Lead by Example as a Disciple

Have you ever wanted to be a leader in a church or the community? Just in general, a leader in what you do? Have you ever volunteered or preached to someone about Jesus Christ and the gospel? Where you’ve gotten to see someone accept Him as his or her savior.

I’ve realized that being a leader is an important skill in today’s world. It gives you a sense of purpose and confidence in what you do, especially in a Christian’s life. In whatever one does, they must fulfill the calling they’re made for. The calling of making Christ known. We suffer many injuries to our spirits, and we need compassionate leaders who are empowered to step out into the situation with us.

You know, the type of leader that is patient, encouraging and lives by the Word of God to inspire us. (Galatians 6V1).

I’ve learned specifically through trial and error because initially, I opted out of good leadership. But I have to be a good leader in the field of study I’m going into because it’s all about teamwork — computer science, that is. And with teamwork, comes great leadership.

More importantly, serving as a leader has a positive impact on the community itself in a plethora of ways that you will notice. We’ll delve into this as I illuminate the subject of leadership briefly.

Hi, I’m Kaydah. I am a Christian who researches mental health and the Bible to better understand God. As you may have already noticed, this is my first blog post! It’s an honor to write about leadership for the first time.

I hope we become acquainted with the passions at hand. It’s a daring move to step out into the online world to spread the love of Christ. Who will be the first to step up and join me? The choice is yours.

Now, you may be asking, how does being a leader and showing people your progress even benefit you? After all, showing progress in your faith is no easy task. First I must inquire that leadership is not the same as faith-based leadership. The difference is that as a believer, you’re called to reach the lost soul with the special task of making God known.

You’re also showing people that you are the representation of Christ in your walk as you commit to leadership. And every Christian is a leader in that regard. You’re helping others in need, loving God and putting Him first, and showing people you’re an authentic Christian.

I remember one of the first times I got someone saved. It was such a pleasant experience. Unfortunately, I was in the hospital for a mental health problem, but I still was able to preach a coherent gospel to this man even though I didn’t feel like it.

He was curious about his walk with God and wasn’t sure if he was a believer. So I walked him through the sinner’s prayer, and Scripture about faith and told him if he repents and trusts in Christ, he is saved. And he got saved that night.

That’s a great example of leadership and that is the type of leadership skills everyone needs. You need leadership, and let me tell you why. One source, TableTalk Magazine states “I must never be satisfied with where I am as a believer; rather, I must pursue progress with a single-minded ambition and determination.”

You shouldn’t stay in your comfort zone, risking growth and success.

Instead, you should step out of your comfort zone, be prepared to try new things, persevere in hard times, and expand your knowledge of Scripture.

All while keeping your eyes on God. What does it mean to keep your eyes on God? It means that when you are faced with difficult times, you remain faithful to his teaching and instead of quitting your work, you keep going. That’s perseverance, that’s growth at its basic level.

What’s important to know is that every Christian is technically a leader as others see God within you in whatever you do. This means that no matter what you do, even if you sin, they’re watching your growth. You’re a role model, an example of work.

In this post, I want to explain the power of leading by example. It’s a critical need to be a leader in today’s society. Here’s what I’m covering:

• What is Leadership?
• The Principles of Leadership
• Become a Leader

What is Leadership?

Just between you and me, I just hate lies. When a pastor on TV lies about the gospel, dilutes the message of Christ and derails into prosperity teaching or any false teaching, I lose my mind. Honestly, I legitimately shake my head in disappointment.

Now I don’t mean to change the topic. I’m not. I’m bringing this to your attention for a specific reason. There’s a problem within the church. A big one too. While there seems to be a common issue of megachurch false teaching, made to look and feel positive, though it’s not, I’m really talking about growth.

That content doesn’t necessarily allow room for change in a believer’s heart, nor is it productive. To fully understand God’s intentions and spiritually grow, read the Word of God, word for word, and study it. However, when you see these pastors, their message is glued to only the good side of the Bible and never the negative.

What about what the disciples and prophets went through in the biblical times? They were brutally murdered. And for these pastors to say God wants you to be happy? There’s no service there. I remember a time when I was discriminated against by a church and its members not too long ago, and we had to leave it.

I happened to be dealing with an episode of stress. Well, I texted the pastors about how they should help me, and that I’m going through a lot in school and life right now if they could please help out in any way. Because I was stressed out, with bad panic attacks and slow breathing, I had to be hospitalized. What’s even worse is I did not say it like that either.

Unfortunately, the way I said it was harsh and demanding, and they were afraid. The problem was that I was having an episode, and my family explained that to them. But the pastors called a church member, instead of dealing with the issue themselves. He happened to be a retired cop, and they called my family asserting that I was in the wrong, was disrespectful, was a troublemaker, and needed some boundaries. When in reality, I was having a crisis due to stress.

Well, what ended up happening was that the church never supported us. They stayed far away while I got better, and went on like nothing happened. It was disturbing because I needed the church at that time.

In turn, this deeply grieved us and my family and I ultimately left that church and joined another. This is the impact of bad leadership, is that it causes a group of people to leave the leader, to become astray like sheep, as they fail to satisfy the needs of fellowship and knowing the Word more every day.

Not only this, but leaders should help the unwell. That’s what they’re called to do. They should’ve questioned, “Oh, that doesn’t sound like Kaydah. Let me call his family and maybe see what’s going on.” Instead of sending a church member to tell us that I’m a troublemaker. It’s defined as invalidation. The church invalidated my family’s standpoint, while also sacrificing my relationship to that church family.

