Leadership: Learning from the Past

I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw.

Proverbs 24:32

The further back you can see into the past, the further ahead you can see into the future. And the closer you pay attention to what’s going on around you, the more accurately you’ll be able to see where the road is leading.

Unfortunately, we often try to plan for the future without learning from the past. As a result, we make the same mistakes over and over instead of making strides ahead. It’s been said many times that history is doomed to repeat itself. Why has this shown itself to be true? Because so many leaders have done the exact same things as past leaders, but expected different results.

If you want to bring into sharp focus the vision that God has for you, your family, your church, etc., you must take three steps:

1.  Abandon the ways of the world. They have always failed and always will fail. Try God’s ways—only His ways work.
2. Pay attention to what God has already done and is doing. Even just a quick glance at the Scriptures shows us that God continues to build on things He started long ago.
3. Pray for discernment and understanding to see the vision. Be still before the Lord as you watch and listen for God’s guidance.

Challenge: Take some time today to look back and evaluate your life. Do you keep making the same mistakes? Are you doing things God’s way? Are you consistently praying for God’s vision? Try these three steps and see how God responds.