Legacy Leadership: Wisdom Of The Apostle PaulSample

Follower-centered, not Self-centered – Part 1

We all know people who seek positions solely to advance their personal agendas. When they are appointed to these positions, they use the power inherent in the position to further advance their careers and satisfy their own need for achievement and recognition. Even when these leaders challenge their followers it is really all about them. The followers need to perform so that the leader could look good.

I am reminded of an assistant coach who chastised us because we had played poorly. The crux of his disappointment was that he was embarrassed to go out in his yard and pick up the morning paper because his neighbors knew what he did. We had indeed played poorly; but, his exhortation was really all about him, not us.

Paul was a leader who challenged his followers. But the focus of his exhortations was always the development of his followers. The goal of his effort was clear: “so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:12).

As we have seen, "walk worthy” is one of Paul’s favorite phrases. Think about the word walk for just a minute. When we walk we make progress, but we do so steadily, and with one foot on the ground at all times. Pretty basic stuff. But I think that is very significant. We are to do the most basic and routine things in a way that is worthy of God.

When Paul uses the word walk he is referring the whole of one’s life – everything we do on a daily basis. Thus, he repeatedly encouraged his followers to walk (live their whole life) in a manner worthy of God’s call on their life.

In his letter to the Ephesians, he wrote:

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,  with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,  being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4: 1-3).

He encouraged the Colossians in a similar fashion:

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously (Colossians 1:9-12).

Paul’s purposeful leadership is evident in each of these passages. He was intensely intentional about molding the character and behavior of those he led. He appealed to his followers to lead lives worthy of God because this is the highest goal for those who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ.

Reflect and Act on these questions:

• We often think of worship as something that takes place at a designated time and in a fixed location. How does Paul’s command to walk worthy challenge that common conception of worship?
• In what area of your life would you say your current walk is most worthy of the Lord? Why?
• In what area of your life would you say your walk is least worthy of the Lord right now? What steps do you need to take to adjust your walk?