Lent

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”—Psalm 51:10, (AV)

Lent means many things to different people and is often about sacrifice. Lent is a 40 day period prior to Easter that originated for practical reasons: in days gone by food stored away in the previous autumn was running out or had to be used before it went bad in storage and little or no food crop was expected soon. Since it precedes Easter it is a way to identify with Jesus in His suffering until its culmination on Good Friday and then followed joyously by the resurrection on Easter Sunday.

In addition to the concept of sacrifice, Lent is also a good time to begin a period of reflection. “Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over, and over again, expecting different results.” This saying, found in many 12 step programs, expresses a form of wisdom. In order to change what we are doing over and over (insanity), we need to have a “change of heart!” Nothing changes until the heart changes and then ingrained patterns can change.

Leadership is one area that is subject to a world of insanity. Just look around! You see it everywhere – people going to jail for “cooking the books,” workers are losing retirements while bosses enjoy luxuries, etc. Leadership needs a heart change.

You want to be different – you want to lead like Jesus but it is hard and the road is long. Change is difficult at best and on a good day. How would you like your leadership to be different tomorrow, next month, in six months or one year from today? What needs to change first? Second? Third? Create a new heart in me today, O God!