SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP – Master’s style

BY P.V.JOHNSON MAMALA 

WHO IS A LEADER?
A Leader is the one who know where he is going and he is able to take others with him. So the spiritual leadership is not a bossy leadership but it is a sacrifice service to bring forth GOD’S people to a maturity level of the service which they are involved.
        As far as Church is concerned there should be proper leadership which is mentioned in the bible, should be practiced. The scripture very clearly says where no counsel is, the people fail. Why today our assemblies have no proper guidance and many of the gatherings of GOD’S people is still stagnant? Reason of it - there is no proper people in proper place.
         Leadership of GODS people is GOD alone .There is no doubt that Head of the church is JESUS CHRIST but he has appointed people to looks after His flock. So the overseer is supposed to be accountable to HIM who appointed him with this job .Most of us got wrong conception about the leadership today ,few thinks it is a partial job that I do with my own style .But overall JESUS as a master trainer set an example of biblical leadership. So let’s look in to the style of His leadership and adopt in our service which he called us to do.

JESUS AS A MASTER TRAINER
JESUS never told something which he has not practiced. When we look in to the upper room discourses, we see an example of his leadership style. The disciples were thinking of who is the greatest among them. In order to portray an example of leadership, He is washing the feet of his disciples. Through that he explained that if you want to be a leader, you have to be a servant. Overall He shows to His people what kind of attitude we should have towards leadership.

INCARNINATION
The greatest part of his leadership quality is that he incarnated to his object. Who being in the form of GOD thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made the likeness of man . Phi 2:6
         If we need to become effective in our leadership the first thing, we need to be one among them. That means a disciple only can be a disciple maker. Why today we do not have leaders with this kind of charisma that because we are not willing to incarnate. We think that we are some superior people, because of that he has given us this job. No we are also same like them. GOD called us to do this job not because of our qualification but it is the grace that he shown to us.
        That is why we have no right to condemn any of our fellow subordinates. A church is consisted with different type of gifts. GOD has given this gift of oversight to edify the church. So each person who is in the oversight must be willing to incarnate with the group whom they are appointed with this ministry. Incarnation means the act of manifesting. As Christian leaders willing to manifest themselves to the object GOD has given to them.

IDENTIFICATION
The second key to leadership is to identifying with the group which has been under our care. JESUS as a leader was always willing to identify with people. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made unto his brethren .The charisma in His leadership is that He identified Himself to his brethren. If you wanted to become a good leader then you need to learn to identify with the people.
         The call of leader is to look after the ones which GOD has handed over to them. In each group there will be different types of sheep; some of them may be very energetic and active. They are always ready to question and fight against the system. We have to realize that from the beginning people got a nature to rebel against the leadership, so don’t be discouraged. Do the work properly so that you will be rewarded with honor. Some of the sheep may be lame and not able to walk or find out the feeds. Some will be with different kind of motives, how will we manage all these groups.
        In order to have better oversight, we have to identify with the flock and realize the strength and weakness of each one and deal accordingly. This is the charisma which we watch in Jesus as a leader. Even in the communication Jesus identified Himself with the people with whom He was talking. According to the audience and group He uses the parables to explain the hidden truths. This really teaches us that we need to adopt the style of Jesus Christ.
        In principle, if you wanted to become a good teacher or trainer you have to go down to the standard of your trainees and bring them up the level of your potential. If you wanted to build others then you have to break the superior feeling and identify with the object you are supposed to look after. Christian leaders, always keep this in your mind that if you wanted to be a productive and dynamic leader you have to be a man who would like to be identified with them

TRANSPERENCY IN LEADERSHIP
Christian Leaders always should be transparent. When Christ talks about leading the sheep, He always uses the phrase ‘feed the sheep’. As a leader to ‘feed the sheep’, leader’s attitude towards the sheep is very important. The first thing which needs to come to our mind is that all of them all are watching we should not have a partial behavior. 
        A leader is responsible in front of GOD. There are certain qualities which the word of God says about a leader. The first thing, scripture never says about a leader that he has to exercise the authority. In servant hood leadership the first quality is that he needed to serve others. In order to serve God’s people they must be qualified to do that service of leadership. The oversight epistles very clearly talks about the qualities. The leader should have a good family. That means cordial relationship between husband and wife and with children. That means a family with an open relationship people should read.
         Secondly a leader doesn’t need to project himself. Observing his action people will follow him .Bible very clearly says if a man desires the office of a Bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless the husband of one wife vigilant, sober, of good behavior given to hospitality, apt to teach, not given to vine, no striker, not greedy, of filthy lucre but patience no a brawler not covetous one that rules well on his house having his children with gravity.
         All these things show that a leader’s words and deeds are always transparent, so that others can follow. Paul the apostle in his letters to the churches always challenges the believers that ‘be imitators of me’. He was very much transparent, that is the reason why he could be very bold to say this statement. 
        Action of a leader is always questioned. So a leader should have a personal walk with the LORD. Leader needs to realize that he is also a human that wrong things can happen. So a leader must always look back and see the mistakes and be willing to correct .A good leader’s decisions may fail, so need to learn to change.

Conclusion
Overall the ministry of leadership is given by GOD. So feed the flock of God which is among you taking the oversight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of ready mind neither as being lords over GOD’S heritage but being ensamples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears you shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away .So with these words of encouragement keep the good work for which God has appointed you.

Johnson P. V. Mamamla