Judges and Leadership Part 4: A Very Bad Camping Trip

Continuing to look at the book of Judges we come to chapter 4.

Principle 9: Ladies and Leadership In this chapter of Judges we see God using Deborah to rescue Israel from their own apostasy. Now I fully believe that God created dudes and ladies to be different. I'd land in a camp that would say that my wife and I are very different but designed that way to complement each other. I think that extends beyond the marriage covenant into all areas of our lives. In this instance in Judges the gifts and talents God gave Deborah were needed to see his purposes come to pass. Those God calls he equips regardless of gender.

Principle 10: Team Makeup   For more on team check principle 2. There's a value in not going the road alone. "Barak said to her, “If you will go with me, I will go, but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” (Judges 4:8 ESV) I'd be remiss if somewhere in these posts I didn't talk about teams. Much has been written on the subject. Here's my basic philosophy of team.

• Teams help me see my blind spots: Often I have a great (great to me) idea but without the council of others it might end up hurting me, my family, or the ministry more then it helps.
• Teams should be balanced. I don't want a crew of yes men I want a techie, an extreme extravert, an extreme introvert, a feeler, and a straight thinking logic guy. I need dudes perspectives, and ladies perspectives. The more balanced the better.  Don't need a ton of Daves running around.
• Teams share the load. Many hands make light work. 
• Teams are attractive in nature. A healthy team community is (in the long run) more attractive  then a characteristic leader who when they fall or retire leaves a gaping whole. 

Principle 11: It's His Kingdom Not Yours This has to do with perspective. One of the things that impressed me about the church I serve at now is that our vision statement reads "Our vision is to play our part in the re-evangelization of the world and the transformation of society."  We do our part. The church down the road does theirs. The church on the west coast does theirs. This means we are freed up to focus on the specific things God is calling us to be about and know fully that God in his sovereignty will take care of the rest. Chapter 4 of Judges ends on a strange note. The enemy's army is broken and their general fleeing. He heads to seek rest in a neighbors tent. The result is that the neighbors wife drives a tent stake through his skull. Barak was called to do his part and Sisera was called to do her's. All of it worked together to deliver the people of God and point them to their need for a true and eternal savior.