facing the dark
Written by Aron Strong on June 13, 2009 – 4:12 pm -I’ve been on a blogging fast for the last three months. It was unannounced, for which I apologize. With the realization of my job transition out of a Communication Director role into a Campus Pastor role, I knew I needed to draw away for a bit to prepare.
In my reading today, I came across a section that spoke to why I felt the need to pull away. Solitude has not always been a strong spiritual discipline in my life but has become more and more important in these last days. Here’s why:
Only those who have been brave enough to ride their own monsters of anger and greed, jealousy and narcissim, fear and violence all the way down to the bottom will find a truer energy with which to lead. Only those who have faced their own dark side can be trusted to lead others toward the Light.
This is where true spiritual leadership begins. Everything that comes before is something else. -Strenghening the Soul of Your Leadership pg.44, Ruth Haley Barton
This speaks what I could only feel before. When it’s time to step up, it’s time to step away to take measure of what lies beneath waiting to rise up and destroy everything you’re trying to build. And not that we have the capacity or strength to change ourselves, but God who is within us shapes and calls us toward who he has already made us to be. It’s through surrender and disciplining ourselves to obediance that we are positioned to have God work through us, to accomplish what we are called to do.
When was the last time you took a good long look at what’s lurking beneath the surface in your life? How long since you got away and spent some time in solitude with God and let him wrestle those things to the surface? Can you afford to wait any longer?
Posted in growing faith, personal, staff life |
By Liz Estes on Jun 16, 2009 | Reply
Powerful and poignant my friend. You are so eloquent in your conversations of real-life issues. So insightful with a hint of conviction for those (ME) that need to hear it.