To Lead with Diligence, To Serve with Joy

UV 3365/10000 To Lead With Diligence, To Serve With Joy

Or he who encourages, in the act of encouragement; he who gives, with generousity; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy ( in caring for others), with cheerfulness.

Romans 12 v 8

Each of us have a different calling in accordance with the natural and spiritual gifts the Lord has endowed in us. We are to exercise the gift in proportion to our growing faith and His unlimited grace. The picture St Paul draws is one of interdependence of the body of Christ, the spiritual church just as the different members of the body depend on each other. We are not given these gifts to be used only for our benefit but for mutual benefit. There are some who are called to be in the ministry of encouragement. Barnabas the disciple who replaced Judas was known as an encourager. There are some who are called to bless others with giving and they need to give generously as the Spirit leads.

There are some who are called to be leaders, godly leaders. They need to lead with diligence. They need to study the patterns of leadership of the Lord, the leadership of the patriarchs, the leadership of the kings of the Old Testament, the leadership of the apostles and emulate their models. They should not spare any efforts to groom, shape and mould those who follow them by example and precept. Leadership on the pattern of Jesus is servant leadership, not meant to dominate and be served but to serve the led. Such leaders should also study the models that we should avoid, the pitfalls of leadership that we should pre-empt, the weaknesses that should be overcome, the challenges of human nature that should be confronted.

We should care for others ungrudgingly as if we are caring for ourselves. Our attitude while we are doing all these things is as important as what we do. We should show such care not with a wearisome but a cheerful attitude. It is apparent that it is impossible to do all this without the grace of the Lord. He anoints, equips, empowers and enables us. We should return again and again to the Lord to draw from Him both stability and ability. Some of the tasks and goals we confront are far beyond our human abilities but the Lord will lend us wisdom, power, resources, people and ability to execute it by His grace.