Not Just the Goal

In this final week of my study on spiritual leadership, it is about God’s agenda and getting people to join the journey. Henry and Richard Blackaby ask the questions, “Which do you think is more important for a leader – the journey for the destination? Or, are they equally important?” The way that I phrased the first sentence above indicates that I believe they are both important, I would say that they are 1 and 1a in importance.

Jim Collins, in his writings, made popular the philosophy of “First Who, Then What” or “Getting the right people on the bus”. You see, ensuring that the people are on board with the leader is the most important thing. Generally, getting people on board is about providing them a destination. No the journey may not be straight, but the place we are going is agreed upon and if a detour is found to be needed to get there, everyone is okay with it and will stay focused on that destination. So, the destination is of importance, and that destination should be worthwhile to ensure that everyone is okay with the journey itself.

Now, I do know that there is more to the “First Who, Then What” philosophy. I am not here to discuss all the merits of this philosophy. You see, the journey is important for a number of reasons, but ultimately it is about a worthwhile journey to reach the result. There are times, more than we think, that the destination is not result or goal that can be fully quantified. Let’s look at the case of God’s agenda and getting there. Jesus commissioned us to go and make disciples of all nations. Where, yes, we can count the number converts, it is not about just getting the numbers, as Jesus also said to shake the dust off your feet as you leave those who do not receive you. This says that it is not just about the number of converts, but the spreading of the gospel.

I may have rambled a bit in the above, but here is where I was going. The spiritual leaders are charged with providing a goal or destination to attain. The destination is not of the leader, but of God. That destination is to unite the organization, not to just provide a goal to achieve. The leader is to ensure that those following are following to reach the destination, regardless of what the journey looks like. The spiritual leader guides toward God and His agenda. This agenda is to magnify God and not just reach some tangible or quantifiable end. So 1 and 1a it is, destination is 1, and getting there is 1a.

Destination or Journey for you? Are you just looking to reach the destination that is a mark of having arrived? What if you found the destination of God and then worked to get there however needed, focusing on magnifying Him however needed?

Spiritual Leaders Role with the Vision

Buying in to the revelation of God is where the vision comes to life. But here is the thing with the revelation of God, it cannot be forced upon another. I cannot be given an edict from someone else and expect to carry it out blindly, that is compliance and not commitment or buying in. As I have written based on my study, the buy in comes from our receiving the revelation of God for ourselves and following the will of Him.

The question asked by Henry and Richard Blackaby is this: “How are you helping others grow in their relationship with God?” Well, how are you and what does that mean to the others? For me it is by discipling. First understanding what discipling is and next sharing that with others so they will understand and then share themselves. This is helping others to find the LORD through study and learning and thereby opening them up to receive the revelations of God for their lives.

So, the role of the spiritual leader with the vision is communication. As a spiritual leader, we are to share the gospel and the revelation that we have received. Not to command others to follow us, but to lead others to follow God. Our role is to bring others into the family of God as witnesses for Him, not to convert them, but to allow for God to reveal to them His glory, His agenda, and His will for 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)

What do you believe your role to be as a spiritual leader? Are you to deliver and expect all to follow your vision? What if you were to bring the people to God for His glory, agenda, and will to be revealed to them by Him?

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?