by Steve Cordle
Ezra was a man used by God to fuel a spiritual renewal. A group leader is more than a facilitator of a meeting – the best leaders are spiritual influencers.
Here are a few traits of a spiritual influencer:
Be aware– Ezra was acutely aware of the spiritual condition of the nation (in fact it grieved him). Know what is happening in the lives of the people in your group. Who is growing most right now? Who is struggling? Which members have been through the Equipping Track? How far?
If we don’t know as much about the inner life of our members as we would like, spending some time with them can be a great first step.
Be a model – let your life be visible! People could see Ezra’s obedience to the Lord. The best group leaders are not perfect, but growing. Some great questions to ask myself as a leader are:
- In what way is God asking me to humble myself?
- What is God saying to me right now?
- Have I obeyed the last thing He told me to do?
- What area of my life or ministry is being favored?
- What do I need to repair, reconcile, or repay?
More than just responding to these questions in a journal, let the other members of the group know where God is taking you and how you are seeking to respond.
Be willing to be inconvenienced – Ezra could have avoided the pain of pulling out his hair and tearing his tunic — if he didn’t care. Spiritual leadership will usually tax us emotionally, spiritually, and even physically. Let’s be willing to be inconvenienced in order to see God’s purposes prevail.
Comments?
Steve Cordle
I find that we need wisdom as well how and when sharing our struggles and achievements. Some people have problems in their lives that feel belittled by you sharing how you have been “succesful”. While there will always be the doubters, we should be careful and not be deceived into becoming self-righteous.
Alot of church -goers end up being like the big brother in the parable of the prodigal son, we just follow the rules and cannot accept when the younger brother returns, instead we try to make him conform into our way of life. Which is why alot of people are afraid of going to church (certainly I was before becoming a Christian). Now I have caught myself doing the exact thing that I so despised last time.
Those are great questions to ask oneself…
but what do you mean by… what area of my life is being favored?
Jocelyne — an area of life being favored some way in which you sense God’s power at work, especially beyond the level of your effort.
For example, for one person it might be their financial life is being favored as they get raises, promotions, opportunities, etc. For another, it might be in wisdom in counseling others; or perhaps great effectiveness in prayer; or maybe in building new friendships.
Being aware of these not only helps us appreciate what God is doing (and guides us to do more of that) but also benefits others as we share with those we disciples what God is doing in our lives, that way they can pay attention to how God is giving favor in their own lives.