Are You a Spiritual Leader?

Following Jesus rubs off.

As a disciple of Jesus, you influence your environment and the people around you. Discipleship often develops into leadership.

It’s a different kind of leadership, though. Different from what most people would expect. Often lacking the most typical characteristics that you usually associate with leadership, like power, position, title, status, money, popularity, image, good looks, high IQ, education, or whatever else impresses on people.

It’s an up-side-down leadership. It’s built on servanthood and qualities like humility, honesty and integrity. Like trustworthiness, reliability and morality. And faithfulness and wisdom. And love. And the fear of the Lord.

In short, it’s spiritual leadership.

True spiritual leadership is based on discipleship, that is, on being a disciple of Jesus. Discipleship comes first, spiritual leadership emerges from there.

You can’t lead another person along a spiritual path without first having walked that path yourself. And you can’t lead that person into a fruitful disciple relationship without being a disciple yourself. The quality of your leadership depends uttermost on the quality of your discipleship. You cannot lead a disciple beyond your own level.

Therefore, are you looking for a spiritual leader? Then, have a closer look at his or her discipleship. Leaders in formal positions are not necessarily fruitful disciples.

On the other hand, fruitful disciples can naturally develop into spiritual leaders, independently of any formal position.

You might be one of them.

Comments

Amelie - LOVE IT! I always thought I needed more of the typical leadership qualities in order to be a great leader, but I found out that there are people around me that I can disciple. That makes being a leader so easy and it comes so natural.

Susan - I am begining to see this more and more. Strange that it should take so long for me to arrive at this conclusion…Truly desire to walk this path with any who sincerely wants to join. :)