Michael Hyatt

Don’t Lose Heart. 

The people who don’t stay the course, are those who lose heart. Most Christians – 80%? lose heart and become ineffective by the age of 55.

You can get your heart back

– and lead from the heart.

You will maximise your influence as a leader when you embrace 5 truths about the heart.

Your heart is the essence of your identity.

The Bible uses the word heart over a 1000 times.

Matt 5:8, 6:23, 15:18, 22:37 – love God with your heart.

Your heart is YOU. Who YOU are. The inner sanctuary where you connect with God and others from. The world ‘s focus is external image, but the Lord looks at the heart. Why? Because it matters most.

The big question is not how’s your family/ career – but ‘How’s your heart?’

Your heart is your most important and valuable leadership tool

Prov 4:23 – above ALL else! (It’s not your knowledge, your skills that counts) – your heart is the WELLSPRING of your life. If you stop up springs, the streams stop flowing. Pollute a spring, the stream is toxic.

Your heart directly impacts your influence.

Physically your heart is what keeps you alive. Your body can survive without many different organs. You won’t miss your gall bladder that much. But lose your heart, and you’re dead. Your heart is what keeps your organisation alive. It’s what keeps those around you alive too. Your organisation can’t survive without your heart. It’s the greatest gift you give to your team.

Your heart is either healthy or unhealthy.

You may have spiritual cardiovascular disease. The flow is constricted. You’re scarred over. This is the silent killer. It takes people out and they function a while without knowing. Is your heart open or closed?

Symptoms that your heart is Closed? 

Distant, aloof, can’t get close to people, focus on what others are doing wrong. Life dries up around you. Cynical.

When it’s Open…

You’re fully present and accessible. Other-focused. You connect to people. You’re a resource to them. You may focus on what’s missing, but not on what’s wrong (some people want to find what’s wrong all the time). Being a good leader in an organisation is a lot like being a good parent. Affirming, encouraging. People feel FREE.

 

People around you now know whether your heart is open or closed.

Can you discern the difference? You find all through the Psalms, David is talking to his heart.

Your heart is under constant attack.

Satan wants to take you out, and he aims at the heart.

If you let discouragements, offences etc take root in your heart. There’s no point where you can let your guard down. Older couples get divorced too, you don’t have to be young to do something foolish! GUARD your heart- it’s precious! You don’t have to guard your rubbish, nobody nicks it. If the enemy can take you out, a lot of people will go down with you. People are watching, hoping you stay the course. www.pastorburnout.com shows there are too many that don’t. 70% of pastors don’t have any close friends. Eccles 4:9-10 – two are better than one! 57% would leave the ministry if they could in the same survey. Be on your guard. Pull the drawbridge up on your heart sometimes, so you can let it down when you need to.

Cf. Capture the flag. You can have a long game – but when it’s captured, it’s game over.

Guard your heart!

You can recover your heart by keeping the disciplines of your heart.

Eg?

SABBATH.

Finding time to cultivate the inner you.

It’s hard to do that in a busy world. How do we compete with those who have no margin?

BY FAITH! That’s the purpose of the Sabbath. God blesses it. Find time to take care of yourself. If you always put yourself last, you’ll be of no use to anyone. Make time.

Once a week, ask yourself, ‘How’s my heart?’ 

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