A Leader’s Character – Final Thoughts

The last but not least character trait that is important is humility. Humility means “the absence of pride or self-assertion."  Humility is a learned character quality; humans are not born with humility, but with pride. In James 4:6b it says “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble." A leader who is serious about becoming someone that can be used by God must first come to realize that it is only by grace that they are in leadership. When a leader humbles himself to God, then in turn God promises to lift him up. When leaders become prideful in their ability or position, they will hurt the ministry of the Lord and ultimately kill the spirit of the ministry. The rewarding aspect of humility is the Lord gets the credit for everything. The promise that God gives in scripture is grace towards a humble person. When a leader portrays humility, he has a deeper understanding of God’s heart.

A leader does not stop learning and growing, but looks forward to serving Christ with integrity, a servant's hear, authenticity, prayer, vision, and humility. When these character qualities are implemented in Christian leadership, then God will do amazing things!

A Leader’s Character – Part 5

The fifth aspect of a leader's character is Vision. Vision is one of the most important aspects of leadership. In Proverbs 29:18 it says, “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained." It is the life and blood of the ministry. The future of looking forward to fulfill the mission for Christ. Bill Hybels defines vision, “Vision is a picture of the future that produces passion.” It is crucial that passion plays a role in relaying your vision to your followers. There is nothing boring about God’s work in ministry, and it is a job of a leader to share the vision with excitement.

A leader must be able to picture people displaying a deeper love and commitment to the Lord. One of the most exciting moments in ministry is when the vision becomes contagious and people use their gifts to carry it out. The lasting result is that people’s lives are changed through a deep and unbending vision to lead people into a growing relationship with God.

A Leader's Character - Part 4

Prayer is essential to the longevity of Christian leadership.  A Christian leader must have a personal prayer life in order to lead. Many times the personal time of prayer is neglected in leaders for being too busy. The key to showing Christ-character is by living it, but also by being with the Lord. If a leader spends all their time doing and never stopping to spend time with the Lord, then their ministry will be shallow. Prayer draws the focus back on the Lord and not on problems or people. James 5:16 says, “The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” God always blesses a Christian leader who relies solely on Him for every need. Many times that I have neglected focused prayer with God, the blessing of God’s power is not evident.

When prayer is placed first, then God can move freely and work to change lives. A relationship with Jesus Christ can not be complete without a priority of prayer. Prayer reveals the intimacy that God wants to have with us. Without going to God in prayer, there is no fuel to fulfill Christian leadership.