Leadership from the Bible Essay

The pages of History ar littered with stories and legends of societies gravid attractors catnap Bonaparte, a brilliant and charismatic military strategist Mahatma Ghandi, the peaceful basal Pope John Paul II, the vibrant Roman pontiff that continues to urge on millions Ronald Reagan, the Great Communicator and the list goes on and on. And these leaders are looked upon, revered, and modeled in todays society as those having exemplary lead skills, having the keys to motivating, influencing, inspiring, and abject the masses to accomplish smashing and mighty things.But in that location was however angiotensin-converting enzyme utter(a), righteous leader one who led by example, and implement the comprehension keys from the intelligence operation of god Jesus Christ. And He gave to us His Word, the give-and-take, the perfect manuscript for behavior, including key leading concepts that we can be apply today. use the life of Christ as the primary example and combining Hi s life with Gods word, one finds perfect, holy, and successful leading treasures that excel in relevance and effectiveness beyond historys secular leading examples.This paper is my exploration into how the Word defines a great leader and those wisdom nuggets that we can use today with the concepts of sm all(prenominal) beginnings, ken, service, and time arrangement. When Israel returned from enslavement to rebuild the Lords Temple, the Lord said through the honest-to-goodness Testament Prophet Zechariah, Do non despise the day of small beginnings ( unused King pile Version, Zechariah 410). Referencing this verse, Pastor mac Hammond of Living Word Christian stub rhetorically asks the question, If it cant be instantly huge, why shake up? (Small Beginnings).The instauration is consumed with the concept of instant gratification, the desire to be the biggest and the high hat without enduring the struggle that comes with growth, but Jesus started his ministry small, with 120 passionate, committed followers. The ennoble also started the Hebrew Nation with just one man, Abraham. And from that man, a great nation has grown and endured for thousands of years. And even before that, God caused the stolon family, one man and one woman, to fill the earth and subdue it. Our God, the Christian God, is a God of small beginnings.I attend the mega-church Family latria Center in Lakeland, FL. The churchs pastor and charismatic shepherd is Reggie Scarborough. Like the great church body, the nation of Israel, and the beginnings described in Genesis Pastor Reggie did not despise Family morality Centers day of small beginnings. In fact, I believe, he embraced it. Nearly 26 years ago, the church began with scarce 100 members and has flourished to a congregation of nigh 4,000. Great leaders do not despise or forsake the day of small beginnings.For those who perplex those small beginnings the Lord is faithful to yield much. In the financial world there are three mutually owned financial firms that associate themselves from the rest New York Life, Massachusetts Mutual Life, and northwesterly Mutual Life. completely three companies were founded in the mid-19th century with a strategy for small, slow, conservative growth. Today, the loose Three Mutuals are Fortune 100 companies with credit ratings and assets that surpass closely other rivals in the financial markets.These companies saw the value of small beginnings, and the offspring has been a good, strong name. For me, leadership key bend one is do not despise the day of small beginnings. To the prophet Habakukk, the Lord said, release the mountain and make it plain (Hab 22). This was the Lords solution to Habakukks complaint of the wickedness befalling Judah. Habakukk was seeking justice from the Lord and an perform on Judahs future. In similar measure, the Lord spoke through Proverbs to say, Without a vision, the people parish (Prov 2918). A great leader must clear a vision f or the future.The text uses the phrase kick teaching to summarize why an organization exists (Kiniki and Kreitner 459). In handle manner, the Word of God uses vision to give the people a subprogram, an answer to the question, Why do we do what we do? A vision or mission bid also allows those in the organization to glimpse the big picture. Pastor Mac Hammond encourages his readers to, Find out where you fit in the grand scheme of things. (The jumbo Picture). It also allow for goal-setting. How leave the organization accomplish the vision?Referring to the flight from Habakukk, Pastor Mac Hammond states, Setting specific, measurable goals is a regnant exercise Its one of the most important motivational tasks for harming (The Exercise of Goal Setting). Just as Pastor Reggie started Family adore Center with small beginnings, he also had a vision for the congregation. That vision is espoused in the mission statement of Family Worship Center which reads Our mission is to crea te a worship environment through a union of the Word of God and the Spirit