# 2 "Called, equiped and growing"

As leaders, God calls us to stand out from the crowd. Yes that's right, stand out. Settle it once and for all that from now on you will need to lead strong and lead well, causing others to follow you, as you follow Christ. The good news is that God equips us over time. But to answer "yes" to God's call, we need to recognise our weaknesses, our strengths, while seeing the God-potential in us to obey that call. This attitude requires a balance between a God-confidence and humility. Not easy to do. It requires faith in God. The "catch-22" in this is that many times God calls people who seem to lack the necessary skills for the task at hand. However, God mostly looks for character and then adds the skills needed, over time, watching us grow and develop. If God had to wait for each potential-leader untill they had acquired all the skills needed, we will never have leaders around us. No, God's way is to choose imperfect, available volunteers who have the character to be used by Him, in humility, obedience and faith. As God calls you and equips you, remember that it takes time to grow in it and show fruit, consistently through the years. Many will not understand the fact that you make mistakes and most will not see that you are a "work in progress".

God's Word says that each of us have recieved various gifts, talents and callings. See Romans12:4-9 and 1Timothy4:12. Shew, I'm so grateful for God's "equipment" in us! All of these are for a purpose greater than ourselves. They're not for you. They're always for others. God supernaturally calls you, then equips you for the task, then over the years you will continue to grow in your calling, producing more and more fruit as the years pass by.

So from today, don't put unnecessary pressure on yourself to be "the perfect" leader. And don't portray yourself to be that either. Live humbly, yet confident in Him and His grace that enables you to grow into your potential. Take the gifts, talents and calling that God put in you and pray that they increase and grow. Be patient as He crafts and slowly chips away at you, watching your growth and development. Glorify Him for His work in you and through you to others. Wow what a privilege!

Happy LEADING !!