Fresh Commitment!

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to go to the Global Leadership Summit, hosted by the Willow Creek Association. There were many fascinating speakers who presented on leadership strategies in four areas: faith, academics, business, and politics. Hearing from speakers such as Condoleezza Rice, Bill Hybels, John Ortberg, and Geoffrey Canada was a great way to start the fall semester. Since I am not a member of a church staff or a major leader in the business world, I spent part of the first morning wondering why I was even there. I prayed for an answer and tried to apply what I was learning from each speaker to the leadership positions that I currently hold, even if they are not large-scale positions. I enjoyed the conference more once I stopped worrying about whether or not I needed to be there.

At the end of the second day, they presented us with a prayer to help focus our leadership efforts in the fall. It says: “God, this is a new day. I freshly commit myself to the role you have invited me to play, as you are building your church in this world. I am awestruck again today that you include me in this life-giving, world-transforming endeavor…” At one point during the talks, someone mentioned that the most important thing you can offer is not only your time, but your energy and enthusiasm. So, I am praying for renewed enthusiasm for my activities for the fall. Sometimes day-to-day life can get overwhelming, but I want to be able to fully commit myself to my activities and hopefully make a difference (no matter how small) in somebody’s life this semester. I am so thankful that I had the chance to go to the conference this summer!

Colossians 1:9-14 ~ 

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.