Every leader will be pressured to focus on the urgent over the important. Effective leaders do not replace well-planned activity with chaos or frantic busyness. Read Luke 10:38-42.

As part of His final ministry trip, on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus stopped at the home of some friends, Lazarus and his two sisters Mary and Martha. This wouldn’t be a long stay but He was simply taking time for a few moments of R&R and a meal. By now wherever Jesus went He wasn’t traveling alone so when Jesus showed up for dinner so did a lot of other people. It is not difficult to imagine how much stress Jesus’ arrival put on the women of the home who were charged with preparing dinner.

Effective leaders do their best to produce and facilitate systems that work together. Read Matthew 12:22-32.

As Jesus continued to demonstrate supernatural power, He healed a man who was demon-possessed, blind and mute. When the religious leaders heard of what had been done they accused Jesus of being a devil to have the power to cast out a devil. Jesus’ comment to this accusation was that “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand” (v. 25). Expanded only slightly, any kingdom or organization, or business, or church or family divided against itself will fall. This is true because all the various parts of an organization affect each other.

Effective leaders lay plans with the end in mind. Read Matthew 1:1-17.

Matthew is the first of four books in the Bible’s New Testament that detail the life of the greatest, most complete leader to ever live, Jesus. Matthew described Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah and the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. The first chapter describes Jesus’ family tree. Jesus’ earthly genealogy demonstrates God’s plan to bring about the salvation of humanity. Matthew shows how every step along the way, God had protected the bloodline that would bring the Messiah into the world.

God requires leaders to use all the skill He has given them while depending on Him for the outcome. Read Zechariah 4:1-9.

Zerubbabel was among the first group of exiled Hebrews to return from Babylonian captivity. God’s first assignment and His number one priority was to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem that Babylon had destroyed some 70 years earlier. He had a difficult assignment. When God tasked Solomon to build the original temple he had nearly unlimited resources, a willing workforce and Israel was at peace with their neighbors. Zerubbabel had strong opposition, a small demoralized workforce and very limited resources. With all these elements against him, Zerubbabel had allowed the construction to grind to a halt. At this low moment, through Zechariah, God reminds Zerubbabel and all the people that they would succeed but not because of their own might and power; He would be their source of victory.

Leaders must not only know the priorities, they must take actions to accomplish them. Read Haggai 1:1-11.

The Jewish people were back in their homeland after 70 years of captivity in Babylon. Their return fulfilled the prophecies of both Jeremiah and Daniel. Zerubbabel was their governor, Joshua was their High Priest, and in the year 520 B.C. Haggai became the first prophet to the returned exiles. God sent the people back to Jerusalem with the priority to re-build the temple. Upon their arrival, they laid the foundation and began the work on the sanctuary but there was soon interference from their neighbors who had claimed the land while the Jews were captive in Babylon. The work on the temple eventually stopped.