Marks of Spiritual Leadership
I am reflecting on an article from John Piper on leadership. He writes about an inner circle of qualities that reflect on the difference of being a spiritual leader.
His “outer ring” of qualities are good as well. They are witnessed in the world of ministry and in other areas of great leadership. One area is self-control. If we are to lead others toward God we can’t be led ourselves toward the world. We must get mastery over our lives through the power of the Spirit. We need to ruthlessly examine our lives to see if anything enslaves us. It’s not just about the “big sins” (like alcohol or sexual issues). It’s also the little things: TV, the internet, food, etc. We need our lives free from everything that hinders our fullest delight in God and in the service of others.
He also mentioned energetic. There is no room for laziness in leadership. “The world is run by tired men, someone has said. A leader must learn to live with pressure.”
His list is long… and good. Those are two areas worth reflecting on in my own life as I head into a leadership retreat this weekend, and then a prayer retreat next week.
