This session we begin a new series and it is based on the book “Leadership & Self-Deception”. We can quickly look at the title and think “what the heck”, but in reality we might just be living out the title.
Leadership
Whether you are a corporate leader, a small company leader, a leader in a department, a leader in the band, or a leader on a team, we slide into that category. What we don’t always remember or even realize is that we actually take on leadership in a wide variety of situations in our live. In our family there are situations where we take on the role of leader. Sometimes we even allow others to lead, many of the times we don’t ever call out the roles but we fall into the roles.
If we acknowledge those basic relationship situations of where roles mysterious just get assigned and individuals plan out their part, we then can pause and realize it is even bigger than that concept. Internally we jockey around for roles emotionally and even spiritually.
In your life have you been a leader or a follower? Are there events or experiences in your life that molded you into that category?
What are some examples of leaders and followers in the Bible?
Deception
If we are honest, we have all been involved in deception. Whether we were the target or the guilty one.
Deception…
- the act of deliberately misleading or causing someone to believe something that is not true.
- involves presenting false information with the intention of creating a false perception or manipulating someone’s beliefs, actions, or decisions.
- can take various forms, such as lying, concealing the truth, or using misleading tactics to achieve a specific outcome.
Now we can all relate to deception outlined above, in one way or the other. Whether it our own personal pain, the mistakes we have made, the trouble we have gotten into or even just social media and then news.
Scams, false-advertising, and all the challenges that we face, we learn over time to be wiser, or at least attempt to be. We go through an experience and we establish boundaries and make personal adjustments.
Do you have an example where you were deceived? Do you care to share about a time where you deceived someone else?
The Bible is filled with examples of deception, any come to mind?
Self-Deception
Now the painful reality is that deception is not limited to our interactions with others. Deception is rampant in our mental and emotional beings. The painful truth is…
Nobody as deceived you more than you have