Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
Date 11/3/2023
Christian leadership. What is that exactly?
I read a panel discussion from the Regent University in 2002 about Christian leadership and they laid out a case in four specific areas.
- Calling; doing what God wants you to do. 2. Competent: being good at what you do.
3. Confidence: knowing what you can accomplish in that context. 4. Character: good traits, with the purpose of showing that character.
I found it very interesting that they listed “character” as number four in the sequence. The premise of this discussion is that with each successful level, in each of the four areas, greater success happens.
Developing leaders should first be selected or filtered by the sense of calling. Followed them by education and training to increase their competence. Then three developing leaders can receive counseling and education to increase that confidence. And then they can be coached measured, critiqued, and developed in character traits
In contrast, looking back over the Old Testament some clearly character-flawed Old Testament leaders seem to be blessed by God. It certainly didn’t fit the notion that good leaders are high-character leaders.
I think perhaps that may be why character was selected fourth.
- Calling: Let’s look at the words of Jesus and John 5:30 he said I can do nothing on my own initiative. As I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just. Because I do not seek my own will but the will of him who sent me.
The word translated as will is “THELEMA” It implies what God wishes or commands. That word occurs eight times in the Gospel of John
John 1:13 “Who is born out of blood, not of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”.
Jesus states his purpose clearly eight times in the Gospel of John to do the will of God. So it is with clear understanding the first order for a Christian leader is to comply with the will of God.
It should be noted that calling is something that comes from God and is not something that can be educated or trained to receive
Competence: Entrepreneurs who went into business as a call from God but didn’t know how to do business indicated that they made a lot of mistakes. But God took care of them and the problems always seem to be corrected.
In contrast, entrepreneurs, who heard the call to go into business but had an education in business indicated they were successful.
In comparing the two groups evidence shows that doing what you do well, (competence), leads to a higher level of performance.
Even as far back as Genesis 47:6, we find a call for capable men.
It says, “The land of Egypt is at your disposal: settle your father and your brother in the best of the land, let them live in the land of Goshen: and if you know any capable man among them, then put them in charge of my livestock”.
Moses in Exodus 31:1; God advisers Moses that he should select capable, competent, men.
I love 1 King 7:14 because it talks about their first being wisdom and understanding, meaning competence in thought, and then secondly competence in skill
that preceded Hiram‘s employment by King Solomon
And one last scripture. In 1 Chronicles 26:13 “as for the Hebronites and his relatives, 1700 capable man, had charge of the affairs of Israel”
Competence does not always align with doing what is good, but as we see in Ezekiel 21:31 and Daniel 8:23 It can apply to doing what is not considered good, but still doing it well.
In summary, the verses presented refer to the need to be good at what we do. We also see that calling without competence can still lead to success
but that calling with confidence should lead to greater success
The next time we get together I’d like to talk about the final two; confidence and character
I think in summary that developing Christian leaders should be first filtered and selected by their sense of calling, followed by education and training to increase their competence.
And then as they’re being developed, they can receive counseling and education to increase their confidence and finally leaders can be coached, measured, critiqued, and developed in character traits.
As They improve in each of these levels…greater success will happen for God’s glory.
We can apply this to almost any area of life. With our children, in our respective careers, and circle of influence, even ourselves and our marriages. We each have a calling.
The Bible says that children are a blessing from God (Psalm 127:3). They are in need of instruction (Proverbs 8:32–33) and are quite able to learn. Timothy was a student of the Word at a very young age. He knew the Holy Scriptures “from infancy” (2 Timothy 3:15), having been taught by his godly mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5).
Do we have people under our influence? Don’t we have the obligation as grown children of God to help them grow in God? Don’t these four areas apply to all of them also? Even if we have no one around us, can’t we apply ourselves and tutor ourselves to grow in each of these C’s?
We often look for areas to change our trajectory or direction in life, but often go through life doing little or nothing to effect that change. (For us or others) Or to be intentional in our purpose. We are all like sheep and are constantly being pulled to other pastures and losing our way, which is why Jesus leaves the 99 to come after us. It’s why we create relationships in our lives with other men/women to have our backs… to have accountability with, to walk with, and at times to fall before, knowing they will be there to set us on the right path of serving God and being a servant leader.
In the end, it is not about what we gain, personally, It is not about what we store up in our 401ks. It is about what we give away in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord. If we are not daily setting ourselves on a path to the eternal…we end up where? Just look around. Some of us men need to look no further than the mirror. Stop Walking Alone!
Chris Tomlin Here I am to worship
