Leadership - A Two Way Process

UV 1357/10,000 Leadership – The Two Way Process

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

I Timothy 6 v 11

Leadership is a two way process. It is the result of the tension between opposites, between fleeing from the negative and destructive and running after or obsessing and pursuing a principle-based life. A leader needs to flee from temptations, moral traps, foolish and hurtful lusts. He needs to put some distance between these negatives and self and keep increasing the distance so that they never catch up or overtake him. At the same time, he needs to pursue or follow actively after righteousness godliness, faith, love, patience and meekness. He needs to put away the former and put on the latter. He needs to be at the latter and beat or overcome the former. He needs to reinforce the positive qualities or attributes and values and negate, weaken or defeat the negative qualities and attributes. When he does so, he is trying to be perfect and trying to imitate God and Christ. Fleeing from the enemy of our souls is one part or one half of our responsibility. Following the example of Jesus is the better half. When we are doing both, we are truly living fully and following fully. We are living the abundant life, a life overflowing with grace and glory. When we are doing both, we are transformed from being mere followers into leaders. God wants His greatness and goodness to be reflected daily in our lives. It is interesting to see how Paul’s epistle to his mentoree Timothy in the first letter in I Timothy chapter 3 verses 1 to 13 talks about godly or servant leaders while in the second letter in II Timothy chapter 3 verses 1 to 13 talks about worldly or serpent leaders. He was exhorting Timothy as in this uni-verse to avoid, defeat, overcome the one and to follow, practice and be the other.

Evil weakens the human will. Our spirits should not be adulterated with that which is impure or evil. We need to die to the negatives and live for the positives. This is the thought process that underlies scripture. It is the process for renewing our minds, or renewing our thoughts and emotions and to reinvigorate our wills or the capacity to make decisions and follow through on decisions. Joseph renewed his vision for his life by constantly reviewing the God-given dreams he saw as a youth. This enabled him to flee from the temptation of succumbing to the seduction and adultery of Potiphar’s wife. He pursued righteousness while in prison. He pursued godliness, love, patience and meekness. It brought him divine favour and kingly favour in due time. Joseph showed love and patience when he wept and embraced his brothers- the very ones who conspired to sell him into slavery.

Faith is just a just foundation to justify us or align us with the plan and vision of God for our lives. We need to edify, sanctify and glorify it further. To edify means to build, strengthen and cause it to grow, to mature. To sanctify means to purify or cause our lives and character to conform to the image of God. To glorify means to allow God’s grace and power to flow freely in our lives so that it pleases God, it glorifies Him. For a beautiful edifice or building to come up in a plot where an old house stands, the old house has to be demolished, the foundations dug up, the debris carried away till the last stone and brick is removed and then, the new structure comes up. First, the foundation is dug deep and laid, the pillars come up, the walls are bricked in, the floors tiled, the building is then painted, furnished and finished. Leadership, similarly is a demolition and building process in which humility is the leit motif or continual thread, patience is the cement, righteousness and godliness are the walls and love is the summit.

Prateep V Philip