"leader" or "Leader"?

My teammate, Robi, and I have been talking quite a bit lately about what a ‘leader’ is.  What do we mean when we talk with students about developing leaders of student spiritual movements?  I remember when someone first talked about me becoming a leader in our student movement that I balked at the thought that I would ever be a leader.  It seemed to me like being a leader carried too much responsibility.  I probably pictured being a leader the same as being a pastor or the president of some big company or even of a country.

I think of a pastor of a church or a president of a company as a ‘big L’ Leader.  A ‘big L’ Leader is someone who, simply put, is officially appointed to leadership and is given a position of power and authority over a group of people. 

Are we asking you to take on role of this kind of leadership or to develop this kind of leader within your movement?  In short, no.  In general what we are talking about in this blog and in New Life is a ‘small l’ leader. 

When you look at the men who Jesus challenged to be involved in His ministry, you see a group of uneducated, untrained men who the world would never consider a leader (Acts 4:12-14).  I am not saying that you are uneducated, but what I am saying that Jesus wasn’t looking for those who had credentials for leadership as He chose those who would help Him in His mission.

A ‘small l’ leader is someone who with or without being formally challenged:

- sees a need and takes steps to see that that need is met,

- works with others toward the fulfillment of a goal, taking on whatever role is necessary at the time,

- someone who takes a role of responsibility for carrying out a task giving oversight as he or she involves others in putting on an event or meeting,

- “acts upon the vision of a preferred future and then mobilizes others to join in the cause” (from Tim Elmore, president of Growing Leaders),

- may be part of a leadership team which helps to cast vision for God’s mission on your campus and gives direction to the group.

When you look at this list, what you really see is that a ‘small l’ leader is actually a servant.  A ‘small l’ leader is someone who is willing to serve God’s mission and those involved in the ministry in whatever capacity necessary.  These are the kinds of leaders we are asking you to be and the kinds of leaders we asking you to develop in your spiritual movement.   God can work mightily through servant leaders.

Motivation for ministry

I don’t know how it is for you, but I am having a hard time being motivated to start a new year of ministry.  I want to keep enjoying the pace of the slower life of summer.  (I mentioned before that I tend to be lazy and am more inclined to find reasons to not do things.)  The reality is, though, that the new school year is quickly approaching and there is nothing I can do to stop it.  I need fresh motivation, or I need at least to go back to thinking about those things that motivated me in the past for believing God and taking active steps of faith in being a part of what He wants to accomplish in and through me this school year.

So what am I doing to bring about the motivation I need to get me to take the first step?  Just a few simple things:

Pray - ask God to renew my desire and commitment for participating in His ministry where He has placed me to serve.   I spent a good long time in prayer and in seeking God yesterday, asking Him to help me to see the world around me through His eyes.  He helped to move my eyes from the temporary to the eternal – somewhere around 70,000 people die a day facing a Christless eternity… there are people all around me who need to hear about Christ, whether I wait until I feel properly motivated or not.  I am motivated by this thought!

Go to His Word – look again over the verses and passages that He has used in the past to put His passion for starting and building spiritual movements among students.  For me those verses are:

• Matthew 28:19-20:  …Therefore go  [get out of your chair!] and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…
• 1 Timothy 2:3-4: …God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
• Isaiah 45:22:  Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
• Ezekial 33:11 …I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live!

I love these last 3 verses – when I read them I feel the heartache of God for all lost people everywhere to come to Him where they can find His peace and forgiveness!  When you love someone, you want to do all you can to take their heartache and pain away, so being involved in God’s mission every day is a way I can be a part of what’s on God’s heart.

Take steps of faith - even when you don’t feel motivated to do anything.  Often times I find when I am not motivated to share the gospel, but go out anyway in obedience, that in the midst of our conversation about the gospel I see how truly lost that person is and my heart aches for them to come to a saving relationship with Jesus…the motivation comes in the midst of the activity.

Don’t be ruled by feelings – feelings aren’t bad, they just should not become the final filter through which you decide what to do.  Just because I don’t feel like resolving conflict, doesn’t mean that I should not move toward resolving conflict with someone; just because I don’t feel like going to church this week doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t get out of bed to go; just because I don’t feel like being involved in ministry doesn’t mean that I shouldn’t.  I find that once I do something in the context of ministry, then I see God bless my willingness to go out in obedience to Him.

If you are having some trouble being motivated for the task of building spiritual movements this year, why don’t you give these things a try to see if God will give you the motivation that you need?  Let me know how it goes!