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Ruth: Follow Your Heart to Find Your Hope
For when you must make a decision but don’t know what to do
Ruth’s heart for Naomi outweighed everything else and ultimately led her to Boaz. Ruth would likely say, “When you make a God-honoring decision with the heart, God guides you with His hand.”
What can we learn from Ruth? When you’re in distress, let love motivate you to change. Love will carry you forward. Just follow your heart.
Also, hold on to faithfulness. God rewards faithfulness. God always makes a way for those who love Him.
Leadership Lessons from Ruth
- Do what you know is right, not what looks right to others.
The logical thing for Ruth to do when her husband died was to go home to her own family and look for a new husband. However, she felt a deep conviction that she was to stay with Naomi. And she followed that conviction. As leaders we need to remember that strong convictions precede great actions.
- Following your heart with integrity can increase your influence with others
- Remember to be humble and keep working as God blesses you.
When God grants you favor as a leader and you receive His blessings, don’t let it go to your head and don’t let up. Keep working.
Margaret Maxwell (John’s wife) says, “The lesson I learn from Ruth as a woman is that I don’t ever need to see myself as a victim of circumstances. Rather, I can follow God’s lead and take action, and it will open the way to changing my circumstances and finding fulfillment and joy according to God’s plan.”
Sarah: Don’t Complicate God’s Promise with Your Solution
For when you can’t understand God and impatience threatens to overwhelm you.
Have you ever felt like you needed to help God? So you took matters in your own hands? Sarah’s life teaches us not to get ahead of God when he isn’t moving fast enough for you. Our surrogate solutions—like Sarah offering her maiden Hagar to help start a family for Abraham— are always poor substitutes for God’s promises.
When you must wait, focus on God’s character, not your circumstances. God’s miracles happen only when you’re faced with the impossible!
Leadership Lessons from Sarah
- Let your leadership decisions be guided by faith, not driven by frustration or fear
If you are frustrated in your leadership, don’t let it provoke you into making bad decisions. Turn to God and allow Him to help you work through your emotions. Renowned Pastor Charles Spurgeon noted, “God is too good to be unkind. He is too wise to be confused. If I cannot trace His hand, I can always trust His heart.”
- Never use your influence to manipulate people for personal gain
- Don’t blame others for the consequences of your bad decisions
When we lead others, we are in a position to place the blame on others, and we can easily get away with it, because the people we lead are often reluctant to speak out against us. But good leaders don’t do that. Instead, they take less than their share of the credit and more than their share of the blame.
Rahab: God’s Story is Full of Surprises
For when you’re feeling jaded or disappointed with your life.
From the book of Joshua, we learn about Rahab, a prostitute who lived in Jericho in the Promised Land and assisted Israelite spies in capturing the city. She hid the spies from the king’s men in her house and helped them escape. In turn, the Israelite spies swore to protect her and her family—if she placed a scarlet cord in the window.
Rahab was ultimately surprised when the Israelites kept their promise to spare her and her family; and she was surprised to be included in the bloodline of Jesus. Rahab was the great-grandmother—28 generations removed, of Jesus, the Messiah and Savior of mankind.
Rahab would tell us that God invites us to be part of His story—join Him. God wants to surprise you with His love—accept Him. God asks you to surprise others with your actions—obey Him. When God performs a miracle, He is signing His name to your story—celebrate Him!
Leadership Lessons from Rahab
- Good Leaders recognize when God is moving.
Good leaders learn how to read every situation and understand what’s going on.
- Good Leaders don’t allow the fear of others to overcome their judgment.
Whenever we face risk or uncertainty, fear can be a problem. Fear is a fruit, not the root of the problem. Inaction comes from lack of belief, not fear itself. Interestingly, the Bible contains the admonition to “fear not” 365 times—one for every day of the year.
- Good Leaders always use the advantages God gives them to help others
Hannah: God Blesses the Promises You Keep to Him
For when you don’t want to do something you know you should.
Hannah was childless late in life. Most people make bold promises to God during times of pressure and desperation, and Hannah was no exception. She promised God she would dedicate her child back to him, if she could only become a mother.
Some people remember their promise to God after the pressure has been lifted, but few people follow through and keep their promises to God.
Hannah learned that when you keep your promise to God, He blesses you with joy. When Samuel was born, she knew he was only on loan. He belonged to God.
Leadership Lessons from Hannah
- When you are faithful to God, He fights for you.
God fought for Hannah, and He wants to fight for you. As you lead others, remain faithful to God because it makes you a candidate for God’s favor.
- When you are faithful to God, He also blesses the people you lead.
- When you are faithful to God, He multiplies your impact.
Because Hannah faithfully fulfilled her promise to God, the entire nation of Israel benefited.
Hannah Maxwell, John’s granddaughter said, “The first lesson I am learning from Hannah is to always put God first in my life, even when it’s hard. The second lesson I’m learning is that only God can meet my deepest needs. Whenever I need to make a promise to God, I will remember Hannah, and try to live up to my name.”
Abigail: A Single Act of Wisdom Can Change Your Destiny
For when you’ve been put in a difficult situation.
In 1 Samuel 25, Nabal demonstrates ingratitude towards David, which would mean certain revenge and death. Nabal’s wife, Abigail stepped in and worked to placate David, offering him food and urging him not to “have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed” while reminding him that God will make him a “lasting dynasty.”
