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heart.—Psalm 37:3–4
Walking with God requires an intimate, Better the little that the righteous have
prayer-filled reliance upon him. Christian than the wealth of many wicked;
leadership is truly impossible if you haven’t for the power of the wicked will be broken,
prioritized fostering a deep spiritual but the Lord upholds the righteous.—Psalm
sensitivity. 37:16–17
Jesus tells us that the things that come out of Our spiritual condition reveals itself in our
someone’s mouth originate in their heart. actions. A leader understands this and
(Matt. 15:18) A leader needs to pay attention protects their spiritual core at all cost.
to the things they say because their words
are an indicator of their spiritual condition.
9. Leadership is integral to a nation
A good leader’s words will bring light and For lack of guidance a nation falls,
life. but victory is won through many advisers.—
Proverbs 11:14
7. A leader’s integrity comes from within
You can’t underestimate the power of
And David shepherded them with integrity of leadership. To the writer of Proverbs 11, the
heart; nation they were talking about was Israel—
with skillful hands he led them.—Psalm God’s people.
78:72
The church needs guidance, too. Without
As we saw in verse #6, our words are a strong leadership, a church cannot stand. But
strong indicator of our heart’s condition. It’s as the number of legitimate and godly
important that we pay attention to it because advisers grows, the stronger she gets.
strong leadership will come from the
integrity of our hearts.
10. Leadership is rooted in righteousness
13. Leader pay special attention to their 16. Leaders put their trust in God
resources
So do not fear, for I am with you;
Be sure you know the condition of your do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
flocks, I will strengthen you and help you;
give careful attention to your herds; I will uphold you with my righteous right
for riches do not endure forever, hand.—Isaiah 41:10
and a crown is not secure for all
generations.—Proverbs 27:23–24
Leaders find themselves in difficult
situations and, if their attention isn’t fixed
Resources don’t last forever. Money gets on Jesus, it’s easy to get dismayed. Because
spent, volunteers move on, and facilities and leaders find themselves under fire so often,
systems break down. The church needs it’s imperative that they are constantly
leaders who are keeping track of these growing in their awareness of God’s
resources to make sure they’re plentiful— empowering presence.
and healthy!
17. Leaders recognize their limitations
14. Poor leadership is demoralizing
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, Over and over the Bible is trying to tell us
neither are your ways my ways, that spiritual awareness leads to greater
declares the Lord. insight. A strong leader prioritizes spiritual
As the heavens are higher than the earth, discipline because they know that their
so are my ways higher than your ways connection to God is where they derive their
and my thoughts than your thoughts.— stamina, strength, staying power, and
Isaiah 55:8–9 insight. Without that connection to God,
you’re just a manager.
Face it—you’re fallible. You don’t have all
the answers, even if everyone thinks you do. 20. Leadership is about justice, mercy, and
Another reason we need to be investing in humility
our spiritual sensitivity is because as soon as
we start trusting in their own wisdom, we’re So in everything, do to others what you
sunk. would have them do to you, for this sums up
the Law and the Prophets.—Matthew 7:12
18. God establishes leadership
The golden rule isn’t particular to
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew Christianity, but Jesus adds a new wrinkle to
you, it. Instead of it being a prohibition (don’t do
before you were born I set you apart; to others what you don’t want them to do to
I appointed you as a prophet to the you), Jesus instructs us to do for others what
nations.”—Jeremiah 1:5 we wish they would do for us.
Sometimes a leader’s struggle isn’t just This should mindset should epitomize all of
about remembering that God is with them. our leadership. After all, it sums up the
There are times that it’s a struggle to believe whole law.
that you’re in the right place. In the thick of
it, it’s easy to believe that you’ve made a
21. Leaders practice humility
huge mistake.
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to
It’s important to recognize that God has become great among you must be your
prepared you for leadership. As long as your servant—Matthew 20:26
serving faithfully, you can trust that he’s
preparing to deliver you. This is another strange addition to the
world’s leadership lexicon. If you want to be
19. A leader has an intimate relationship with great, you must humble yourself. Christian
God leadership isn’t about standing above
everyone, it’s about serving them.
‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell
you great and unsearchable things you do
22. A wise leader is always expecting the
not know.’—Jeremiah 33:3
master’s return
“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, 24. True leadership recognizes the rule of
whom the master has put in charge of the reciprocity
servants in his household to give them their
food at the proper time? It will be good for From everyone who has been given much,
that servant whose master finds him doing much will be demanded; and from the one
so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will who has been entrusted with much, much
put him in charge of all his possessions.— more will be asked.—Luke 12:48
Matthew 24:45–47
Spiderman says it well, “With much power
If you ever feel like you need a little comes much responsibility.” Jesus would
motivation and incentive to keep plugging totally agree. The more authority and
away, remember that the Lord could return influence you have the more that’s going to
at any moment. We don’t want him to find be required of you. Every promotion and
us slacking off. growth in leadership needs to come with
sober reflection.
