Word for the day: “The inside-out work of leaders.”
Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV) Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Great Day, Leaders,
I’ve discovered in my leadership the importance of doing the internal work needed to be the best version of myself. I believe leaders do what they have to do, while often others do whatever they want.
Be advised doing the necessary internal work will be vital for your effectiveness and sustainability.
TAKING AN HONEST INVENTORY OF OURSELVES IS VITAL.
We all can often postpone the prospect of making an honest self-examination. We can frequently make excuses for taking the necessary and humbling assessment of ourselves. The bottom line is this: we know that many times, there is an enormous amount of pain awaiting us when we dare to look at ourselves. And we fear what the pain of facing ourselves can create in our lives. However, it has been my experience on the other side of pain in life.
EXCERPT FROM MY BOOK “THE JOURNEY OF SELF-CARE FROM THE INSIDE OUT 2.0 Chapter 10”
“When past injustices have caused you pain, you may hurt others or often seek to bury them in the deep recesses of your mind.” I need to share with you the pain of my experiences. It’s not the way you handle things. However, it’s almost always when you bury things; it allows your pain from the past to translate into mistakes and suffering in the future. You can’t occupy the space of God because healing rarely occurs. The pain may feel like too much to handle.
Therefore, you unintentionally block God’s plan and ability to heal those places of hurt.” Are you making mistakes today because of pain from your past? The Lord will exchange our pain with His joy, which gives us the strength to finish the journey. After rebuilding the city walls and the temple, the priests gathered the people together to read the Book of the Law, which is in today’s reading passage in the book of Nehemiah.
The people were overwhelmed with grief and began sobbing because their lives in no way measured up. The priests said to them, “Don’t mourn or weep on such a day as this! Today is a sacred day before the LORD your God. Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. The Word of the Lord says, “For the joy of the LORD is your strength!” (Nehemiah 8:9-10).
That day marked the beginning of Sukkot, the Festival of Tabernacles, a required Jewish feast that celebrated their escape from bondage in Egypt and God’s care for them while they wandered in the wilderness.
What do you need to celebrate that you have escaped? When we set out to face the pain and hurt of taking a self-examination, we will need the “joy of the Lord” to give us strength. This joy comes from recognizing our shortcomings yet celebrating. We celebrate God’s ability to bring us out of bondage and to care for us as we pass through the pain toward a new way of life.
POINT TO PONDER
The joy of the Lord helps us to face the pain within ourselves. And the joy of the Lord also liberates us from the pain within ourselves to live a life beyond human comprehension Nehemiah 8:9-10).
Special Thanks,
Chief Encouragement Officer (CEO) James Baker, Jr. and our leadership team are incredibly thankful to those aligned with us. Help us equip this generation of leaders for their God-given assignments. Your generous donation supports our labor of love From Grace and Truth Leadership's mission to embrace, empower, and encourage leaders and emerging leaders globally.