Legacy Leadership: Wisdom Of The Apostle PaulSample

Affirming, but Not Content– Part 1

An important aspect of the legacy leadership process is the affirmation of a person’s character and the appreciation for their individual contributions. 

Paul was exuberant in expressing his passionate love and appreciation for those he had the privilege of leading. He thanked God every time he remembered the Philippians, the Colossians, and the Thessalonians. He referred to them as his joy, his crown, and his glory (Philippians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20). He affirmed their faith, their love, and their hope. He acknowledged the fruit of the spirit in their lives, their good works, and the impact they had for Jesus' sake in their immediate communities and beyond. 

Paul was affirmational. But, he was not content. In his opening prayer for the Philippians he prayed that their love would “abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ” (Philippians 1: 9-10).  The Lord had begun a good work in their lives and Paul was pleased with their growth, but he prayed that their love and joy would grow even more. 

He commended the Thessalonians for their faith, love, and hope - the three marks of authentic Christ-followers. Yet, he was not content, and he refused to allow them to become complacent. In 1 Thessalonians 4:1 he affirms that they are walking and pleasing God as they should, but then tells them to “excel still more.” Later in the same chapter he commends them for their love of the brethren, but urges them to “excel still more” (1 Thessalonians 4:10). 

Evidently the Thessalonians took this to heart because Paul commends them again in the opening of his second letter: “We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater; therefore, we ourselves speak proudly of you among the churches of God for your perseverance of faith in the midst of all of your persecutions and afflictions which you endure. (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4). As proud as he was of their growth and progress, he still encouraged them to “not grow weary of doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13).  

There is a recurring pattern of affirmation and exhortation in Paul’s leadership. He provided a dynamic balance between challenging his followers to grow and acknowledging their progress. He was affirming, but never content. 

Maintaining the balance between affirmation and challenge is crucial. If we are always challenging, but never recognizing achievements, we risk driving our followers to resentment, burnout, and even quitting. We need to plan for, generate, and celebrate the wins. Let the achievements sink in. Bask in them for a while. Then, consolidate those gains and use them as fuel to excel still more and press on to the next challenge.

We must affirm and appreciate the contributions of others, yet not allow them – or ourselves - to become complacent. 

Reflect and Act on these questions:

• Where have you allowed complacency to creep in? 
• What new challenges need to be addressed? 
• Where do you need to celebrate a “win” today?
• Where do you need to build on a “win” and press on?