Christian Leadership — Are You Prepared?
“Then I saw thrones, and the people sitting on them had been given the authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus and for proclaiming the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his statue, nor accepted his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They all came to life again, and they reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Revelation 20
“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5
Preparing For Christian Leadership
Considering the future that God has prepared for his people, are we preparing now to do our part in the Kingdom of God? God is training his leaders for positions of service to care for his family. Will we be ready to do our part? Here are some messages from the scriptures to help us reflect on the role God wants us to play in bringing many children into his household.
Transformational Leadership — World Needs Now
“Leaders are people who do the right thing; managers are people who do things right.” (Professor Warren G. Bennis) So where are the “leaders” in our world, the ones who “do the right thing?” We have many charismatic figures in the world — politicians, sports figures, adventurers, business executives. Those who are examples of Christian leadership have godly vision and set a true course to inspire others to do the right thing, they exercise transformational leadership.
Christian Leadership — Imitating Christ
Paul’s letters urge Christians to be reflective learners, examining themselves. Asking, “Does my life emulate the life of a true disciple.” God judges not only our behaviour – whether we are following Jesus’ pattern of living – but our motivation. This is because God has called his disciples to be faithful stewards.
Jesus likened coming events to those of the time of the Maccabees. He counsels his leaders to faithfully resist evil, to stand in the gap, and to rally all those who love the truth. The Feast of Dedication continues to be a time of renewal, renovation, and rededication to godly loyalty in leadership.
Personal Responsibility — God’s Perspective
To God’s faithful servants, he gives the personal responsibility of representing him, walking in covenant with him, and teaching, and encouraging others. In Ezekiel’s parable of the watchman, or Jesus’ teaching about the faithful household steward of God’s household, it is apparent that God will hold his servants personally responsible for doing the work he had asked them to do.
Jesus was not a part of the official system so the Jews did not recognize him as a true leader. Yet, he had the qualities that God looks for in a leader, the foremost being “agape” — love of the things that God loves. If you are looking for good leadership, let the scriptures be your guide.
Living as Lights in God’s House
We are called into a relationship with Christ, the true light, so we must not be found “sleeping in the dark.” But rather, being fully awake to the nature of our society, and the responsibilities we have as disciples we must encourage one another and shine our light as Christ’s ambassadors, emissaries of the Kingdom of God and lights in God’s house.
Worship Leaders and The Dilemma of Truth
While Paul warns Christians about counterfeit worship leaders, he admonishes those who would lead God’s people to speak the truth in love. So as true worship leaders we must examine ourselves and ask the important questions. Are we following the Samaritan approach as leaders, mixing delusion and deceit with reality? Or, are we obeying God in spirit and truth, and leading others to do so, too? Only the truth will set you free so you can love God with all of your heart.