alignment – Vision Multiplier International, LLC

We Have Come to Know

A Leadership Insight from Vision Multiplier International https://visionmultiplierllc.com/

I was reflecting on this scripture this morning and the thought of how we, the leaders, must continue to learn of Christ until we get to the wonderful place of knowing (with absolute certainty) that He is the way, the truth and the life – our all and all!

The Bible tells us:

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.””

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As leaders, we know that everyone who follows us does not always agree with us: sometimes because their understanding of the situation is at a different level or maybe they may feel that a different tactic is warranted to achieve the outcome.

All said, they either choose to engage because of buying into the mission or your leadership position or not.

We see in the Bible where some of the disciples chose to leave:

“But [still] there are some of you who do not believe and have faith.”

For Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe, and who would betray Him.

And He was saying, “This is the reason why I have told you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him [that is, unless he is enabled to do so] by the Father.”

As a result of this many of His disciples abandoned Him, and no longer walked with Him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭64‬-‭66‬ ‭AMP‬‬

On the other hand, team or family dynamics really can shift and grow to the point where members are finishing each other’s sentences and thoughts because of a deeper understanding, respect and interconnectedness.

Scripture says it this way:

“We have believed and confidently trusted, and [even more] we have come to know [by personal observation and experience] that You are the Holy One of God [the Christ, the Son of the living God].””

‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭69‬ ‭AMP‬‬

The truth is that conflict and adversity will reveal where the team or family or community really is!

Selah

The divinely given words we speak and decisions we make can serve as a two edged sword which will reveal truths and will likely cause conflict with what is believed, accepted and practiced as operating norms today – but it does not negate their validity!

So how do we move forward?

We must first realize that people are not our enemy and strive to always speak the truth in love.

“Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching.

We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.

Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Secondly, we recognize that leadership is ordained by God for the edifying of the saints, building strong homes and communities and making a kingdom impact.

The Bible say it this way:

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church.”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Furthermore, you shall select from all the people competent men who [reverently] fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; you shall place these over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.”

‭‭Exodus‬ ‭18‬:‭21‬ ‭AMP‬‬

In closing, it is my prayer that we recommit today to studying Gods word and seeking His heart until we can be like Peter and declare “we have come to know that Christ is the Son of the living God”!

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“…we have the mind of Christ [to be guided by His thoughts and purposes]. [Is 40:13]”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭2‬:‭16‬ ‭AMP‬‬

“And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”

‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭69‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Amen

Be Blessed!

Be a Blessing!

“But [still] there are some of you who do not believe and have faith.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who did not believe, and who would betray Him.

And He was saying, “This is the reason why I have told you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him [that is, unless he is enabled to do so] by the Father.”

As a result of this many of His disciples abandoned Him, and no longer walked with Him.

So Jesus said to the twelve [disciples], “You do not want to leave too, do you?”

Simon Peter answered, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You [alone] have the words of eternal life [you are our only hope].

We have believed and confidently trusted, and [even more] we have come to know [by personal observation and experience] that You are the Holy One of God [the Christ, the Son of the living God].””

‭‭John‬ ‭6‬:‭64‬-‭69‬ ‭AMP‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1588/ljhn.6.66-69.AMP

Behold, They are One [Unified] People

A Leadership Insight from Vision Multiplier International https://visionmultiplierllc.com/

I was reflecting on these scriptures this morning and the idea of how powerful we, the leaders, can be when we are on one accord with man and with God. When achieved, we have no limits!

One of the greatest tools we can use to ensure alignment is language as our success is predicated on speaking the language of those around us and changing our dialect to be “person” specific as we are lead by the holy ghost.

The Bible says it this way:

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brothers to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious oil [of consecration] poured on the head, Coming down on the beard, Even the beard of Aaron, Coming down upon the edge of his [priestly] robes [consecrating the whole body]. [Ex 30:25, 30]

It is like the dew of [Mount] Hermon Coming down on the hills of Zion; For there the Lord has commanded the blessing: life forevermore.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭133‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Selah

The second critical step to achieving the state of “one accord” occurs when we ensure our actions are in obedience to directions and not being driven by our desires.

We see here where the people at Babble were in one accord in language; however, the Bible says they were disobedient with the commandment given to Noah – their ancestor.

“And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬ ‭AMP‬‬

“They said, “Come, let us build a city for ourselves, and a tower whose top will reach into the heavens, and let us make a [famous] name for ourselves, so that we will not be scattered [into separate groups] and be dispersed over the surface of the entire earth [as the Lord instructed].” [Gen 9:1]”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭11‬:‭4‬ ‭AMP‬‬

As leaders, we can deduce and must ensure that our actions and motives are in alignment with God and our leadership because disobedience still has consequences.

