Christian Leadership Foundations 1 - Graceنموونە

SHARING GRACE

Leadership Devotion

Eating food offered to idols is not much of an issue in the contemporary Western church. It’s not likely to cause too many problems or tensions for us, but it was a biggie in the early church. Many Christians had been saved from pagan backgrounds where animal sacrifices were an important part of the worship of their gods. Some of the leftover meat from these sacrifices could be purchased in the meat market. But should Christians buy and eat it?

Paul had no quibbles. To him, the idols were nothing. They had no power or authority, or control. There was only one God. The leftovers from sacrifices were probably some of the best cuts of meat you could buy, and Paul enjoyed them thoroughly. He didn’t care if the meat had been offered to nonentities. Good meat was good meat.

But not everyone thought that way. Today, a similar issue may be decorating your house with images from overseas that connect with pagan worship. Some Christians would say they have no power because God is sovereign. Others would be wary of their associations and potential harm. Paul was clearly in the former camp, but many would be concerned. So we do understand the reluctance of some converts about eating the meat.

However, the key issue in this passage is not whether eating the meat is right or wrong but how to live with grace towards those who think differently, even if you believe they are wrong. Paul says you can be right and still sin (8:12). In this situation, grace is much more important than truth. Paul won’t eat this meat for the sake of those he leads.

Now I must point out that this was a relatively minor issue. Paul had a very different stance when Peter stopped eating with Gentile Christians to appease his Jewish brothers (Gal. 2:11-21). He publicly called Peter a hypocrite. The equal standing of all Christians before God was a truth that could not be compromised, especially by leaders. Truth trumped grace in this case.

But in most issues of difference, what does Paul do as a leader? He shares grace. This means he sacrifices his agenda and replaces it with an effort to hear, understand, and care for those he influences. He gives up his freedom so he can serve followers. In this case, Paul misses out on some tasty meals, but those he influences are protected by his grace.

To Contemplate

What “good” things do you choose to do or not to do for the sake of those you are influencing?

Leadership Reflection

Grace is not only something we receive and live in but is also something we offer to others. We have received freely from God through the grace-fueled sacrifice of Jesus (2 Cor. 8:9), and we freely offer this grace as we lead.

Here is a list of grace actions and attitudes towards others. This list is not a catalog of grace characteristics to develop, but it outlines some signs of God’s grace flowing through our lives to those we lead.

1. We get off our pedestal. Because we recognize our brokenness, we do not need to hide our faults and weaknesses. We can be authentic, admit failure, and ask for forgiveness from others. We influence primarily as fellow travelers, not authority or experts. We do not have to be right or impressive. That is God’s role.

2. We accept the brokenness of others. We know others will fail like we do, and we accept this and offer forgiveness. We may need to deal appropriately with this failure, but we are not repulsed or surprised by it because we know our weaknesses so well.

3. We treat those we influence better than they deserve. As we have received God’s grace, so we offer it to others. We believe in those who cannot see their potential. We value those who seem weak. We are bighearted towards those who appear broken or unworthy. We are patient and kind towards those who are difficult. We defend those who have hurt us. We look for the best in others.

4. We are generous in the use of our resources. Because we recognize every good thing we have comes from God’s gracious hand, we freely give to those in need. This can range from small things like a word of encouragement or assistance with a problem to major contributions of time or finance.

5. We care about people and their concerns. We don’t dismiss the beliefs and concerns of those we influence just because they are not our beliefs or concerns. We deal gently with others. We make personal sacrifices to protect them.

6. We are humble. We recognize any success we have comes from the hand of God, so we are not quick to claim it for ourselves. We do not seek attention or glory. We are glad to see others honored and are especially thankful when Jesus gets the glory.

7. We bring reconciliation. We know we have been reconciled with God and others by what Jesus has done in his grace, so we naturally become agents of reconciliation. We believe God wants people to work together in grace, love, and unity, and we seek to enable this.

8. We pray for others and with others when appropriate. Recognizing our part in God’s work often centers around prayer; we pray about everything. We tell people we are praying for them, and sometimes we stop to pray with them or for them.

9. We talk about Jesus where possible. We desperately want people to see how good and powerful Jesus is and want to tell others about him when it is appropriate. We unashamedly share the good news of Jesus when it is possible. We want others to know the grace and freedom we have found in Jesus.

If we seek to influence those who are not yet Christians, there is an evangelistic element to our sharing grace. We certainly want them to grow and develop as people as they see God’s grace flowing through our life, but ultimately, we long for them to receive the grace of Jesus personally (1 Cor. 9:22).

Of course, we often get these things wrong. It is easy to move away from grace and find that the hard, competitive, fearful, defensive, unforgiving, demanding, pride-filled side of our broken nature comes to the fore. This is when we can damage those we are seeking to lead. But we say sorry and receive God’s undeserved mercy again so his grace fills us once more. Growth in grace is a lifetime journey.