Leaders That Live Renewed

Great leaders are relentlessly good news – and all of us are meant to be good news somewhere. We all have a place where we can lead the way to a fresh perspective of God’s goodness, majesty and possibilities. It’s something the world most certainly needs.

As we lead the way for our faith communities, neighborhoods, families, schools, workplaces… wherever we find ourselves in life—we get to be a living demonstration of a greater reality. Leaders count it a privilege to empower people to become who they really are in Christ. We’re encouragers in the process of growing up into all things in Christ.

Leaders go first in connecting with people and giving them a sample of what life in God is like. They are excited for you to taste and see that the Lord is good.

There’s a joy in leadership that renews us because we adore being God’s partner in His plans and His ways. Our personal relationship with Jesus is what we treasure most, until we’re overflowing from who we encounter Him to be. No one should be safe from a blessing when we’re around!

Weariness in leadership comes from focusing on the negatives—seeing what needs to be fixed in everyone and thinking it’s our job to fix it. And that’s not just our own expectation, but often of the people around us. “You’re the leader. Fix this!”

God wants leaders who partner with people in discovering who they really are in Christ – and investing in that.

When you become focused on the New Man, every encounter with people energizes you. It makes you stronger, more happy to see them come to life! I won’t sit with people and talk about what’s wrong. I talk about who they are and about who God wants to be for them.

Then, my question is: “Do you really want that for yourself?” That’s key.

Leaders (and all good friends in the Kingdom) show people what’s possible with life in God, but they leave the responsibility for pursuing it in their hands. Everyone has to make the choice to…

“Consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11)

Leaders show us the possibilities. We choose which we will consider: old or new.

Once we decide to consider ourselves dead to the old and begin living alive to God, we release leaders from the job of fixing us! Every situation now becomes our personal opportunity to practice growing and abiding in the New Creations that we are in Christ.

We liberate our leaders from being responsible for our spiritual development and become partners with them in discovering life in God.

Our conversations change from the difficulties we are facing to: “What are we getting to practice? Who are we seeing God to be?” We share our stories of God’s faithfulness and His wisdom that encourages each other.

Transformation comes by the renewing of your mind, so we need a dialogue that will transform people into their true identity in Christ.

The biggest problem I encounter (and I include myself in this) is that most of us don’t really understand the fullness of who we are in Jesus, yet. That’s our journey. That’s our passion. That’s our joy. That’s going to be our endless source of delight for leaders and community members alike.

Enjoy that journey.