Christian Leadership Foundations 5 - FaithSýnishorn

THE BENEFITS OF FAITH FOR FOLLOWERS

Leadership Devotion

In 587 BC, the Babylonians plundered, pillaged, and destroyed Jerusalem. Almost all the leaders were deported as this was Babylon’s method – conquer and divide – so the country languished. When the Persians defeated the Babylonians in 539 BC, they allowed the Jews to return to their land. Some did, but things didn’t go well for them. Jerusalem was a shambles, and new local vested interests controlled the place. It was tough going.

Nehemiah was a high-ranking official in the Persian court with direct access to the emperor. He was also a Jew with a passion for God’s people and their capital, Jerusalem, and he was distraught at the state of affairs in Jerusalem. As Nehemiah mourned and fasted and prayed, God gave him a faith vision. In this passage, he describes it as “what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem” (2:12). That sure sounds like a faith vision to me.

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he was cautious. He didn’t want to sound like the expert from Persia who had all the answers. He carefully checked out the situation before he gathered the leaders and shared his faith vision – rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem together (2:17).

Nehemiah was not only a godly man; he was also a great leader. Notice how clear his faith vision was. Notice how he built faith in the leaders by sharing stories of how God had already provided in grace (2:18). Notice how he called everyone to have a part in this faith vision. Nehemiah got the buy-in he was looking for. Even under the pressure of the mocking local power brokers (2:19-20), his faith remained incredibly strong.

Nehemiah is a great example of how faith is foundational in leadership. He was not a visionary but a leader who received God’s revelation, stepped out in faith, helped his followers adopt this faith vision, and pursued it with great faith.

How did those who followed Nehemiah benefit from his faith? It wasn’t easy for them. They had to work hard. There was significant opposition. It was frightening at times. They had to deal with the simmering internal conflict, but a disillusioned, divided, despairing people became a united, hope-filled, confident nation. That’s what together pursuing God’s revelation with faith can do.

To Contemplate

To check how you’re going with Faith, please rate each statement on the following scale:

5 - Strongly Agree; 4 - Agree; 3 - Neither Agree nor Disagree; 2 - Disagree; 1 - Strongly Disagree.

Total the scores. This gives a score out of 25. A score below 20 indicates significant room for growth.

1. My desperation for God to make a difference through me pervades my prayer life.

2. I have sensed God speak about what he wants me/us to do.

3. I have held on to God’s faith visions even when they haven’t seemed likely.

4. I often speak to my team with faith about God’s plans for our future.

5. The people I influence are hopeful about what God will do through us.

Leadership Reflection

Faith is a Christian leadership foundation that grows our influence and widens our kingdom impact. As we learn to hear God and pursue in faith the revelations he gives us, we will find our sphere of influence increasing. Our faith visions offer at least two spin-offs to those we lead.

1. Hope

Pursuing a faith vision together provides people with hope for the future, a purpose for sacrifice, and a reason to risk. Following Jesus involves significant sacrifice. The people you influence are constantly giving themselves to ministry and service. A leader with a faith vision from God breathes life and meaning into service, sacrifice, and suffering. Without hope, people will eventually burn out and give up. Hope inspires and encourages and makes sacrifices significant.

Without faith-inspired hope, Christians find themselves merely keeping the wheels turning. Many churches, ministries, and Christians have nothing immediate to aim for. They have a future hope in the new creation, but the present seems to be merely marking time. There is no burning revelation or significant cause that grips their life. They are surviving. They lack present hope.

As your faith breathes hope for those you lead, they will join you in trusting God for his future. They will get excited. They will give themselves more readily. They will hold on to God’s promises.

However, suppose they are constantly disappointed by shattered dreams. You will eventually lose influence because it will become evident that you are guided by a sense of optimism, not by God. If your faith is justified and God eventually fulfills his promises, your influence will grow because hope will grow in those around you. They will want to join you in pursuing God’s faith visions together.

2. Hunger

From hope grows hunger and more faith. When people see God at work as they display faith in his revelation, a hunger grows in them for more of God and his power. They become expectant of what God can do in and through them, so faith increases. There is nothing like seeing God fulfilling his promises to inspire a deeper trust in him.

At its best, this growing hunger is both for God himself and his work. A hunger for God drives us deep into seeking him and submitting to him. We are more able to hear his voice and obey his direction. A hunger for God’s power (when stemming from hunger for God and not just a desire for the miraculous) causes us to take risks and step out in faith. We become less content with the status quo and more expectant of God’s supernatural work.

Faith is a key foundation in growing our leadership. As we have seen, Crop enables us to achieve things with God, but Faith takes us further. It helps us know what God wants and pursue these faith visions even when there is no immediate likelihood of success. It enables us to take more risks and hold more tightly onto God’s promises. It grows our dependence on God, and it builds our courage.

As those we influence join us in this faith venture, their hope in God’s will and work grows, and they become more hungry for and more expectant of what God will do. This makes a huge difference to their effort and endurance. Paul noticed this in his letter to the Thessalonians:

"We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thess. 1:2-3).