We read a lot in the Bible about advice for church leaders. But we can’t and won’t all be called into a leadership role, and for those of us who don’t feel it’s our calling, we might think that these parts of the Bible just aren’t relevant to us. However, we’re all responsible for setting a good example to others in our daily lives. Take a look at 1 Timothy 4:12: ‘Be an example to the believers with your words, your actions, your love, your faith, and your pure life’ (NCV). So how can we be effective in that? Here’s some advice for leaders which we can all apply to our own lives: 1) Be accountable to someone. Find a trusted friend or older Christian who knows you well and can pray with you regularly. Someone who can encourage you, strengthen you in your vulnerable areas, give advice and correction. Someone who can help shape you into the person God’s created you to be, so you’re better equipped to be a good example for others to follow. 2) Get your priorities in order. Helping out with every church activity is great, but if it means you have to neglect your family or your own personal time with God, or you’re getting burned out, you need to have a re-think about what you can take on. Which leads us to: 3) Protect your time with God. ‘Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you’ (James 4:8 ESV). That means we should protect and value our time with God, allowing nothing to threaten it. The closer we are to God, the harder it’ll be for sin and temptations to separate us from Him. Let’s decide to be role-models for those around us and lead by example.
What now?
Which of those three points do you feel is lacking in your life? Make a deliberate effort this week to work on it.