Spiritual Leaders do God’s Work

Every day I ask for the LORD to lead me with what He would have be learn and understand and today is no different. Generally I try to stay away from defining when I am writing so that the circumstances do not dictate what would be learned. But today the LORD laid on my heart to address one man’s work in the wake of his passing. Charlie Kirk was just a man, a man doing God’s Work.

I did not know Charlie Kirk and only saw his work through the lens of social media from him directly and those who did know him personally. Everything that I saw pointed to a man doing the work God had for him and that man, Charlie Kirk, did so regardless of what others thought of or said about him. He was unapologetic about his faith and openly discussed it with anyone at any time. He let God’s agenda point him the direction he was to go.

Again, I am reading and studying in MasterWork from the fall of 2011 with respect to Spiritual Leadership as written by Henry and Richard Blackaby. These men write in the conclusion to this week’s study, “If Christians around the world were to suddenly renounce their personal agendas, their life goals and their aspirations and begin responding in radical obedience to everything God showed them, the world would be turned upside down.” They also point out, “that’s what first century Christians did, and the world is still talking about it.”

Isn’t it true that when we are doing something radical, it is something to talk about. Others take notice. Followers happen. Take that social media thing. The name of the game is “followers” and that drives more and more radical things to be done to gain followers. Our goal should be to be so radical that others will follow along, but not for our gain, for the LORD’s Glory.

How do we do that, well, following the lead of THE leader Himself, God. We are to do His will and not our own. We are to seek Him and no other. We are press forward with God’s agenda and put aside ours. And work from the words of Jesus as He taught His disciples to pray:

“¹⁰Your kingdom come,

your will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.”

— Matthew 6:10 (ESV)

Charlie Kirk did the work of God. He followed God’s agenda and was rewarded for it. Not without challenge, and as is possible with all of us, he lost his life in this world because of it. But, he will be remembered for the work he did to advance God’s agenda as we all should strive to be. And look for the words from God that I know Charlie Kirk heard when he arrived in Heaven:

“²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’” – Matthew 25:21 (ESV)

Who’s work are you doing each and every day? Are you seeking to accomplish your own goals and agenda? What if you looked to the LORD and did His work to accomplish God’s agenda?

Look to Work from God’s Agenda

I do understand, when looking to lead, there is an agenda or a goal or a destination that is being worked. It only makes sense, otherwise what is the point, getting people to follow aimlessly. In virtually every leadership book, periodical, class, or seminar I have been exposed, leadership is almost pointless without purpose.

Jesus had an agenda, a goal, a destination as He was leading the disciples. He was aware of the mission. He understood the purpose. The thing is, it was not His agenda, but the Father’s. Jesus came, rather was sent to this world to carry out the Father’s agenda. He was set to do work of the Father and not His own. Jesus was the workman carrying out the mission.

As Jesus went through this world before He did anything, He consulted the Father to get the lay of the land and understand the mission at that moment. Before His actions, Jesus prayed to the Father. Jesus followed the agenda of the Father at every turn. He was in tune with God and knew that it was not His own will, but the Father’s for all things to happen.

“³⁶And he said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.’” – Mark 14:36 (ESV)

Jesus was always looking keenly for the next part of the agenda to play out. He was looking for and always willing to accomplish the Father’s plan. Jesus was not just bringing a group of people on a journey to nowhere, He was leading based on an agenda. It was the agenda of the Father.

This is to be our approach as well. As disciples we are to follow an agenda. The agenda will lead to the goal, destination, or result we are to accomplish. The thing is, that agenda is not our own but the agenda of the Father. I have to remember every day to have restless eyes as I seek to work the agenda of the Father. I am to be in communication with the Father as Jesus was to get the direction I am to take. At each turn I am to reach out to the Father to understand as much as He can and/or will give me. I am to follow the LORD’s direction and work to accomplish His agenda.

What is leading you? Are you out there working on accomplishing your own work to get somewhere you want to be? What if you were to work the agenda of the Father and followed his direction to accomplish His agenda?

