For Christians, hope speaks of a desire that includes expectation. When considering the promises of God, Christians know there is fulfillment.
Spiritual leadership is about hope. Our leadership must be characterized by a strong desire with expectation.
Listening, confident, learning, and conscientious leaders provide hope.
The very idea of “spiritual” leadership should exemplify the hope Christ came to provide all who would follow.
The ultimate deliverance was accomplished by Jesus at the cross. The result brought deliverance from our bondage to the consequences of sin.
This deliverance is identified as salvation, forgiveness, grace, and the indescribable gift.
It is the result of God’s immeasurable patience and love. Consider the lengths taken by God to provide for our greatest need and think for just a moment.
Our spiritual leadership is defined by it. The souls all around us depend on it.
Most organizations require a quarterly report. This is an evaluation of the work. Corporate leaders want to know the facts and figures contributing to the success or failure of plans to reach projected goals. Nearing the end of the year, we should also evaluate the year overall.
With spiritual leadership this quarterly or year-end report is just as valuable.
Evaluations are usually difficult. They cause us to examine what we do not want to face and take an honest look at reality. They are necessary. Our integrity will be demonstrated and challenged.
However, a spiritual quarterly report helps us prepare for the next step in growth.
Compassion is best described as a feeling of sympathy aroused by the distress of others with a desire to get involved and help. It is easy to see how Jesus would be described this way.
The tougher an environment becomes, the more a leader’s need for compassion increases. During the challenges of life, an awareness to the needs of others becomes evident.
A leader’s senses must be engaged, observant to the surroundings.
Their hearts must be touched with the situation of others.
The hands of a compassionate leader must act to help.
Compassion is one of the unique qualities spiritual leaders must possess to emulate Christ.
Negotiating is an effort to reach an agreement or solution through compromise. Most often, there is give and take, thus, compromise.
Spiritual leaders need to exercise caution when it comes to negotiating. Far too often God’s word is compromised in an attempt to appease a larger majority of people.
Attempts to negotiate, compromise, or change the word of God are futile.
Our leadership should not move people away from God and His word. Rather, our leadership should move people toward God and His word.
Compassion is best described as a feeling of sympathy aroused by the distress of others with a desire to get involved and help. It is easy to see how Jesus would be described this way.
The tougher an environment becomes, the more our need for compassion increases. During the challenges of life, the awareness of leadership to the needs of others becomes evident.
Leadership senses must be engaged, observant to the surroundings.
Their hearts must be touched with the situation of others.
The hands of a compassionate leader must act to help.
Compassion is one of the unique qualities spiritual leaders must possess to be like Christ.
Why is it life and leadership cannot always be about the upside? Is there a purpose to dealing with the negative struggles challenging life and leadership?
Spiritual leaders know the downside helps in developing an appreciation for the upside.
God’s power is perfected in our lives as a result of enduring the downside.
The downside is designed to equip us with an ability to help others who are suffering.
The difference is found in the way leaders respond to these challenges. The downside indicates that challenges and problems will come. The upside is they are only temporary.
Lead with the hope of knowing there is an upside.
Problems arise when leaders abuse power, or base their power on an inward self-centeredness.
Spiritual leadership must be built on the power of God.
When our leadership turns inward and self-centered, it will fail.
True leadership is about the power that comes from our God through His gracious and indescribable gift, Jesus.
He is the power to save, to make all things happen, and to lead.
Paul wrote “no man has the power to lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus the Christ” (1 Co. 3:11).
Let us pray for His guidance and direction in our leadership.
Prayer can be an overlooked subject. The application to how we draw closer to God, grow spiritually, or endure trials is often to pray more.
What is prayer? How should we pray? Why do we pray? Does prayer really influence God?
Think about how James teaches the necessity of prayer in leadership.
Three keys to spiritual leadership rise to the top.
1) Elders are identified as righteous men who are to pray.
2) The working prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
3) Turning sinners from their error will save them.
Leading people to salvation must be at the heart of a righteous leaders’ prayer.
Is it too much to ask for directions?
Jesus said, “I am the way.”
John the Baptist pointed people to Jesus. Why do more not point to Him?
Looking into the eyes of people around the world, including our own country, reveals the same.
We often see physical needs. We provide food, clothing, transportation, housing, or training to develop work skills.
No one is opposed to helping others with physical needs. Jesus provided an example.
However, there is a great imbalance in our approach to the physical versus spiritual.
We need to show people the way to spiritual and eternal life. This is the task of spiritual leadership.