PaoloPunzalan.com

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This one, you can’t miss!

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Can I just say that I am loving the Purple Book? I haven’t done it in a while but, man, it has brought a whole new level of appreciation for His Word.

One of the verses that I’ve read so many times and yet hit me hard afresh this morning was from Colossians 2:6.

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him.”

Many times, the Christian life is compared to a journey we all must learn to walk. Paul encouraged everyone to ‘walk worthy of the Lord’ (Colossians 1:10). To the church in Corinth, he writes them to walk by faith and not by sight.

“We are to walk in Christ the same way we originally received Christ – by faith.” (Warren Wiersbe)

Paul was telling the church, “Guys, you started with Jesus… then you must continue with Jesus. You started with faith, and it is by faith that you will continue to walk in Him.”

We are to continue not just “FOR” Him but also “IN” Him which is going to be accomplished only by faith and by His grace.

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While having breakfast with my kids this morning before going to school, we read a verse that talks about humility and character.  Then the topic of trust in the area of leadership came up.  We talked about why some of our nation’s leaders are losing the trust of the Filipino people.

I told Nathan and Janina that there are 2 things that build the trust of the people we lead.  When one of them is lost, trust is potentially lost as well.

I was talking about CHARACTER and COMPETENCE.

1. Character.  Some people are very competent.  They are skilled, talented and have abilities beyond measure.  They even have the charisma to lead thousands if not millions.  However, if character is not present, I told my kids, people will always be suspicious in the back of their heads if things are being done out of selfish gain or for personal achievement.  That is why character is critical in leadership.

2. Competence. There are those who have great character.  They are very sincere.  They have great hearts.  However, even if the person has a great heart and yet drops the ball often enough and doesn’t deliver, trust is potentially lost as well.

Psalm 78:72 tells us that King David “shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.”

Integrity of heart (character)…  Skillful hands (competence)…

And what envelopes all these is the grace of God …  for without Him, we can do nothing.  (John 15:5)