At our Vision Review day on April 27th, I said that I would begin writing a column for our leaders that would be titled “Leadership and Life.” I also said that we would be recommencing our leadership days, which I anticipate happening between 2-4 times a year. Our first Leadership Day will take place on Saturday, August 16th, from 9-12. The reason I am committing to doing these columns and restarting these days is that I am seeing a need right now to help our leaders be leaders, to equip them, encourage them, inspire them, feed them, and celebrate them. I have been committed to thinking about leadership for many years now because I am very clear—as I am sure many of you have heard me say on numerous occasions—that things rise or fall upon leadership. In this series, which I plan to write every month, I will be sharing some pieces of scripture that have spoken to me and inspired me to keep on being a leader myself. I have learned things from God’s call to Abraham and Moses and Isaiah and Gideon and Jeremiah and Esther and Mary and Paul and Timothy that I would like to share with you.
Let us begin by looking at Jesus’ call to the disciples: “As he [Jesus] walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon… and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’” (Matthew 4:18f)
In this story we not only see the beginning of discipleship—those are the follow me words—but also apostleship—those are the fish for me words. Before these two fellows, and then James and John soon afterwards (and all the rest for that matter) could go out and catch for Jesus, they had to be caught by Jesus. Once caught, though, they are invited to go catch. Jesus wants them to go catch because he wants all of the fish—that is all of us—to be caught up in his nets of love and grace.
I want to work a bit more on that phrase “once caught, go catch” because I think about leadership in a similar way. Before you can lead, you must be led. Our leadership for Jesus must be derivative to his leadership in us. Which then begs this question: Is Jesus your Leader? The leader of your life, your relationships, your minds and hearts and souls? Is Jesus your leader at work, at home, at play? We cannot lead folks, lead ministries, beyond Jesus’ leadership in us. When we put a cap on what we allow Jesus to do in us we put a cap on what Jesus can do through us.
Another thing I would like to say about Jesus and leadership is that we have no “ownership” to any piece of our leadership. Because we belong to Jesus—at least that is what we profess in faith—so does all of our leadership and ministry belong to him. It is not so much that we do leadership for Jesus, but that He does his leadership in us, with us, and through us. Now, to say that all leadership and ministry is about Jesus, that is belongs to Jesus, that it begins and ends in Jesus, can sound rather humbling—well, it is; but it is also freeing. Freeing because we can cast down the burden that leadership and ministry can often bring to any one of us. I know that it can be hard for some of us to remember that Jesus (along with the other persons of the Trinity) can run this world and can even run the church and our lives. Our job, our role and calling, is to show up, to sign up, to be willing to be used, and to align our lives in accordance with God’s desire and design upon our lives, His church, and this world.
One of the things that I must be very careful about in my own leadership is that I get into trouble when I go about leadership and ministry in such a way and at such a pace that I compromise or undermine or erode Jesus’ leadership and ministry in me. That is when I get “burned-out.” That is when I begin to push and lose perspective. That is when I forget that I am not in the project business, but the people business, and that finally all we do needs to be done in love
So, let me come back to you and to your leadership. The more you invite Jesus to be your leader in every aspect of your lives the more you give Him room to work his leadership in and with and through you for others. So, just where are with Jesus and His leadership in your life? Do you want to take your own leadership to the “next step?” Then let it start with letting Jesus take you to His step in your life.
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2 comments:
I love your comments about Jesus' leadership in our lives to lead. There is such a danger/temptation in leadership for taking credit when those around you offer praise for what you are doing. Yet, if you are honest, you know that you have only done well because you didn't rely on yourself to accomplish things. Usually for me, if I rely on myself alone, it doesn't go that well. There is a teacher I work with that finds me unusually calm and I told her that if there is a problem, take it to Jesus in prayer. This is His work, not ours, and He will find the solution. They looked at me like I was nuts, but then gave it a shot and sure enough the problem resolved. They commented to me that "hey, that Jesus thing really works." Being a servant for Jesus and not a CEO in Jesus' kingdom is a much less anxiety driven way of life in all we do.
By the way, this blog thing, makes you technologicall cool!
blessings,
Laurel Isaak
Jim,
Great blog!
As one who supported the other guy, I know that it is now time to come together and address the serious issues that we face as a nation. I pray that my brethren will join in and move forward.
I recalled this morning the famous words of the "other" President who hailed from Illinois, in trying to lead a divided nation. I pray that we can take Lincoln's words and turn them into our hope, and prayer, and our marching orders: “The prayers of both could not be answered. That of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has His own purposes… With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.”
Keep writing, Jim. Great stuff.
Wayne
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