Strong spirits: lead!
Have you earned the right to be heard? Do you have something to say?
What does it mean to be a leader? Are you one?
Leading, leadership, and being a good leader receive a lot of conversation and attention in many areas of society, including business, government, and the church, to name a few. Today, I want to look at one specific area of leading.
Because this letter gets wide exposure, I make no assumptions about anyone's spiritual inclinations. That said, today I am addressing myself specifically to those who are followers of Jesus. And the leading I am addressing is the ability to lead others to follow him as well.
The apostle Peter addresses this well when he writes: "But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts always being ready to give an account for the hope you have within you, but do it with gentleness and respect." (1 Peter 3:15). Clearly, Jesus must be Lord in our own hearts before we attempt to lead anyone else to him. And Peter's approach is low-key: be ready. Are you?
Being able to clearly articulate what you believe and what Jesus has meant in your own life will take time, work, and discipline. It would be easy to blow it off and say, " Let someone else do that," except Jesus commissions all of his followers to go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). You may be the only person someone will listen to. Have you earned the right to be heard? Do you have something to say?
Helping someone else to find Jesus is so exciting and so needed! Ask God to help you, and he will... with gentleness and respect.
