“Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple complex. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for Him what was customary under the law, Simeon took Him up in his arms, praised God, and said: Now, Master, You can dismiss Your slave in peace, as You promised. For my eyes have seen Your salvation. You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples— a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to Your people Israel.” (Luke 2:27–32, HCSB)
Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple complex. With so much to do, every leader of Jesus knows that priorities are essential. However, how do we know what to prioritize? I mean, isn’t all of it important in some way?
Of course, with delegation, the leader of Jesus can remove a lot of things from their daily plate. However, knowing which things to do first and what God is doing now can be a problem unless we are connected with the Spirit and listening attentively for His leading.
Following the leading of the Spirit is essential to servant leadership because only God knows what’s happening inside the hearts and souls of the people around us.
Much of what we do as leaders is about timing. God knows how to maximize our effectiveness for the Kingdom of God by sending to the right person at the right place at the right time.
Notice that Simeon was guided as to when and where. The Holy Spirit, when allowed freedom to lead us, will prompt us with a sense of urgency. It is important at those moments not to hesitate or delay.
The Spirit of God will also show us where to go to intercept those whom God is sending us to and be where we need to be at the moment we need to be there. Notice the timing of the Spirit: “When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for Him what was customary under the law, Simeon took Him up in his arms.”
God will put us where we need to be when we need to be there if we will choose to listen and follow His voice through both His Word and through the promptings of His Spirit. Our challenge is to remain tuned in despite the loud noises of life all around us each day!
Willing Worker Wednesdays are dedicated to explaining the core realities of servant leadership – the Biblical principles and methods used by God’s faithful people throughout time. They further reflect the lifestyle of Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords as He walked on this earth announcing the Kingdom of God had arrived. These brief lessons are written by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith, Executive Director of Eagles In Leadership, and come from his extensive ministry within the local church, in higher education, in church consulting and as a Biblical author and leader. He welcomes your comments below.