“He’s Coming!”
This shout of anticipation is the heart of Advent, the time of year when we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The weeks leading up to Christmas Day are a special time of reflection on God’s gift to us: the child Jesus. Rejoicing in Jesus’ birth certainly brings glory to God, but sometimes we can forget that God didn’t just send a child into the world; He sent a mighty Rescuer!
When it comes to developing as a leader…specifically as a Christian leader, here are ten imperatives for development. Though not an exhaustive or infallible list, these challenges will help develop you as a leader.
Most Christians agree that discipleship is important, even essential for Christian maturity; few understand biblical principles and even fewer apply a biblical process when it comes to discipleship. Biblical discipleship principles are universal and timeless, and they enabled the church I helped start in 1984 in Manila, Philippines to experience thirty-one consecutive years of growth.
Discipleship isn’t complicated, but it is often difficult. The difficulty lies in applying four biblical principles to each specific context. Simply put, here’s how anyone and everyone can make disciples.
Jesus’ vision of the church was not a group of people gathered around one anointed leader, but multiple leaders going out in the power of the Spirit. It’s a claim that very few of us take seriously: Jesus literally said that a multiplicity of Spirit-filled leaders would be greater than his earthly, bodily presence (John 14:12).
Perhaps the most radical thing Jesus did while on earth, besides taking the punishment for our sins on the cross, was starting a church. There is generally agreement amongst Bible scholars and theologians that what Jesus did with His disciples was not a church.
But I disagree. Jesus said He would build His church – not just after His ascension into heaven. He started His church while He lived on earth, planning for it to multiply to the ends of the earth.
In their landmark leadership book The Leadership Challenge, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner share that the most important leadership characteristic is credibility. Based on extensive research over two decades, they boldly claim that “more than anything, we want leaders who are credible. People must be able to believe in their leaders.”
I hate disappointing people.
And, every time I say the word “No”, someone isn’t happy with my answer.
That’s reality.