Abigail had the wisdom to take immediate action. Many people when confronted with genuine danger are paralyzed by fear. Not Abigail. Abigail also had the wisdom to act with humility, put things in perspective for David, and ask for David’s favor.
Wisdom paired with action gets positive results. What use is wisdom without action? It is like a jewel left buried in the ground, a gift thoughtfully given but left unopened, a meal beautifully prepared and laid, but left uneaten. It’s a terrible waste. What use is action without wisdom? It’s like a storm that rages on the sea, having power but accomplishing nothing positive or constructive.
Leadership Lessons from Abigail
- Leaders need to possess the right perspective.
If you are a leader, you must always seek God’s wisdom, take the long view, and attempt to see the big picture.
- Leaders must take the initiative.
- Leaders know to appeal to the whole person.
- Leaders must be bold.
If you have the responsibility of leadership, then be willing to step up and take bold action, not for personal gain or glory, but for the sake of the people you lead.
Miriam: Don’t Let Comparison Rob You of Your Joy
For when you’re discouraged because others seem more successful than you.
Miriam started comparing herself to Moses. After all, she was a prophet too. Why was he getting all the attention? And that’s when her problems began…
Comparison:
- makes you delight in finding fault in others.
- drives you to seek positive attention for yourself.
- damages your relationship with others.
- undermines your usefulness to God.
The bottom line is that when you long for the gifts, favor, position, or opportunities of someone else, it distracts you from the gifts, favor, position, and opportunities that God has given you.
Miriam’s life teaches us that just because you are capable doesn’t mean you are called. Because you see something you could do doesn’t automatically mean it is something you should do. Don’t let the desire to do something you could do well prevent you from doing what’s really best.
The only worthy comparison people can make is between who they are and who God created them to be, so we must work to find contentment in the role God has given us.
Leadership Lessons from Miriam
- Recognize that all leaders are not created equal.
- Understand that leadership is a privilege and a trust
- Learn to celebrate other leaders’ successes.
William Penn said, “The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves.” It takes a secure person to celebrate when others win.
Mary: Don’t Miss Your Moment with God
For when God asks you to do something outside your comfort zone.
Mary’s encounter with the Angel Gabriel had characteristics that can teach us about God moments:
- They are initiated by God, not us.
- They are unanticipated.
- They are connected to God’s favor. It’s a privilege any time God chooses one of us to help fulfill His purpose.
- They offer insights from God.
- They are not understood. It’s ironic, but even though God reveals things to us, we usually don’t know what they mean.
- They are supernatural.
- They require us to say yes. When God invites us into what He’s doing, we must say yes to the partnership.
- They change your life and the lives of others.
Leadership Lessons from Mary
Mary provides a great reminder that leaders come in all shapes and sizes. If you want to lead well, you must…
- Stay connected to God.
No matter how much or how little natural leadership talent God has given you, you cannot go wrong by staying connected to God. The ability to know and follow His direction always has much greater value than any human skill.
- Stay connected to your purpose.
- Stay connected to people who encourage you.
- Stay connected to the bigger picture.
Elizabeth Miller puts it this way, “The lesson to be learned from Mary is to wholeheartedly trust the Lord. God has a much bigger plan for my life than I have for myself… My goal in life is to have the strength and courage that Mary had to say yes. If I say yes to God and let Him work through me, I too can change this world for His glory.”
Martha: When Jesus is in the House, Give Him Your Full Attention
For those times when you sense God’s presence.
Martha didn’t know how to slow down, and she thought duty was more important than devotion. Mary got caught up preparing for Jesus instead of preparing herself for Jesus. She got worked up over unimportant things instead of focusing on the main thing. If you haven’t discovered how to simply be with Jesus, then it’s time you learn.
Martha teaches us that when Jesus shows up, stop what you’re doing; focus on connecting; get on His agenda; and just be with Him.
Leadership Lessons from Martha
- Don’t let bias toward action keep you from stopping to be with Jesus.
We need to learn His character so we can imitate it. We can’t do that at high speed. We must slow down and make time for Him.
- Don’t allow your ability to get a lot done make you feel superior to others.
If you believe you have advantages over others, don’t use them. And don’t be fooled into thinking you deserve better than others do.
- If Jesus shows up when you’re leading, follow where He leads.
It’s very easy for us as leaders to get on our own agenda.
Anita Maxwell remarks, “Activity does not equal connection. What I love about the lesson that Jesus taught Martha is that it reminds me to focus more on my devotion to Jesus than on my duties. That’s truly what makes Him—or any other guest—feel welcome.”
The Samaritan Woman: God Will Always Go Out of His Way for You
For when you’re feeling unworthy or unloved.
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The Samaritan Woman—traditionally an outcast because of both her race and gender—had a discussion with Jesus Christ. Jesus shows:
- It doesn’t matter where you are—Jesus values you
- It doesn’t matter what you’ve done—Jesus values you
- It doesn’t matter what you believe—Jesus values you
Leadership Lessons
- Good leaders value people.
No person can be a good leader and not care about others. No one modeled this better than Jesus did with the Samaritan Woman.
- Good leaders add value to people.
Every person you lead is a candidate for your ability to make them better, not just professionally, but personally.
- Good leaders don’t wait to take action.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, let’s not only celebrate the many great accomplishments of women but also the Wisdom from Women of the Bible, as we shoot for the stars!