Reflecting on who God has made me

Reflecting on Session 1, The Portrait of a Leader...

We have looked together at the call of God on our lives to lead and how to define leadership. Now we can begin to think about leadership as a growth process, understanding where we are so that we can allow God to continue to shape us into the person and leader He wants us to be.

There is an incredible story of a young Pakistani girl who is also on this journey. Malala Yousafzai, the advocate for education and peace, won the Nobel Peace Prize last month, nearly two years after being shot, a target of the Pakistani Taliban. Malala was jointly awarded the prize with Indian activist Kailash Satyarthi “for their struggle against suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education.” - See more at: http://growingleaders.com/blog/

It's time to reflect on who God has made me; these are the areas I have had little or no control over (we can call this stage "Providential Beginnings")...

1. How is God’s providence evident in my personal history?
2. How has this made me different and special from those around me?
3. What might this point to in regard to my potential and purpose?

Then we can reflect on the next 2 stages: Character Formation, Service and Application... Remember that character can be defined as "who I am when no one is watching". God is working on us from the inside to develop the character outlined in the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Service to Him and others can only really begin to be effective when we have allowed God to shape our character.

1. Where in my life have I focused on doing (serving/working) before being who God wants me to be?
2. What negative patterns have resulted from that?
3. How can I reverse those patterns and allow God to shape WHO I AM (my character)?
4. What is God’s view of maturity? What character qualities are still immature in my life?
5. Am I willing to go that far?
6. Which of these stages am I in?
7. What is hindering my growth right now?
8. What do I have to do to get to the next step?

These questions are quite personal but maybe there are some ideas that could be shared with others here. Think about some general concepts that you learned from our discussion but be sure to take time to really answer these questions for yourself.