Being A Leader that Makes Soul Deposits

All of us know about deposits. We deposit money into the bank, and this deposit enables us to sustain life...pay our bills, buy our food, clothe ourselves. We all need deposits, don't we?

But, this week let's think of a different kind of deposit. SOUL Deposits.


As a leader God gives you the wonderful opportunity to deposit into another person's life. And, like our bank deposit, when the soul has received a deposit of TRUTH and CARE, it is sustained and enabled to receive from God and grow in faith. This is not something to be taken lightly because this deposit brings a life change, a heart change, and a ripple effect which in turn impacts many others.

When you, as a leader, deposit into another person's life, you are not just impacting them, you are affecting all people that their lives touch. So, the next time you think your serving doesn't matter, think again. It does! All women lead in some way. From being a friend, wife, mother, grandmother or aunt....to being a vocational leader such as a nurse, counselor, teacher...to being a ministry leader such as a small group leader, mentor, teacher, hostess, greeter or a multitude of other acts of service...all women lead. And, all women can deposit something significant into the lives of others.

Think of the people you serve, in your home, your small group, at your church, in the workplace. These are people that God has placed in your life for you to make soul deposits into. A soul deposit is not just throwing a Bible verse at them, but a soul deposit is being Christ to them...in whatever way is necessary at the time.

I have a friend who makes many of these deposits. She spends time mentoring younger women, and has even gone into the labor room with one of them...coaching her through the birth of her child. She teaches women how to read their bibles, how to respond to life with faith, and even how to cook a meal! In many ways she is a modern day example of the Apostle Paul mentoring Timothy.

There is one thing I have noticed about this friend...in many ways she is self-less. She is an open vessel that is willing to make a deposit into others lives. In all the years I have known her, I have never heard her whine or complain about the time spent. From the spiritual to the practical, I think she knows that all things are counting towards eternity.

You see, the truth is, when we make deposits into another's life, we are also making a deposit into eternity. We are becoming rich, as we give out of what we have...being willing to say "yes" to God.

God is the God of Deposits.
Take a look at the following verses, and you can see that God is all about depositing into us for the purpose of eternity!

1 Cor 1:22
"He annointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
1 Cor 5:5
"Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
Eph 1:14
"Having believed you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession."

Mentor Moment:
What did Paul teach Timothy about this deposit?

2 Timothy 1:13
"What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Gaurd the good deposit that was entrusted to you--guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us."

First we are to GAURD the deposit that Christ has deposited into us.
How are you doing that?

Next: ask yourself this....
Am I making a good deposit into someone's life?
What does that look like?
How can the example of Christ's deposit help spur me on to make a deposit into others?

One last thing...often we grow weary of making these deposits. We are people and we get tired and worn out. Our bank account gets near empty. That is why we need to receive daily from the deposit that God himself has placed within us. That is also why we need to identify the things that make deposits into our Soul Tank.

What fills you?
What do you need to keep in your life? What do you need to make sure you allow time for?

For me...Music fills my tank. Many things do, but music is one of the things that quickly fills me. Often when I am empty, listening to music is like gulping water from the Lord's rock. There are many tangible things that fill us. Some women say nature opens them up again, others like to create, and others like to be in community with women....I have a friend who takes the top down of her convertible and with hair blowing in the wind, gets re-energized again.

Just be sure that you always remember that God's Word, and Jesus Himself, are the first places to run to when you need a deposit of the soul. Because, you can drink from many wells, but if you don't drink from Him, you will always be running on empty. Only Jesus Christ quenches our thirst, fills our tank, and gives us everlasting grace to then deposit into another.

Prayer
Father, I come to you as a leader and humble myself before you. I am asking you to show me what in my life is empty and where I need to go to your for fresh deposit. Then Lord, I am actively seeking you on how you would like me to deposit into others during this season of my life. I believe you will show me. Less of me, and more of You Jesus. That is my prayer.