This is what we call stigma. Stigma is a real thing, and unfortunately, it exists in the church as well as if it were cancer. The impacts of bad leadership are plentiful. It can lead to false doctrine or send you spiraling like my old church.

It can leave you with bad coping strategies when life hits you hard. It can leave you feeling frustrated. It can even impact your satisfaction with God and your faith.

With that said, must you let these terrible leaders ruin your charisma? Instead of only allowing other leaders a voice, why not have your own too? Don’t wait for someone else to do it, you’re the light in the dark. Well, here’s how you can gain leverage over them.

The Principles of Leadership

Let’s start with one common principle; the beginning of leadership begins with love. How do you show love? What makes love effective in situations such as discrimination or helping others? How do you progress? Powerful leadership is driven by love and what you show of it; everyone is watching you. 1 John 4V8 states “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

Essentially, love is the beginning of wisdom here because if you want good leadership, you must not hate your brother or sister. What I mean is that the Holy Spirit has been given to us, and Christ died to take our places; we love because he first loved us. You should be able to love one another.

When you show love, look up to the heavens and say “I am your disciple,” as everyone will know you’re His disciple because of your love. (Romans 5:5; John 13V35; 1 Cor. 13)

To be a good leader love everyone because it always proves to be beneficial. Consider Jesus’ capability to show love though he was being persecuted.

Any believer should be driven by love in his or her life saying “I’m doing this because I love you,” as they walk in humility toward God’s calling.

The next principle is modesty. Consider Proverbs 16V5 where arrogance is an abomination to the Lord. How might you live modestly in day-to-day life? How might you walk in the Spirit when you lay down your life in humility? Walk in the Spirit with the Word. (Proverbs 16V18-19)

Self-Development. Jesus showed incredible self-development and discipline to take on the cross and die a terrible death. He showed great sacrifice; I am in awe of how much he suffered. He suffered a brutal death. If he showed endurance and sacrifice, shouldn’t we do the same? Also, leaders have clarity of thought and good communication, as they need discernment, and the ability to socialize. There’s this saying that you can’t do the will of God without talking to someone first. Ask God to give you the strength to do this.

Communication is key, they will assert effectively and have a point that resonates well. This develops their credibility. Growing others in faith and service to God is glorifying Him. You impact others in a meaningful way and strengthen leadership because of this faith that no non-Christian has. You own it immediately and you’re on call right then and there. Leaders should put people first as they desire to see people grow and flourish. They have empathy and support.

Being a good leader requires a lifelong journey of dedication and hard work. This is why you must armor up with the Word of God and instruction from your teachers and pastors. Do you want to be a good leader? Make time to grow spiritually in the Word; delight in it.

Motivation. I assert that many will mislead men and women to false doctrine. Exploiting them to give more money to the church, teaching “naming it to claim it”, such as in the Word of Faith movement. Well, good leaders motivate others, they don’t mislead. (Nehemiah 2V17). Because in the heart — pride, ruins leaders. They’re doing it for self-gain. That’s how we manipulate an entire community. Lay yourself down and walk humbly with God. (Micah 6V8).

Correction. Going back to modesty, there’s a connection with having a humble attitude to correction. You also want to respect other people’s concerns and be willing to correct them when they’re wrong. Correction starts with understanding everyone’s emotional limits, believing in their gifts, supporting them, encouraging them, and holding others accountable. While it’s not pleasant to receive discipline, or even correct someone sometimes, it proves beneficial. You want them to live their best life!

When you don’t correct others as a leader it becomes unloving or uncaring. But be there for them, it goes along way.

Integrity. Integrity shows in your words as well as your actions. According to Campbellsville Edu, it’s not integrity as in “not stealing,” it’s hypocrisy. So the saying goes, practice what you preach. That’s how you show leadership. Don’t be like some leaders who lie on stage, lie about the gospel, and lie in their actions. Be fruitful, and have integrity. You also want to be consistent as well as dependable. (Proverbs 16V13; Galatians 5V22-23).

Follow God. “It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect.” Pslam 18V32. Be proactive in defending the faith. Not only that but a shepherd loses sheep to predators when they sit back and watch instead of fighting the good fight. Put God first, not yourself, or your community. Love people as God does. As a matter of fact, when you surrender your life to Christ, you now have faith and leadership. It is built in now. Congratulations!

Become a Leader

It now influences your attitudes and actions everywhere. Leaders naturally protect from false doctrine. Loving is service. As Christians, we are humble slaves exemplifying sacrifice, devotion, submission, and lowliness in leadership. Leadership skills at its depth.

When you love, correct, motivate, show modesty, show self-development, and show integrity, you inspire others to follow Christ. Then you want to arm yourself with the Word. You’re basically feeding the flock, nurturing, and teaching. The Word of God is the only thing that gives us power and keeps us sharp. Good leaders naturally go to the Word. (Ezekiel 34V16).

I want to assert that you don’t have to be a pastor or a worship leader to be a leader. You can simply be anybody and naturally do this.

Picture yourself as a leader already, do you know how many people you can help? Also, can you imagine how important it is to be a leader in a world of followers? To spiritually grow, develop your character, and walk in someone else’s shoes. To love others, to follow God, and to be dependable. Ask God to help you with leadership.

With this in mind, when you practice these principles in your everyday life; recite positive affirmations to strengthen your mind. I use affirmations and find them best when I need motivation, and then get the task done. Leadership is an important skill, and it takes dedication.

Will you become a leader today? God uses people like you and me to do mighty things. In a world of followers and false teachers, will you be the first to step up and show Christ’s love? To know Christ and make Him known, to reveal His character through your actions? Love fuels you, but self-development and dedication pave the way.

Part 2

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