Become a nurturer

The Bible says, “A good leader motivates, doesn’t mislead, doesn’t exploit” (Proverbs 16:10 MSG). Jesus was a good leader. He loved people, but He never used them for His own ends. He was busy, but never too busy to stop and help them. In relating the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus said, “As he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him…bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him” (Luke 10:33-34 NIV). Note the words, “took care of him.” To lead someone, you must be able to influence them, and you do that by taking the time to nurture them. At the heart of the nurturing process is a genuine care for others. If you want to help and positively influence people, you can’t dislike or disparage them, because they’ll sense it. You must love and respect them. The old adage “Fake it till you make it” won’t work; people know whether or not you care. Maybe you’re wondering why you need to assume a nurturing role; after all, isn’t that something they should get somewhere else, like from their family? Many of the people you come into contact with every day are desperate for encouragement, and sadly, if they don’t get it from you, there’s no one else who will give it to them. When you become a nurturer in the life of another person, you have a real opportunity to influence them for good and for God. So become a nurturer!