Leading with Purpose and Passion

I'm going to Cairns in another day, and while I'm there I'm hoping to get some time to continue working on my book. At the moment the working title is "Leading with Purpose and Passion".

We need to lead to fulfill the Lord's purpose for this world - to provide a platform for the conditioned living entities to go back home, back to Godhead - and we need to do it with all the passion (utsahan) we can muster.

I read an awesome analysis of the book of Nehemiah on TheResurgence.org.

I'll reproduce it principle by principle, and maybe add my own five cents. Here's principle one.

Principle One

Christian leaders are deeply concerned about the fulfillment of God's plan and purpose. In dependence on Him, they do something about it.

As the curtain goes up in chapter one, we find Nehemiah who was taken captive and is now serving the king of Persia as his cupbearer. He asks someone a question about the state of Jerusalem and the Jewish people living there who had escaped captivity. Upon hearing the bad news, his first response was not to draw up a strategic plan, nor begin enlisting people for the cause. Rather, he began by weeping, mourning, fasting and praying for many days. He confessed sin, reminded God of His promises and sensed a call.

Leadership always begins with God; the fact that He's up to something and wants me to be a part of it. True spiritual leadership is getting on my heart what God has on His. I want to know where God is at work and where and how I can join Him in that work.

It was Robert Kennedy who said, "Some people see what is and ask why? Others see what could be and ask why not?

After reading about Nehemiah and his response to the news, I wrote this in my journal.

"Lord, break my heart with the things that break Your heart. Do I mourn, weep and seek You over the state of the church and the Great Commission. Am I deeply concerned with what concerns You, or am I passively asleep in the light?"

I am challenged by his humility, his getting with God before getting into action, and his starting with God's character and promises.

Some questions to ponder:

1. What impresses you about Nehemiah's response to the report he received?
2. What does it mean to have on your heart what the Lord has on his?
3. What prevents you from being dependent on the Lord?
4. Do you know what the Lord's purpose for this world is?
5. Do you know what role you have to play in that purpose?
6. What are you doing to find out?

My five cents

Take a look at the book "Preaching is the Essence" put together by Ramesvara prabhu. This book brings together a lot of really powerful expositions by Srila Prabhupada on the innermost desires of the Lord for this world.

Here are some excerpts:

The Lord wanted to create the cosmic manifestation to give another chance to the conditioned souls who were dormant in forgetfulness. The cosmic manifestation gives the conditioned souls a chance to go back home, back to Godhead, and that is its main purpose.

The special function of Srila Rupa Gosvami is to establish the feelings of Sri Caitanya Mahäprabhu. These feelings are His desires that His special mercy be spread throughout the world in this Kali-yuga. His desire is that all over the world everyone, in every village and every town, know of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His sankirtana movement. These are the inner feelings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

because He [the Lord] wants to maintain the creation, He desires the mass of people to follow the right path of self-realization, which enables the living beings to enter into the kingdom of God. The Lord wants the suffering human beings to come back home, back to Him, and cease to suffer the threefold material pangs. The whole plan of creation is made in that way, and one who does not come to his senses suffers in the material world by pangs inflicted by the illusory energy of the Lord.

The compilation "Varnasrama-dharma", put together by Hare Krishna devi dasi, also contains many clear instructions transmitted by Srila Prabhupada on how human society must be organized and lead according to the Lord's arrangement.

All that remains is for us to become instruments in making this happen.