Leadership Spotlight - Abraham

A blog series highlighting biblical leaders Abraham was a visionary leader that began a foundation of faith upon God no matter the risk. God’s plan was made evident through the passion and desire for His descendants to know and love the only true God. Abraham left Ur and became "the father of a multitude of nations."[1] The plan that God has mapped out for him was going to take faith that had not been seen in his time. Abraham was a leader by conviction and led with undying devotion to God and his future generation.

Abraham’s ability to cast vision to his family was His desire to obey God and know Him. He was willing to surrender His plans for the greater cause of making His life impact those around Him for eternity. Abraham was able to see beyond all of the details of leaving his home in Ur and heading into the Promised Land. Not only was he willing to leave His home, but he left his family to pursue God’s direction. [2] Abraham was willing to take a risk by leaving all that he knew and went ahead as God’s will unfolded for him and his family.

Abraham’s most powerful moment was when he was about to sacrifice his son Isaac on the altar. His steadfast faith in God is mind-blowing to the reality that his own son could have died if God would not have intervened and replaced the altar with a ram. Abraham lived out his faith in the promises of God and it left a powerful legacy for generations. Leadership is being able to influence others to follow the vision that one has been given by God. Abraham was able to lead his generation to follow God and the domino effect was that many continued to seek Yahweh because of Abraham’s leadership.

Abraham’s strength at times became his greatest weakness. Abraham’s plan to take his family to the Promised Land was not without obstacles. Abraham’s entrepreneurial leading style left his family having a difficult time understanding his vision. His relationship with his wife, Sarah, was not without struggles of living out their faith.

The opportunity that Abraham had was to establish a centralized group of people that believed in the one true God, Yahweh.[3] Abraham’s vision was not looked upon as a negative, but He looked with optimism towards the higher calling of God to lead and begin the Israelite nation. Abraham’s legacy started a wave of generations that sought after God.

Abraham lied and pretended to Abimelech that his wife, Sarah, was his sister. The threat that hurt his integrity was a scar he would live with for the rest of his life. One of the threats to Abraham’s leadership was his quick decision-making that was, at times, ahead of God’s timing. Abraham made a quick decision concerning the future of his people by taking Hagar to produce his next heir. Although Sarah was in agreement to the decision, Abraham’s risk became a problem in the children that he bore between Isaac and Ishmael.[4] Due to the issue between Ishmael and Isaac because of Abraham’s decision, the Jews and Arabs have been at odds all the way up to current times. Due to Abraham’s quick decision to sleep with another woman, it led to resentment between his two sons. God’s plan to use imperfect people reveals His desire to complete His redemptive plan since the Garden of Eden. Abraham’s faithful life led to the establishment of the Jewish nation and ultimately led to the growth of Christianity.

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[1] “No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, for I have made you the father of a multitude of nations.” Genesis 17:5

[2] “And said to him, 'Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.” Acts 7:3

[3] ^“From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.” – Genesis 12:8

[4] ^“But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing.” Genesis 21;9

Mentoring Leadership

Jesus exemplified the example of mentoring during his ministry. His life was filled with pouring himself into the disciples. Jesus offered an alternative to the norm of being a Rabbi. He spent time with those that were not socially accepted as being worthy of relationship with a teacher. The fact that He called twelve disciples from various backgrounds reveals the heart of mentoring. Jesus saw the potential of the disciples before they were able to envision it for themselves. A mentoring leader is one that exhorts and teaches another person through a personal, intentional relationship. Jesus spent a majority of time with the disciples. He built a close and intimate relationship with them in order to share His grace and love. Jesus revealed how to live by example everyday. Jesus’ strength of communication was evident in teaching through stories, examples, and parables. He asked the right questions in difficult situations. Mentors are experts at asking the right questions rather than giving the answer away at first. Jesus was faithful in listening and guiding the disciples to become effective leaders. 3 Keys for Mentoring Leaders

1. Mentoring takes time. The issue in today’s culture that makes it difficult to mentor is the transient nature of people. People are constantly on the move towards careers and families. Mentoring is an intentional process of people committing to meet and grow.

2. Mentoring should be flexible to meet people at their point of need. The danger that comes in ministry is to become focused upon the program rather than relationships. Mentoring is messy and is not always predictable. Mentoring takes time, effort and prayer. It is not the easy road but leads to spiritual and Christ-like results in people’s lives.

3. The mentor must maintain a balance between the teaching and relationship aspect. Leading people to multiply themselves rather than focus only on one person is a way to avoid the notion of having “favorites.” Mentors need a mentor. If mentors continually give of themselves without having another person to encourage them, burnout will result.

Jesus equipped and led the disciples to lead the early church. Jesus’ ministry continued after He left for Heaven. Mentoring is all about passing on the values, principles, and practices of effective leadership.

The power of influence

The impact that people have had on my life spiritually has been a huge blessing. The first person that I am thankful for is my Father. He is a pastor and has faithfully served the Lord in ministry for over thirty years. He spent time with us as a family each day by leading us to pray and talk about spiritual things. I remember many times that we had Bible studies and we did not necessarily want to and he was patient and never let up. The impact that he has had on my life is because he was authentic. He displayed a life of sacrifice for ministry and the family. Through his example I learned how to walk with God. The second person is my Mom who was patient and encouraging to my brothers and me to grow in God. She has a great heart to serve people and many times our house was full of people that needed encouragement. She has continually encouraged me to serve Christ with my life. I am truly blessed beyond what I deserve and pray that my life can be a blessing upon others.

My brothers have had an impact on my life in great ways. Jordan, my younger brother has left the biggest influence on my life. He went to be with Jesus on August 2008 through a battle with cancer. He was a warrior for Christ and continues to show me that “to live is Christ and die is gain.” His funeral was a day before his 21^st birthday and although I miss him terribly, he always told me that if it was his time to go, then He was ready to be in the presence of Jesus. I pray that my life can reflect his perseverance and peace.

Fourth, my mentor Tod Tanner had a large impact on my growth as a person. He spent time as my professor in college to listen and challenge me to grow in the Lord. Through his many tough questions and encouragement, I was able to find ways to work through the tough areas of my life. He continues to be a committed voice by speaking into my life by offering wisdom and the right questions to lead me to know what is most important.

Fifth, my friend and mentor in ministry is Adam Hammond. He married me and Cassidy in Belleview, Florida. Adam is a great example of someone that helps encourage others. He always makes time to talk with me and give me wise advice on life and choices. He is godly man and father and is not swayed by all of the new fads but is consistent. I pray that I can emulate Him in his desire to lead students and families to love Christ.

Lastly, my wife has been the bedrock of a foundation for me. We have been married for over two years and as time goes by, she continually shows me what true grace and mercy looks like, especially because she has to put up with me! She gives of her time to mentor girls in her small group and I can see a true burden for their lives. Looking at the people in my life that have influenced me for Christ has shown me that I am blessed beyond what I ever deserve.