Lead All People, Not Just God’s

When we think of the definition of spiritual leadership as by Henry and Richard Blackaby: “Spiritual leadership is moving people on to God’s agenda.”, notice that it is moving people, not God’s people. This is something that I do believe is missed in the application of leadership. Leadership is to move all people, and in the case of spiritual leadership, that does not change.

We are called to “make disciples of all nations” – Matthew 28:19 not just those who believe as we believe. As a spiritual leader, we take others on a journey to and through God’s agenda and not our own. We have to demonstrate the example of Christ and others will follow, and there are a number of example of this in His Word. Moses helped strangers with their flock of sheep. Joseph interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh. The Samaritan helped the stranger on the side of the road. It was demonstrated to do what is right to God’s agenda. We can do this every day. I demonstrate love to all, regardless of who I may be working with and their belief systems. I stay true to the love of God and His agenda to lead other to it.

And that is the last truth according to the Blakabys, working from God’s agenda to move people to His agenda. First, we have to know what God has for us in this world. We have to follow Him wherever He asks us to go and work from what He has in store for us. Moses chose to walk away from the plush life of the Egyptians as he saved a Jewish man from a beating and likely death. Solomon asked for wisdom from the LORD and not riches and power. Before we can move people to God’s agenda, we have to know what it is and demonstrate that knowledge in our own lives.

As we lead, we must think of God first and allow Him to lead us. God will take us to those we are to lead. He will provide the lessons needed to teach and guide them. He will provide the destination and the path to get there. And it does not matter who they are, God will place those in need of leadership in your path to lead, regardless of what world they come from.

Who do you believe is lead with/through spiritual leadership? Is it only those who are spiritual themselves? What if you just relied on God’s agenda to move people, all people, to His agenda?

Spiritual Leaders are the Tool of the Holy Spirit

This seems like an odd thing, that spiritual leaders are only a tool for another and do not do things on their own. Think about it, “Spiritual leaders depend on the Holy Spirit” – Henry & Richard Blackaby’s 2^nd truth of spiritual leadership. Spiritual leaders are not asked or expected to do things on their own. They are asked to be the tool through which the Holy Spirit works.

Take Moses. He was not of greatness, yet God used Him to free the Israelites from the rule of Pharaoh. And, Moses, he was reluctant all the way. In Exodus 3:1-4:17 we see that Moses felt as though he was inadequate in station (not influential enough). He felt as though he was inadequate in voice (not a strong enough speaker). He felt as though he was inadequate in education (not a smart or eloquent enough). And, he was lacking confidence (not the right person). Yet, God would use him as the tool to accomplish the goal of leading the people out of Egypt. The Holy Spirit would be doing the work, yet needed the right tool to get it done in the sight of Pharaoh and others.

Aren’t we all similar in our approach. Each of us fall into a bucket of fear keeping us from accomplishing things (Fear of failure, ridicule, uncertainty, success). These are those items that plague us as man and keep us from moving forward. We feel as though we are not adequate enough to achieve the goal.

Now, there are also times when we may feel as though we are the right one, yet are working to accomplish our own agenda and not that of the LORD. I have fallen into this category for the longest time. At my current company, I have known that I am to be here where I am and that there is something for me to accomplish as a leader. Yet, for that same period, I have been looking for the outcome that would to be accomplished. I had been looking inn the wrong place. I was looking at what “I” was to accomplish and not what God was to accomplish through me.

It does not matter who, what, where, or when we are. We are the tool in the moment being used by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work of the LORD. Being a spiritual leader is allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us to move people on to God’s agenda. Like Moses, we may not be influential, or a strong speaker, or smart, or right person enough to take on the task the LORD has for us. But, we are not supposed to be in our own eyes. We are just the tool the Holy Spirit uses to accomplish the work of the LORD.

What is your view of your role in accomplishing the tasks of the LORD? Are you finding yourself to be inadequate in taking on the tasks? What if you were to allow the Holy Spirit to use you as a/the tool to do the work of the LORD?

Leadership Defined

This is a noble goal and yet there are so many out there, definitions of leadership that is. This morning in my reading I have been reminded of several. I am not going to give my own definition here, but rather discuss more of the concept as I understand, knowing that there is more to it and it may not land with everyone the same.

