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Greetings,
Timothy was to preach the word! He was to be ready in season and out of season. A leader must be full of the word and ready at any time to share its principles, patterns, and values with those they lead. Preaching the word and leading others within their sphere of influence to value God’s word is not a convenience, it is a mandate. This includes leading people where they don’t naturally want to go.
2 Timothy 4:1-2 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
This is more about family character then it is about works of ministry. In regard to the testimony of a Christ life community, a leader must be able, ready, and willing to convince, rebuke, and exhort those they lead when it is necessary. This is a process that requires longsuffering on behalf of every leader. Their objective is to teach those they lead to embrace the instructions of God in their lives. Paul was aware that there would be those who would not desire to continue in the way of God and that Timothy would have to stand strong to lead as many as he could into the path of life. This is true for us as leaders today.
2 Timothy 4:3-5 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
As it was in Paul’s day, there are times when people don’t seek to endure in sound doctrine but seek their own desires. Many people seek to hear what they want to hear and choose the teachers they want rather than receiving the ones that God has sent to them. They choose not to listen to the truth that has been sent to them, and they end up turning to fables. Leaders must be strong in the word to set an example that can be followed, and they must labor in helping others to be strong in their hunger for God’s truth in their lives that gives them a way of life that can be emulated by others.
Leaders are to be watchful for the sake of all that has been entrusted to them. When Paul wrote to Timothy, he instructed him to be watchful in all things. To be watchful is to be awake and alert to the things of God. It is more about being awake to the things of God then it is about being aware of the things of the enemy. If a leader is awake to what God is doing, they will quickly notice the things that God is not doing. When others turn from their faith, leaders must be an example of those who are awake to God in all things.
2 Timothy 4:5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Like Paul and Timothy, leaders must endure afflictions for the sake of the measure of grace given to them for those they lead. Leadership is about leading. It is leading people to where they have not gone before. It is leading people to embrace the changes that God is bringing into their lives. The work of bringing many to Christ in a revelation of reconciliation to God in Christ has been given to them. All believes must be life to others, but leaders must lead in this reality. A leader cannot expect an easy life, but they can expect a great life. I believe a great life is a noble one. It is a life that is given for the sake of others. Paul gave his life as a drink offering, he had fought the good fight, finished his race, and kept the faith. He expected that same quality of character to be inherited by his spiritual children and their children. Leaders must endure for the sake of others.
2 Timothy 4:6-8 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
A true leader knows that their leadership is really about giving their lives as an offering of life to those they lead. They understand that Jesus said those who drink of Him would have rivers flowing from within them. Those rivers are the diverse expressions of Christ’s life for the sake of others. This requires passion, endurance, and intimacy with God in all things.
We cannot fight a good fight without a revelation of why we fight. Our fight must be one that is motivated by a love for God and a love for others. There is no stronger power than love. Our endurance in the race must be for the sake of seeing others come to know that same love. Our faith is motivated by the voice of the One who loves us. We live to see the love of our Father known in our lives in the lives of all those we lead. God is a righteous Judge, but He does not judge with a gavel that pronounces the guilt of our sins. He judges righteously. He judges to make things right, to clear the things that have held us in shame. A leader doesn’t lead to see the judgment of God pronounce the guilty to condemnation. A leader leads to see those bound to shame made free unto life.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
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