15, No 17 Things I Wished I Had Learned before Turning 50

15, No 17 Things I Wished I Had Learned before Turning 50

Last week I was privileged to address 45 international ministry leaders serving around the world in third world countries. I was asked to talk about leadership lessons I have learned in ministry.

Since I just celebrated my 58^th birthday yesterday, I thought I would share these lessons with you …

1. Make your personal time with God a non-negotiable daily priority. Identify the reasons why you are NOT having a consistent quiet time. My guess is that you know the things that you need to do to make that happen.
   
2. Plan your day! My personality type has obviously changed over the years as I have continue to learn to be a leader – not their yet – have lots to learn yet. I would get NOTHING accomplished if I didn’t take time to plan my day. For me, that means doing a “brain dump” a couple of times during the week at the end of the day. Get the stuff you need to do down on paper. I am using a simple program available on IPAD which can we synched to your computer: Wunderlist. It is free and worth your looking into.
   
   
3. Learn to simplify your life. Simplify more not complicate it! You’ve seen the bumper sticker – “The one with the most toys wins.” I have change it – “The one with the most gadgets loses!” Think of all the gadgets we end up purchasing that are supposed to make life less complicated. Does it work? NO! For some of us, “de cluttering” needs to be on our to-do list weekly. Go through your stuff regularly and get rid of what you don’t need. It will be very helpful in simplifying your life.
   
   
4. Delegate as much as possible. One of my weaknesses!!! You’ve heard it said – “The only way to get the job done right is to do it yourself?” Well if you want it done YOUR way – that’s absolutely right! But if you want to set yourself on a fast-track for burnout as a leader, you better learn that you can’t do it all, and that means letting go – to the point of understanding that while you can lay out the parameters, your staff will never do it the same way you did it. And don’t be at all surprised if they end up doing it better!!!

I’ll share some more tomorrow. Trust this helps. If you have additional lessons, throw them my way. At least I will know you are reading! – Bill Welte is President and CEO of America’s Keswick

Team YOU: 1 Chronicles 16-18; Proverbs 22; John 7:28-53

Motivations: When circumstances seem impossible, when all signs of grace in you seem at their lowest ebb, when temptation is fiercest, when love and joy and hope seem well-nigh extinguished in your heart, then rest, without feeling and without emotion, in the Father's faithfulness. C. Tryon

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 6:13 ; Level 2: Ephesians 6:14-21

Powered Up:  We see the hypocrisy of those who profess to be praying for revival while they are doing nothing to promote it. There are many who appear to be very zealous in praying for revival while they are not doing anything at all for one … What would you think of a farmer who should pray for a crop, and not plow or sow? – Charles Finney