There are soooooooo many that espouse to know what leadership is, and maybe they do. But, if you really look at each of them and their “definition” they are all similar save for the target of or result desired. In just looking at three in my reading, they all lean into persuasion and influence as a part of leadership. So the concept of leadership is to persuade and/or influence others.

This persuasion and/or influence is used to get others to do things that are wanted or desired by the one persuading and/or influencing or to reach a certain goal. And this can be done a number of ways. One can explain the positive impact of the change or reaching the goal. One can demonstrate the consequences of not achieving. And there is also the “because I said so” method. But ultimately, the idea is to get others to do that which is wanted by the one.

With this in mind, it is the goal of spiritual leadership to move others toward the goal that God has for us in our lives. The thing is that each of us is different and the goal that God has for you is certainly different than the goal He has for me. That makes the concept of persuasion and/or influence a challenge. We cannot lead to something if we do not know what that something is. And, we have to be careful in leading to our own path when those we are leading may not be interested or able to follow our path.

Here is the thing. We are to persuade and/or influence others to God’s agenda. Think about the biblical leaders. Moses, led the Israelites out of Egypt because God told Him to so that they would be established in the promised land (God’s agenda). Joshua led the Israelites to topple the walls Jericho that they would be established in the promised land (God’s agenda). Jesus, gave Himself to die for us that we would be established as saved from this world and become heirs with Him in heaven (God’s agenda).

We are to persuade and/or influence others to God’s agenda, not our own. When looked on as this, I can see that spiritual leadership is not just useful in the church. It is useful in the secular world as well. My leadership is to move others to God’s agenda and not my own or some other entity. Yes, there may be tasks to complete within the other entity, but those should be leading to the ultimate goal of aligning and completing God’s plan. Leadership therefore is moving others to accomplish God’s agenda as the statement from Henry and Richard Blackaby indicates here:

“Spiritual leadership is moving people on to God’s agenda.”

What is your definition of leadership? Are you attributing to the completion of single or defined tasks? What if you attributed everything to move others on to God’s agenda?

Who Leads You, God or King

I know, that seems like a question that may get some conflicting thoughts. And I will say that at first consideration, it does to me as well. This morning in my reading and study, I was asked to consider that very question and dug into them.

The Israelites wanted a king and the LORD granted their want. But as with most things, wants and needs are two very different things. The Israelites saw that grand size and wealth and pageantry of the other nations and wanted that very thing for themselves without considering the cost.

In 1 Samuel 8:10-22 Samuel laid out the cost to them. A king will take sons to be in the army, take daughters to serve him, take the best of fields for his pleasure, take your servants to serve as his, take the best of the flocks for his. Everything that was had by the Israelites was not theirs any longer, as ll belonged to the world and the king who reigned over it. Even after learning of all that a king will take, the people were still blinded by their want, and so the LORD gave it to them. The results were as to be expected, just what Samuel had laid out to them.

Contrast that with having our God. He is our king. He does not take, we give. Everything that we have, just as with a king, belongs to Him. The difference is that we continue to work it and have it for us. Our sons, stay with us until their time to have their own families. And the same for our daughters. That which comes from our fields is still for us to work and experience the bounty. Our servants, would remain in our household. Our flocks are for us to work and experience. All that we have is ours and the bounty that comes from it we attribute to the LORD and give freely back to Him.

Our kingdom should be ruled by God. He is the example of the true king in our lives. He provides for us as He only wants the best for us. No, we may not be rich with things of the world. We may not have millions of acres and/or millions of dollars. We will however have what we need to be content and enjoy our time together, and more importantly, our time with Him. By giving ourselves to God as our king, all will be provided for us.

“³³But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” – Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

Who is leading your life? Are you beholden to a king and all that he takes from you? What if you were to worship God as your king and know that He provides all that we need?

Christian Leadership Principles into Secular Roles

This morning I continue my study into Spiritual Leadership and have been led to the similarities and differences of Christian Leadership and Secular Leadership. This is a fascinating comparison that has many facets, yet this morning I cover(ed) one of them. The question in my reading from MasterWork this morning that generated the most thought was this: “Do leadership principles found in secular writing and seminars apply to work done in God’s kingdom?” and pastors will go with, “Will these same principles work for me as I lead my church?”