of God that will stimulate a advancing Pentecostal community. Our Mission).Its vision allows its congregants to know why they are there and how they fit in. The vision also helps Pastor and his Board of Advisors create and manage goals for Family Worship Centers growth. And from that growth through goals formed from the vision, Family Worship Center has grown to a mega-church that sows into ministries throughout the world. Likewise, the Big Three Mutuals all had separate, yet similar, visions. All of their stories are alike in that each of their founders located out a vision or mission for long-term financial security and conservative growth.The following mission statement was released in 1911 from the Northwestern Mutual Life (NML) Board of Trustee, and reads as follows The ambition of the Northwestern has been less(prenominal) to be large than to be safe its aim is to rank first in benefits to policyowner s rather than first in size. Valuing quality above quantity, it has favourite(a) to secure its parentage under certain salutary restrictions and limitations rather than to hold open a much larger business at the possible dedicate of those valuable points which have made the Northwestern pre-eminently the policyowners company. Shannon and Poley)This mission statement has allowed NML to grow in an efficient conservative manner for nearly 100 years, and its reputation and name is revered in the industry. Like Family Worship Center, NMLs vision has giving its policyowners and staff the ability to see NMLs big-picture, and the vision has been the guidebook NML uses when setting goals and future plans. A Vision does six-fold things for any organization It gives the organization purpose, it shows the people where they fit in with the big-picture, and it gives a clear path for goal-setting.For me, leadership key number two is have a vision. Another prominent leadership concept is serv ant-leadership. Although the term servant-leadership was coined by Robert Greenleaf in 1970, the concept was espoused by Christ two millennia before (What is consideration Leadership). Jesus promoted the idea of servant-leadership when He said to His disciples, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant (New International Version, Matt 2026). His concenter was putting others before oneself.I like the way John MacArthur describes the passage In this rich text, the Lord was teaching the disciples that the vogue of greatness and leadership for believers is different than for none believers Christians lead by being servants and giving themselves absent for others, as Jesus did. (1430) Servant-leadership gives the leader influence, builds moral, and provides him or her understanding. Through Jesus example, He did all those things. He had influence He inspired the crowds and His leadership style showed understanding.From a business point of view, there is an old sayi ng, He who wait ons best, lucre most. (Source unknown). And its true in any organization. Leaders in a church must serve the sheep, just as Pastor Reggie has through at Family Worship Center. Leaders in business must serve their clients, just as the Big Three Mutuals. For me, leadership key number three is service. The Apostle Paul said to the church at Ephesus, Be truly careful, then, how you livenot as unwise but as wise, do the most of every opportunity (Eph 515 16).In comparison, the New King James uses the phrase save the times instead of qualification the most of every opportunity. For the leader, what Paul may be inferring here is, utilise your time wisely. In support of Pauls letter, John MacArthur opines We are to make the most of our time on this evil earth in fulfilling Gods purposes, lining up every opportunity for reusable worship and service (1812). In Scripture, we constantly see Jesus redeeming the time and making the most of every opportunity. He had p riorities in place, taking care of the most pressing matters, first.Many of his miracle repossessings were interruptions in His schedule, but He often turned aside from His journey to touch the sick and heal the blind, making the most of the opportunity. He redeemed the time He had on the earth. For the Christian, Pastor Mac Hammond says, one of the most crucial lessons any leader can learn is how to use time wisely. (Time Management). For me, leadership key number four is time management. Although this paper has address four keys to successful leadership, the wealth of leadership treasure in the Bible is without end.It does not matter the type of organization that applies these concepts. Whether a church like Family Worship Center, or one of the Big Three Mutuals biblical leadership keys work. For me, if I only master these four, I believe I will be successful in both Christian ministry and the secular business world small beginnings, the willingness to forgo instant gratificati on vision, the idea that gives me purpose service, putting others before myself and, time management, making the most of every opportunity.