Blog In Audio:
Greetings,
Leaders are given a responsibility to lead others into a way of life that is inspired by a personal relationship with God. Leaders lead others to live their lives as a dwelling place of God by His Spirit. God’s presence in our lives transforms us to become like our heavenly Father in our character, nature, way, power, and authority. God’s presence in each one, and in many together, will empower each one and everyone to be givers of life to their world. This is the testimony of the likeness and image of our Father in heaven. Leaders have this responsibility; therefore, they have an authority to walk in this purpose. Their gifting will serve this authority. Their anointing will serve their gifting to enable them to walk in the full authority of this responsibility before God.
A leader’s anointing is not the same as their authority, nor is their gifting the measure of their authority. Their authority is measured by their God-given assignment. That assignment is measured by God and not by a comparison to any assignment given to another. This is not necessarily measured in numbers of people or physical riches of ministry. The world measures importance and value by size and number. They measure authority by human desire for success. God measures authority by significance and living to the full measure of bringing eternal things into the lives of those to whom they are sent.
1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
Some things that we create, are not meant to last. They simply serve the greater eternal purposes of God. They support the work of God for a season, but they themselves are not the true work of the Spirit. We cannot measure our success by the things of wood, hay, or straw. The true measurement of our leadership is seen in the personal connections with God found by those we lead. Our leadership is not meant to be bound to those in our immediate care, but it is even seen in the testimonies of God found in the lives of those who have moved beyond our immediate ministries. We will not know the full record until things are summed up in Christ for the glory of our heavenly Father. We must live to see a personal connection with God in the hearts and minds of those we lead. This is the connection to the foundation of Jesus Christ. God’s field, God’s building, is not limited to our ministries. It is bigger than any form of ministry or structure we create. It is meant to fill the earth with a harvest for the glory of God in all things. As leaders we live to lead others in being part of something bigger than any form of wood, hay, or straw that we can create. We lead to assist God’s sons and daughters in making personal connections to God that exhibit eternal inheritances for the glory of God.
Food For Thought,
Ted J. Hanson
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