Sunday Sermonizing: The Principle of Cake Baking
There are certain stories I will always tell.
My daughter is soon to be 25 years old. But I still tell the story of something that happened when she was seven.
Renee’ was teaching her to bake a cake.
Renee’ had baked hundreds of cakes in her lifetime. Cori had baked none. So mom did the motherly thing and taught her daughter how to measure flour, break an egg, and stir in the milk and sugar.
I remember coming home from work that day to a kitchen/disaster area. There were batter and bowls and frosting and beaters everywhere. Mom looked mildly stressed, yet happy. The daughter looked ecstatic.
This was the best examples of discipleship and leadership I would ever see.
Renee’ can bake cakes much better and much faster than 7-year-old Cori. But the only way to learn is to do. You can only do if someone allows you to do.
You can only grow if someone gives you permission and space to make mistakes.
To make your own mistakes.
We don’t allow mistake-making for a lot of reasons. Sometimes it’s personality. If I can do it better and faster, allowing another to step into the process breaks up efficiency. Sometimes it’s control. Often it’s insecurity.
Someone might take my job.
I like making cakes and would never want to turn that over to someone else.
But you eventually have to.
This principle of cake baking holds in every organization in the community. It’s leadership development, skills training, and discipleship. It’s often the loving way God deals with us as his kids, as well.
He lets us help with baking the cake.
Leaders get confused about this.
Leadership is not about doing it all yourself because you can.
Great leaders allow people to grow and develop their leadership. They recognize this to be not only important but essential. A non-negotiable.
There will be limits and boundaries. There will be assistance needed along the way.