The Sunday Mail
Pastor Tinashe Zinyemba The Christian Youth —
WE are in a season that many who are from traditional churches would be familiar with. It is the season of Lent, a period of 40 days when we take time to reflect on the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a period of 40 days culminating in us celebrating Easter.
With that in mind I want to continue on the leadership tip that we dealt with a little bit last week. I read an inspiring statement by an unknown author that got me thinking and it said, “When one bases his life on principle, 99 percent of his decisions are already made.”
The challenge a young person can have is that you cannot see a principle. It is intangible. However you can see a flashy car, money, nice clothes, big houses, big personalities and flamboyant lifestyles.
We admire these larger-than-life characters whose principles we do not know and who most of the times used unscrupulous means to rise.
I want to demystify this idea that simply because you hold a microphone or appear on television, have lots of cash, have lots of followers on social media and are known by everybody that automatically makes you a great leader.
Yes, it means you have a greater responsibility to be an example; but actually we are all leaders and should take up this mantle of responsibility and charge of our lives, our communities and our families. You were designed to lead in your area of placement whether the spot light is on you or not.
Last week we started talking about the daughters of Zion as a special tribute to International Women’s Day.
We spoke of a young nameless slave girl in 2 Kings 5 who had lost everything – disadvantaged and under-privileged – yet rose and exhibited the true characteristics of leadership resulting in her master experiencing a miracle that is today one of the major highlights in the Bible.
Famous NFL coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”
Live a life of principle, be willing to work hard and put in the effort if you want to be noticed in life and do anything of value that will outlive you. This generation has been called the microwave generation because it has been noted that everything is now so instant.
Instant coffee, instant food, instant fame, instant money etcetera. What took our parents and the older generation years to do takes us just seconds.
For example, I remember that the scope of my reading was limited to a library I used study from.
But today you can download an entire curriculum on your phone or laptop. You can be all over the world with a simple click of your fingers on a keyboard.
It is very difficult to see principles when it is easier to live a life online, or to get by through a fast life that is wasteful and unchecked.
There is a remarkable young lady in scripture whose life has impacted the whole world just by her simple actions of showing tremendous leadership and responsibility.
Her name was Mary, the mother of Jesus. After Mary had been speaking to the angel Gabriel, Luke 1:38 says, “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.”
The back story is that she was engaged to a man named Joseph and she was a virgin. They were in the process of organising their wedding.
Now, imagine that this young girl had an angel tell her she was going to fall pregnant: the community would make fun of her and she would be an outcast because she would be pregnant before marriage.
But that is nothing compared to the situation that she faced with Joseph. Can you imagine your fiancé saying, “I am pregnant by the Holy Spirit”?
I am sure all hell would break loose.
She considered all of this and she had the option to say, “God this is too much for me, what will people say?
I will be the laughing stock of the village, Joseph will dump me, my family will reject me.”
She could have given a thousand reasons why she could not be the mother of Jesus and each one would have been justified.
Yet she didn’t.
Mary was a true leader and today we all benefit from her responsible attitude. She was definitely principled as Scripture stresses her staying pure as a virgin; she was God-fearing and was not a people-pleaser as she was willing to be made an outcast for living up to her beliefs and convictions.
Today where do you stand?
I know young people who will let go of their principles just so they can keep a boyfriend or be a part of the cool kids gang, be accepted by a boss or get a job.
I know sometimes you are under unreasonable pressure to do certain things and behave in a certain way.
But today decide to be like Mary and lead from a place of obscurity, lead from a hidden place, lead through your life and let Christ live through you.
That is all for this week. Walk in faith and God bless.
Tinashe Zinyemba is a pastor with New Life Covenant Church. Feedback: [email protected]
