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6th October 2009 by Sharon Clanfield

What is 'IT'?

Have you ever watched The Biggest Loser and wondered how the contestants were able to achieve the exercise tasks the trainers asked them to do?

Despite the physical challenges, we amazingly saw time and time again the contestants achieve things they would have never believed possible in the past.

One of the main reasons I believe that they were able to go beyond what they thought was possible, was because the trainers instilled within them a confidence that they could do what was asked of them.

Confidence as a foundation

There is no doubt that an integral part of being a good leader is having confidence. While a good leader needs to have passion, be able to communicate and empower others, without the foundation of confidence such things will fall apart.

As leaders, we will face many things that will try and strip away our confidence in who God has called us to be. One of the things that can strip our confidence is the lies the enemy sometimes uses against us. Such lies as:

• You're not good enough
• This is impossible
• It's too big, what can I do

In leadership we can also lose confidence when:

• We face opposition
• Our character is attacked
• Our purpose and ministry is challenged
• We are disappointed in those around us

Some lessons from Ezekiel

In thinking about how to be more confident in our leadership and in who God has called us to be, a good Bible character we can learn from is Ezekiel.

In reading the first three chapters of the book of Ezekiel we see that Ezekiel was a prophet who was called by God to minister to a rebellious, hard-hearted nation. While in many ways this was a very difficult and almost impossible task, Ezekiel rose to it. So where did Ezekiel's confidence come from?

It is in looking at his life that we find his confidence came from his knowledge that:

• God called him: There was no doubt it was God who called Ezekiel out from everyone else. We need to have a confidence in who we are and how God has chosen us and called us to himself. Our confidence must be in God's calling.

• God empowered him: Ezekiel 3:24 says, "The Spirit came into me and set me on my feet." It was God who empowered him; our confidence is not in our own ability or strength but in the power of God in us.

• God fed him: If we are going to be the leaders God has called us to be and be confident in what we do, we need to watch what we are feeding on (TV, friends, computer, work, school, time with God). We need to let God feed us by his word until we are full.

• God controlled him: A good leader has enough confidence in God that they are completely controlled by him. They do not lead out of self but out of what God desires.

It comes from God

Confident leaders know God's calling, experience his empowering, are filled with his word and are controlled by his hand. Meaningful and effective leadership emerges from confidence in God, and allows him to do his work in and through us.

Sharon and her husband Neil currently serve as Territorial Mission Directors for The Salvation Army Australia Eastern Territory. Sharon is passionate about the local church, and has over 20 years experience pastoring and leading Salvation Army churches in Australia and Canada.

Neil and Sharon enjoy watching movies and going out for a good cup of coffee (extra strong hot chocolate for Sharon), and they love listening to Hamish and Andy.

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1. 

   Jake Maxwell Clanfield

   October 08, 2009 at 10:12am

   Awesome blog mum
   
   I wanna be a man that has the IT factor..
   
   I know God can empower me to do all things
   
   I know God will feed me when im spiritually hungry
   
   And i know God will control me and help me do what God desires.
   
   Great blog, truely God inspired

   Reply
2. 

   Megan Halliday

   October 08, 2009 at 8:51pm

   A great and necessary word Sharon! Such an important truth for us all.

   Reply