When some employers were asked what makes a good apprentice, they responded that they seek to hire "someone who wants to learn."
In the Bible, a good example of an apprentice is Joshua. We remember Joshua for marching around the wall of Jericho. He also had some important responsibilities as a spy (Num. 13:16 ) and as a warrior (Exod. 17:10 ). But he was often in the shadow of someone else—Moses. For 40 years, Joshua served as Moses' assistant, aide, and apprentice (Exod. 24:13 ).
H. Gordon Selfridge built up one of the world's largest department stores in London. He achieved success by being a leader not a boss. Here is his own comparison of the two types of executives: The boss drives his men; the leader coaches them. The boss depends upon authority; the leader on good will. The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm. The boss says "I"; the leader, "we." The boss fixes the blame for the breakdown; the leader fixes the breakdown. The boss know how it is done; the leader shows how. The boss says "Go"; the leader says, "Let's go."
Finish the Job
One time a little girl asked Napoleon how many needles full of thread it took to make to make a shirt. Napoleon replied, Only one if it is long enough." The reason it is necessary to stop and thread the needle is because the thread is not long enough to finish the job. Very few people have enough thread in their needles to finish an undertaking. On the wall of one of the rooms in the Bob Jones University is the motto, "finish the job." The men who succeed in this world are men who stay with the proposition until the work is done. A lot of people are failures because they start a job, leave it, and start another one. Nothing is ever finished. That is one of the reasons so many brilliant people with a variety of gifts make a failure of life. It is well to develop all of our gifts; but when I we are using one of our gifts, let us finish the job that that gift is supposed to do. —Bob Jones, Sr.
A Servant Leader
A youth pastor was leading a group of young people on a short-term mission trip to a poor community in Peru. The only comfortable room available was assigned to the pastor, but he refused it.
When it came time to pour concrete in the 100-degree heat, he didn't stand under a tree and drink lemonade—he took his turn pushing the wheelbarrow up the ramp and shoveling out the concrete. He gained great respect from both the Peruvians and his youth group by joining in the hard work with them.
Examine the words of Psalm 86 , and you might forget that you are reading the musings of a good leader. King David prayed, "0 Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy" (Psalm 86:1 ). Then the king of Israel refers to himself as a "servant" and pleads for mercy. Think of it! This was the man God had chosen to lead His people, pleading for God's help. Wow!
Subscribe to RSS Feed
