Blog In Audio:
Greetings,
Leaders must know how to avoid foolish and worthless disputes. These things do not produce life but only create strife. Our words must give life to others, not destroy them. Foolish debates only destroy. This is the way of the world, not the way of the community of God. It is ok for us to disagree with others but is not ok to be disagreeable in our hearts towards them.
2 Timothy 2:23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.
Leaders must not quarrel but be gentle, able to teach, be patient, and in humility correct those who oppose them and what God is giving through them to the church. These are a responsibility carried by those appointed by God to lead in His church. This is not just true for leaders, but leaders must lead in this testimony. The community of God is different than the communities of the world and leaders in God’s community must set an example of the character, nature, way, power, and authority of God.
2 Timothy 2:24-26 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
The goal of a leader’s correction to those they lead is that God might grant repentance to those who oppose the truth. A leader is willing to bring correction that those in opposition will come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil of which they have been taken captive to do the devil’s will. Correction is not a punishment for being bad. The goal of correction is to keep someone in the path of life. Leaders must know that correction is an act of love, and they must never shy away from the responsibility of correcting those they are responsible for. That correction must agree with the Holy Spirit in the life of each believer so each one receives the true transformation than can only come by God working in the human heart. Correction is never merely about our actions; it is about our hearts. Correction given by a leader should be with the same attitude and desire of a father loving his children.
Correction is a blessing and not a curse. God corrects us because He loves us. His correction is not a thing of shame, but a willingness on God’s part to keep us in the path of life. Leadership has a responsibility of bringing correction to those they lead when it is necessary.
Leaders set an example in the character, nature, way, power, and authority of Christ to those they lead. Leadership is not about ministry. It is about community. We lead for the sake of the expression of the community of Christ that God has sent us to. We minister the life of Christ because we are the community of Christ. Being the family of God is more important than doing the works of the family. We do the works of Christ because we are the body of Christ. Surely doing the works of Christ is both important and essential, but we do them because of who we are. What we do doesn’t necessarily define who we are, but who we are will for sure define what we do.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
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House of Bread Ministry
3210 Meridian St.
Bellingham, WA 98225-1728
