspire apathetic followers, motivate lazy followers and scare off those who have no desire whatsoever to follow. 1 Chronicles talks about David's 'Mighty men', his warriors and the famous 'three'. It also mentions Benaiah who was considered more famous than the 'three'. 1 Chronicles paints David as a magnet who draws those to him who need to be led. Without David maybe the 'Mighty men' would have simply been 'men'?

We need leaders! Leaders that inspire, set an example to their troops, leaders who motivate, encourage, correct and develop those under their control. We have a few of these leaders in The Salvation Army but we need more? What about you? Is God calling you to be a leader of his people?

"We are yours Oh David!

We are with you Oh son of Jessee!

Success, success to you

And success to those who help you,

For your God will help you." (1 Chronicles 12:18)

Today's scripture:

1 Chronicles 11:1-12:22

Psalm 90:1-10

My 'atheist' son as a young Salvationist once went to the Mercy Seat where he gave God a day to prove his existence or he would stop believing in him.

I take heart from the following verse "For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has gone by..." (Psalm 90:4)

I know that – in his time – God will answer Ben's prayer – Hallelujah!

Romans 14:19-15:13

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (v13)

Yes Lord, answer this prayer now!

Grace and peace, A

Corps Officers - essential requirements

If there was a job description for Salvation Army Corps Officers I’d like to think the following would be listed under ‘essential requirements’

• Leadership skills (how to make awkward decisions)
  
• Administrative skills (how to organise your time rather than allowing it to organise you!)
  
• Soul winning (how to close the deal)


• Practical holiness (how to experience daily victory over the world, the flesh and the devil)


• Spiritual gifts (how to acquire and use them)
  
• Spiritual warfare (How to attack and defend!)

Corps Officers today have immense autonomy and are largely unmonitored – this lack of accountability and increased independence is a dangerous mix which can result in incompetent leadership.

When it comes to Officers shouldn’t quality matter more than quantity because quantity without quality equals decay whereas quality will always reproduce itself.

Love and prayers

A