Being a Spiritual Leader

I have been a JYC (Church Youth) leader since 18.

"Leader" was a word I tried to avoid using upon myself, in the name of "humility". I used to think calling myself a leader was a form of lifting myself higher than others. Hence, in the past, I'd describe myself as a "big brother" to some younger teens. Little did I realise that leadership had a totally different meaning than what I thought it had.

As I went through NS, I understood a little more about leadership - a leader was someone who had the ability to lead, and the character to gain his/her followers' trust. However, the best picture of a leader, I have come to realise, lies none other than in the person of Jesus Christ.

The attributes of His leadership have little for what any secular-minded person can boast about - humility, long-suffering, servanthood, loving one's enemies, compassion, forgiveness, turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, faithfulness, self-control... the list could go on. Nothing about power or abilities. Just plain attitudes. What's more, a mind-blowing 1/3 of today's world claim to follow him.

Not that everyone of them follows him totally. In fact I think many are just Christians in name only. My point is that these qualities (of Christ) are the ones that are worthy of leadership, as can be seen by the number of his followers (which is still quite considerable even after you cut off the not-so-faithful believers). These traits are not of loft or might, but of weakness. It's no wonder Paul said, "I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses." (2 Cor 12:5) Real leadership, I learnt, isn't about showing others how much I can, but how much I can't. (Not that Jesus couldn't, He could, but He chose to give that up and came down to our level.)

Today, I'm not hesitant to say that I'm a leader. I acknowledge the authority I carry, and by that authority I lead in my weakness. In that, I have come to realise that I need grace all the way. So since grace is found in every area of my life, it accomplishes God-sized things through me. No, I'm not perfect. In fact I'm a far cry from perfection. I am unworthy and undeserving. But that's the beauty of it - that God would use the lowly things to do marvelous things.

"He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him."
- 1 Cor 1:28-29

In the end, leadership is all about humility.