Am I a leader?
If you’re old enough for a learner’s permit and a follower of Christ, Jesus has pronounced you to be a “leader”. Surprised? (I made the learners permit part up btw.) You’re responsible for someone. And their discipling journey is on you. If you’re a parent or a professor, pastor or small group leader your leader role is pretty obvious.
But leadership goes beyond roles. If you meet the follower criteria, even absent those titles, then you are a disciple. And a disciple is a leader by definition.
A lot of people try to define discipleship as a student learning stuff and hanging around being holy. Partially true, but inadequate. Disciples are also goers, connectors, servants. And leaders. The question is whether or not you’re executing on the leader role.
A follower, leading
Who’s your charge? Some one or two others who are, or are not followers of Christ, but re in your orbit, your neighborhood, your office, maybe your church.
Leader layers
Disciples flourish by having leaders – mentors really – in their lives. The layers go deeper though. Disciples as Jesus modeled it have one or two companion disciples – peers perhaps in their lives who know them personally, and well.
And each of those disciples lead by being a follower in full view of someone who may or may not know who Christ is. That brings questions, and disciples are ready to lead with “the reason for the hope within them” (1 Peter 3.15)
The woman at the well was a leader to her Samaritan friends. Philip talking to the Egyptian was a leader. Mary, Martha, Apollos, the twelve disciples were all leaders long BEFORE they were big names in the Bible. Every follower of Christ is a disciple, who is called to be a leader.
You don’t have to be a theologian
The job description calls for willingness, not credentials. You don’t need to be a Vice President, nor a professor. You do have to live life weirdly enough in front of others to draw curiosity. People who live as Christ laid out living will draw that curiosity.
How’s your leadership?
In Part 2 we’ll zoom in on formal leaders – how they shape the atmosphere of a church or organization so that disciples will flourish.
We want to talk to leaders about the dilemma. Can we work on this together? Reach out to us at The Disciple Dilemma.
We’d love to hear from you – and help your people in discipleship.