Real Leaders Are Faithful
Real Leaders Are Fruitful
2 Corinthians 4:7-10
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
HBF Reality Number 6leaves no doubt that Real Battles Refine Real Leaders. It is in the impossible battle that we witness God do His miraculous work! It is when we appear to have nothing that everything that is eternal is made available. The lessons of God’s character and grace are not lost on those who engage in real battles. This leads me to the sixth reality of HBF.
There is much talk both in the church and in the world today about leadership. Much has been written on the subject. We could go on for days about what a leader is, what they do and how they do it.
The reason this subject is so popular and so pervasive is because people both in the world and in the church are looking for leaders. When we boil the definition of a leader down it really comes down to this.
Definition of a Leader: One who goes first.
When a person chooses to go first, they manifest the character of a leader. Anytime leadership is studied it boils down to one thing….. Character. There are many leaders, but character is what sets leaders apart. Character tells people who we are, not what we do! What we do manifests who we are. Therefore it is often scary to go first, because many people are afraid “who they are” will be manifest.
1 Corinthians 11:1
Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
For the believer going first simply means following Christ! We should not fear following Christ into real battles. Real leaders learn that the safest place to be is in the center of God’s will no matter the spiritual, physical and emotional circumstances. It is in the real battles of communicating the gospel of Christ that we see the faithfulness of God and experience the fruitfulness of abiding in the vine (John 15).
Faithfulness in answering the call of God is what separates the proverbial men from the boys. God places people in positions of leadership who will follow Him where no one else is willing to go! The little shepherd boy David became the greatest leader the nation of Israel ever knew because of his willingness to go first into situations that paralyzed the king himself in fear. God needs men who have developed His character in the field. Not the field of combat but the field of a Shepherd. David was ready to lead when he stepped out against the giant because he had already followed Christ into other victories.