Take Me To Your Leader

Hey guys... talk about long time no see. Sorry about the extensive absence of blog writing in the last while, I've been incredibly busy, you see, I actually go to my classes now, so that eats up a lot of my time. :) So I've been getting heckled about abandoning my blog so I decided to write about something that's been on heart lately with the swearing in of a our new prime minister, the search for a new pastor, and filling of places on the Varsity Christian Fellowhip exec at school: the issue of leadership. Let me first say that I have been in leadership before and the responsibility that it presents is not an easy task to undertake, especially in spiritual leadership.
Now let me be very clear on one point, everyone is not meant for leadership. The word lead, or to lead means: 'to show the way by going in advance', or to 'guide or direct in a course'. The Bible has some very strict standards for leaders:
'Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being a leader, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband, of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkeness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgement as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap. Leaders are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.'
1 Tim. 3:1-9
What bothers me about leadership, especially Christian leadership is that people think that just because they are Christian, that means that they are capable of leading, this is simply not the case! Leadership, or the ability to lead is not a quality that everyone is blessed with, and leadership certainly isn't a position that God calls everyone to fill. So how can you know whether or not you should be in a position of leadership? First read 1 Timothy and Titus and compare yourself to the strict standards that God sets out, these are things He really expects from His leaders. Are you sincere? Are you pursuing dishonest gain? Are you violent? Quarrelsome? Respectable? Do you have a good reputation with outsiders? These are questions you must ask yourselves.
'Since a leader is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless - not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkeness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.'
Titus 1:7-8
God intends His leaders to meet all this criteria so that they can guide God's people not only by words, but by their own actions. God desires His leaders to lead by example.
So if you can't lead by example, YOU CAN'T LEAD!