This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
- 2 Timothy 1:6-7 (NLT)
In leadership, one may experience fear. These are the times when the Christian leader must lean into Jesus and the truth found in God’s Word to remain fearless. As challenging as this may be, several leaders have acknowledged that God met them in the darkest, deepest valleys and built them up. God’s continual, passionate pursuit of us and his promise never to leave us are the reminders and strength we need to persevere.
Perseverance and resilience are traits every leader must strive for. Part of this process involves knowing what God has entrusted you with in your leadership. Do you see leadership as something that God has entrusted to you? Doing this may help to shift your perspective, value, and view of your purpose. The beautiful thing that occurs in the heart of the Christian leader is that when this perspective is owned, it draws the leader into a deeper, more mature walk with the Lord. The main area of growth is trust in the Lord. Trust in His call on your life. Trust in the abilities He has given you. Trust in the mission He has brought to you and your team. Paul encourages Timothy by expressing his own convictions and trust in the Lord:
But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
(2 Timothy 1:12-14 ESV)
One interesting point to note is Paul’s repetitive encouragement with the phrase ‘be not ashamed.’ (2 Tim. 1:8, 12; 2:15) This was a theme and conviction we observe in Paul’s ministry — “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16 ESV). This understanding most likely influenced his charge to Timothy to be a worker who is not ashamed, ‘rightly handling the word of truth.’ As a Christian leader, if you are to speak the truth, then you must stand in the truth and knowledge of God’s Word. Make it your daily practice to spend time with the Lord in His Word. Apply what you learn to your personal walk with the Lord, and ask the Lord for wisdom on how best to engrain it in your leadership.
As we discussed earlier in this series, place your efforts on training yourself in godliness. Focus on passages of Scripture that have a clear spiritual application. Start with one or two, and build out a plan to include them in your routine. Reflect on how 2 Timothy 2:24-25 would influence you as a leader and your interactions with others:
And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth
I want to leave you with one encouragement that Paul shared with Timothy: ‘fulfill your ministry.’ God has impressed a vision for your life. Go about each day with power, love, and self-discipline given by our Lord and fulfill your ministry.
May the Lord be with your spirit. And may his grace be with all of you.
- 2 Timothy 4:22 (NLT)
