Connect First!
And Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Exodus 19:3-6
It's been said the before leaders touch a hand they touch a heart. Before God demanded His people keep His rules, He reminded them of His relationship and blessings. This was their incentive to keep their end of the bargain!
In this passage of Scripture, God spoke of how He intended to bless Israel as His very own. He warned them of boundaries, then and only then, did He give them His commandments to obey. What a powerful example for us in leading others. Before He spoke His laws in Exodus, chapter 20, He took time to remind them of three important truths:
· The love He had for them.
· The Victories He had won for them.
· The future He planned for them.
Before we, as leaders make demands of people, have we earned the right to speak into their lives? I remember early on in ministry I read this quote at a church I frequented, “It’s not enough to care….you must care enough.” Shortly after I discovered that I sat next to a minister by the name of Zig Ziglar who said, ““People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Enough said!
