Successful Christian Leadership
How to succeed as a Christian leader
After Moses’ death, God spoke to Joshua (Joshua 1:1-9). He essentially told him that as Israel’s new leader, he should be strong and courageous and follow His instructions to be successful.
Leadership is a subject that many have written on extensively. Books, periodicals, magazines, and articles on leadership are strewn worldwide. But for a Christian, leadership is markedly different. While Christian leadership is not something that we can fully grasp with our finite minds, we can nonetheless receive understanding about it from the Spirit of God and God’s word.
Why Joshua?
Before Moses passed away, he asked God who would take over from him, and God told him that Joshua would be the next leader (Numbers 27:12-23). Joshua had been Moses’ personal assistant and one of the two spies who brought encouraging word to the nation when others gave a discouraging report (Numbers 13:1-16; 14:1-10). Very little is known of Joshua’s leadership quality, save once when he led Israel in a battle against Amalek at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8-13). Another piece of information about Joshua was that he stayed behind in the tabernacle after Moses had left and gone to his tent (Exodus 33:11).
Yet, for all that we know of Joshua, nothing gives us a clue why he was appointed Israel’s leader after Moses. Be that as it may, God’s conversation with him was about how he would succeed in his new leadership role. Therefore, this article will reveal some salient observations regarding Christian leadership and how to succeed as a Christian leader.
If you must succeed as a Christian leader, God must choose you for the role.
You do not thrust yourself into a leadership role without God appointing you. And God does not appoint people to leadership positions based on any human or earthly qualification. The Holy Spirit said through Paul:
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29, NKJV)
There can be no boasting in oneself when God chooses a person for leadership because God’s criteria for choosing a Christian leader are not based on any qualities we may like to pontificate about. He chooses and appoints whom He pleases. For instance, God chose Saul, a tall fellow, to be king over Israel. Afterwards, He chose David, who was different from Saul, as king. It is thus important that we understand that a person is not appointed a Christian leader based on belonging to a particular race, ethnicity, nationality or any criteria we may think of—it is entirely God’s decision!
If you must succeed as a Christian leader, you must receive and utilise God’s supply to you.
God amply supplies those He places in a leadership position with all the graces required to lead. When God ordained David as a replacement to King Saul, the Bible records that:
the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. … But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him. (1 Samuel 16:13-14, NKJV)
The one thing that David needed to function was the Holy Spirit, Who was bestowed upon him at his ordination in the presence of his brothers. And once the Holy Spirit came upon David, He departed from Saul, who ceased to occupy the leadership position henceforth, in God’s eye. Please note that King Saul did not cease being king. Indeed, he continued to reign for another sixteen or seventeen years afterwards, but he was no longer God’s appointed leader over the nation of Israel.
When the Holy Spirit comes upon anyone anointed for leadership, He bestows on the individual all the graces required to serve and succeed, which is why God is disappointed in those who fail in leadership (1 Samuel 15:10-11). After Jesus’ resurrection, He told His disciples to wait until the Holy Spirit came upon them. Without the Holy Spirit upon a person, they cannot effectively lead God’s people.
If you must succeed as a Christian leader, you must be obedient to God.
Christian leadership is like what happens between a shepherd and his flock. There is always a lead sheep that the shepherd directs, and all the other sheep follow. Thus, the lead sheep is the leader of the flock.
The Christian leader is like a lead sheep in the flock of God. They must follow the leading of the Lord, and others will follow them. Hence, God’s command to Joshua that:
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. (Joshua 1:8, NKJV)
speaks of Joshua following God’s leading so that the people would follow him. Thus, God would tell Joshua what He wanted done, and Joshua would tell the people, and they would all get involved in the work. So, God told Joshua that his success depended on following His leading.
If you must succeed as a Christian leader, you must understand that you are the example that others will follow and must, therefore, be restrained in your lifestyle.
The Lord Jesus said,
And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. (John 17:19, NKJV)
Jesus gave privileges and dedicated Himself to serve God and the disciples. He expects that we would likewise devote ourselves to serve God and His flock. Peter captured the essence of this when he said:
Here's my concern: that you care for God's flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously. Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way. (1 Peter 5:2-3, MSG)
Paul said a similar thing:
Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. (Philippians 3:17, NKJV)
A Christian leader is an example for the flock to follow. If you are not an example that the flock of Jesus can follow, you have failed as a leader. The flock of God is not limited to a church setting—it refers to Christians everywhere. For instance, if you are a Christian in a secular environment and God places you in a leadership role, your conduct in that position must exemplify Christlikeness for others to emulate. If you are not following Christ, you will mislead them and would have failed as a leader. Hence, the lifestyle of a Christian leader must mimic Christ’s, as Paul noted:
Follow my example, just as I follow the example of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1, ERV)
Successful Christian leaders do not seek to profit from their leadership position or abuse it.
Jesus said:
"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:25-28, NKJV)
We are not to copy the leadership style of the world. Our leadership style must mimic Christ’s, which is one of service and sacrifice in all humility and holy conduct. We must not lord it over anyone. Christian leadership is not “us versus them”. In God's eye, we are all the same—the lead sheep is still a sheep and does not enjoy special privileges. The Christian leader is, first and foremost, a Christian—Christlike! Christian leaders must not use their leadership position for personal advantage nor abuse it!
Conclusion
If we must be successful in our leadership position as Christians, we must first realise that we are called by and to God, not men. God is our employer, and we must communicate with Him often to know what He wants us to do. Christian leadership, therefore, involves constant communion with God through prayer, personal bible study, and devotion.
Indeed, God directed that kings in Old Testament times reproduce a copy of the Law and read it daily (Deuteronomy 17:18-20), similar to what He told Joshua in Joshua 1:8. Today, we do not have to copy the Bible. However, we must read it daily, and through it, God will communicate with us.
Every Christian is a leader because we are a pattern to emulate. Jesus said,
"You are the salt of the earth; … You are the light of the world. … Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:13-16, NKJV)
We are the example that the world should see and follow. If we are neither following the leading of the Holy Spirit nor living as we should, then the world would blaspheme the name of God and bring Him into disrepute because of us (Romans 2:24).
As God spoke to Joshua after Moses’ death, God is speaking to us now, telling us what we need to succeed as leaders in this untoward world. Children long to be like their fathers or mothers, so the world longs for people they can emulate for good, not evil. Sadly, the world settles for evil when they cannot find people whose lifestyle challenges them to live right.
God has placed an enormous task on our shoulders—the challenge of being an example and pattern for the world to see and follow. The world makes comments to the effect that they love Jesus but not Christians. Not that that is anything to be concerned about because we know that it is probably just an excuse. But there is a case to be made against Christian leaders, both secular and spiritual, who are spiritually, sexually, psychologically, and emotionally abusive and untoward in their conduct and speech.
Social media platforms are awash these days with stories and tales of every manner of abuse being suffered at the hands of Christian leaders, whether in the place of work or at home. If these leaders had followed Jesus’ word and His Spirit’s leading, such abusive and abominable conduct would not have occurred.
It is, therefore, incumbent on us, as Christians, to live as God designed—through Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and by His word. May the Lord help us all to follow His leading as we make His word indispensable in our lives.