What is a leader (Summation)

The forth post in our series on Biblical Leadership.

Ultimately, I think Jesus is the best example of a leader who acted with the end in mind. He kept focused on what people needed rather than what they wanted. I think the story of Lazarus demonstrates this extremely well. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was ill, He clearly wanted to go to His friend, to heal him right away and to spare him, and his sisters, the pain of the upcoming experience. For the good of the mission, the end result that he had in mind (which was building faith in a group of people who would ultimately take the Gospel to the world) He waited, and in doing so He looked cold and uncaring to those closest to him, He let Lazarus die, He let the sisters grieve, He wept Himself, and ultimately He revealed God's power in a way that couldn't have happened without effectively causing all that pain. No emotions, not even His own, got in the way of what would bring God the most glory.  (Not that He didn't have strong emotions about the matter, He just wasn't ruled by them.)

So often we think of love in terms of emotion, but love is much more than an emotion. (In fact I am not sure that love even is an emotion at all, but more on that in some other post...) Love is not doing what makes people feel better, it is doing what is best for someone else, regardless of what we feel, or what they feel. We understand this when it comes to parenting. Regardless of what kind of discipline you choose to apply, your kid probably doesn't like it. In fact, in order to love your child you intentionally do things that won't like, so that they will learn not to do things that will hurt them or hurt others.

We are God's children, and He has given us He word to which is useful for "teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness" Like it or not, He treats us like children, and expects us to help our siblings along, by using His word wisely. He's set up a hierarchy, putting leaders over us, to shepherd and guide us.  Those who lead and teach are in turn held to a higher standard of judgment, and must react accordingly.  This means having the humility to see yourself as a child and first applying the Word within.  Like the man removing the plank from his own eye before removing the speck from his brother's eye. Once you are relatively certain you are plank free, you have a responsibility to use God's word to the benefit of others within the body of Christ.   Paul did it (with brutal honesty on multiple occasions). He also encouraged Timothy to do it, and he encouraged all leaders, in fact all believers to use the word, and the example of our lives, to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds."

Spur. Think about that word. Basically the Bible commands us to "Jab a sharp piece of metal into someones backside in order to get them to do what they should be doing". How loving does that feel? Not very.  But it is in fact the most loving thing we can do.

Not an appealing job description, and frankly that is why I spend years trying to hide from being a leader.  Then I read this parable about a guy to took what his master had given him, and buried it in a whole, ultimately giving it back without having done anything with it... It didn't go so well for that guy, so I am desperate to understand leadership from God's perspective.

Now if on any point you disagree with me, or find my thinking incomplete, or just want to share what God's taught you, put the spurs to me and help me re-think by giving me your feedback.