In the Army it is often stated that leaders are made and not born. In some cases, history showed that there were leaders born out of circumstances and went on to become heroes with great achievement, but these are few.
Leaders need certain basic pre-requisites and plenty of coaching and training to be molded. It requires many years of refining and sharpening of character, techniques and development of various qualities of leadership. A leader is like a shepherd, always concerned for the welfare and safety of his sheep, never gives up when faced with difficult decision.
To be called to serve as leader and steward is God’s grace and a great honor. A leader’s “good works” demonstrate the greatness of God. As Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Hence what is more important is to have a clear picture of God’s vision and His purpose and this is derived from our growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus shows us when he selected the 12 disciples from various social and education backgrounds and spent about one and half years of His ministry time to mentor and equip the disciples for the tasks ahead. His imparting of the Kingdom knowledge helped the disciples to understand their stewardship responsibilities & be entrusted to make courageous decisions. One of the keys to achieving success is pursuing God’s goals in His ways rather than pursuing our own. There are three principles to focus in pursuing God’s goals:
1. Picture the Goals and their outcome. David courageously faced Goliath because he was confident of what God wanted him to do, how God wanted him to do it, and the result God wanted to produce. (1 Samuel 17:34-37) David could envision what God wanted to accomplish. Since God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8), stewards are often called to make decisions that seem illogical and thus require great trust and courage. Having a clear picture of God’s vision for what He has entrusted to you is the best way to make courageous decisions.
2. Earnestly desire to reach and complete the goals. David’s brothers and King Saul tried to persuade the young shepherd not to face Goliath, but he could not be deterred (1Samuel 17: 28-33) – he was determined to carry out the task God put before him. Determination comes from a conviction that what God asks you to do must be done at all costs. The best way for a steward to be convicted about what must be done is to engage in ongoing communication with God about what He wants for His resources. That way, your desire to reach God’s goal for your life increases as He reveals his plan for you
3. Wisely set a course of action. David went into battles with the strategy and weapons that were right for him. Rather than trusting the “standard” armor and tactics of the day, David slew Goliath with an approach that suited his specific circumstance. God knows the details of your life and how they will unfold. For this reason, He is in the best position to show you which stewardship strategies and tools are right for you. He wants you to seek His direction and godly counsel so He can equip you with a tailor-made plan for pursuing His goals in His ways.
As leaders it is not a matter of getting into routine of doing “spiritual things” or what is expected of us but to check our motives. Are you doing it with the heart to honor God or is it for pride and others to admire. Living a life of faith is not about the work you do to show you’re a leader; it is about submitting your decisions, actions, thoughts and words to Christ, trusting that He will provide everything. If not, you will constantly be in struggle with yourself and not be able to accept comment & criticism. It is evident from Scripture that Jesus did not intend for us to be salt and light in a sealed container. (Matthew 5: 15-16) Rather, God designed us to have a circle of impact, similar to the effect of a pebble that is tossed into water – little rings appear and ripple outward, further and further until the water is calm again.
In making difficult and courageous decisions, leader must also be mindful of the social changes and needs, especially the youth of today. The youth today is open to many options and need not conform to standard norm. Yet they are the most vulnerable of the group and can easily be attracted to the work of Satan. Therefore, leaders put more effort and time to engage this group and invest wisely to develop the group cohesiveness.
Leaders must serve with humility. Godly humility has to be taught to us by God. Usually, it is not something that we easily learn. “How to” books on gaining humility rarely work. Taking time to sit at the feet of Jesus does. This is because humility, like the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit is something we acquire from God as we commit ourselves to Him, forsaking all that He desires for us to be. Leaders who walk with God always reach their destination. The way this is accomplished is through humility.