In the book of Philippians 3:12-13, the Apostle Paul tells the believers there "he is not at all like Jesus." "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…(Phil 3:12-13 NIV)

Would it shock you to find that this great Apostle had a temper or was impatient when things didn’t go according to his plans? It would not surprise me to know that he became visibly frustrated in public or was even accused of lacking love. Why?

Paul’s transformation to be like Jesus was much like ours; a gradual process which he never completely finished this side of glory. "And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more. (II Corinthians 3:18)

Though he had not yet attained perfection, the Apostle Paul called on believers to imitate him, and to use his life as an example as it reflected Christ and Christian maturity. "I am so glad, dear friends, that you always keep me in your thoughts and you are following the Christian teaching I passed on to you." (I Corinthians 11:1) In Philippians 3:20-21, the apostle declares, "But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take these weak mortal bodies of ours and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same mighty power that he will use to conquer everything, everywhere."

I wonder if spiritual leaders today will follow the example of Paul, and encourage people to learn from looking at their lives even if they are not at all perfect like the Savior. I’m concerned if leaders wait until they are perfect or good enough to lead, they will either be too arrogant or intolerant. These are two characteristics a true leader must never possess.

So then what is leadership? Is it who we are, or a particular quality we possess? Are leadership skills innate or are they acquired over time? According to James Burns, "leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth." Although defining leadership can be quite a challenge, many will agree that when effective leadership is absent from the lives of church leaders, the entire Kingdom suffers. For example, the situation involving the Roman Catholic priests causes the entire church to come under scrutiny.

Spiritual leadership must be nourished, cultivated, and used wisely. True spiritual leaders can either stir the souls of men to accomplish great things in the church, or they can frustrate them causing its deterioration. Although many people may have been born with effective leadership skills, it is God that gives us the ability we need to use in His kingdom.

Paul taught the Ephesians that it was Christ who " gave some to be …evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers… From the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." (Ephesians 4:7,11,16) He also instructed the elders of the church to "keep watch over the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. (Acts 20:28)

True Godly Leaders are not assigned nor appointed by man; they are ordained and called by God himself. Are they perfect? Maybe not; but it is God who conditions them.

Take Moses for example. He was a man of action. Throughout his life, he was at his best and worst responding to conflicts around him. At times he served as a buffer between God and the Israelites. At other times he had to respond to God’s anger at the people’s stubbornness, and at the people’s bickering and complaining. His greatest test involved his reaction to the people’s unjustified attack on his character.

Leadership involves reaction. In order to react with behavior consistent with the will of God, leaders must develop habits of obedience to God. Consistent obedience to God is best developed in times of little stress. Then, when stress comes, our natural reaction will be to obey God. In our age of declining moral standards, it would be difficult to believe that God would punish Moses for the time he disobeyed outright. What many people fail to see is that God did not reject Moses; the prophet disqualified himself from entering the Promised Land by his actions.

Personal greatness does not make an individual immune to error or to its consequences. Although God shaped Moses’ personality, he did not change who or what he was. He did not give him new abilities or strengths; instead, he took Moses’ characteristics and molded them until they were suited for his purposes.

The same holds true for leaders today. Our prayer to God should not be "What can I change into?" but "How should I use the abilities you have given me to do your will?"

One of the greatest challenges facing spiritual leaders is courage. Lets look at Joshua. The book of Joshua is about leadership-more specifically, his leadership of the Israelites after the death of Moses. God words to Joshua were, " Be strong and courageous, for you will lead my people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors." (Joshua 1:6) Another challenge facing leaders, and one Moses faced prior to his death, is choosing a successor. We must train others to become leaders.

Many individuals made outstanding accomplishments with enormous ability, but their careers or lives ended before the dream became a reality. The fulfillment of the dream then became the responsibility of the successor. Thus, was the case of Joshua.

In Joshua, Moses had a God-appointed assistant. He was Moses’ shadow, and experienced firsthand what it meant to lead God’s people.

I ask the people today, "Who is your Moses or your Joshua?" Are you a part of the chain of God’s ongoing works in the world? Remember, you are modeling yourself after others, and others are patterning their lives after you.

How important is God to those you want to be like? Do those who are watching you see God reflected in every area of your life?

Spiritual leaders today must constantly ask God to make them trustworthy. It is a gradual, continual process. " We must not grow weary, for in due season we will reap, if we faint not." Also, when the challenges become more than they can handle, leaders must remember, " We have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to him and never stop trusting him. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it." (Hebrews 4:14-16)

By: Travestine Wright