Junior Skylar Higginbotham is in her third year of Associated Student Body leadership and holds the position of ASB chaplain. In this opinion piece, Higginbotham shares as part of an occasional column series. ASB officers offer their opinions from their leadership class. For the previous post, read junior Ashley Logan’s COLUMN: L.E.A.D. via answer.

Over the school year, campus leadership class used the acronym L.E.A.D., which means to love, encourage, answer, and do. Tying all these back together, L.E.A.D. shows us the importance of not only loving Jesus but others as well. Love, encourage, answer, and, the final acronym: ‘D’. Do gives us a guideline on how to live our lives–to serve and live out this directive. 

To live out these four principles is to live out God’s will for us in its full capacity.

As believers, we are called to live as Jesus did and we have seen Jesus show these four steps in every story. He loves more than anything in this world can ever offer. Sacrificing himself on the cross is a kind of love that is indescribable.

In leadership this year we have strived to accomplish these goals in this season of unknowns. 

Praying over the year that we didn’t know we’d even be able to have really bonded us tighter together. My favorite thing we’ve done this year in leadership was the monthly worship mornings. It’s something small, but so important to start out the month. Seeing more and more people come every time and being able to pray over it myself was such a blessing. 

This year we had to learn how to adapt to whatever cards God handed us and that is something we’ve never had to do like this before.

He encourages us in every possible way and he never gives up on us. It doesn’t matter how often we fail or mess up, he is always there by our side. He answers our prayers and our pleas. Then turns those into actions we can live out in faith.

In my life, I’ve sought to hold these truths even outside of class. Leading in my youth group’s worship team has been an outlet for infinite growth in my faith. Going outside my comfort zone is not something I do often, but has been huge in my life. 

I would encourage you to spend even a mere couple extra minutes of your day dedicated to Jesus. It doesn’t have to be this huge time commitment that we roll our eyes to do. But just simply reading a verse every morning before school, listening to worship music in the car, or praying to God randomly throughout your day, etc. These little actions are what keep us growing closer and closer to Jesus.

And there’s nothing he loves more than that.

As we move into summer and our long-awaited break, I hope that through that time we can draw nearer to God. That we can grow in our relationships and even in small ways, move outside of our comfort zone. By focusing on how God can use us to help others, and not ourselves.

John 15:16 demonstrates this directive perfectly: “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”

Let us strive in this season of endings, to go into new beginnings with L.E.A.D. Do not tremble and fear when hardships come but instead face it head-on with the knowledge that God has already won it all.

How can you participate in L.E.A.D. during the summer months and as you begin the new school year in August? Share your thoughts and challenges in the comment section below.

For more Feather articles, read Coronavirus pandemic, rise of misinformation highlight importance of media literacy and LRC instructor Kimberly DeWolf continues to assist students after 25 years.