I have found the Bible to be the best text book for leadership lessons. This morning I am again thankful for seeing 3 new lessons in handling difficulty, whether you are a leader or not.
Barnabas had gone to Tarsus to look for Saul/Paul and they had gone to Antioch to work the gospel for a whole year. It was here that the followers of Jesus were called Christians (Acts 11).
Paul is defending his apostleship to the false teachers who had been saying he had got his gospel from man and had got faulty thinking. He is writing informing the Galatians of his calendar. He went to Jerusalem for only the second time within 14 years after meeting Jesus Christ. His was a personal revelation he had received.
“Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain.” (Galatians 2 v 1-2)
So here are the 3 lessons for handling difficulty:-
- Take the opportunity when it is presented to you to deal with the important matters.
Paul, Barnabas and Titus went to Jerusalem in response to a revelation which was probably the prophetic message from Agabus about the global famine. In Acts 11:29-30 “The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.” Barnabas and Saul/Paul were trusted with the money. They were handling the offering raised and would carry it to the leaders in Judea.
This was of huge importance. The fledgling church were keen to give to the poor and also to support one another across their known world. But that was not the real outcome of them going to Jerusalem.
- If you are meeting someone, make sure you take the opportunity to discharge everything you have that needs to be said.
Whilst Paul was there not only did he hand over the money (the reason for going) but here in these verses 1-2 we see that what was central to Paul’s mind was to tell the leaders the gospel he was preaching in Antioch. He had been obedient to God in taking the gospel to the Gentiles. It is an important lesson. Don’t leave stones unturned. Expose elephants in the room.
- Talk privately – don’t be quick to make public your conversations, not everything needs to be a social media post.
Paul didn’t know beforehand if the apostles he would meet would need to be corrected. He didn’t know if his conversation would turn into a confrontation, we seldom do. What he did know is that he was meeting esteemed leaders, people of reputation and he didn’t want to be accused of tarnishing that.
The temptation to be rude is ever before us.
Our aim must always be to protect the credibility of others. Paul didn’t shed doubt on them before the meeting. No one knew the meeting was happening. It was private. Where has ‘private and confidential’ gone to these days?
- If you are arranging a meeting make sure it is a safe place; work at creating a better meeting for all; keep it safe for everyone, esteem them.
The need to talk privately, safely and respectfully is probably one of the greatest needs today. Everyone in the meeting needs to know they are protected because you value them.
3. Test the perceived reality – not everything that looks real is.
For Paul this one family, the Church, cut across every divide, supporting and encouraging one another in this new creation order that Jesus as the Messiah had begun. That’s what he was preaching and he needed to know Jerusalem were also on the same page.
- Place a review for everything. It all needs testing. Are we going in the right direction together?
The servant, Isaiah, said in 49:4 ““I have laboured in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing at all.” Paul follows suit and said, “. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain.” He was not afraid that his work would collapse because he would continue regardless. But he wanted to make sure they were all sharing the same gospel.
3 lessons from Paul for every one of us, not just leaders, who handle difficulty regularly.
Which one do you need to focus on today?
Missions Paul 