YOU ARE A LEADER, LIKE IT OR NOT
On some level, everyone is a leader. Leadership is not a special personality type or certain talent. A leader is anyone who influences another such as: authority figures, teachers, fathers, mothers, coaches, and even friends. We might view leaders as specially gifted people that influence or motivate by their friendly, outgoing personality. We conclude if we don’t have that ability or gifting then we aren’t leaders. This is NOT true.
You can be a godly leader regardless of your speaking skills, education, personality or position in life. God created you to be the leader He wants you to be – not like another leader, but rather using the gifts and skills He has given you personally and uniquely. There is no one pattern. Listen, apply and put into practice what God shows you. It’s a lifelong process, but this will help you grow into a godly leader.
Everyone needs trust worthy people they can learn from, share life with safely and someone they can train. Howard Hendricks, a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, said everyone needs a Paul, a Barnabas and a Timothy in their lives.
A ‘Paul’ is someone more mature and experienced to give us wisdom and guidance. We all need someone to hold us accountable, to ask the tough questions, to offer insight, to give us encouragement and direction. Remember, the lone sheep is the one who gets picked off by the lion, so we need to connect closely to those who have experience fighting the lions of life and ministry (1 Peter 5:8). Who is your ‘Paul’? What mature believer have you developed a mentoring relationship with so you can regularly connect with them to learn from their wisdom and experience?
A ‘Barnabas’ is a peer to share common experiences with as we journey through life together. Together you mutually encourage, pray, listen and help each other through the good and bad times of ministry. Who is your ‘Barnabas’? Who is your closest ministry friend with whom you can share your victories as well as your defeats?
And we should have a “Timothy”, someone younger in the faith that we can help train, advise and mentor, like Paul did with Timothy and Titus. We must pass on the faith and build into others like Jesus did with His disciples. Who is your ‘Timothy’? Who are you taking the time to really disciple in the faith? We need all three of these types of people in our lives.
INDIA UPDATE & PRAYER REQUEST: Keep remembering Pastor Moses in your prayers. In addition to pastoring his church, he oversees the orphanage and keeps in touch with pastors we have met at conferences. He follows up at places we have been and distributes the monthly support we provide to some pastors. He plans for the coming conferences and oversees the translating, publishing and distribution of our books. Pray for him and his family.
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization ©2019
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
Copyright © 2019