By Mutua Mahiaini, International President
Photo Courtesy Ümit Bulut
Leaders in most companies and organizations rely exclusively on worker productivity, management skills and technology to accomplish organizational goals and tasks. God is rarely part of the equation.
Although we push hard to fulfill our Navigator Calling and Vision, those of us who serve on the Navigators International Executive Team (IET) and as Regional Directors have sought to not follow the world’s patterns of leadership. We always have an intense agenda but we believe it is important to make time to seek God together, to integrate worship and leadership.
Our team and our Regional Directors are scattered around the world. So during our times together, every moment matters. Each long-anticipated conversation is treasured. The meetings are full of communal worship, personal sharing (at times requiring us to be quite vulnerable), and robust engagement around sticky leadership issues.
When we met at the end of August, each morning we had a different Regional Director lead us in seeking God together through the Word and prayer. It was as if we experienced Luke 24:32, which says, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"
It is not easy to measure the value of time spent in the presence of the Lord, seeking to know Christ collectively as a team. It can feel risky to wait on God. Yet when it comes to accomplishing our ministry tasks, we have found time and time again that prayer saves time. The wisdom and guidance we gain from God’s Word spares us from untold problems. Our team’s unity is increased, which makes us more effective.
In Exodus 34:23-24, God addresses this issue directly: "Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your territory, and no one will covet your land when you go up three times each year to appear before the Lord your God."
Please pray for all Navigator leaders with this thought from our Vision statement in mind: “The leaders of this movement, developed and empowered for God’s service, live out a growing commitment to Christlikeness. They are dependent on the Holy Spirit.”
As you serve God in the context of your daily life and work, we encourage you also to sustain a focus on worshiping God, staying deeply engaged with God’s Word, and devoting time to prayer.
Mutua Mahiaini is the International President of The Navigators. Mutua and his wife, Stephanie, led our work in Kenya, then in Côte d’Ivoire, and then as Regional Director for Africa for 13 years. Mutua and Stephanie now live in Colorado Springs. They have four adult children.