“There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him, But its end is the way of death.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Selah

I am grateful that the Bible also gives us a good example to study and model in Abram.

Scripture tells us:

“Now [in Haran] the Lord had said to Abram, “Go away from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; [Heb 11:8-10]

And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you [abundantly], And make your name great (exalted, distinguished);

And you shall be a blessing [a source of great good to others];

And I will bless (do good for, benefit) those who bless you,

And I will curse [that is, subject to My wrath and judgment] the one who curses (despises, dishonors, has contempt for) you.

And in you all the families (nations) of the earth will be blessed.” [Gal 3:8]

So Abram departed [in faithful obedience] as the Lord had directed him; and Lot [his nephew] left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Amen

In conclusion, let’s reflect on how we can achieve being on one accord and in alignment – understanding that our foundation is rooted in love for ourselves and others.

By being intentional, we are well able to adjust our communication approach to be “other” focused vs “me” focused.

When we communicate with others, we speak using three methods: Auditory- with our spoken words; Visual – with our body language; and, Kinesthetic – with our actions.

To the degree all three methods are aligned, we, the leaders, maximize communication success and will have good success.

The consequences of not making these adjustments may result in misalignment, confusion and strife!

That is not our desire nor our portion, in Jesus Name!

Be Blessed!

Be a Blessing!

“Now the whole earth spoke one language and used the same words (vocabulary).

And as people journeyed eastward, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and they settled there. [Gen 10:10]

They said one to another, “Come, let us make bricks and fire them thoroughly [in a kiln, to harden and strengthen them].” So they used brick for stone [as building material], and they used tar (bitumen, asphalt) for mortar.

They said, “Come, let us build a city for ourselves, and a tower whose top will reach into the heavens, and let us make a [famous] name for ourselves, so that we will not be scattered [into separate groups] and be dispersed over the surface of the entire earth [as the Lord instructed].” [Gen 9:1]

Now the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one [unified] people, and they all have the same language.

This is only the beginning of what they will do [in rebellion against Me], and now no evil thing they imagine they can do will be impossible for them.

Come, let Us (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) go down and there confuse and mix up their language, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.”

So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the surface of the entire earth; and they stopped building the city.

Therefore the name of the city was Babel—because there the Lord confused the language of the entire earth; and from that place the Lord scattered and dispersed them over the surface of all the earth.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭9‬ ‭AMP‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1588/gen.11.9.AMP

The Son Can Do Nothing of Himself

A Leadership Insight from Vision Multiplier International https://visionmultiplierllc.com/

I was reflecting on these scriptures this morning and the idea of the criticality of delegated authority for scalable growth, which demands that, we the leaders, stay in alignment with those in authority – whether God or with man.

There is an inherent level of trust and accompanying expectations that we, the leaders, will faithfully execute on our granted authority to achieve the priorities of the granting leader- no matter how difficult the task or road.

There is also a certain “discipline code” that is expected – within which we find order, peace and clarity as a unit.

Communication flows reinforce the rules of the road, the organizational values, the organizational priories and the measures of success.

Scripture describes it best in the example of the Centurion:

“But the centurion replied to Him, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.

For I also am a man subject to authority [of a higher rank], with soldiers subject to me; and I say to one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”

Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it will be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was restored to health at that very hour.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭8‬-‭9‬, ‭13‬ ‭AMP‬‬

Another biblical example is with Jesus when He says He and His Father are one:

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

I and my Father are one.”

‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭27‬-‭30‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Amen

So, the question we, the leaders face is, How do we tactically execute this alignment plan? Here are some thoughts:

Proactive managing of expectations: we must proactively assess whether our actions align with the explicit and implicit expectations of those in authority.
Learning, documenting and executing daily adjustments will position us for success; however, it may not guarantee our success.
Energy management: navigating the mental, physical and emotional resistance of change (whether small or large) is necessary. It can become a distraction if it persists. We must overcome it.
Lastly, we must relentlessly measure our success with our fruit (results):

“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭16‬-‭20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

In conclusions, let us be known as leaders who are diligent and focused on the ethical and legal priorities of those in authority:

“Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; He shall not stand before mean men.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭22‬:‭29‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬, ‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Amen

Be Blessed!

Be a Blessing!

“So Jesus answered them by saying, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself [of His own accord], unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever things the Father does, the Son [in His turn] also does in the same way.

For the Father dearly loves the Son and shows Him everything that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will be filled with wonder.

Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life [and allows them to live on], even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.

For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment [that is, the prerogative of judging] to the Son [placing it entirely into His hands],

so that all will give honor (reverence, homage) to the Son just as they give honor to the Father. [In fact] the one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who has sent Him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭5‬:‭19‬-‭23‬ ‭AMP‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/1588/jhn.5.20.AMP