SELDI Podcast with Tony Williams Tony Williams

Greetings, Leaders.Most leaders desire success. Many put in a great deal of effort and sacrifice to accomplish meaningful goals. However, what is the best goal and highest priority for great leaders?The greatest leader of all time gives us the answer."But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these other things will be added to you." Jesus - Matthew 6:33What does seeking first the kingdom of God look like in a leader's life? The answers lie in studying the lives of great leaders who came before us, such as King David, considering their outcomes, and imitating their faith.The lives to examine are those of great leaders who completed their journey, and we can see the full story of their lives.  Some may say, "I am too busy to prioritize seeking the kingdom of God. I have a quota to meet, a business to lead, stockholders, a board of directors, and family obligations to meet." God knows all this and promises to care for everything if we commit to making Him first.Begin to discover his faithfulness. Ask God to give you wisdom to put Him first. A great leader once said, "Prayer is life's greatest time saver." When I pray, my decisions are more impactful and fruitful, and my steps are firm and sure. I discovered this priority on May 14, 2015, and began applying it to my life and career. This principle changes everything! What are the outcomes of this priority in the heart of a leader?Life, righteousness, and honor come to those who pursue righteousness and loyalty as a way of life."Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor." Proverbs 21:21 NIVSome leaders desire fame and recognition. The best desire is "A good name is to be more desired than great wealth. Favor is better than silver and gold." Proverbs 22:1Humility is a prerequisite for experiencing the outcomes that stagger the imagination. "The reward of humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, honor, and life." Proverbs 22:4My friends, consider the rewards of having a mindset of humility and fear of the LORD.Great leaders from ancient times and today recognize two key truths: When we serve God with humility and gratitude, He rewards us with blessings that stagger the imagination."The LORD rewarded me for doing right; he restored me because of my innocence." King David - Psalm 18:20 NLTAs we journey through this season of leadership, let us be prepared for whatever the LORD calls us to do. You will experience the power and wisdom He provides for victory. Remember, he will never fail us. Trust in His guidance, for it is the surest path to triumph."The LORD directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?" Proverbs 20:24 NLTSeek the LORD's guidance as we plan for victory!  "Trust in the LORD with all your heart;do not depend on your own understanding.Seek his will in all you do,and he will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3:5-6 NLTHe holds victory in store for you and me!Victory! 

Greetings, Leaders.Every day, you craft a narrative that defines who you are and shapes the vision of who you aspire to be. This narrative, woven through your thoughts, words, and deeds, is not just a reflection of your leadership journey but a powerful tool that can steer it toward greatness."If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all the others." Jesus, Matthew 20:26Make a conscious effort to weave gratitude into your daily narrative. This simple act can transform your leadership style, foster a positive work and family environment, and boost team morale.  Paul, a great leader in ancient times, exhorted those he served to follow his example.  "What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you."Paul - Philippians 4:9 ESV"Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith." Hebrews 13:7 ESV"Always be full of joy in the LORD. Again, I say rejoice. The Lord is near."Paul, Philippians 4:5Let's aspire to be leaders like Paul, leading with faith and love. Strive to be leaders of influence, using our faith to inspire others to follow our example.What have you learned?What have you received? Encourage others.What have you heard?What have you seen?Take a moment to reflect on your experiences and learnings. Write your answers to these questions. This self-reflection is a powerful tool for personal growth and can guide your future leadership actions.Make it your goal to practice these things. Practice is an action we take!Ask God, "God help me to remember and gave me an internal reminder to practice these things, and the God of peace will be with me."God is faithful and will answer. "Ask and it will be given you. Seek and you will find. Knock and it will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" Isaiah 26:3 NLTVictory! 

Greetings, Leaders.Every great accomplishment, especially those of eternal value, starts with one small step in faith. When we walk with God, where we are now is a result of what we are willing to believe God can accomplish in and through us.Faith is trusting that God will honor His promises to those who believe.What do you sense God calling you to do?Listen to what He says, follow His instructions, and see the beautiful things He will do through you.Take the first step in faith. His promises always succeed."Trust in the LORD with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6God's power flows through us when we, in faith, commit to His leading and take the first step.You are pleasing to God when you trust Him."And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6Consider and apply these four steps.Request from God for His purpose and calling you to great things.Record what He is giving you as your vision. "Then the LORD answered me and said, 'Write down the vision and inscribe it clearly on tablets so that those who read it may run.'" Habakkuk 2:2Writing down what comes from hearing God ignites us with courage and confidence to go forward so that those who read it may run.Rehearse and memorize God's promises to all who trust in Him.The LORD says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8Resolve to follow His instructions given step by step, keep going, and trust that He will accomplish more incredible things than we can imagine.Communicate what He has done for you to others so they will also trust God for greater things.Be encouraged by the outcome; King David records to inspire us."I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,    and he turned to me and heard my cry.2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,    out of the mud and the mire.He set my feet on solid ground    and steadied me as I walked along.3 He has given me a new song to sing,    a hymn of praise to our God.Many will see what he has done and be amazed.    They will put their trust in the Lord." King David - Psalm 40:1-4 NLTVictory! 

