You are a leader.

You might not think of yourself that way, but you are. If you are a parent, you exercise leadership in the home. At your workplace you influence your coworkers. And at church, you exert influence on fellow believers. Even if you are younger, you have influence on your peers, and maybe even those much older than you.

We must be good stewards of the leadership God gives us. Strive to influence people wherever you can. Do all that you can to point those around you to Jesus and the power of His gospel.

One key leadership text is 2 Timothy 2:1-7. And while the above is true – everyone is a leader – this text more directly relates to those in church leadership, like Timothy.  

The apostle Paul exhorted him in 2 Timothy 2:1, “My son…be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Leadership is tough.  You will get run down and exhausted; you need strength in the Lord. Otherwise you will burn out quickly, trampled by the enemy.

In what follows, Paul proceeds to give four portraits or profiles in leadership.

Teacher

“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (verse 2).” Timothy was blessed to spend much time with Paul. Paul discipled and invested in young Timothy. Here, Paul placed an expectation upon Timothy. Teach and train faithful men, so they can teach others. 

Teaching, foundational to spiritual leadership, is captured in the Great Commission. Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19).   

If we are to teach disciples all Jesus has commanded, we need to know what Jesus commanded. A good friend told me, “The authority to lead comes from the ability to feed.”  If you have nothing to feed your people, then you have no authority whatsoever to lead. 

I love the story of Peter and Jesus in John 21.  Peter had denied Jesus 3 times and now Jesus had one message for Peter and he gives it to him 3 times – Feed my people, Feed my lambs. Feed my sheep. In other words, faithfully deliver the Word of God. There was a sense in which Jesus was restoring Peter in saying that, and it highlights the necessity of Bible study in the life of any spiritual leader. 

Soldier

Paul writes in verse 3, “You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” If you are a soldier you will endure hardship. Be prepared! By enlisting in God’s army, you will engage in warfare. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul wrote, “This charge I entrust to you…in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience” (1 Timothy 1:18).

The spiritual leader is a warrior for truth. Not only do we battle Satan and his kingdom, but we also battle ourselves and our earthly sin nature.

Paul continues in our passage, “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier” (verse 4). If you are a soldier of Christ Jesus, your life is devoted to serving your Master. The Bible says, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

The spiritual leader cannot afford entanglement in worldly pursuits. Distractions and temptations surround, but the soldier of Christ Jesus can’t get trapped in that. Their sole aim is to please their commanding officer – the Lord Jesus Christ.  Spiritual leaders who are undisciplined let sin creep into their lives, which can prove deadly.

Athlete  

The third portrait is that of an athlete. “And also, if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules” (verse 5). I grew up playing sports and still love sports. Any athlete must have the effort and determination required to compete. When the game is on, you give it your all! But you must compete according to the rules.  

The leader’s rules are found in the Bible. Every spiritual leader must immerse himself in God’s Word so that he can compete according to the rules and know the will of God. This is crucial to effective leadership. Psalm 119:11 says, “You word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”  

Farmer

“The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops” (verse 6). I am also familiar with this portrait as I grew up on a farm and know the dynamics of farm-life. Farmers are among the hardest-working people on the planet. Our world differs from the first-century world because often what the farmer reaps today, he doesn’t eat. Usually, the farmer sells his product so other people will enjoy the fruit of his labor. But to accomplish their job effectively, farmers need to nourish their bodies so they have strength to do their work. 

The leader must let the scalpel of God’s Word perform surgery on his life before he can faithfully minister to God’s people.  If the leader does not come under the sanctifying work of the Word, he is not fit for spiritual leadership.  The same is true in whatever leadership capacity you enjoy.  The Word must penetrate your own life before you effectively minister to others. Just as the farmer must be well fed to do his work, the leader must fill up on spiritual food, and led the Holy Spirit strengthen Him for the task at hand.

That competes our 4 portraits of the leader: the teacher, the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2:16, “Who is sufficient for these things?” He points us to Christ.  The power is never found in man; it is always found in Jesus Christ. Timothy was to “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”  Leadership is demanding and difficult, but the spiritual leader finds strength in God and his mighty power. 

“Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things” (verse 7). The Holy Spirit interprets the word of God for us, giving us understanding. The pastor, elder, ministry leader will be equipped by God with everything he needs.

Even if you are not in a ministry leadership position, you have influence! You yield positive influence by pointing those around you to Christ. Pray for and encourage your peers, witness to your friends, and tell others that Jesus is a sweet, merciful, Savior.