A Message to Aspiring Leaders:

After a powerful message on last Sunday, it was apparent that this was no ordinary message. As a leader in our church, this was a key message with much subtext, but it is not clear whether it was as powerful to others as it was to me.

In fact, it answered a question that I had been asked over the years from other leaders who aspired to higher levels of authority in the ministry. The question was, “What’s the secret to get elevated in the ministry; or other variants, “What do I have to do…; or, Who do I need to prove myself to?” The answer was invariably, keep doing what you are doing. But the weight of that question has been weighing on me ever since.

The questions asked are actually questions fundamental to Leadership Development, and helping others to understand what it takes to become a better leader, especially for God’s people. Our challenge is that when we see others in leadership, most often we fail to understand the depth of their journey to achieve their position of leadership.

Our Limitations

Unfortunately, in many churches, our “titles” and perceived entitlement, often get in the way of being sensitive to one another and being able to touch one another. And that includes being interested in the lives of those whom we worship and serve with. Sadly, we are often only focused on those who we perceive as being instrumental in helping us get to the next level.

In the same vein, rather than taking time to truly understand each other’s journey, we just accept our assumptions of one another as fact…when our assumptions are in fact anything but fact! That’s why it is so easy to simply believe that a particular leader has always been where they are—or as one fellow teacher shared with me and my wife years ago, “But you guys don’t have these struggles–you have always had it together!” Which of course is a laughable statement–except that she believed what she said.

While it is true that we are all desire to model the “dignity of our position,” we are often just fortunate that those around us catch us on a good day. A day sooner or later, and they would actually see the daily struggles that we each endure outside the glare of our title and position. A position that often shields the fact that we all serve at the leisure of a gracious God. And if we could only know each other’s story, we would be amazed at the wondrous ability of God to keep us and those whom we serve with. But lest I stray further, let me get to the point. Leadership is absolutely about the journey and what we learn along the way. In fact, consider King David and his own remarkable journey to become king.

David’s Journey

David was a shepherd, who had found favor from God. Of all his brothers, he was a lot like many of us, he may have seemed the least favored as he alone cared for his father’s sheep. But along with that responsibility was the protection of the sheep from wild animals. In that, David successfully defended the sheep from lions, bears and other wild animals. That was part of his journey–and those were critical skills that he acquired along the way that would serve him well later in life. These were skills, cultivated by God, but not necessarily visible by earthly men. For it is God who discerns our gifts and the season of our promotion.

Perhaps that’s the real secret of leadership. It is possible to sit in a class to learn what you need to know to lead God’s people–or you can acquire the skills of leadership learning on the “backside of the mountain, shepherding sheep!” And when that critical time comes to lead, God has already developed within you a vast array of leadership skills that are vital in helping you to lead His people! The key is to realize that along your journey, every experience that is presented to you–is meant to teach you something valuable for life and leadership!

So here is where the Word that was ministered on Sunday really spoke to me, and it amplified a powerful leadership principle: your journey while trusting God, uniquely qualifies you for leadership. We are all familiar with the story of David and Goliath where David infamously slew the Nation of Israel’s giant enemy with a sling and a smooth stone. Even as David, still a shepherd made his way to the battle field to fight Goliath, he was by all imagination ill prepared. But, without hesitation, he continued on with the singular thought to fight this giant. It is here, that we are presented with a lesson in leadership that most of us miss–because we focus on the fight between David and Goliath.

The lesson we miss is that King Saul, in his release of David to go fight the enemy, gives David his armor to go into battle. But we know that as David faced the giant–he had no armor on. The easiest answer is because he found it cumbersome. But perhaps, there was another reason. Perhaps, David knew what the armor represented. And that was the powerful aside of the message ministered Sunday, “Don’t put on someone else’s armor.” That was the extent of that line of thought, but it resonated in my spirit. Because this is where we miss it in developing leaders.

It’s Just Armor…Right?

We can suppose that when David first put on the armor, he did so because he wanted to honor the king. After all, he had never gone to war—what did he know! But as young man, the armor must have looked just like it felt on David, bulky and cumbersome—because it simply didn’t fit! And that’s where most aspiring leaders make their mistake in that they try to wear another leader’s armor, but it doesn’t fit. And to make matters worse, everyone who sees them knows that it doesn’t fit—except them! God has prepared an armor for you that fits you!

This was King Saul’s armor. This was the armor of a man who God had already left. What would be the value of going where God used to be? But that is how most of us identify with leaders…we want to copy their actions or behaviors in hopes that “the powers that be” would see us replicating the same behaviors of those who are leaders–never realizing that simply because that was acceptable for that leader at that time–doesn’t mean that it is acceptable now–because God may have been with them then…but now, He may possibly be going another way in this present season!

So that’s it. That’s the point of power in today’s message. Don’t be so quick to put on another’s armor, because it may only protect you from yesterday’s enemy—and leave you vulnerable to the enemy who is seeking to destroy you today. Moreover, the leaders that God is developing today will often need every skill of the leaders who are in position now—but can never limit themselves believing that their work is done. God will continue to present them with “life’s experiences” both good and bad…that will continue to develop critical skills that are needed to lead today.

God bless you! And Amen!

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