My answer to these questions is yes. Principles to leadership are translatable from one role to another. It is the need according to the LORD or the world that has to be addressed and the direction and outcome expected in each. I do believe that when applied to the need and the direction and outcome are considered, what is used in one role, say pastor, can be used in another role, say CEO.

Here is the thing, it is leadership principles of the LORD that should be emulated in the world, not the other way around. As I read and wrote on before, the church is filled with “leaders” that were not formally “taught” to lead. They did not receive a book or a course on true leadership in seminary, or did they?

The greatest leader of all time was, JESUS. Think about it. Jesus took men and women from all walks of life and over the course of three years, led them to take over His work in this world. They would go from place to place and apply the fruit of the Spirit wherever and with whomever they came in contact with. They were filled by the Spirit and let it shine from themselves to the world.

“²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

The principles above are from the LORD and not from the world. We see secular leaders in the world who introduce these principles as being great, and leaders, even pastors, all over gravitate to them. There is this belief that somehow these secular leaders have “cracked the code” of what real leadership is and all over, are looking to these secular leaders and “their” revealed secrets.

Thing is, a good number of these secular leaders, found these principles in their walk with the LORD and that is something that all are not aware. S. Truett Cathy, who founded Chick-fil-a is a devout Christian and even closed his businesses on Sunday’s to demonstrate that. Ken Blanchard, writer and professor, is very open with his faith. Stephen Covey, educator and writer, pulled directly from the principles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Notice the above paragraph theme, some of the most espoused secular leadership principles, have their grounding in the teachings of the LORD. These principles are widely used and carried out in the secular world and yet they come from the LORD (not here to discuss the merits of different religions). So the questions in the first paragraph are proven to be answered as yes, the principles of the secular leadership world will work in the church, as that is where they originated.

“⁵Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

⁶In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.”

– Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

Where are you getting your leadership principles? Are you leaning on the secular world’s writing and teaching? What if you went to the source and applied the Christian principles everywhere?

Leaders Not Personalities

Jesus warned of those who would come and lead away from Him.

“¹¹And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.” – Matthew 24:11 (ESV)

The above verse is found in the passage titled, “Signs of the End of the Age.” in my ESV Bible. And it could not be more true. We are being bombarded by falsities that lead us away from the truth that is Jesus Christ. We are following those things that make us “feel” good as opposed to bring us joy.

My reading this morning is in discussion of leadership in the church and is pointed to the lack of it. The questions ask what leadership needs are there and why are there not more leaders. I think it has to do with a couple of things that are also pointed out in the reading. First, there seems to be a movement toward personalities and not leaders, and second, there is a lack of teaching leadership.

Let me start with the first, personalities. Think about those that influence in the world today. They are those that generate feelings toward themselves and not toward the truth. We have those cult “leaders” that generate a following as they claim to be something they are not and promise things that they cannot deliver. These are the ones that expect individuality to be put aside as blind follower-ship takes over based on the words of the one. And then we have those that generate a massive following through promotion and full control over all. I think of those like Joel Osteen and Ed Young who pastor and without them, nothing happens in the church that they are not privy to or have a hand in. It is not leadership, but their personality and control that dominate.

Second we have the lack of leadership teaching. I see this in the corporate world and it is true in the church as well. In the corporate world people are promoted based on their education and/or their accomplishments and not on the ability to lead. The top performers are given bigger roles and they are not “taught” how to do the next role, they are just expected to replicate their own results to those below them. As noted in my reading, that is also happening in seminary. There is only teaching of God’s Word in depth and little teaching on how to lead a church or congregation. The students are left to learn that on their own and frankly are missing the mark.

How is this fixed? The church needs to find and develop leaders. There is a Teacher who developed leaders to take over when He was gone. He spent three years being the example of leadership and guiding students as to what being a leader in the gospel was all about. Jesus led the apostles and His disciples to make more disciples, using all that He had taught them.

“¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’” – Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)

Who are you following? Are you leaning toward following of personalities? What if you were to look for those that follow themselves the example of leadership given by Christ?

