On Wisdom and Leadership...

Mogi and I had the privilege last week of taking a road trip with our college President, the Director of Development, and an international comedic author/speaker and his wife. Prairie has been doing these "Raving Fans" tours this year to raise support and share what God is doing here. It was fun to be part of!

What a blessing to spend a week with three men of such influence. I interviewed them for an assignment I have coming up and my respect for them grew even more. During my second year here at Prairie I began praying that God would raise up leaders with spirits like Joshua and Caleb, who knew where God was leading and weren't afraid of the giants in the promised land. And God has clearly answered this prayer! Mogi and I are humbled by the servant leadership of those over us, and their boldness and clarity of vision. Thank you Lord!

I have been reading through the book of Proverbs this month, and I am amazed at how often the theme of instruction/wisdom is brought up. "Let the wise listen and add to their learning...if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, then you will understand the fear of the Lord...blessed are those who find wisdom...choose instruction instead of silver...those who find wisdom find life and receive favor from the Lord...the wise store up knowledge...whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid...the wise listen to advice...the teaching of the wise is a fountain of life...walk with the wise and become wise...plans fail for lack of counsel...whoever gives heed to instruction prospers...listen to advice and accept discipline, and you will be considered at home among the wise..."

The themes of instruction and wisdom have been on my mind lately as I prepare for graduation in one month. One month! Four years of Bible college will be coming to a close on April 30. Four years of instruction, advice, knowledge, and learning. What a blessed four years it has been! God is reminding me of how blessed and unique of a season this is. It is quite possible that I will have no other time in my life where I am surrounded by dozens of professors and wise leaders who love the Lord and are willing to invest in my life as those here at Prairie have done. And now as the end is in sight, I am trying to soak up as much wisdom as I can from these people before I leave. I don't want to take my leaders for granted.

Hebrews 13:7 says, "Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith." How thankful I am for so many good examples to follow! I pray that as I have grown and been challenged and encouraged through my time as a college student, I can serve as an example for others too. Verse 17 of Hebrews 13 exhorts, "Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you." God provides leaders as a gift. No, we may not always agree with them. But it is our duty to respect, submit, and pray. After all, they will be held responsible for the way they shepherded those of us under them. 


I pray that you have godly people in your life who are leading you, people that you can look to for advice and counsel. Notice in the verses from Proverbs that wisdom doesn't come automatically - it must be sought after. But the 'soil of our hearts' needs to be teachable. Who has God put in your life that you can learn from? And how does God want to use you in the lives of others to help them learn?


Praying for you, "asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better" (Ephesians 1:17).


-Kristyn & Mogi