Purposeful Leadership

Oswald Chambers - Purposeful leadership
Why are we here? Why are we doing what we are doing? These are the most basic questions in life. Every Christian should have a sense of purpose in life and a reason for doing what he or she is doing. Our purpose is twofold: to glorify God by manifesting His presence in this world and to do everything to the glory of God. We are to know Him, and we are to make Him known by fulfilling the Great commission (Matt. 28:19-20). This is to be done by loving God and others, as required by the Great Commandments (22:37-39).

The descendants of Noah decided to build a tower to reach the heavens. The Lord said, “if as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan will be impossible for them: (Genesis 11:6). What did God observe about these people that led Him to make such a statement? These people had three of the four ingredients essential for the success of any Christian ministry. First, they had a common objective. A well-defined purpose or mission statement keeps people moving in the same direction.

Second, they were “as one people” (v6); that is, they were unified. A good leader has the ability to gain consensus and commitment to common objectives that are accomplished through the contribution of, and to the satisfaction of, the whole church.

Third, they had an effective communication system. They were “one people speaking the same language”(v6). Very little will be accomplished if people don’t walk in the light or speak the truth in love to one another. Fulfilling our purpose in our homes and churches requires that we keep the communication lines open. Building consensus requires good communication skills. People need to be heard, not just spoken to. It is hard to get people to commit to doing another person’s will, but it is easy to get people to commit to doing their own will. People are already committed to doing what they think is right in the best way possible. All God had to do to disrupt the plans of the people building the tower of Babel was destroy their communication system. When they couldn’t speak to each other, they scattered.

The fourth ingredient for a successful Christian ministry- the ingredient the people building the tower of Babel were missing- is the desire to do God’s will. The tower of Babel was never completed because the people never consulted God. Building a tower and making a name for themselves was their own idea, not God’s. If we collectively discern the will of God, have a common objective based on his will, develop an effective communication system and foster unity among the people, nothing we purpose to do will be impossible for us.

Brother John sought God and discerned God’s will and has helped us to develop a well-defined purpose; to help people Believe, Belong and Begin. We are all moving in the same direction to reach out to others and to share our faith with them and to help them get into a loving church that wants to help them grow. We are unified in fulfilling this purpose. Hopefully we speak the truth in love to one another and we are communicating with one another. I know it can always be better. So please let us know if we need to communicate with you better or more effectively. I know we all want to do God’s will or we wouldn’t be here. With all of these ingredients in place, then nothing is impossible for us to do for Him and Him through us.

Have a great day in the Lord.