Preparation of a Leader
Character is very important for any service unto God. Openness and humility is very essential in our lives. You only produce what you are and you can only take others to where you have been. A teachable spirit is essential, this is the sign of a servant spirit.
Self Assessment
Strength and Weakness
a. Weaknesses
If a man is blind to his own weakness, he is not ready for leadership. He is blind
· If he is proud: And unwilling to own up ones own fault. He is thus an easy target for the evil one. There is an evident cover-up in such lives.
· If he is ignorant: If one is weak and yet blind to it because of his ignorance to this, it shows that the grace of God has not yet worked far enough into his life to make him ready to lead others into reality. A man unaware of his own limitations can be a hazard to himself, let alone the people in the church. His actions would be glaring at face.
· If he is unable to assess ones own weakness: Ones own inability to objectively assess his own weakness will in turn reflect in lack of clarity (on many matters). It will also result in inability to accurately asses the needs of others.
· If he does not know his own worth before God: A man who knows his own worth before God will be able to draw from God all he needs. “For God giveth grace to the humble”.
b. Strengths
A man should not be totally non-confident, he should have a positive estimation of what the grace of God has done in his life and therefore his own self worth and the gifts God has given him. Assessment of strength is essential to avoid dejection in crisis.
1. If a person is not able to assess his own strength when he faces a crisis he will be found floundering and his sheep may withdraw and even be scattered, because he will believe it is all a result of his own inability and failure
2.
3. His lack of right confidence and security will also reflect on the saint. This will cause them to feel insecure in his leadership.
4.
5. He will also find difficulties to flow in areas of faith. This person should be set back or put back for a period of time and encouraged to reach out in faith, to overcome his limitations.
Goals and Objectives
Out of the recognition of his own strength and weaknesses, clear goals and objectives could be set. Otherwise goals might be there but he will not be able to achieve it.
A leader is a man who will always be pressing through for the heart of God – to become like the Lord Jesus. Therefore recognition of ones weakness will cause him to RISE UP TO GOD, TO SEEK THE WAY THROUGH (to find it for himself and overcome it). If he is unable to do this for himself he will have great difficulties in leading others apart from putting himself in frustration.
As a result of this, one may become legalistic in his leadership, that is, frustrated at his own inability to find answers that work both in his own life and the lives of those he leads. A leader can only lead people to where he has been himself.
Our disqualification therefore becomes our qualifications! Our weakness will be areas where God’s strength will flow. Areas that are our weakness or failures can through the grace of God become supernatural strength in ministry. For as we learn how to lead others through to the same area of victory, we will be able to minister tremendous life into such an area.
Potential leaders therefore be drawn out carefully with these important principles in view
a. Usage of their strengths
b. Overcoming weaknesses
They are Men of the Kingdom
Apart from strengths and weaknesses they should have aspirations and visions, in terms of the kingdom of God.
a. Men of total commitment (Luke 14:28,29)
b. Me
able to build the church that is men able to build lives, able
to lead people into wholeness, men with caring, giving
themselves fully to the building of His people.
Note the difference between “laying down life” and “dying” (John
10:11). We are called to lay down our lives for the sheep
signifying how we ought to deny our own things, which are
lawful.
c.
Men of vision, self-starters, initiators.
Men who will respond to the spirit of God and take ground.
Not just be content to hold on to what they have (Deut 11:24,
Joshua 1:12)
d. Men
of faith with teachable spirit, open to input and correction.
As long as there is a recognition and readiness in the heart of
a potential leader. He can be worked upon by the Spirit of
God and he could be a sharp and effective instrument in the hand
of God.
Qualification of Character
I Tim 3
Scriptural qualification regarding leadership are very clear and demanding. A man may not be perfect in every respect but we would expect him to be ‘towards’ those things, that is recognizing his needs and having already begun to work them out.
· Family life:
·
Family life is the clearest barometer for
a man’s readiness towards leadership. If he is unable to
lead his wife into a place of security and acceptance and the
ways of God he will have problems trying to do the same with
God’s people and if he is not able to rule his children well he
will find difficulty in the area of personal confrontation and
discipline.
A wife is her husband’s first disciple. If she is not in a
good place spiritually it reflects a lack in the shepherding
ability of the husband and it leaves with a big question mark as
to whether he is ready for leadership yet. He will also be
under constant pressure in not having a stable and basic
to a minister. It may result or create a conflict or
confusion with in the church and even within the marriage.
His children will also be correctable and corrected by others,
loved and disciplined. If we cannot father our own
children we will have difficulty in spiritually fathering
others.
Relationship
a. Approachable
b. A
good listener
we have to make sure that we are listening to the one who is
speaking to us. This talks about a servant spirit as well.
c.
Not lording it over
This would mean the element of pride that could work in one to
feel superior over others.
d. Does he know his own limitations?
Character
He should be morally pure and beyond reproach. This would talk specially in the area of sex, our eyes should be governed by our spirit. These things are very important and therefore should be recognized and faced unto. For a man in leadership any slight flaw particularly one which is hidden can effect the ministry and the people of God. It shall be reflected one way or the other and will provide an opening for the devil. Ephesians 4:27
However, if we walk in the light with one another the potential power of darkness will be broken.
Charisma
a. Men able to move in faith who have possessed things for themselves already: David moved in faith when was with the sheep’s and hence the giant Goliath was seen as another enemy on the sheep's of God and he moved in faith even there. We develop faith, faith grows by experience.
b. Men who expresses love and appreciation of God (verbally). They are worshippers free in their emotions to praise God that is setting an example in worship.
c. Men able to stand and overcome – who would show by example to stand against and be freed from situations and circumstances.
d. Men exercising at least few gifts of inspiration of the Holy Spirit.