Biblical Leadership: God’s Plan for Your LeadershipSample

4. Does Your Leadership Fit You?

In this reading, we look at how God has created you and what kind of leadership role fits you.

You might think that this is a pointless discussion and that you already know the answer; but, remember God created you to be unique and special in your own way,  to the exact purpose He has planned for you.

The Bible is replete with examples of leaders being “raised up” to fit God’s purpose. But it also gives examples of those with assignments closer to what you might experience today:

Then they entrusted it to those appointed to supervise the work on the Lord’s temple. They paid the workers who repaired and restored the temple. They also gave money to the carpenters and builders to purchase dressed stone, and timber for joists and beams for the buildings that the kings of Judah had allowed to fall into ruin.

The workers labored faithfully. … The Levites had charge of the laborers and supervised all the workers from job to job. Some of the Levites were secretaries, scribes and gatekeepers.  – 2 Chronicles 34:10-13

Levite leaders being used as project managers, purchasing agents, supervisors, and more; just like today! In this example, the Levites were glorifying God through their work of restoring the temple.

Today, you may hold similar job responsibilities, but your call to glorifying God in your work is no different. Remember this verse?

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31

If your objective is to glorify God in all that you do, including your work,  then it makes sense to use the special leadership talent that you have been given in there also, right?

So… what kind of leader did God create you to be?

You need to know who you are, what you are good at, what you enjoy, and then plan your work around that, not the other way around.

A good verse with which to start is this one which we also referenced in our last reading:

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  – Colossians 3:23-24

If you are asked to work at something “with all your heart”, then it is almost certain to be something that you enjoy; something that fits you.

Digging deeper, the same verse also suggests that it is more important to do your best (as if working for the Lord), rather than the specifics of what it is that you do.

It is how you complete your job, not the specifics of what you do, or what your title is that is most important.

Put more plainly, God created you with the freedom to choose your path in life. A path that you enjoy, where you can do your best. All while exercising the special gifts of leadership that God has given you.

It’s not what job you hold, or even what you say but how you apply your leadership talent for His glory. That’s our best witness for God, isn’t it?

Of course, if your leadership and career choices line up with your skills, your interests, what you enjoy, and what you’re good at, well, then everything else goes easy, doesn’t it?

And, along the way, God is glorified by your efforts just as he was by the project managers, purchasing agents, supervisors, and others leading the various aspects of the temple rebuilding recorded in 2nd Chronicles 34.

So what’s the best fit for you and your leadership? It’s the one that matches who God made you to be.

Reflection / Application

1. Things go best when our leadership talent matches the needs of the place we find ourselves. Does your talent match the needs of your current position? 
2. If you could design a better match between your talent and the needs of your organization, what would you change? 
3. If the changes you identified above mean changes to your work environment or organizational culture, then are these within your remit to change? If not, might there be a better fit for your talent elsewhere?