Before you step into the fullness of all that God has for you as a leader, you need to first understand who He created you to be. In this episode of the SALLT Leadership Podcast, Wes Lane outlines why it’s important to realize your true identity as a Kingdom Leader and how to break through comparison culture to embrace who God created you to be so you can create the impact you were destined to make.
Episode 1 Show Notes – Realizing Your Identity
Most men live lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them. – Thoreau
Consider the following verses and think about what God is saying about you and to you.
“From one man, Adam, he made every man and woman and every race of humanity, and he spread us over all the earth. He sets the boundaries of people and nations, determining their appointed times in history.” Acts 17:26 (TPT)
“I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written
The days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.”
Psalm 139:14-16
“For we are God’s [own] handiwork, recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which he prearranged and made ready for us to live].” - Ephesians 2:10
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” - Jeremiah 29:11-13
Well, welcome to the SALLT Leadership Podcast, the show for leaders who want to live a purposeful life, grow in their faith, and maximize their abilities and influence for the Kingdom of God. I'm Wes Lane. I want to start today's time together by reminding you of the most important lesson as a kingdom leader, something that you've got to remember in your daily walk because it calls you out of the herd. You have been designed, built by a living, loving God sent into this moment of history to the community in which you live as part of God's overarching strategy to redeem and restore the earth to himself. Your life is purposeful. It matters, and God has a vested interest in you accomplishing your life's mission successfully, and that's the context for the SALLT Leadership Podcast, leading out of our purposeful, meaning-filled presence on the earth. So let's get to it.
In today's episode, we're going to be talking about the importance of realizing your identity as a child of God and kingdom leader. When you and I, as followers of Jesus, lead as we're designed to, everyone benefits. Why? Because just like Jesus, we are cultural agents of change sent for the well-being of others. Our communities ought to be a better place always for all people to live, all people to live. Because why? God's kids are in town. In Matthew 5, Jesus calls us to be salt and light. When we do a job of being salt and light leaders, the world changes around us, and our city becomes that city on a hill to which Jesus refers. But the age old problem is the issue of identity which causes many of us to never embrace this leadership opportunity.
Look at it this way. I'll bet many of you listening never saw yourself as having that kind of dramatic life's impact. I mean, I know I didn't. I just, I did not see myself as having a life that matters to that degree. I mean, there was a huge disconnect between my faith, what little there was, and everyday life. So frankly, I left the church as a teenager. I mean, any of you feel like that and even some degree that might be what you're experiencing? Well, a long time ago, there was an American philosopher. He lived you almost 200 years ago. His name was Henry David Thoreau, and he said this. "Most men live lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with a song still in them." Well, let me paraphrase that for Christians. The reason why so many Christians live lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with a song still in them is because we fail to come to terms with the purpose of God for our lives, and we struggle with the degree to which we believe God engages the world today.
Now that may not be you, but I bet it's some of you, and you're wondering how you fit. How do you fit in all of this? You're seeing this and that person and seeing how they're doing, and you're thinking, "Well, how does my life compare to that?" Because we all, I mean in the United States, and I'm sure probably beyond, we live in the grip of this comparison culture, and comparison culture is a disaster zone. If you have kids, what do you think are kids are doing on social media? Well, they're trying to figure out how they compare to the other kids, searching for life meaning by seeing if their lives are as cool as other kids. So does that leave them feeling affirmed and vibrant or probably empty and discouraged?
Well, how about you in your social media? Is that any different? Well, so here's just one change of thought here that you might consider. Consider only drinking from those fountains that encourage and uplift you, that inspire you, and challenge you to become that unique and impactful person God is willing for you to become. Because listen, you are the only you. There will never be another, and you can compare yourself all day long, and it does not matter because you are like no one else, and no one is like you either. So listen to these verses from the word of God. "From one man Adam he made every man and woman and every race of humanity, and he spreads us over all the earth. He sets the boundaries of people and nations determining their appointed times in history." That's from Acts 17:26.
Or catch this from Psalm 139:14-16. "I will give thanks to you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works. And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you. When I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth, your eyes have seen my unformed substance, and in your book were written all of that. The days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them." This is you I'm talking about here. This is for you. And then finally, I loved it when that final, but here's one more. Ephesians, 2:10. Catch this. "For we are God's own handy work recreated in Christ Jesus, born anew that we may do those good works which God predestined for us taking paths which he prepared ahead of time that we should walk in them living the good life which he prearranged and made ready for us to live."
