~ The Spiritual Gift of Leadership
/ Ruling ~
Opening Comment ~ “Do not be deceived, my beloved
brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes
down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of
turning. Of His own will He brought us
forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His
creatures” (James 1:16-18).
Serving Gifts ~ Within the Service Sector we compared the
Spiritual Gift of Serving with non-profit organizations in society. The Gift of Going / Mercy was likened to
Missionaries, while the Gift of Helps is a parallel for food banks and similar
organizations. The Gift of Hospitality
was compared to the travel industry, and the Gift of Leadership is a direct
parallel to leaders throughout society.
Gift of Leadership
~ “The God-given
gift of spiritual oversight of a flock of God's sheep or a particular work of
God.” –Robert Lloyd Russell
“The God-given executive ability to stand before
people and to inspire followers by leading them aggressively but with care.”
–Pastor Loren Fischer
“God’s work needs well-taught elders, able to preside over the work in
a given church and guide it into Scriptural and fruitful paths.” –John Phillips
The essence of leadership is to provide spiritual guidance to the
individuals or flock you are responsible for.
Scripture ~ “For I say, through the grace given to me, to
everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to
think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but
all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body
in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the
grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in
proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who
teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in
exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence;
he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:3-8).
“‘He that ruleth, with diligence’ refers to the gift of leadership. There are certain men who are leaders, and
they need to exercise their gift in the church so that everything might be done
decently and in order. The business of
the church requires a man with the gift of administration.” –J. Vernon McGee
There is a great need for such men in the church today!
Biblical Examples ~ In
the Old Testament it is said of the men of Issachar that they: “had
understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do” (1 Chronicles
12:32).
The elders at Antioch understood the Spirit’s leading and of the times
in which they lived when they laid hands on Barnabas and Saul and sent them
forth to evangelize the western world for God.
“Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and
teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who
had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the
Holy Spirit said, ‘Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I
have called them.’ Then, having fasted
and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away” (Acts 13:1-3).
Traits ~ Those with the gift of leadership typically,
1) employ organizational skills to encourage people to participate in
worthwhile projects, 2) assume responsibility to see a job is done correctly,
3) stay the course of action to get work accomplished, 4) find it necessary to
speak harshly when people fail to do their part, 5) confront people
enthusiastically, thus encouraging team members to a higher level of productivity,
6) strive to help each member of a project involved a task.
Closing Comments ~ “Let no one despise your youth, but be an
example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in
purity. Till I come, give attention to
reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you,
which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the
eldership. Meditate on these things;
give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the
doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing
this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).
“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my
hands. For God has not given us a spirit
of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).
“As each one has
received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the
manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).
~ Robert Lloyd
Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.
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