A Good Spiritual Leader, Part One
What makes someone a good spiritual leader? In this two part discussion, Steph Nickel explores the characteristics of spiritual leaders, based on passages from the Bible.
Practice What They Preach
Matthew 23:1-5 says,
The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others.
Matthew 23:1-5
Last time we touched on the importance of praying for our leaders and fulfilling our civic responsibilities. Today I’d like to look at what makes a good spiritual leader. According to 1 Timothy 3, church leaders must be above reproach, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, gentle, humble, dignified, honest, not quarrelsome, not lovers of money. They are also to manage their own families well and be thought of well by outsiders. This is not an exhaustive list, but it gives us a good idea about what qualifies as a good spiritual leader from God’s perspective.
We can add to that list from the brief passage we read today. Leaders should practice what they preach. They should come alongside those they are seeking to lead, not simply have a “do as I say, not as I do” attitude. Every believer is instructed to bear one another’s burdens, as it says in Galatians 6:2. This includes those in leadership positions.
Choosing a Spiritual Leader
When we have the opportunity to choose leaders, we ought to keep these qualities in mind. And more than that, we ought to seek to develop them in ourselves and in our children. You may recall what I said several weeks ago: We will not all become leaders of large groups of people, but each of us has influence over at least a handful of individuals, those who are looking to us to set an example. Therefore, it is wise to prayerfully consider what this list of qualities means to us.
Be Above Reproach
What does it mean to be above reproach? It goes hand-in-hand with being respectable. It means that we are to be people of integrity.
If someone found out what we do in private, when no one else is around, would we be embarrassed? Would we still have a good testimony before those who do not believe in Jesus Christ? We are to be His ambassadors at all times.
Be Sober-minded
Being sober-minded doesn’t mean we never laugh or have fun. It doesn’t mean we’re boring. But it does mean we consider things carefully and take our spiritual responsibility seriously.
I could write an entire devotional on what it means to be self-controlled, but suffice it to say that we are to use God’s standard as our measure of behaviour in all things and with His help, walk in obedience to His directives.
Be Hospitable
We don’t often consider hospitability on the list of essentials for good leaders, but it is just one more way good leaders show they care about others and not simply their own aspirations.
Be Gentle
Gentleness is often seen as a weakness, definitely not a trait many people think of when they consider what makes an effective leader. But here it is in the list God gave us. Gentle doesn’t mean weak. Those who are gentle can make very good leaders.
After all, Christians are to truly care about those in their charge. They are not simply to sit back and give instruction. They are to walk alongside those they seek to lead. It’s easy to see how gentleness could be beneficial when we think of leaders in this way.
Be Humble
The Bible overflows with reasons to be humble. And one of the most powerful of all is the example set for us by the Lord Jesus Christ. Consider what it says in Philippians 2:5-8: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Be A Teacher
And it stands to reason that good leaders should be able to teach, to effectively share what they’ve learned with others. While it may seem obvious why this is a required trait for spiritual leaders, I see it as a benefit for all of us.
There will be times we want to share what we’re learning from God’s Word. If we understand how to communicate, it will make it much easier to effectively do so with even one other person.
Follow their Direction, Not their Example
As you can see, we could not get through this list in a single day. We will discuss the remaining traits of good leaders next time.
And one more thing . . . There will be times our leaders are not all they should be. Yet God calls us to follow their direction, though not their example. There are exceptions to our obedience however. If our leaders instruct us to do something that is illegal, immoral, or in clear violation of God’s Word, that is, of course, an entirely different discussion.
What do you think makes someone a good spiritual leader? Contact us– we’d love to hear from you!
Steph Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel is eclectically interested and eclectically involved. In all she does, Steph seeks to nurture and inspire. She is currently working on the first book in a nonfiction series. Nurture and Inspire LOVE is a compilation of the first devotionals she wrote for HopeStreamRadio.
Steph is a freelance writer and editor. She is the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’ award-winning memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, published by Castle Quay Books. Deb and Steph are working on a follow-up book.
You can visit her website, stephbethnickel.com, to learn more about her.
Visit Steph’s contributor’s page or at Steph Nickel’s Eclectic Interests.
More Podcasts to Enjoy:
More Blogs
Images Courtesy of:
Tie- Unsplash
Church- VinnyChiro
Person- geralt
Hands- 1045373
School- tpsdave
Leave a Reply