Greetings, Leaders. The leader you aspire to be and the thoughts you allow to shape your mind are pivotal in defining your leadership. Engaging in self-reflection and understanding why you react and the statements you make are critical steps in this journey. From ancient times, leaders were encouraged to guard their thinking. "For as you think, so you are!"  "Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts." Proverbs 4:23 GNT Why is this so important? What we focus on tends to shape our thought processes and influence our emotions. Our hearts, the deep part of us, are reflected in our speech.    "The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45 Have you reacted to a situation and made hasty statements you wish you could retract? Sometimes, we want to justify our behaviors with statements like, "That is just how I am. I had to speak what was on my mind." This thinking needs to be corrected!  We can radically affect our thought lives by focusing our thinking and guarding our speech. Here are three actions we can take. First, ask God to help you change your thinking and your heart. With God, all things are possible to the believer.Second, seek Godly counsel from others who demonstrate by their actions that they are walking with God.Third, practice pausing and thinking before you speak or act. These steps are the beginning of becoming the new you, and the leader God wants you to become. The process of changing our thinking is lifelong and challenging. Thomas J. Watson, Sr., once profoundly stated,  "All the problems of the world could be settled easily if men were only willing to think. The trouble is that men very often resort to all sorts of devices in order not to think, because thinking is such hard work."Thomas J. Watson, Sr.  "My dear friends, you should be quick to listen and slow to speak or to get angry. If you are angry, you cannot do any of the good things God wants done." James 1: 19-20 CEV  Here is an insight I gained from King David. Begin every day with this request to God. "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer." - King David, Psalm 19:14 ESV. Remember and reflect on the things that lift your thinking. You can experience peace.  "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Philippians 4:8 NLT Victory is in store for you. Ask God, and He will provide for you at the right time. "The eyes of the LORD search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. " 2 Chronicles 16:9a Victory!   

Greetings, Leaders! Be encouraged that whatever God calls you to accomplish will come to fruition. For with God, all things are possible. Remember, God's calling and gifts are irrevocable.  No matter the task He assigns us, He guarantees our triumph, no matter how daunting it may seem. Think about what He calls you to do or believe. Please continue believing Him for fulfillment when facing the enemies of discouragement, circumstances, and delays in fulfilling God's vision. "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:9 Consider three things God is doing for us as we believe in Him and His vision for our lives. First, God assures us of the victory. Second, God gives us evidence of His working to encourage us.Third, God graciously provides all we need and, ultimately, the victory! Gideon was a great leader and a farmer in ancient times whom God called to an impossible assignment—to deliver his nation from the oppression of a mighty nation. First, God speaks to Gideon while he is winnowing wheat in a pit so that the enemy will not see him or take his grain, as they did repeatedly every year at harvest time, leaving the people in starvation. When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior." Judges 6:12 Gideon, a farmer, did not see himself as a mighty warrior, but God did. "Sir," Gideon replied, "if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? And where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about?... But now the LORD has abandoned and handed us to the Midianites." Judges 6:13 God encourages us at this moment, just as he encouraged Gideon by saying,  Then the LORD turned to him and said, "Go with the strength you have and rescue Israel. I am sending you!" Judges 6:14 With a new identity from God and belief in God, Gideon takes action and amasses an army of 32,000 men. Even this number was no match for the multitudes of the enemy. God tests Gideon's faith, tells him to reduce his army, and helps him select only 300 warriors!   The LORD told Gideon, "With these 300 men, I will rescue you and give you victory over the Midianites. Send all the others home." "Judges 7:7 God assures you and me that when He calls us, He is faithful to give us victory, which is precisely what happens! "That night, the LORD said, "Get up! Go down into the Midianite camp, for I have given you victory over them!" Judges 7:9 "Listen to what the enemy is saying, and you will be greatly encouraged. Then you will be eager to attack."  God guided Gideon's steps that night, and he arrived at just the right time to hear the enemy speaking of their defeat at the hands of Gideon and his army! Greatly encouraged, Gideon returns to his men and gives them instructions from God. They take action, and God graciously does all the rest. The outcome—a fantastic victory for them and an example for us! Remember, "with God all things are possible." Jesus, Matthew 19:26 Victory!    

Greetings, Leaders. Rejoice! Again, I say rejoice. If you feel rushed, hurried, time-pressured, and experiencing task overload, God's promise of stillness is yours and mine.  "Be still and know that I am God." - Psalm 46:10 We live in a hurry and keep going in life and career. We can benefit from the instructions and examples seen in the lives of three great leaders to manage the stress of speed.   First, remind yourself to take time to consider what great things God has done in your life. Gratitude allows us to focus on God's goodness and strengthens our faith.  Life and career goals can make us so progress and future-oriented that we forget the good things God has already done. Remembering God's help in accomplishments strengthens us to move ahead with confidence. Here are three benefits of stillness and situations to consider. First, stillness calms our fretting souls - our minds, will, and emotions. As we get alone and remain silent before God, we experience our fragmented emotions becoming whole.  King David wrote about his experience when he was still before God. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.He makes me lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." Psalm 23:1-3 Second, God desires to encourage us on our journey when we become overwhelmed by activity, stress, and fatigue.Elijah, a great leader who had recently won a significant victory, became fearful and retreated to a cave.  But God spoke to him there."The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by."Then, a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind, there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and stood at the cave's mouth." Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" 1 Kings 19:11-13 Third, when we know God, we can be confident and help others during significant conflicts.  Moses, a great leader who knew God, spoke peace and encouragement to a group of frightened and panicked people when facing the Red Sea behind them and the enemy army rapidly approaching to destroy them. "Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm, and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14 Their stillness and trust in God provided the victory that day! My friends, make it your practice to be still and listen to God's words of encouragement, instruction, and assurance of victory.You will discover His peace, energy, instructions, and awareness of His presence to gain new victories. Victory!