November 25. Power V Or C?

Discipline, it is one of the least favorite activities that leaders deal with. Whether you lead a family with young children or a company with thousands of employees, discipline is important. Without it, our value propositions will change from a team supporting one value to one team supporting separate, often competing, and distinct value propositions.

Think for a minute about a flock of geese flying south for the winter. Discipline says, stay in the strategic V formation, reduce the drag, increase lift, save energy to survive the thousands of miles of flight. The flock in power V formation can be successful.

Without discipline at all, the individual goose exhausts itself well before the destination and risks dying from exposure in the winter. But individual discipline within the group is even more productive as the geese alternate who leads the V, where the drag is the most difficult.

They take turns allowing others to move forward to take the lead at the appropriate time. You are a leader. Where do you need to take a turn and when can you let others of your team fly the point for a while? Being the leader does not mean you have to do it alone.

Collaborating and letting others fly up front for a while is tactical and strategic. Are you choosing to trust others to fly at the front or do you make everyone fly in formation behind you? 

As followers of Christ, we get tired as well. The constant push and pull of our societies weigh on us. For many, it is a struggle from day to day just to survive the harshness of the environment of the earth. People die from disease and starvation daily.

The temptation is great to do your own thing. Push your way to the front of the line. Steal in the darkness if you must. But that is flying solo. Even for successful folks, where needs are met, the battle can be to get even more. There is temptation there, just like the goose who goes solo might leave early to get to the best fields, seekingthe best crops.

But he will always fight the drag on his own. He is disciplined by the laws of nature. We read, "I will punish her for the days she burned incense to the Baals; she decked herself with rings and jewelry, and went after her lovers, but me she forgot,” declares the Lord.” Hosea 2:13 NIV.

The Israelites suffered through persecutions, but God always came back with love. Who might you help to look up and see a flock passing by in formation and share the story of Jesus? Who do you know that is not connected to a church?

 It is totally possible that they have never understood or had explained to them the power V. Through Christ, we have power C. Will we ask them to join us? When we do, the lost may join us as we close the C of Christ into a circle and come into communion with Christ.

Will you collaborate with them this week? What is the first thing that you can do about it in the next seven days?

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, sometimes it is difficult to say thank you for your laws of discipline. We constantly test them with our words and actions. But when we love we show our self-discipline. Guide us as we look for ways to draw near you.

Let our hearts and minds be disciplined to look for you first. Help us to inspire those who have been grounded from flying alone to take flight with Christ. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen