​              I have been reading the story of Moses to kind of see what qualities great leaders have. There is much I can write about the topic both good and bad. Great leaders have their victories and they have their defeats.
I would like to tell a story of what I have learned just from ½ of a chapter in Exodus about being a great leader. Moses was under attack. Amalekites have come to attack the Israel. Moses having spent much time with God asked his helpers to prepare for battle. The neat part of the story is that Moses went to the top of a hill and took Aaron and Hur with him. He raised the staff of God and the Israelites were victories, but when he dropped it the Amalekites were victories.
              So the easy part of this story is just hold your hands up. It seems like an easy job that anyone could do. The problem is that time will eventually make us weak. The benefit that Moses had was that his helpers took a rock and provided a place for Moses to sit. Eventually still his hands were to weak again. Then Aaron and Hur got under Moses and lifted his hand for him. In this way the Israelites won the battle.
                 As I look at this story I see many areas in my life that I could apply this lesson. It may just be me that sees this, but this is what I see. God has placed you in a leadership position. You may be the leader of Sunday School, work, or even be the youth minister. These are all great leaders, but you may also be a mom or a dad. This lesson I have learned applies to all leaders no matter the title you hold. The first thing I see is that Moses saw the threat and got his people to get ready. We as leaders need to always be looking out for a threat. Then we need to be prepared to face that theat. So many leaders refuse to acknowledge that threats could come. Don’t be blinded be prepared. The second is that Moses surrounded himself with helpers. We need to have people in our lives that if nothing else we can take with use to these battles. The third is that when we are at a weak point in our battle these people are there to provide something to help us. The last is that when we are at our weakest our helpers are there to carry us if needed.
                 I say all this to say this. What kind of leader are you. Are you the lone wolf that when you get weak your ministry or life gets weak as well? Are you the leader that has the helpers that can offer you a chair so that you can better rest as you continue to work? Lastly are you the type of leader that has people that will carry you even when you don’t have the strength to lift your hands? All of these are great questions for leaders to evaluate themselves with, but what about the Aarons and the Hurs of the story?
                 If you are not the leader ask yourself what kind of follower if any are you to the leaders that surround you? You may be the husband that has not stepped up to be the leader of your house, or you may be the wife that has not supported your husband. Evaluate yourself ask God to show you the answers to your questions.

God, I am a leader what kind of leader am I? Am I a leader like Moses that was prepared and had the support I needed in times of threat, and weakness?

​Or
 
God I am a follower what kind of follower are you calling me to be? I want to be the follower that can help even in small ways to support the leaders in my life, or if you are calling me to be, I want to be the helper that will carry the leader when he/she is at their weakest.

     I was born into a wonderful Christian family. My mom and dad raised all three of there boys in church from the moment we were born. My dad was and still is a deacon, and my mom still volunteers at church. Growing up my parents were always active in each of their kids lives. From RA Directors to youth ministers, and everything in between.
    That being said it is of little surprise that all three of their boys would become believers. This is my story which is incomplete because God has not taken me home to be with him yet.
      I was saved at 8 years old in the town of LaMarque, TX. Bro. Leo Smith led me to Christ in his office at Highlands Baptist Church. However what I realize now is that it was not just a one time event. As I look back I realize that if it wasn't for my parents, Sunday School teachers, and many other people in my life Jesus would have had way more work to do in my life to get me to accept him.  I would like to say thank you to all that made this moment in my life possible.
     I lived a good life all the way through marriage. I sinned often, and asked forgiveness often. I never really dug deep into my Christian walk. People and friends all knew I was a Christian by the way I acted, but I never really took a stand for Christ. I lived on the saying my actions would speak louder than my words. The problem I had was that I hardly ever used my words. Even if I did most of the time if I needed more word then just what you learn in Sunday School I didn't have the words to say.
    After I got married my life changed. I was now responsible for not only me, but my wife as well. However like most of us my Christian walk did not change even though my daily walk focused more on providing for a new family. I focused on being a better provider when I never really learned how to provide for myself. I mean this both worldly and spiritually. As a single man I had the attitude of blow and go with my life, and as a Christian I was much the same. I never grew and learned how to feed myself spiritually. Now as a married man God has placed me as head of my household when I was not even very good and providing for myself. The bigger issue is that God asks not only me but all husbands to be the spiritual leader when most of us have not even learned how to provide for ourselves.
     So I did the only thing I knew how to do. I lived day by day just being a good person. Never dug deeper never took a stand for Christ even though I knew daily that He was calling me to do something.   Until one day that I will never forget; a day that God put a choice in front of me and forced me to choose. 
     Ashley lost her baby and I crumbled under the stress of living a day to day kind of life, and more importantly a faith that was there, but never truly strengthened to where it needed to be. So the way I see it God was making me choose. Live for Him or live for me.  So I did what most of us would do I choose me. For a year of my life I gave up on church, God, and even family to a point. I moved across state to where no one would know me so I could get away from the feeling of having to live this "Christian" life. For a short time we were happy again. We thought we had figured it out. However God has a way of still showing up even when you reject him. After a year God put the choice back in front of me again after only a year of living for me literally fell apart around me.
     This time I choose God. I moved back to my hometown and a short time later I surrendered myself to His ministry. Which is all He had asked me to do from the beginning. Today I get to serve as a full time youth minister. I get to receive the blessings He wanted to give me from the beginning.
    Today I still have not figured it all out. I am not perfect and am probably no closer then I was when I first surrendered my life to Christ a 8 years old. The only difference in me is that I have surrendered. You will be amazed at the victories you can win when you surrender.
    This blog is an attempt to strengthen, encourage, and help myself and others that are in, or thinking about being in the ministry get closer to Christ. 
    So as you read I encourage feed back both good and bad. I also ask that if you are struggling to surrender lean on God first and then find a minister, or group of ministers that you can lean on. Maybe they can even write a blog on the issues and see what others have learned from the Bible what we all may struggle with at one time or another.