Who and/or What to Follow

I have been studying leadership for a while, especially in the corporate world I work. I have wondered about the “leaders” that have been over me and the leader that I am. Yes, the quotation marks surrounding the word “leaders” is intentional as I do not believe that everyone in a position of overseeing a group or task is a leader. As I also believe that you do not have to be an overseer of people or tasks to be a leader.

This morning I have begun a new process or structure to my daily bible study. I am working through a series titled “MasterWork”. This series is from 2011, and where that may seem a bit ago, I went through the first lesson this morning and realized the value even today. There was reference to the speed of technology and the Information Age that we are currently right in the middle. The first section of this quarter’s (as the guide is structured into quarters) is on Spiritual Leadership.

The first question asked in the lesson is who are the leaders who have had an impact and why in my life. I gave this some thought and found a couple to men that helped to shape who I am. I gave some real thought to the who and you know, I am a bit embarrassed that I did not first think of the leader that we should all be shaped by, God/Jesus/Holy Spirit. I first thought about man. Why did I not reference our LORD as the one leader who is the perfect example to emulate.

Now, I know that I am doing a bible study and writing in reference to following the Word of God. Shouldn’t I be also looking first to Him for the answers to questions. It was not until later in the reading that I found the better questions that led me to turn to God as the one true and complete one to serve as my example to follow, “But where does one begin? Which book does a leader read next? Which seminar is a must?” My answer, God’s Word.

Isn’t it true that we are always looking for the next gimmick or quick fix to things. We want things to be done with the wave of a few questions or actions to generate results. But, the truth is not in the quick fix, but in the slow and steady application of the proven approach. And where is that proven approach? Who derived the approach that stands the test of time? Why that is God/Jesus/Holy Spirit. The LORD has done it all and not just once but with many. There are so many from time that have followed the will of the LORD and been great leaders in their own right. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, David, Paul, and Peter to name just some were men who followed the LORD.

Now, were all those listed above perfect leaders. NO! But they were leaders that followed the direction or example of the LORD. Each of them had their faults and failures, yet ultimately are considered great men who led under the direction of the LORD. They followed the LORD and His direction, teachings, and/or example in leading during their time.

The same can be said of a more modern age of leaders. Whether Billy Graham or John Maxwell, these men and countless others follow(ed) the example, teaching, and/or direction of the LORD as their guiding principle to leading. So, who and/or what to follow, that would the LORD and His Word.

Where are you looking for your leadership example? Are you looking for the next quick guide? What if you looked to true, tested, work and example of our LORD and His Word?

God Will Do What He Will Do

I struggle in the mornings with my writing to find just the right title, and this morning is no different. I am in the first chapter of Matthew and was led to the passage of “The Birth of Jesus Christ” as it is titled in my English Standard Version Bible. I wanted to title my writing something like, “Nothing is to Big for God to do”. But for some reason, that just did not sound right.

You see, God is the biggest and as we know and He does the biggest things for sure. But I think a bit more about all of the things in general that God does that seem not quite as big. He burned a bush, that was not consumed, to talk to one man. He provided a ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac. Jesus turned water to wine for a wedding of friends. Jesus invited children to Him to teach. These things may not seem big in the grand scheme of things, but they do demonstrate that God will do what He will do.

“’²¹She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ ²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

‘²³Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall call his name Immanuel’

(which means, God with us).” – Matthew 1:21-23 (ESV)

God does what He will do to fulfill His plan. As I was in Matthew this morning and reading on the birth of Jesus, I was reminded that Mary was a virgin mother. Of course, how could this be other than God will do what he will do. Remember also, Mary’s relative, Elizabeth, conceived at an old age, John the Baptist, and was considered barren. And Sarah, Abraham’s wife conceiving at 90 years of age, Isaac, even as she was considered barren as well.

God will do what He will do to fulfill His plan. It does not matter what obstacles are in the way nor is all that He does magnificent to behold. God has His plan and nothing stands in His way to accomplish that plan. Our role in all of it is to trust in His plan and know that He will straighten out everything for the fulfillment of that plan.

“⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

⁶In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.”

— Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV)

What is your belief on what God does? Is it one of he does great things always? What if you took things that God does as that is Him doing what He does to fulfill His plan, regardless of the size of the things done?