Hope
“I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.”
- Jeremiah, the prophet
We’ve found ourselves praying in preparation for a series of meetings recently:
A group of prospective clients at a leadership event
Several groups of executives at monthly roundtable meetings
Corporate offsite meetings with our larger clients
Calls with international ministry leaders
Groups of business leaders in Africa we are going to visit
A large collection of men at a weekend retreat
A group of attendees at a Life Plan retreat
etc.
When we asked what their greatest need is and what we need to offer them, we keep hearing the same answer:
Hope and honor
We live in a post-honor culture and people feeling the esteem of others is in incredibly short supply. We work mostly with leaders and the weight they carry is particularly heavy. Them feeling a sense of honor and nobility in their leadership has incredible ripple effects through their families, their employees, and virtually everyone their leadership comes into contact with.
We are not enjoying a season of very noble or honorable leadership examples. And in a world where it takes the extreme to get anyone’s attention, most media channels seem to almost be relishing the failures of leadership. It is very difficult to find a positive news story about a leader in any category.
Like a soldier during the Vietnam War, it almost feels like there is collective suspicion or disdain for leaders. I’ve talked to many young people who almost seem to carry an expectation of corruption and compromised integrity of the leaders in both the public and private sectors. It is a suspicion that is felt by many leaders much like it was felt by those soldiers.
Not surprisingly, the leaders I work with are very conversant in their every failing, mistake, or inadequacy. Sadly, they find it almost impossible to articulate all the good and positive that is also occurring on their watch. What do you think that does for their morale or ability to encourage and celebrate their teams?
It makes it nearly impossible.
All that lack of honor has an incredibly expensive byproduct: a loss of hope. And we all know the value of hope. What sustains all of us through the toughest times is not physical, financial, or even mental strength. In the toughest of times, the only currency that will pay your way through is hope.
And have you been outside lately? There is very little you can point to out there that would provide hope. It’s always been the case, but like never before, the only hope to be found is coming from above.
So let hope rise
And darkness tremble
In Your holy light
That every eye will see
Jesus our God
Great and mighty to be praised
Consider
Do you feel a sense of honor in your leadership roles?
How good are you at celebrating and honoring those you lead?
Have you lost hope? Lost heart?