It is impossible to escape scrutiny these days. Perhaps it always has been that way. We must remember that although other people will judge our actions and motives as leaders, ultimately the only one we will give an account to is God. He is the only one who truly and completely knows us well enough to make an accurate assessment of our faithfulness to him and his purposes.
Recognize your accountability to God (1 Corinthians 4:1-5)
The Apostle Paul’s leadership was being questioned by some in the Corinthian church. In almost every realm of our existence, we must answer to someone. At work, it is to our supervisors. At home, it is to those who share the closest part of life with us. But God is the one to whom we must answer for everything. In the end, only God’s judgment is going to be accurate.
Others may know us well; we may know ourselves even better. Only God knows us perfectly. He is the only one in a position to judge us accurately. If we are going to lead the people of God, we must always remember they are his people and not ours. He is concerned with how we lead them.
Do we follow Jesus’ example and lead with a humble spirit? Are we leading according to God’s will? Are we leading with the right motivation? Only God really knows. He will judge the validity of every aspect of our leadership.
It serves no real purpose for a Christian leader to have an agenda separated from God’s. That always leads nowhere and will cost that leader in the long run. God has a purpose for the people of God. That purpose is to bring glory to himself and to point others to his grace. The purposes of God must be the driving force behind the Christian leader. The Christian leader must know they have been given a stewardship and that one day they will be asked for an accounting of it from the one who knows all there is to know about how they served.
Hold uncompromisingly to the gospel (Galatians 1:6-10)
When it comes to the central message of our faith, we must be especially careful not to compromise. The gospel is clear; we are saved through faith by grace. We don’t earn eternal life; it is a gift. The Bible makes it clear in numerous places that salvation cannot be earned.
Furthermore, it emphasizes that salvation is something that God gives to those who by faith trust in the atoning work of Jesus in offering himself as sacrifice for our sins. That sacrifice gives us eternal life. It is because of what he did and not because of what we have done.
However, the Galatians had allowed false teachers to influence them to consider returning to a works-based approach to salvation. This deviated from the simple message of salvation by faith in Christ. The Galatian Christians needed to be very cautious about buying into what they heard. The same is true for Christians today.
If we make any changes to the gospel, it ceases being the gospel. It is no longer good news, and it no longer saves. As Christian leaders, we need to be careful about the message we deliver to the people who follow us. Our message of salvation should be grounded in God’s word and not subject to some false religious persuasion.
Live out your devotion to the church (1 Thessalonians 2:7-12)
In the context of Christianity and the church, leadership is not a place of privilege but one of sacrifice. To be a leader of the people of God means you are willing to be inconvenienced, to endure hardships and to give your life if necessary. Christian leadership is rarely a cushy, comfortable place. Christian leadership is not for the faithless and fainthearted. It is for those who are willing to do whatever it takes to see the people of God are cared for, taught and protected.
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Not only is it necessary for Christian leaders to live sacrificially, but they also must demonstrate the kind of lifestyle they are trying to lead their followers to live. There is something incongruent and false about a leader who says, “Do as I say and not as I do.”
So many people approach church as somewhere to go and get something. But the truth is, church is not a place, it is a people. It is a people who understand they have been gifted in such a way that they have what other believers need to be strengthened in their walk with God.
The Christian leader especially understands this. They know they are to give of their lives in such a way that those who come in contact with them are better for it. The goal of a Christian leader is to impart wisdom, knowledge and example into their followers lives so that they grow into a more Christlikeness. In that way, they walk not only in fellowship with each other, they walk with God.
Questions for reflection
• Where does your walk with God need be more consistent with God commands through the Bible?
• Where does walk with God lead other people?
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