23. Leadership is all about service
25. Leaders aren’t restricted by their
Jesus called them together and said, “You limitations
know that those who are regarded as rulers
of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man
high officials exercise authority over them. is possible with God.”—Luke 18:27
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to
become great among you must be your Don’t fall into the trap of avoiding things
servant, and whoever wants to be first must that are beyond your ability. The sooner you
be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did get to a place where you’re no longer relying
not come to be served, but to serve, and to on your strengths, the sooner you’re going to
give his life as a ransom for many.”—Mark see God doing amazing things. As long as
10:42–45 you’re in your comfort zone, your leadership
is compromised.
When people aspire to leadership, it often
stems from a hunger for significance. This is 26. One doesn’t grow as a leader by chasing
a dangerous reason to seek leadership power
because once you get it, you’re likely to
abuse it. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the
greatest among you should be like the
Jesus adds to the idea that whoever wants to youngest, and the one who rules like the one
be great must be a servant, but he adds a who serves.—Luke 22:26
new component. The higher you want to
climb, the more of a servant you need to We’ve already seen Jesus comparing
become. If you want to be at the front of the leadership to servants and slaves. Here he
pack, you need to be the slave of all. adds another simile. The greatest should be
like the youngest.
In this culture, the youngest is the least empty, symbolic gesture. It was a service
important person in the family. They’re not that needed to be performed. It was
getting the attention, the blessing, or the something a servant would typically do.
inheritance. Jesus says that if you want to be
great in the kingdom, you can’t focus on Jesus isn’t asking his followers to humble
what you’re going to get out of the deal. ourselves in grand and figurative ways. He
literally wants us to get on our hands and
27. Rightly understanding your place is a knees and serve those who follow us.
prerequisite for leadership
29. Leadership is about watching over
He must become greater; I must become
yourself and others
less.—John 3:30
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock
Jesus calls John the Baptist the greatest of which the Holy Spirit has made you
person that’s ever been born. (Matt. 11:11) overseers. Be shepherds of the church of
This attitude had to be the reason why. John God, which he bought with his own blood.—
wasn’t interested in promoting himself. Acts 20:28
Even though he starts building up a lot of
notoriety, as soon as Jesus comes on the As leaders, we have two major jobs: to
scene, John takes the back seat—eventually watch over those under our care and to
losing his life. watch over ourselves. If our attention is only
on those we’re leading, we’re not taking
Our attitude needs to be similar. Leadership care of or own needs. We need to make sure
isn’t about building a name for ourselves, that we’re healthy if we want to adequately
it’s about amplifying Jesus’s name. lead others.
28. A real leader is the servant of all 30. Leaders have confidence in the future
“You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and And we know that in all things God works
rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, for the good of those who love him, who
your Lord and Teacher, have washed your have been called according to his
feet, you also should wash one another’s purpose.—Romans 8:28
feet. I have set you an example that you
should do as I have done for you. Very truly Even though Paul isn’t speaking to leaders, I
I tell you, no servant is greater than his can’t imagine a more leadership-appropriate
master, nor is a messenger greater than the message. Church leadership is full of
one who sent him. Now that you know these tragedy and triage, one can easily become
things, you will be blessed if you do disheartening. Our perseverance is uniquely
them.”—John 13:13–17 tied to our belief that God is already at work
alongside us reconciling the most difficult
One of Jesus’s last object lessons was his situations to himself.
willingness to wash the disciple’s feet
during their last meal. This wasn’t some
31. A leader’s security is in the Lord
If God is for us, who can be against us?— above anyone else, but works beside them to
Romans 8:31 meet the everyone’s goals.
This is the leader’s rallying cry. There’s The system operates efficiently when
always some opposition, and it doesn’t just everyone is using the gifts they were given
come from without. It’s important to to fulfill their role. Your job as a leader is to
remember that if you’re truly on God’s side, equip and empower them to bring more and
you don’t have to be afraid of resistance. more of their gifts to bear on their
position—and by doing so, you’re leading
Of course, that doesn’t mean that a good more diligently.
