The Official Writing Challenge
BACK TO
CHALLENGE
MAIN
INSTRUCTIONS
how it works
submission rules
guidelines for
choosing a level
ENTRIES
submit your entry
read current entries
read past entries
challenge winners
Our Daily Devotional HERE
Place it on your site or
receive it daily by email.


TRUST JESUS TODAY

  • Share
  • how it works
  • Submit
Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Leadership (03/14/05)
Leadership, a term that conveys many images at its mention. Prominent names spring into focus when the word leadership is invoked: Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Malcom X, Ronald Reagan...Each demonstrating at some point in their very public lives, certain characteristics of a good leader. Whether your opinion of each individual is favorable or unsavory, each did exhibit certain facets of good leadership. As with any other topic, we must dig deeper to separate the Biblical views of leadership from the world’s description. Biblical principle tells us that God does not make leaders, He makes servants who become leaders. The stories of Joseph, Moses, and David are prime examples of God’s leadership process. Neither of these individuals were looked upon in their youth as having even an ounce of leadership potential. Joseph was viewed as a starry dreamer, a daddy’s boy who would, at most, be a noted scholar. Then the fateful day came when his brothers tossed him in a pit, thus beginning his rocky road to leader in Egypt. Moses had killed a man, had a speech impediment, and seemed content to live the rest of his life watching his father-in-law’s flock, until the great I AM showed up in a burning bush. David was one who served his brothers and father as a shepherd, and later fled from Saul like a wounded beast rather than touch the Lord’s anointed. Regardless of their seeming failures in life, God saw the heart of a leader in each. Just as the Lord spoke to Samuel as the Prophet scanned David’s brethren and said that neither was His choice to replace Saul as King, so is God testing the hearts of men today. Truly, He looks not as man does, for He does look at the heart.

Another misconstrued point on leadership is that leadership is a position to be bowed to. We have a picture in our church and the caption reads, “Leadership is action, not position.” How true this statement is! Many in the Body of Christ today have navigated into a twisted view of what it means to be a leader of God’s people. Moses, Joshua, David, Joseph, Abraham, Solomon, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, and many others each held a variety of leadership mantles and each was a man of action, a man of purpose. New Testament leaders such as Paul, Peter, Timothy, James, Stephen, and John were men in motion as well. As you study the scriptures, it is plain to see that the leaders God chose, first had the heart of a servant formed in them. This Holy Spirit school of leadership that each endured, enabled them to remain humble men of valor before God in the leadership roles to the church. Humility as a servant will result in humility as a leader. Luke 12:48, New Living Translation reads, “…Much is required from those to whom much is given, and much more is required from those to whom much more is given.” God requires much from His leaders in terms of giving back to His people.


Honoring Leadership
Honoring those in Godly leadership roles has become a touchy subject in the Church today. The fear that men and women will take advantage of the flock of God has become a crutch to many as a reason not to honor men and women of God. As people of God we must understand the importance of honoring God’s leaders. The following scriptures are Biblical instruction that we are to honor God’s set people. “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. (Romans 13:7-KJV). “Let the elders who perform the duties of their office well be considered doubly worthy of honor [and of adequate [a]financial support], especially those who labor faithfully in preaching and teaching.” (1 Timothy 5:17-KJV). As the Body of Christ, we must honor those whom God has placed over us as mentors and overseers. It’s odd that we have no problem going to a job day after day and giving our worldly boss our time and effort, regardless of their attitudes or faults. But when it comes to the Kingdom of God, we look for reasons to not give (both to the Pastors and in tithes and offerings.) We have got to realize that when we honor God’s set man and woman, we are honoring God. May I recommend the following authors and titles on leadership: Pastor Frank Damazzio: The Making Of A Leader, Bsihop E. Bernard Jordan: Mentoring-The Missing Link, and the many leadership books written by John C. Maxwell. (Frank Damazzio and Bishop Jordan also have authored other leadership books as well.)
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE

JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
This article has been read 1029 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Lynne Gaunt
03/22/05
You have hit on some critical points regarding leadership - God does indeed look at the heart of a person and hopes to see the heart of a servant. Your points about how we treat our leaders are also well-founded. Nice entry, thanks for sharing it.
donna robinson
03/25/05
I think I especialy liked the points made in that last paragraphs. Sometimes we totally forget our pastors and the burdens they share.
Delores Baber
03/25/05
I really liked that line, "God is not making leaders, He is making servants who become leaders." There is a process of preparation that a child of God must go through to be an effective leader with a servant-heart. You brought this out well.