As a teacher, parent, mentor and leader, I rely heavily on my words. I want them to be impactful – not to fall flat. In 1 Samuel 3:19, we see how Samuel’s words had power. “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.” Because of the Lord’s presence and blessing, Samuel’s words had a life of their own. As we draw close to God, our thoughts and words will increasingly reflect the heart of God. As God speaks through us, our words will have authority and staying power, something we need if we seek to influence others in soul-shaping ways.

At one point in Jesus’ ministry, he went back to his hometown (Mark 6:1-6). At first, the people were amazed at his teaching. Yet, they couldn’t  get past his commonness and their familiarity with him. He was a carpenter. They knew his family. In fact, the reference to Jesus as “Mary’s son” (as opposed to saying that Jesus was Joseph’s son), may point to his perceived illegitimacy.

Sometimes, Jesus and Jesus’ actions don’t fit with our preconceived notions and expectations. We get tripped up by Jesus. In this story, the peoples’ offense fuelled by their lack of faith resulted in a miracle shortage in the area. As Christian leaders, we desperately need to trust God, recognizing that His ways are beyond our ways. When we trust Him, we will see Him do the work that He wants to do.

Note: Thanks to Pastor Dave Navarro at South Langley Church for getting me thinking about this topic in his March 17, 2013 sermon, “The Scandal of the Gospel.”

In the first two chapters of 1 Samuel, we see something of the hearts of several key spiritual leaders in Israel.  Eli’s sons, in particular, were engaging in detestable practices, as I described in my previous blog (“Staying Pure”). Is it any wonder that God refrained from entrusting His words to those who were untrustworthy in their actions (1 Sam. 3:1)? Perhaps, there is a principle here for leaders today. When sin comes between God and us, we are much less likely to hear His vision for our lives and ministries. The solution: A lifestyle of surrender, repentance and obedience. It’s a hard trail to climb, but absolutely essential if we want to hear God’s vision and have the capacity to live and lead according to His plans.