Worth Following...

“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”- 1 Corinthians 11:1

I recently had the joy of joining the high school ministry True North; it’s so humbling to think that God has placed me as a leader. To be a tool in reaching out and teaching high school girl’s of Orange County the truth of God. But it has definitely got me thinking as to what it means to be a “leader.”

“But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.”—Mark 10:43-44

Leading first begins with submitting, submitting to authority is not optional and all leaders have someone they are under and ultimately we all serve under the Lord. To rebel against leadership is to rebel against God, He has placed them over us as we see in Romans 13:1 that every man is to “be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” We see this in Christ, He is Lord of all and yet came to serve, not to be served, doing the will of the Father, John MacArthur makes a great point that “leadership is ministry, not management.” If we do not first have the attitude of submission and longing to serve one another, being as leader who is a loving servant of all; then leading can become a desire to reign over others for their own benefits and not to the growth and benefit of those they lead.

[Now, it is important to remember who you can lead, by God’s grace I lead a small group if high school girls and if it is the Lord’s will one day my children; I cannot think that I would lead men or a husband, or that (like in the example of children) my desires in which way to lead would come over his.]

“We can lead others only as far along the road as we ourselves have traveled. Merely pointing the way is not enough. If we are not walking, the no one can be following, and we are not leading anyone.”- J. Oswald Sanders

This quote is so humbling; it ties in with the thoughts on being a servant leader, but also caused me to look into my own heart and life to see what is worth following. Where am I standing still, yet telling others to walk? Leadership requires a blameless character and spiritually maturity. Leaders determine the direction of those who follow. In the example of shepherds leading their sheep, the shepherd must first go out and create a path for them to walk on, we must do the same, though we will not be sinless, we will create a path for ourselves and others to be sinning less! For example we see in Hebrews 5:12-14 the exhortation for moving from spiritual milk to solid food, they still could only heard the basis principles of God; as leaders (as Christians!) we need to be string in growing in understanding and knowledge who our God is.


“And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia.”-1 Thessalonians 1:6

My desire and prayer as a leader is to be able to say to my girls that they become imitators and that I would be able to be imitated and through that then example to others able to lead them in the command from God to be “holy as I am holy.”

Readings:
“Spiritual Leadership”- J. Oswald Sanders
“A few Good Shepherds”-John MacArthur (Article)