Tag: Paul

Paul…Part 3

Three more qualities stand out as it relates to Paul’s leadership.

Confident: Paul’s confidence was not based on who he was, but Jesus and what Christ had done for Him.

Disciplined: Paul spoke about discipline to ensure the message of the gospel aligned perfectly with the example of his life.

Faithful: Christ considered Paul faithful. Although his past was an example of blasphemy, persecution, and violence toward the church, the Lord saw something greater.

Paul exemplifies many qualities needed for leadership. If we emulate them, God will use us in powerful ways to make a difference.

Paul…Part 2

Paul presents many qualities of leadership, some we looked at previously.

Consider a few additional qualities:

Humble: He considered himself the least of the apostles, not fit to be called an apostle, and he was the chief of sinners. He certainly understood and exemplified humility.

Dedicated: Paul was determined to know nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Co. 2:2-5). He was dedicated to do whatever necessary to preach this message.

Compassionate:
His love for all who were lost and his intense concern over the church is an example of true leadership. He wanted nothing more than for people to be saved.

Paul

I love Paul’s leadership, and here is why. He was…

Passionate: As a persecutor of the church, he pursued it with passion. He even raised his level of passion when he became a defender of the faith.

Bold: Paul asked the church to pray for his boldness and it was demonstrated throughout every step of his ministry.

Selfless: Paul became all things to all men so that he might save some. He endured great hardship for others to learn about Jesus.

If we could approach our leadership with the passion, boldness, and selflessness of Paul, we could change the world.

Barnabas

Barnabas was a great example in generosity. He sold property and gave it all to the apostles to help in the needs of the early church.

His name means “Son of Encouragement.”

After Paul’s conversion to Christianity, people were hesitant to believe the change until Barnabas spoke up for Paul.

When Paul did not want to take John Mark on the next missionary journey Barnabas gave John Mark another chance.

We need to be willing to stand and speak up for those who have changed their lives and, whenever possible, we need to give people another chance.

What an encouragement! What a need in leadership.

Enduring Leadership

Blueprints provide details to make certain a structure will last.

What kind of blueprint will help leaders ensure their leadership is long-lasting?

All blueprints begin with the foundation. Only by building on the right foundation will our leadership carry a lasting influence.

Paul points out there is no human who has the power to lay the kind of foundation needed for lasting leadership. Only Jesus provides a foundation for enduring leadership (1 Corinthians 3:11).

From His example we learn the nature, qualities, and character of the leadership God desires and designed for us today.

Expectations

Most people tend to live up to the expectations of others. Regardless of what others think, however, we need to aim high. When we understand Paul’s words in Ephesians 3:20, maybe, just maybe, we can develop a greater vision of what we can accomplish.

When leaders develop vision, one that sees our God correctly and sees ourselves correctly, we take steps to fulfill something beyond our capabilities.

Instead of allowing fear to control or dictate the decisions that ultimately limit our abilities, we need to rethink what we want to accomplish.

Passionate leadership fuels the future of growth and achievement and when it does, impossibilities vanish.

Balanced Godly Focus

A healthy physical and spiritual approach to life provides a benefit to extending life. The benefit of this extension on a spiritual level is eternal in nature.

Paul phrased it this way, “bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Ti. 4:8).

Developing the habits for a godly life require at least three necessities: 1) constant nourishment in healthy and balanced teaching, 2) avoiding a worldly focus, and 3) discipline in godliness.

Leading Spiritual Growth

One of the greatest challenges facing Christian leaders involves measuring spiritual growth. Perhaps a place to start is our activities in life.

Consider developing an application Paul’s instruction in Colossians 3, “Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth.”

Begin with minimizing the way we focus on the things of this earth. We could focus on spending fifteen minutes each day with turning the cell phone, computer, television, and other electronic devices off. Practice spending these few moments in silence and allow God to fill our thoughts.

Once we are comfortable with fifteen minutes, add five more.

A Leadership Gift

People tend to enjoy receiving gifts. Usually, we appreciate the intent more than the price. I like the way Paul said it, “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls.”

Paul was willing to give of himself in every way if it benefited others. Specifically, he desired their salvation.

In a self-serving world, it is challenging to find leaders who desire more to give than receive. As spiritual leaders, we focus on giving ourselves so others might be saved.

Our prayer should be to see the ways we can spend and be spent in the Lord’s service.

Knowledge, Understanding, Experience

Knowledge often highlights knowing facts or information.

Understanding includes factual information, but it carries meaning and application.

Experience takes on sharing in the same events or activities in order to gain full comprehension.

Paul wanted to know more than facts about Jesus. He wanted more than an understanding of what those facts meant and how they applied. He wanted to know Christ on the basis of experience.

The privilege of going through what Jesus experienced, “the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,” meant more than book knowledge.

Imagine a leadership based on this knowledge, understanding, and experience.