I didn't vote for the Conservatives, nationally or locally, but I can see that they were more able to present a compelling vision than their major rivals. And in Scotland, the SNP swept the board because they had a clear and simple message. Whether these respective visions can be turned into reality will be the challenge facing those in power. We shall wait and see!
Jesus was and is a compelling leader because he was very clear about his vision, that would change the world for good.
Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28.18-20)
Good leaders communicate a compelling vision to their followers, and Jesus was very clear about the task that his followers share.
David Cameron is getting on with the job of choosing his team, for Cabinet posts and other responsibilities. He will want them to share his vision of the future, and then work with him to deliver that vision in practice.
Jesus, too, calls us to share his vision, and he chooses us for that very purpose. ' I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other.' (John 15.15-17)
Jesus calls us to be his fruitful friends, so that others may be blessed.
I find that I need to be reminded of these basic facts daily - otherwise, I become taken up with my small (and often self-centred) projects and plans. But Jesus has a BIG PLAN that includes us, and he calls us to join him in this project - to love the world in his name. This is costly, as his ministry and death demonstrated, but the outcomes are secure, as his resurrection showed.
Just as Jesus is clear about where we are going with him, let us also be clear where we are going!
Best wishes,
Richard
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