Christian Leaders

In Colossians 1:24-29 Paul tells us “Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.”
There are at least two different approaches to leadership. The most common is the idea of leading by dictating and power. The other, the example of Christ, is to lead by serving. The second way emphasizes people, tells us "the strong have the most to give”, emphasizes personal responsibility. and works through love. Should this not be the approach you want your church leaders to adopt?
This is not just about leadership . . . it's about life. Every day we are asked to make decisions. Every day we must decide how to handle the various situations that come our way. In each decision we choose one of these two approaches. Each of us decides a dozen or more times a day to do it God's way . . . or the worlds.
To those who lead, let me say we need those who are strong even in the midst of the hassles, those who lead by example, and those who see the big picture. We need those who stand on the Word of God. We thank God for you.
Strong leaders are effective at bringing others together as a fellowship. This is often the difference between leaders and others who also get good ideas, but never have much impact on the Body of Christ. Bringing people together and helping them overcome barriers to understanding, personal resentments, jealousies, and prejudice is typical work for leaders. Good leaders often engage in conflict management with peaceful results. Those who try to manage conflict between others but end up fanning the flames or consistently repudiating one or the other party in conflict usually cannot lead for long, or at least must have a small following. Team-building also means that the leader is able to get more than one person to agree about key values or directions of movement.
Leaders are regularly battered by circumstances, by Satan, and by their own people. All good leaders must demonstrate that they can take it without losing composure. People are drawn to strength of character, and tend to believe what strong people say. While they may feel sympathetic toward the weak, they tend not to follow them. This doesn't mean leaders should pretend they are not suffering, but that their determination and integrity dictate that they maintain consistency even in the face of suffering. It also means that a leader would continue to pursue the right goals and live for God even if no one else follows. A good leader is not afraid of rejection by his followers because his concern is doing what is right, not being followed. Jesus taught that the good shepherd "goes out before them" which means that such a shepherd sets a course knowing that the sheep will follow after. When people sense that a leader is more concerned about being followed than about what God wants, they grow cynical about following.
Ironically, good leaders are also compromisers. While perseverance and determination are important, strictness works against effective leadership. We live in a fallen world where our visions will never be completely fulfilled. People never quite do what they should and life always seems to bestow upon us the unexpected. As a result, leaders realize they need to get the best they can, while not insisting on perfection or even on complete agreement. Wise leaders realize that the closer they come to their goal, the better, and that any movement is better than no movement. They also realize that a following must either be very small, or must include those who have a slightly different view, even though in general agreement on the most important issues. Leaders also realize they must prioritize goals and they feel good when major goals are attained even though lesser goals are not. Leaders who fail to prioritize, or who are very strict, run the danger of eventually breaking themselves and those around them. They are poor at team building, and cannot negotiate effectively. In the end, they nearly always forfeit their following.
The Bible commands us to encourage one another, and the leader should show the way in this area. 1 Thessalonian 5:11 tells us “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Leaders are those who, through encouragement, can restore confidence and enthusiasm to a group of people who are discouraged and depressed. Good leaders are constantly reminding people of their value, of God's love, of the promises of Scripture, and that failure is not the end of the world. Since followers are bound to fail often, the role of encourager, while not owned exclusively by leaders, is crucial to leaders' ability to maintain morale. Encouragement coming from a leader often has more impact for good than that coming from others.