by Caleb Hancock
As we proceed with the last 4 posts in this series, I thought it would be good to give you guys a double dose of leadership training today.
First off, biblical leadership is not an attitude of demanding or insisting on its own way. Rather, some of the greatest leaders I know love to and are great at supporting the leadership of others. They recognize their limitations, as well as the giftings of others, and position those folks in ways that they can serve best (even if it means that person leading an event or ministry that they themselves could have led)
This also means that you prop up the leaders that God has placed into your life. You support and follow their leadership. This is not degrading, but rather freeing!
1 Peter 5:5 “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
As for the second part of our dual-header today, let’s look at the biblical instruction that Paul gives Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:1-2
“You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
A good leader not only lives his life under the sovereign hand of God, seeking to serve those around him until he dies, but he also leads others to do the same.
While probably only 1% of the readers of this post are pastors like Timothy to whom these verses were originally addressed, the other 99% of us can benefit from Paul’s wisdom here as well.
Men, we should be training up others, (faithful and teachable men) to replace our positions of leadership. How sad for a business or ministry or church to suffer because we neglected to train others up to replace us!
Let’s face it, each of us IS replaceable! Let’s apply this wisdom and seek to faithfully pass the baton of leadership to the guys who will be warming your chair when you are done and gone.
Questions for Application:
- While a leader, are you hard to lead? Do you regularly encourage and welcome the leadership that God has placed in your life? If not, seek to change!
- Are you inviting others around you to serve alongside you?
- Are you aware that you are replaceable? Are you seeking to set up your predecessor for success?
Men, let’s lead to serve. Let’s submit joyfully to the leadership over us. And let’s seek faithfully to relay the leadership responsibilities that we have to other faithful men that follow!
