My Trip to Virginia - Part 2

   One of the most impacting lessons I took away from Patrick Henry College was learning the characteristics a godly leader. A leader is not merely someone with a booming voice, commanding presence, and an eloquent tongue. Although these attributes would definitely come in handy as a leader, those are not the key elements required.

   You need to have a humble spirit. No one is going to want to follow someone who is arrogant and haughty. Those who shun the opinions of anyone else because they think that they have all the correct answers, will never be esteemed. Proverbs 11:2 states: "When pride comes, them comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." God deeply loathes and despises pride, which means that we should stay far away from it. Don't take all the credit for the things you accomplish, make sure that you are continually giving the glory to God. 

   Secondly, be a servant! Jesus was the perfect example of leadership and He, the King of Kings, lived His life in full humility. His lowly birth in a stable and His entrance into Jerusalem on a mere donkey demonstrate that his heart was bursting with humility. In Matthew 23, Jesus says "...he who is greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." Those who exercise a life of servanthood will often make choices for the betterment of others. Would we not want to follow someone who had our best interests in mind?

   Finally, exercise prudence and discretion on a daily basis. These two traits are essential for a godly leader. When one leads (and everyone does in one capacity or another) and is faced with certain decisions, they will need to have sound judgement, wisdom, and understanding. Proverbs 2:11-12 says, "Discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you, to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things..."

My Wing

   My week spent at Patrick Henry College was full of convicting yet inspiring lectures. I hope to strive to grow in all of these areas and faithfully execute the vocation that God has called me to. However, our days at Patrick Henry were not full of speeches alone; we had plenty of recreational activities which balanced out seriousness and fun :) 

  At the very start of camp, we were assigned to different dorms and within those dorms, specific wings. There were six gentleman wings and six lady wings. Each wing had a team name; we were the "Southern Belles". One gentleman wing and one lady wing would combine together to form one team, making six teams altogether. Our opposite guy team were the "Arabian Knights". Consequently, we combined our team names and became "The Southern Knights". 

   Throughout the week, the co-ed guy and girl teams would compete with other guy and girl teams to win the envied Party in a Bag. We earned points by arriving to meals on time, participating in games, and making a skit at the end of the week. Long story short, our team ended up winning the Party in a Bag which contained all sorts of delicious junk food, a variety of sodas, and a movie :) It was so much fun!! The way we won it though, was not due to our teamwork talent or our incredible acting skills. In fact, our team was a little dysfunctional at first. As God worked on our hearts, we slowly began to put our knowledge of leadership into praxis.

   Each activity we did involved working together as a team. Although it may sound simple, it took a great deal of time before we actually understood how to a) choose a main leader and b) respect each other as we functioned as a team. During the first couple recreational activities, each one of us all had our own ideas about how to best complete our challenges. That often caused slight frustration because we weren't working together as a unit. However, when we truly understood the Biblical principles of leadership and applied them to our common actions, we began to function like a true team. Once we decided to regard the opinions of others above our own, we began to get along almost perfectly. As previously stated, at the end of the week, our team won 1st place and we throughly enjoyed our Party in a Bag :)
    There were so many valuable lessons I learned during my time at Patrick Henry. I hope to holdfast to what I learned and commit myself to the Lord by constantly applying these principles to my life. I encourage and exhort all of you to be godly leaders with humble countenances, displaying the heart of Christ through your servanthood. God bless you, my dear readers!