Read Part 1 of this series.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
First … the bad news. Being on top can beat you up mentally, physically, and spiritually. You may see a straight path before you, but it’s fraught with pitfalls and landmines. Christian Broadcast Ministry leadership is tough. In part one of this series, we prepped for leadership spiritually by checking sin at the door. Now it’s time for the “Gird Your Loins” portion of our discussion. The Bible uses that odd phrase here:
“Therefore prepare yourself [gird your loins] and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them.”
Jeremiah 1:17-19 New King James Version (NKJV)
Jeremiah had a very tough message to deliver. He was charged with telling sinful people to surrender and live among their enemies. It was about speaking the truth in love. As we put on the Armor of God every day, the thing that we gird our very loins with is the Belt of Truth.
Why? So that we may withstand.
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth …”
Ephesians 6:13-14 English Standard Version (ESV)
TOOLS OF THE TRADE: ROD AND STAFF – LEARN TO USE THEM
As a leader, people look to you for guidance. Your tools for guidance are the rod and staff. The rod and the staff are meant to “comfort” the sheep, not beat them. Yes, the staff of a strong leader is a comfort. Sheep are able to relax when they know what their boundaries are.
Rods are a bit different. Shepherds use rods as weapons of defense or as a walking stick, but they also use it to whack disobedient sheep on the head. The Hebrew word shebet, or rod, is actually more like a club. When Solomon wrote Proverbs 13:24 “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him”, he was not sharing an easy message. So as a leader, you must be a guardian of the truth, stickler for submission to authority (as was God), and prayerfully seeking the way for your broadcast ministry, so that you don’t let flock go astray.
The rod, staff and prayer are your mandatory tools. As you course-correct and discipline, prayerfully be sure that your agenda is not your own but something that the Lord would have your ministry pursue. Not easy, by the way.
STEPPING INTO THE HARD STUFF
As a leader, people will try to undermine you.
With that said, if your authority is well-established, the staff will perceive and understand your role. If your authoritative role is undefined, he might not think that he has to heed your correction. And what’s the best way to establish your role if you’re a new leader? Same way Jesus did … in love. He declared his authority over and over, but he did it in love.
When correction time came, he always gave a warning. He also offered to reason through the problem. Isaiah said, “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” Isaiah 1:18
This is challenging talk. But being a leader is challenging! Let us know if we can come along side at any time. Contact us.
