Tag: Responsibility

Justice

God’s people have always been charged with caring for the poor, widows, and orphans. More than 2,000 verses in the Bible touch on this subject, none more powerfully than James, “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

We’ve not done a good job. Somehow, we need to consider how we are going to care for these needs.

We must not excuse ourselves by allowing other organizations to assume this responsibility.

It is time for spiritual leaders to take the lead regarding God’s justice.

The Invisible

To lead the most unlikely, we have to see the unseen, or as they are often described, the invisible. What is meant by the invisible?

The invisible are people we cannot or choose to not see. Why?

Perhaps it is the color of their skin, the type of clothes they wear, the home where they live (or lack thereof), the way they smell, of perhaps the lack of personal hygiene.

Maybe we do not want to see because we are afraid of the responsibility.

It is difficult to lead those who are invisible to us. Think about it!

Tired?

Do you ever have times when you are tired? Of course, we all do.

What will help us deal with these times?

Learn the signs. What are the signs of being tired? Frustration? Anger? Short in our response? Sleepy?

Step back and think. When the signs occur, step back and think before speaking or acting.

Wait to make decisions. Our ability to make good decisions is hindered. Pause and think first.

DO NOT QUIT! It is tempting, but regardless of where our leadership responsibility lies, we must not give up.

We will have times when we are tired. Remember and practice these four thoughts.

Accountable

Leaders are accountable, but what exactly does this word involve for spiritual leadership?

There is the implication of what is required. As spiritual leaders, we are required to be trustworthy, faithful, examples, and people of integrity.

There are certain expectations. People tend to meet whatever is expected of them. When leaders make decisions, there is an expectation they will be held accountable.

There is an understanding of responsibility. There is a level of responsibility connected to the decisions and actions taken by leadership.

Leaders will answer to God for the direction of their leadership of God’s people.

Advocate

When people struggle with their faith, do they know they have an advocate?
When people face the challenges of daily life, are we there as an advocate?
When others step up to accept responsibility, will we be an advocate for them?

Everyone needs someone who walks by their side as a champion for them. Whether it is during a time of temptation, personal trial, or spiritual growth, leaders must be an advocate for those who follow.

The necessity of such is vital to the development of the Lord’s church. We all need to know our Advocate, Jesus, and followers need to know the advocate they have in leadership.

Developing Leaders

If there was one word leaders need to understand for the success of the church, it would be develop.

The goal of teaching was to present every person mature in Christ. God gave gifts to various individuals for the purposing of helping the church develop, achieving unity and maturity in the faith.

Developing faith and relationship with God is the vital responsibility of leadership.

We must lead others to a greater love and understanding of His word.
We must assist Christians in using their God given abilities in His service.
We must encourage the expression of God’s grace toward others.

Leadership is about development. Let’s get started.

Responsibility in Leadership

Leadership involves responsibility. The higher one goes in leadership, the greater the responsibility.

We could also say we live in a culture where the common practice is one of blaming others. The problem is not cultural. This practice has been in place since the creation of humanity. We have not changed much as people in the twenty-first century.

Leadership seeks and takes responsibility for their actions.

Leaders give credit to the team in victory, but take full responsibility in defeat.

Rarely do we find such integrity and leadership. Yet, when leaders seek and take responsibility for their actions their influence grows.

Proficient

Leaders must be technically proficient. There are two primary areas where this principle has direct application.

First, leaders need to know their job. They need to know what they are supposed to be doing. When they do not, the result is disastrous for the overall production of the group and task.

Second, leaders need to be familiar with the job responsibilities of others. Unless leaders know the job responsibilities of others and provide accountability for the work, progress becomes dependent on leadership to carry on the work.

From a spiritual perspective, when leaders are no proficient we find sheep without a shepherd.

Benefits of Failure

What or who determines failure? Why is failure seen as negative? How can leaders learn and improve their leadership?

Recognize failure is inevitable. No matter who you are failure takes place.

Acknowledge and take responsibility. Do not ignore, deny, or cast blame when failure occurs.

Remember the words of Winston Churchill, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Do not hesitate to act. Waiting to act creates a perception of apathy.

Learn from failure and make changes to prevent the same mistakes.

Work to build a series of successful events or programs to reassure the strength of the leadership.

Investing in Relationships

Life can be discouraging when others take us for granted. Perhaps we can relate to how others feel when we take them for granted.

This happens in families, at school, on the job, around our neighborhoods, and hundreds of other places each day.

Whether we are taken for granted, or we take others for granted, as leaders we have a responsibility.

Without investing in these relationships, we lose the opportunity to influence others in ways that lead to lasting friendships and eternal rewards.

We cannot change others, but we can look at ourselves and address the changes needed to eliminate taking others for granted.