Leadership?
“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness" Romans 12:3-8.
More than ever before, I believe the church local and universal requires leadership. Just because we may perceive ourselves to be strong does not mean we no longer require leadership, fathering and accountability. In fact if we feel no need of these things we are in deception and our assessment of our own strength is over inflated. I believe leaders still need to emerge today.
I believe local churches still need someone to carry seniority in leadership gift and function and vision, supported by and accountable to other wise and gifted leaders who function together for the good of the local church expression and the extension of the kingdom of God
Just as in family life, mum and dad don’t live primarily to be recognised and admired as ‘mum and dad’ by their children but actually live for the benefit of their kids coming through to healthy adulthood. Godly parents provide warmth, affection, discipline, and guidance, releasing to their children responsibility and resource. Love sets spacious boundaries with wisdom this allows growth, freedom and release, on the contrary, fear controls, holds and inhibits and calls that practice ‘wisdom.’
Godly leadership is seen where leaders lead in love and through Christ-like character, God-given authority, and their gift, their function and their service and not through title or position.
Leadership is not bestowed as a reward upon the greatest servant in the church community. However godly leaders will serve willingly as they live for something greater than themselves. They serve out of love, not out of hope for recognition or preferential treatment.
If each of us moves more completely out of fear and into love then we will have the leadership and community we desire. One might say, “this is not practical and I say, to lay our lives down for one another and to honour each other’s calling, gifting and function is intensely practical but it requires love on a supernatural scale. God is our source, God is love and love is God so this kind of leadership is not theoretical it can be actual in partnership with God.
Geoff Newton