Leadership, What is it?
Introduction:
Leadership can take shape in many different forms depending on the setting. Whether it be a football coach rallying his players before a once in a lifetime championship or a CEO leaving his office to visit his employees in a warehouse, leadership is a staple characteristic in many successful people. While important in a practical sense, leadership is also demonstrated throughout the Bible and something that God wants to instill and develop in his children.
What is leadership? Well, in a general sense, leadership is the ability to inspire people to make a total, willing, and voluntary commitment to accomplish or exceed organizational goals. This means that leaders are there to unite a group of people and serve them. They are supposed to create a mutual relationship with their followers so that together, that group can work towards a common goal.
In the Christian realm, we are called to be leaders of our own lives and to direct others onto the right path. No matter the situation, He calls us to lead lives of honor, displaying integrity and excellence in all situations. Ultimately, all believers are called to reach out to our broken world and continue to share the Gospel. Throughout this blog, we hope to describe what leadership means and what it can look like in a personal and professional context.
Leadership Requires Us to Surrender to God
One of the fundamental aspects of leadership is allowing God to move in and through you. It means giving everything we have to Christ and dying to ourselves daily. One of the finest examples of this is the story of Paul. Paul, a highly admired Pharisee by the Jews, was one that led many people to God. He would walk hundreds of miles with people talking about Christ and also was stoned multiple times for his preachings. Paul was also a wise steward of his time. While in prison, he wrote numerous letters to churches encouraging and uplifting them, four of which ended up in the Bible. Paul gave everything he had to God; physically, mentally, and spiritually. As leaders and followers of Christ, our first mindset should go to God and confess that everything is out of our control and that He has it all planned out.
However, in a practical sense, going to God in confession and prayer does not mean that He will miraculously do everything for us. When we understand that sacrificial notion, we humble ourselves and grasp the fact that we are not alone when we go onto the battlefield. We have been equipped with the mindset of sacrifice, giving our time, energy, and lives to what Christ desires from us. The decision to follow Christ means putting our own desires aside in order to allow what Christ desires to take first place. We have the decision every day to put ourselves first or to put Christ and others first. Every day is an opportunity to obey the law of sacrifice, allowing us to understand what it fully means to be a leader.
If Leadership is not about us, then what is Leadership About?
In essence, leadership is about serving others in a way that allows the end goal to be accomplished. Take a look at Timothy. He was ultimately sent to Ephesus to further God’s kingdom and to glorify our Lord because Paul could not physically be present there. Timothy’s mission was to check on the church and to guide them. Timothy did not go to Ephesus for his own desire, but rather went in the place of Paul to honor God’s wishes. There was nothing Timothy would gain going to Ephesus; in fact, Timothy was only placing himself in a spotlight to be embarrassed. Because Timothy was so young, many thought he was unqualified to lead and as a result, he became the center of doubt. Despite all of this, Timothy went to God and recognized that following the will of God was more important than any desire he had of his own life.When God called Timothy, he answered and would go harvest the crop.
As college students gradually transition into adult life, our lives can get increasingly busier. In fact, our lives, our phones, social media, the news, and so many more things encourage us to constantly work and entertain ourselves, thus, not allowing us time to rest and seek what God desires us to do. Due to the distractions, it can be difficult to discipline ourselves to set God-honoring priorities. Time management is something that we have to learn to do as Christians because it will change the way we live our lives. Time is precious, and life on this Earth is fleeting. Therefore, we should wisely choose to focus on tasks that are worth our attention. When we are considering our priorities we should think in a certain mindset: what is required, what has the greatest return, and what brings you the greatest reward?
When we ask ourselves, what is required, we are really asking what has God told us to do? What on my list of things to do is a must? Does family take precedence over school? And do my activities take priority over forging new relationships?
The second question refers to working smartly rather than working hard. What can be done most efficiently by you? If we are trying to learn how to perform a task, would it be easier to learn it or delegate it to someone else? Where can you most effectively spend your time?
Lastly, what we do must acquire a certain purpose. Questions to consider are what brings the greatest reward to you? Is what you’re doing really worth your time? Does it bring you personal satisfaction? Are you finding passion in doing what you are doing? It is important to ask these questions in a godly context as well. If the decision rewards you internally, great, but is God pleased?
Conclusion:
When we go on SWAT weekends, we often emphasize that these weekends are for the children. You are there to love them and support them. While the children are 100% our top priority on the weekend, it would be foolish to disregard the fact that leaders are constantly growing on these weekends as well. In this blog series, we, the small group interns, hope to emphasize how leadership is one of those character traits that you develop from the weekends and how to pursue it in a more intentional way. In the last two parts of this series, we hope to touch on the effects of leadership and more practical ways to apply it in your personal lives.
-Small Group Interns