Leadership With Purpose

Every creature created by God has a key purpose on this earth. Human beings were created to be worshipers. Away from that, every being has a specific purpose for which God designed for them as far as living is concerned. Living without knowledge of ones’ purpose can be very disturbing and may cause one to wander aimlessly from one thing to another. The opposite is also true. Some people get to know their purpose at a very young age while others get to know when they are advanced in age. All in all the question is and will always be, “Are you fulfilling your purpose as an individual?”  Examine yourself and know where you stand in fulfilling your purpose. 

In my journey of life especially on leadership, I have come to learn and appreciate that each one of us has a purpose to fulfill. It is helpful and healthy for a leader to know their assignment well. This will help you plan yourself based on the timeline given if any. In the Bible, we see that Jesus Christ started ministry at the age of 30 years and it lasted for 3 years. With this time frame, Jesus was able to plan Himself knowing what to do on a daily basis and ensure that by the third year he had accomplished that which He came to do, i.e saving the world. For the Christians we can all agree that He did exactly as He had been sent to do by the Father. All this happened within the time frame given. 

3 reasons why God will bestow authority on you as a leader.

1. Source of change. When in a leadership position, one is expected to lead people from here to there as John Maxwell would say. For example, a company manager is expected to offer leadership to the employees ensuring that they are on track working towards achieving the company’s goals. As a good and responsible shepherd, a minister of the Gospel is expected to lead the church from the level of drinking milk to a level of eating hard bones. In short, a leader is expected to bring some positive change wherever s/he is leading. However, it is important to note that this never happens automatically as some people may expect irrespective of whether the leader is a pro or a newbie in the field. For change to occur, there must be a lot of hard work and with it comes growth too. However, change is not as easy as it may look but it is possible.

2. Self-realization, growth, and development. In as much as a leader is expected to lead others, it is important to appreciate that leadership starts with oneself. That means that a leader should put their house in order before leading others. This is not to mean that s/he should be perfect. No one is perfect except Christ Jesus. We can actually get to see this clearly in 1 Timothy chapter 3 where Paul is giving instructions to Timothy for anyone who desires to be a leader or rather an overseer in the church. Some of the qualities he gives include; good reputation, sincere, high integrity, gentle, temperate, respectable, able to teach and hospitable. For effectiveness in the outside world, one should first work on his/her private world. Leaders are usually pressured to focus on the outside life by the expectations people have of them. However, it is really saddening that some get carried away by these expectations and forget about their inner lives. If the inner world is weak, the outside world is bound to collapse at some point. Solitude is one of the ways of refreshing oneself, putting into order their private life. It is an important practice not only to leaders but to all of us. New strength doesn’t just come like that unless one is refreshed.

3. Future preparation of an assignment. When God calls you to something He always does that with a reason. One of them is giving you a platform to learn the basics of what you are to encounter in the near future… Looking back at my leadership journey I get to understand that God was molding me. Every place and authority that He gave me had a reason as far as future preparation is concerned. Being an introvert it was hard for me to be among people yet that is what God was preparing me for – managing large groups of people. The environment that He places you in really matters. Are you where God placed you in the Body of Christ, or are you where you want to be? Remember, God knows what you need and is working a plan to fully develop the gifts He’s placed in you, but you have to allow Him to place you in the environment He knows is best. He clearly says in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

I encourage you to serve God wherever you are, wholeheartedly. Be flexible and pliable. Allow His Word to dwell richly in your life, and submit yourself to the leaders He has placed over you. Work with others well and always remember that you were first a Christian before you were called into that leadership position. And that you are there for a season and for a purpose. Therefore, you ought to work out your salvation in fear and trembling so that you may not be a dead walking Christian as most leaders find themselves to be. You will find that by doing so, God will bring you into the fullness of His will, and you will see your next assignment through to completion!

Feel free to leave your comment or rather add wisdom to the above post. Thank in advance.