Leading/Ruling

Romans 12:6-8 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, [let us wait] on [our] ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, [let him do it] with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

The gift of leading or ruling is indispensable. Any good organization needs good leaders. Anything worthwhile stands or falls on leadership. Since everything rises and falls on leadership, a leader cannot therefore cast blame on his people he leads when things go wrong. 

A leader is one who stands on behalf of his people to shield, Protect, provide and defend them. Without it families are at a brink of disaster. The father of the home ought to be a good leader as the bible says otherwise he doesn't qualify to lead the church. You see a good leader by the state in which his or her people are in. 

Healthy leadership guarantees the wellbeing of the people. People don't need to be managed, they need to be lead. In times of crisis, we need a good leader not a good manager. Managers go about to supervise the routine and mundane tasks while leaders provide vision and direction where there is confusion. Leaders can go out of their way to break the norm and implement new and profound ways in which things should be done so that stumbling blocks are removed out of the way. In other words leaders do the right thing while managers do things right. 

Leadership is not a title but responsibility. It's influence. It's possible to lead when you are not the boss through the way you treat others, yourself and the tasks your given to handle. 

Leaders are not born rather they are made. Leadership is an art which can be developed by anyone by reading and exercising it. The best leader the world has ever seen is Jesus. Jesus is prophesied about in Psalms 23 as the shepherd. And indeed he is the good shepherd. He leads the sheep to feed, to rest, restores the souls of those who are weary, protects the sheep when in time of trouble and facing enemies. What a good leader.

Since the leader leads, it means you can never lead sheep to places where you haven't been yourself as a leader. You first taste the waters before you invite others to cross with you. I always tell people that it's easier to lead than to follow. Because as a leader, you are leading men where you have been led by the Holy Spirit. Which means that to be a good leader, you also have to be a good follower. It also means good leaders have mentors, do you have one to mentor you or you want to be a self styled leader? If you want to be a good father in your home, you need another father who has stayed longer than you in marriage to mentor you. If you want to be a good Pastor, doctor, engineer etc get another person who has is in that same area is successful in it and ask them to be your mentor or you can be mentored from a far by watching their lifestyle, reading their books, materials, listening to their sermons etc. 

Every great leader in the Bible had mentors around them. Moses had Jethro, Elisha had Elijah, Samuel had Eli, who do you have? 

EK