One more time. This is from Jeremiah 29:11-13. Hear this. "For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you'll call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.'" I mean, listen to that. Here's the deal, God has a vision for your community that is breathtakingly for the good. Why? Because he loves people, and he wants them to live redeemed and restored life. His redemptive and restorative heart is all about setting people free from being less than who he says they are. And I just read you a boatload of verses that talk about you and the fabulous purposefulness that he has for each and every one of our lives.
And so remember what Jesus announced when he started out at the beginning of his ministry, he said in Luke Chapter 4, "I have been sent to set the captives free." When he left earth after his resurrection, he handed that baton to you and me. We are sent, you and I, to set the captives free as well. Sometimes we first need to let him set us free, quite frankly, from a false, empty set of identity. Because let's face it, the world, the flesh, and the devil does not want you coming to grips with the reality of who God says you are. That unholy conspiracy is always trying to get you distracted so you just end up crashing and burning, going to the grave with a song within you because you did not sing the song that God planted on your heart, and therefore you just lived a life of quiet desperation like everybody else.
And so he wants you to become the leader others follow because when you carry that message, people will follow you because they intuit in their heart. They know that's right. They know there's more. And you seek his help, God's help, and he will give it to you. Remember, you and I are the generation that are set to this moment and to this place, nobody else is coming. You and I are the team on the ground right now. There are no replacements. I mean, think about this for a second. God, I mean, if he sent you and me, he must have this crazy idea that we can actually pull this thing off, or else he'd have sent another team. So he has a big idea of who you and I are.
As he looks at a city, he sent us to this city. So what does that mean? He thinks we can pull it off. And so, chew on that a little bit. He needs us to rise up and look more and more and more like that missional Jesus who is utterly revolutionary and counter-cultural because he was all about love. Jesus was not a part of the herd. The challenge you and I have got is not getting sucked into the herd and looking like everybody else which is utterly dumbed down. We do not want to live a lesser experience than what God means us to be. And when I say dumbed down, I'm just simply talking about less than what God is willing for you and I to exist in. He's going to love you if you never do that. He is not a performance God. He's not keeping book on you. He's going to love you anyway.
But what he's saying is, "I'm willing to do the impossible, but I'm not going to take you there if you don't want to." So keep that in mind. So your next right step in upping your game as a leader is to think about what is God saying to you, and instead of spending 30 minutes catching the next NBA basketball game or the next hour or two hours or whatever is, or for me the next OU football game, although I'll put it on record and think about this, but to spend some time, instead of examining what's on social media, what's on Facebook spend 30 minutes just contemplating the verses that I just shared with you. Look at the show notes, contemplate these. Ask him, "If you are for real Lord and you really want me to do this, then I just need your help in doing this."
And here's the beauty of it, he will, he will help you. You green light him, he will take it the rest of the way. And if I've seen anything over my years, it's this, it's that he is an incredible rewarder of those who diligently seek him. He will reward you. You will find yourself on an adventure trail, I call it the Holy Breadcrumb Trail, you will find yourself on an adventure trail that you will not want to go back to life as it was. When you start kicking in on who he says you are and what he's willing to do through you, you will not go back. So dare. Just dare. Step into it. Live a life that matters. You are uniquely designed, as I said earlier, there will never be another you, and if you let him, he will help you become the best version of you, the one he planned in the first place.
So imagine. I mean, imagine. What does your community look like when the followers of Jesus become known as the loving problem solvers? What does it look like when we become the go-to people? Why? Because we look so much like Jesus that people are just drawn to us. Why? Because we're problem solvers. There is no problem that Jesus cannot solve. There is no social problem, there is no economic problem, there is no community problem, there's no family problem, no neighborhood problem, there is no problem that the living God cannot resolve. And you and I, as representatives with the Holy Spirit within us, have the ability to speak for him. We're sent. He left. He sent us, and he set the Holy Spirit for us. The world is starving for Christ-like leadership. Be that person. That is the answer to the other folks' question. You are desperately needed to be that person. So rise up. You can do this. You can do this. I'll see you next time.