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I Know Some Servants … with the Spiritual Gift of Leadership

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The Spiritual Gift of Leadership Defined

to stand before the people in such a way as to attend to the direction of the body with such care and diligence so as to motivate others to get involved in the accomplishment of these goals

Examples of the Gift of Leadership Being Used to Take the Church to New Heights

Servant #1:  He was a pastor on the cutting edge.  He consistently wanted to try new ways of accomplishing ministry.  He knew the church could go so much further in making an impact in the world and their community and he wanted to take them there.  He was also a great motivator and builder of potential leaders.  Members of the congregation struggled with the little time he invested into pastoral care such as visitation and counseling.

Servant #2:  He was a a church planter.  He consistently wanted to see new churches developed.  Not long after a church got off the ground, he would find himself feeling hemmed in.  Members of the congregation struggled with his desire to move on and begin a new church.  They wanted him to stay even though he became increasingly frustrated.

Servant #3:  She regularly found herself in leadership positions throughout her years of ministry.  She enjoyed doing administrative work but became most impassioned when working on new ideas.  She enjoyed people but felt most fulfilled when she could work on goals to provide people with a path to becoming better equipped and more Christ-like.  Sometimes she served with ministry leaders who didn’t care if the ministry got beyond status quo and therefore they didn’t always understand some of the stands she would take on issues.

All of these servants had a God-given drive to take the church to new heights.  And, all of these servants were at times misunderstood or stifled in their pursuits by the expectations of others.

Lesson to be learned:

Let’s make sure we understand the difference between the gifts and not box people in to our ideas of what someone in a ministry position should look like.   If we want certain characteristics, let’s make sure we recruit the right person with the spiritual gift(s) most suitable for our priorities.  For example:

Unless accompanied by other gifts or a certain personality, don’t expect someone with the gift of leadership to delve into the details of administrating his/her ideas or to focus in on the on-going needs of people.  Likewise, unless accompanied by other gifts or a certain personality type, don’t expect someone with the gift of administration to have the enterprising qualities of someone with the gift of leadership.

Unless accompanied by other gifts or a certain personality, don’t expect someone with the gift of leadership to get involved in the nitty-gritties of people’s lives.  Likewise, unless accompanied by other gifts or a certain personality type, don’t expect someone with the gift of pastor to take a more global approach to ministry.

Leaders develop ideas.  Administrators develop strategies to accomplish ideas.  Pastors develop people to benefit from the ideas and strategies.

Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in UseGet this example of the ways the spiritual gift of leadership can be used, along with 20 other gifts, in the Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use. In addition, the handbook suggests spiritual gifts most typically used in 16 broad ministry areas and 27 specific tasks that may need to be accomplished in most of those areas.

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4 Replies to “I Know Some Servants … with the Spiritual Gift of Leadership”

  1. I love this “I know some servants” series. What a great idea – it’s true that we try to box God’s giftings for the Body of Christ up all neat and tidy… and then it explodes and overflows in all the areas we didn’t expect! I may try to pen my own “I know a servant” in my free time – what a great way to catalogue the intricacies in each member of the body! You made my day… Blessings. :)

    • Hi Rochelle. I’m glad this made your day!! Yes, it does seem to be a tendency to box the gifts up all neat and tidy, as you wrote. And, it can cause problems when we do that but when we let God be God, the One to determine how His gifts can be used, it explodes into all kinds of goodness and growth! Blessings to you as you further reflect on this.

  2. Hi there! I came across with your blog and just went through it in almost an hour. I’ve always been put as a leader in many school/church or social activities/groups. I could classify myself as an introvert so that used to confuse me a lot. I do can take a goal and see the way it can work, plus distribute it to people so everyone might work and focus until it’s done. I often volunteer for it as it comes natural and it comes out with great results. Some months ago I found I have the exhortation and I guess leadership as well. One thing I’ve been getting a lot and God has placed within me is the gift of Mercy, I just don’t know how it works in ministry. I’ve a bunch of passions and natural talents, which tend to be confusing as I try to find the path where all can combine. But God will ultimately give me the answers I need, even if they come in a form of a blog like this one.

    • Yes, Alma, as you keep trusting in God for wisdom and understanding (Prov. 3:5-6), He will guide you into a ministry that fits your spiritual gifts, passions, and natural talents. Sometimes He prepares us in different ways first, having us serve in what may not seem like the ultimate fit. It may be a matter of timing. In the meantime, as you wait on Him, be faithful with what He has given you. I praise Him that this blog has been a step in that direction for you.

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