In some ways, this approach goes against the typical way of leadership - to accomplish specific tasks and goals (e.g. start a new ministry). While these are not unimportant, they only matter to the degree that they position people to go deeper with Christ and participate in the work He is doing in and through their lives. This requires leaders to be intimately connected to the Lord so that they know how to shepherd their people toward Him, but if they operate in this way, they are likely to see more significant maturation, making it well worth the (reasonable and appropriate) investment.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Spiritual Leadership: Moving People On To God's Agenda
In Spiritual Leadership, the authors describe three worthy goals of leaders. The one that stood out to me was leading to spiritual maturity. Within this, they say that the ultimate goal of spiritual leaders is to "take their people from where they are to where God wants them to be," moving people from their agenda to God's agenda (127). No matter where or what God is calling people to, the authors say, His purpose is to nurture their relationship with Him (128). Given this purpose, then, it is difficult if not impossible for leaders to effectively move others beyond where they have gone in their relationship with the Lord (128). Spiritual leaders are to "help people understand God's activity in the midst of (their) daily challenges (129). Once this is accomplished, they can work more in cooperation with Him as He conforms them to the image of Christ and uses them to impact their world for His kingdom.
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annnnnnnnd....mine! :)
ReplyDeleteI called ‘dibs’ on this article yesterday, without being sure of what I’d write. But today I had lunch with a friend in ministry and this fit all too well. She has recently been told her part-time ministry job will be terminated in June. As we were talking about life, friends, and church-work I kept sensing a lot of anger and resentment in the way she thought about others, and very little reliance on God and/or His call on her life. I gently questioned her about the way she was reacting and thinking about others. I am not one to over-spiritualize, but I thought, this is not good. She’s speaking and thinking fully out of hurt, not grace. The way we treat people is a huge indicator, I believe, of how God is working in us. By the author’s definition, she is spiritually immature. She’s missing that intimate connection with the Lord which is now negatively impacting her ministry and relationships.
ReplyDeleteOur conversation served as a bit of a wake-up call for me. When I consider how I’m growing as a leader, it’s usually in terms of how I deal with conflict, prioritize, guide, and so on. I don’t often consider how I’m becoming intimate with the Lord.