If we were lucky, we all had a parent or grandparent who dispensed wise advice when we were kids. For me, one such person was my father. His advice: slow down!
These words were customized just for me, and I heard them a lot … often to my frustration!
As I was learning to drive in our old ’86 Ford pickup: slow down!
As I was working on a wood project, out in the yard, or in the garage: slow down!
Even when I was playing: Slow down!
It was usually good advice because I typically ended up hurting myself somehow.
Slow down!
These words are etched into my brain, and, when I think of of my father, these are the words I’ll always think about most often.
Slow down!
What my father was trying to tell me was to take note of my surroundings and incorporate my life experiences. What was happening? What had I been taught? What skills had I acquired? And, what lessons had I learned?
Slow down!
In other words, my father was asking me to cultivate a watchfulness of my conduct and motivations.
If we are to be servant leaders, this advice is the second step on our journey.
Show Notes
Bottom Line
After increasing our biblical literacy, it’s time to slow down and cultivate a watchfulness of what scripture is teaching us about leadership and living.
Take Aways
If the Bible is our foundation, then, as we read and learn, we have to learn to listen carefully for God’s voice.
- Story of God calling Samuel as a child (1 Sam 3)
It may not always be easy to hear what God is calling us to do because, often, he’s calling us to repentance—and that’s no fun.
But …
When we learn to cultivate this watchfulness, then we see God’s guidance and that allows us to act on it. When we do, then our lives are transformed.
- Young ruler who couldn’t follow Christ (Luke 18:18-30)
- Vs.
- Zacchaeus whose house found salvation (Luke 19:1-10)
There are many ways for us to be like Zacchaeus, cultivating watchfulness of our conduct and motivations—making sure we’re staying faithful and loyal to what God is calling us to do.
One way we can begin to practice this watchfulness is through confession.
King David had to learn this lesson the hard way. When he ignored God’s commands, God sent a prophet to force David to cultivate watchfulness of his conduct and motivations, which, eventually led David to a confession of his sins.
- Nathan vs. David (2 Sam 12:1-15)
As baptized believers, we have put on Christ. He is the coat that we put on to go outside into the desert to walk the Way. This is a calling for all Christians. And it includes servant leadership.
The first step on our journey is to grow in biblical literacy and accountability. We spoke about that last week.
The second step of our journey is to cultivate watchfulness of conduct and motivations. We have to become like Samuel, listening for God’s voice in the night.
We have to learn to slow down.
This is what allows us to stay on the path as we walk the Way!
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To learn more,
click here to go to the Orthodox Christian Leadership Initiative's website.