Well, it’s hard to challenge everyone else with these messages and not take my OWN medicine!  Victoria and I are about as polar opposite as two people can get.  I’m sure God brought us together to learn to work together, so we could also better understand others that we influence for Christ!  That said, we had one of our “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus” conversations last month that ended in a bit of heightened frustration and Victoria simply said, “You can’t CHANGE me, but you can still LEAD me!”  Wow, was that profound.  Especially after all I talk about when it comes to leadership and guiding people to their OWN change and not to the change that YOU think they need to make.

Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV)

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

So, What… for This Week?

Basically, by pushing Victoria to do things my way, tells her that her way is wrong.  That message sends her in the opposite direction.  If I, instead, take MYSELF out of the equation, as well as not get offended in the first place, and LOVE her right where she is at, she will make the adjustments that God wants her to make and end up in a much better place than I may lead her.  So, who are YOU trying to change?  Is that change more about YOU or the person your are trying to “guide?”   

Take a GiANT Next Step

I’m using the example closest to me, but we all often attempt to lead from our perspective rather that trying to better understand other’s perspectives.  This week, make an attempt to assess areas that have alway frustrated you when it comes to those closest to you.  If what you’ve tried in the past doesn’t work, try something new.  Try to understand their perspective and love them as God does…right where they’re at!