A Leader Must Increase His Speed

The Art of Leadership By Dag Heward-Mills

 

Speed is most important when it comes to the start of your ministry. Ministry is a long road with many painful hurdles. The apostle Paul had a vision to go to Macedonia. When he had the vision to go to Macedonia he responded immediately.

What has God told you? What has He asked you to do? What are you required to do? How many years are you going to take to do what you have been told to do? Increase your speed in responding to what is required of you.

 

1. Increase your speed by starting your ministry quickly.

No matter how you delay the start of the journey, the hurdles will remain in place, waiting for you to arrive there. If you wait too long, you will get to those hurdles when you are a worn out old man.

The hurdles will not have pity for you. The hurdles will not be lowered because of your age. The hurdles will not be reduced because you had a late start. The earlier and quicker you begin your ministry, the earlier and quicker you will get past certain hurdles. I am grateful to God for the chance I had to start a church whilst I was a student. Although I was just following my zealous love for the Lord, I did not know that I was making one of the wisest moves of my whole life by starting quickly.

Look at the example of Peter’s mother in law below. When she was healed, she rose up and immediately began ministering. All examples of successful ministry involve people who rise up and start their ministry immediately.

Then he got up and left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s home. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her. And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and SHE IMMEDIATELY GOT UP AND WAITED ON THEM.

While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them.

Luke 4:38-40 (NASB)

 

2. Increase your speed by being quick to root out foolishness.

“Call now, is there anyone who will answer you? And to which of the holy ones will you turn? “For anger slays the foolish man, and jealousy kills the simple. “I HAVE SEEN THE FOOLISH TAKING ROOT, AND I CURSED HIS ABODE IMMEDIATELY. “His sons are far from safety, they are even oppressed in the gate, and there is no deliverer.

Job 5:1-4 (NASB)

 

It is important to root out foolishness quickly. Disorderly and disobedient people are dangerous because they have a way of spreading their poison.

You can become poor because of a culture of allowing foolishness to take root. It does not augur well for you when all sorts of things are allowed in the name of not offending people. The leaders are unable to swiftly implement the requisite decisions. The leaders are unable to quickly implement decisions to have clear roads, paths, and cities. Slums of shacks, kiosks and containers slowly expand and take over the city because the leaders are afraid to lose popularity, if they root out disorderliness.

In such countries, you will find the city authorities come up years after they should have prevented the development of these slums, to demolish and destroy poor people’s homes, treating the people like animals. This unfortunate style of leadership is due to a lack of speed in those who lead.

 

3. Increase your speed by quickly moving away from those who reject you.

Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.

Luke 8:37

 

Many people will not believe in you. Not everyone will believe in your call. You must be quick to turn away from those who do not believe in you, otherwise your real ministry will be quenched. There are always some people who love you, who like you and who want to hear you. Be quick to turn in that direction and avoid those who despise you. Jesus Christ sensed rejection in the Pharisees. When you do not detect and diagnose rejection and disloyalty quickly, they grow and infect others. Your whole whole life’s work can be destroyed because you do not detect rejection quickly.

Clearly, the ability to develop swiftness in responding in the right direction is key to your success as a leader. Dear leader, may you be a man of speed. And may you increase your speed in rooting out destructive factors and moving away from the things that fight your quick forward movement!

 

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