True power ....

Nov 4, 2024

3 min read

“Mastering others is strength; mastering oneself is true power” - Lao Tsu

Running away from home

I was well on my way to becoming a fat Southern Baptist pastor when God called me to something quite unusual for my family. While my father had served his obligatory four years and my cousin had made a career out of it, no one else in my recent family history had raised the right hand and sworn into the United States Armed Forces. That's right--at 36, I ran away from home and joined the Air Force. I was, to say the least, very unprepared.

Mostly, I was unprepared physically. Four years of seminary plus being a pastor plus being the father of two small kids ("Daddy, you want a bite?") plus being generally exhausted meant that physical fitness had NOT been at the top of my concerns. I was out of shape, and the military requires a certain amount of physical readiness (yes, even in the Air Force), and that was/is measured by running

a 1.5 mile, performing a set number of push-ups and sit-ups, and conforming to a certain BMI and waist measurement. Time to practice the hardest kind of leadership .... self-leadership.

Trust me, it "builds character"

What is "self-leadership"? It is the act of influencing or training one's self in a specific way and toward a specific purpose. Fighter pilots train themselves to withstand G-forces. Marines train themselves to treat their long weapon as an essential part of their bodies. I had to train myself to run, push, and watch that ever-threatening waistline! Every military member has to train to follow regulations, whether agreed with or not. Self-leadership can be utilized physically, mentally, emotionally, and ... spiritually.

Spiritual self-leadership is the most important kind. It speaks to character, and character speaks to a strong, moral foundation. Check out what these leaders say:

"Character in many ways is everything in leadership" (Dwight D. Eisenhower).
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself" (Jack Welch).
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit" (Aristotle).

A lack of self-leadership has gotten leaders fired who wouldn't control their drinking, sex drive, finances, pride, predilections, quirks, fetishes, and so on.

How does one gain self-leadership? The Apostle Paul wrote to his protege, Timothy, that he should "train [himself] in godliness" (1 Timothy 4:7b). While speaking from an obvious Christian point-of-view, all can take away the idea that leading the moral self takes discipline; it does not happen naturally. Paul's idea was to get into the spiritual "gym" and train under the wise tutelage of a trained supervisor. Training in godliness meant learning to couple spiritual knowledge with physical action.

Learning to lead the self

Here are some steps to train oneself spiritually:

Study the habits of the spirit. What are the morals, values, and ethics you hold dear?
1. Read the great philosophers,
2. Engage with your faith and the leaders and writings thereof,
3. Ask "Why?" you do/think/speak as you do,
Discern one area of spiritual growth needed in your life;
1. Practice moderation in some area,
2. Meditate and grow in peace,
3. Live in the space between action and reaction,
4. Slow down and appreciate what is around you,
Allow someone else to speak truth in your life;
1. Go to a counselor,
2. Be honest with a close friend,
3. Seek pastoral guidance,
4. Hire a life coach,
Develop an 8-week plan for growth;
1. What is your attainable, S.M.A.R.T. goal?
2. To whom will you be accountable?
3. What are you developing?
4. In what way will you train?
5. How will you track results?
Practice what brings you life;
1. Spend time with family,
2. Go hiking,
3. Develop a hobby,
4. Engage in something unexpected.