Think about your leadership over the past month.
To what extent did you exercise each of the following components?
- Vision casting
- Team building
- Decisiveness
- Strategic planning
- Bias toward action
Chances are, that if you are growing in your leadership, some or all of these elements characterized your leadership.
But let me toss one more into the mix.
Faith.
To what extend did you exercise good old fashioned faith in your leadership?
Don’t blow this off. The faith component may not get a lot of attention, but ultimately this is the ball game for the Christian leader. Faith is the primary characteristic that distinguishes the Christian leader from anyone else.
Spend some time again soaking in Hebrews 11 and you’ll see what I mean. This chapter presents the “Who’s Who” of great biblical leaders, and their common characteristic boiled down to great faith.
Noah, Abraham, Moses and so many others listed were given huge leadership assignments. In each case, the stakes were high, the obstacles enormous, and the outcomes far from certain. And while each of these great leaders likely possessed the leadership qualities listed above, their clear distinction as leaders was unwavering faith.
What does faith in leadership look like for you and me? Well, as you examine the leadership of those found in Hebrews 11, these characteristics jump out:
- A clear call from God
- A constant knowing that God is in control
- A resolve to persevere, based on honouring God, not simply achieving a result
Look specifically at the example of Abraham. Hebrews 11 reminds us that,
By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. (Hebrews 11:8)
This great leader knew his call, he stayed the course knowing God was in control, and while he never lived to see the results of his leadership fully achieved, God still called Abraham his friend.
As you gear up for another season of ministry, continue to develop your leadership in the areas of vision casting, team building and strategic planning.
But at the end of the day, build your faith. Ultimately, this will mark your leadership more than anything else.
How do you exercise faith in your leadership?
Thanks for the reminder, this morning, Scott.
As September approaches and ministry life heats up, it’s easy to get caught up in all the tasks. That makes it even easier to forget the power source behind everything we do.
You reminded me that the “outcome”, while not what we may expect it to look like, is always good.
Have a super weekend.
D.
Great reminder! I agree fully that we ought to stay on course knowing that God is in control. Part of how I exercise my faith is by taking great steps of faith in leadership and trusting God with the outcomes.
I like the axiom: Attempt great things FOR God. Expect great things FROM God.