Hard Hands, Soft Hearts

The other day I looked at the condition of my hands after a tough workout. They looked tattered and destroyed.

They have callouses.

They have scrapes.

They have rough spots.

A friend mentioned to me a while back -- you don't want soft hands...

I knew what he meant.

Soft hands can be an indicator of avoiding hard work.

It can be a sign of settling for comfort and convenience.

As a leader, I don't want myself or the people around me to develop the opposite: Soft Hands and Hard Hearts.

We need to work hard.

We need grit and determination.

This requires hands that can engage and push through the pain and friction of moving things forward.

We also need the right heart.

We need hearts that can be coached and corrected.

We need hearts that long for God to move in our midst.

We need hearts that long for our nation and the nations of the world to be reached with the Good News.

Do your hands show the signs of moving the mission forward?

Is your heart in a condition or place that God can direct and correct as He sees best?

My prayer for leaders and for Jesus followers: God, give us Hard Hands and Soft Hearts.