Saturday, June 21, 2008

How To Determine If a Leader Is Truly of God

Humility: True Greatness by CJ Mahaney is one of the best books I have ever read. If you have not read it yet, you should.

Isaiah 66:2 provides Mahaney with a biblical foundation for writing this book. I offer a list of quotes that I hope get your attention enough so that you will read this book.
  • Humility gets God’s attention.
  • Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness.
  • Pride seems to have a strange and sure way of ignoring logic altogether.
  • Pride is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence upon Him.
  • You and I hate nothing to the degree God hates pride.
  • And in true humility, our own service to others is always both an effect of His unique sacrifice and the evidence of it.
  • The cross never flatters us.
  • Sin doesn’t wake up tired.
  • Too many Christians are more readily aware of the absence of God than they are of the presence of God, and they are more aware of sin than they are of grace.
  • It is possible to admire humility while remaining proud ourselves.

Two more things I love about this book. The first is the way CJ Mahaney includes some very challenging and inspiring statements from the likes of John Owens, John Calvin, Charles Spurgeon, John Stott, DA Carson, RC Sproul and others. Secondly, this book isn’t just theory and theology. It also includes very practical ways to begin and end each day so that we can walk toward true greatness which is only found in humility.

[From What Leadership Demands by Shane]

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