One characteristic of a leader is the fact that they show initiative. That's true by definition, because leaders cannot wait for others to take the initiative. If they do, they are, in truth, not the leader but a follower. Initiative also carries within it foresight, faith, and risk. If a leader has not moved outside their comfort zone for a long time, it might be time for a new adventure.
Why do leaders fail to take initiative?
It seems easier to avoid challenges than to face them and take a risk. Facing a challenge means committing yourself at some point. That can lead to a feeling of uncertainty about what the future holds. What happens if I'm wrong? What happens if no one follows me? What happens if I fail? There are numerous reasons why leaders would rather wait or run away than take initiative.
| Reason | Problem |
|---|---|
| We are afraid and so cannot maintain our commitment. | Sense of security |
| We believe we'll find better places, markets, and teams with fewer challenges. | Wishful thinking |
| We invest time and energy only in our own personal gain. | Selfishness |
| Our past makes trust difficult. | Emotional baggage |
| We are careless and unmotivated. | Indifference and neutrality |
| We fear the risk of rejection. | Low self-esteem |
| We fear the unknown. | Low self-confidence |
| We don't want to lose our freedoms. | Entitlement |
| We're afraid of being different. | Political correctness |
| We don't really know who we are. | Gifting and calling |
Jonah had to learn what it means to take initiative. It began with him learning to obey God. Once a leader has understood that, they can set out on the road together with God. They can take risks, because their future is in God's hands. Once Jonah had accepted God's assignment, he was able to witness numerous exciting developments. What happens when we listen to God and take initiative?
- We take on healthy personal responsibility. (v1:12)
- We see other people find their way to God as well (v1:13-16)
- We get a new perspective on God (v1:17)
- We deepen our times of praise and prayer (v2:1-9)
- We develop a new inner freedom (v2:10)
- We enjoy partnership with God (v3:1-9)
- We experience satisfaction in watching other lives improve (v3:10)
Jonah 2:10 - 3:10
10 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD.
11 And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.
Jonah's Preaching and Nineveh's Repentance
Jonah 3:1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying,
2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee.
3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.
4 And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.
5 So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.
6 For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water:
8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.