leader ignores opposing voices. Hearing
objections can be a great way to check your 33. Leadership is about stamina
plumb line and make sure that you’re on the
right track. But once you’re certain, move Let us not become weary in doing good, for
forward. at the proper time we will reap a harvest if
we do not give up.—Galatians 6:9
32. If you lead, do it diligently
A leader works hard making long-term
For by the grace given me I say to every one energy investments that they won’t see an
of you: Do not think of yourself more highly immediate return on. It can be draining to be
than you ought, but rather think of yourself planting seeds with the hope that they’ll
with sober judgment, in accordance with the grow into something majestic. A church or
faith God has distributed to each of you. For organization doesn’t become efficient or
just as each of us has one body with many productive overnight, so a leader needs to be
members, and these members do not all have committed to the journey.
the same function, so in Christ we, though
many, form one body, and each member The struggle for leaders who grow weary
belongs to all the others. We have different isn’t simply that they give up. It’s that they
gifts, according to the grace given to each of shift toward a more autocratic, authority-
us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy driven style of leadership trying to increase
in accordance with your faith; if it is the rate of change. And in the end, the
serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then structure that they’re hoping to fix is
teach; if it is to encourage, then give completely broken.
encouragement; if it is giving, then give
generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if
it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.— 34. Leadership equips people to become
Romans 12:3–8 mature
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the
A leader is part of an organizational prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and
structure. It’s not a more important or more teachers, to equip his people for works of
integral role than anyone else plays. It’s so service, so that the body of Christ may be
important to recognize that a leader isn’t built up until we all reach unity in the faith
and in the knowledge of the Son of God and
become mature, attaining to the whole Too often people quote Philippians 4:13 as
measure of the fullness of Christ.— if it stands alone. But Paul is setting himself
Ephesians 4:11–13 up as an example of contentment in
leadership.
The the church to become a mature
community that expresses the fullness of We can’t look at our current experience to
Christ, everyone has to be pulling together gauge God’s pleasure or the effectiveness of
in the same yoke. A church shouldn’t have a our work. Sometimes we will experience
top-down organizational chart. It should be comfort and sometimes we will suffer want.
everyone harmonically working together to The key is to find our contentment in
ensure that new believers can begin serving serving well, and avoid judging our success
as well. by looking at our situation.
35. Leaders aren’t ambitious for their own 37. A leader’s hope is in God’s faithfulness
gain
The one who calls you is faithful, and he will
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain do it.—1 Thessalonians 5:24
conceit. Rather, in humility value others
above yourselves—Philippians 2:3 Is this a leadership specific verse? No. Is it
important that leaders have this reminder in
The key to biblical leadership lies in keeping the back of their minds at all times?
your eyes on the goal. The goal is to worship Absolutely!
God by serving others. The only way we’re
going to be able to do that correctly is if we When leading gets difficult (and it will) and
value them the way Jesus did. you want to throw in the towel (which you
will), you need to remember when and how
The role of a leader is full of snares: self- you were called to lead, and know that God
aggrandizement, posturing, greediness, is going to see you through.
empty ambition, etc. The only sure way that
we can serve God while avoiding
38. What are the expectations of a leader?
leadership’s pitfalls is to value people above
ourselves. Now the overseer is to be above reproach,
faithful to his wife, temperate, self-
36. A leader learns to be content in every controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to
situation teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent
but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of
I know what it is to be in need, and I know money. He must manage his own family well
what it is to have plenty. I have learned the and see that his children obey him, and he
secret of being content in any and every must do so in a manner worthy of full
situation, whether well fed or hungry, respect. (If anyone does not know how to
whether living in plenty or in want. I can do manage his own family, how can he take
all this through him who gives me care of God’s church?) He must not be a
strength.—Philippians 4:12–13 recent convert, or he may become conceited
and fall under the same judgment as the There will be terrible times in the last days.
devil. He must also have a good reputation People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of
with outsiders, so that he will not fall into money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient
disgrace and into the devil’s trap.—1 to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without
Timothy 3:2–7 love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-
control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of
39. Leadership and self-discipline go hand-
pleasure rather than lovers of God—having
in-hand
a form of godliness but denying its power.
For physical training is of some value, but Have nothing to do with such people.—2
godliness has value for all things, holding Timothy 3:1–5
promise for both the present life and the life
to come.—1 Timothy 4:8 45. A Church leader manages God’s
household
40. A leader isn’t defined by their age
Since an overseer manages God’s
Don’t let anyone look down on you because household, he must be blameless—not
you are young, but set an example for the overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given
believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing
faith and in purity.—1 Timothy 4:12 dishonest gain. Rather, he must be
hospitable, one who loves what is good, who
is self-controlled, upright, holy and
41. Leadership doesn’t shrink disciplined. He must hold firmly to the
trustworthy message as it has been taught,
For the Spirit God gave us does not make us
so that he can encourage others by sound
timid, but gives us power, love and self-
doctrine and refute those who oppose it.—
discipline.—2 Timothy 1:7
Titus 1:7–9