Love is the foundation of Christianity. Loving each other, loving our enemies, and battling against spiritual wickedness are all part of living a life dedicated to Jesus Christ.
This may sound a bit strange if you are a nonbeliever, but actually living out the passage in Luke 17:33 helps you see how true it is: “Those who try to save their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives will save them.” It means that once you give your life to Jesus – without hesitation – you gain so much more than you could have ever imagined. This means we are expected to do what the Lord asks us to do and also to act in a way that honors Him. By doing this, He will bless our lives in ways we could not foresee.
Leadership is part of being a believer. The Bible talks about leadership a lot, and Jesus is a living example of this. The military also is a place where everyone is expected to be a leader, down to the lowest level. Each person is expected to be able to take leadership of a unit or team at any moment’s notice, and our training is geared that way. We are trained to lead by example in our work, confront people who go against what leadership commands, and push the troops to perform. We are supposed to work hard to achieve the mission, or complete the assignment that we’ve been given. But what does that look like? Who do we emulate?
Are we only measuring our success on the medals we earn, awards we receive, or the approval of our leaders here in the natural world? Who is the judge of us – is it man or God? Depends on who you are a servant to, but I would rather serve God than man.
A view of the world under God’s kingdom means that you see things under a different lens. Instead of blaming people for what they do, we realize that people themselves are not evil, but evil can exist inside of people because we were born into a broken world. As explained in Ephesians 6:12, “… our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
When you are leading people, you are dealing with both the good and the sinful natures of people. If the idea of spiritual warfare seems far-fetched, look at the news today. Drugs, sex outside of marriage, alcoholism, and other vices have wreaked havoc with our society.
It’s all spiritual warfare.
In leadership there are many “enemies” we deal with, and when I say enemies, I mean spiritual ones. Had I understood that during my time in service, I would have approached so many things so differently. Instead of positive discussion and confrontation, I used to vent my frustrations to anyone who would listen and it didn’t make matters better, only worse. Now, things are much different and I do my best to lead with the Word of God as my foundation.
In God’s kingdom, we are already called to be leaders. Here are seven examples of how God sees us, and how He envisioned us to live. Knowing this is who we are, we can be confident in the way we lead others because we are living out what we’ve been called to be – because it’s not about us, it’s about serving Him and helping our brothers and sisters in the world:
- We are called to be the salt and the light in Matthew 5:13-16: You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
- We are called to be servants in Philippians 2:3: Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.
- We are called to be responsible overseers in 1 Timothy 3:1-7: The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
- We are called to be courageous volunteers in Isaiah 6:8: And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’
- We are called to set an example in Isaiah 32:1: Behold, a king will reign in righteousness, and princes will rule in justice. Each will be like a hiding place from the wind, a shelter from the storm, like streams of water in a dry place, like the shade of a great rock in a weary land.
- We are called to choose our words carefully in Proverbs 18:21: The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
- We are called to be trustworthy Exodus 18:21: Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
Leaders are not selfish; leaders set an example with their own actions, and they have strong character. The greatest leader to ever walk the face of this earth is Jesus Christ. For 2,000 years people have been trying to find fault in him, and yet millions of people still believe, with new believers every day — and His name is still above every other name.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. – Mark 10:45
