How To Be An Effective Spiritual Leader

What makes for an effective spiritual leader? What attributes or skills are needed to be one?

Biblical Leaders

If you want to find good models of spiritual leaders, all you have to do is read the Bible. It doesn’t say they were perfect but they were called by God and He placed them where He decided best for His purposes. It is not our decision but “God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose” (1st Cor 12:18). Moses had to return to Egypt where forty years earlier he had fled for his life after murdering an Egyptian but helped lead Israel out of Egypt. David was originally a simple shepherd but became king of Israel and ruled when the nation was at its zenith of power. Jeremiah, the reluctant prophet, thought of himself as too young but God used him mightily. Deborah the Judge was a brave woman, riding into the battle, encouraging her commander which resulted in a great victory for Israel. Effective spiritual leaders are not born, they are developed, mentored, and shaped by God, often by using other experienced men and women of God. Everyone needs a mentor and to be mentoring someone; discipling others while being discipled.

A Life Pleasing to God

I can’t think of anything that is more important to being an effective spiritual leader than living a life of obedience to God which is pleasing to Him as Paul wrote “For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness” (1st Thess 4:7) and Paul continues by writing “For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive” (1st Thess 2:3). Paul insists “we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God” (2nd Cor 4:2). God will never bless anyone’s ministry who is not living a life of obedience to God and one that is pleasing in His sight (1st Tim 3:1-7). It is just not possible.

People Follow where they Lead

No one can lead unless they are following Christ and in fact, they can lead others to harmful places unless they are yielded to God’s will and to and His Spirit. How can a church be led into different ministries if the spiritual leader is not going there themselves? The 23rd Psalm talks about the Shepherd leading them to still waters and into greener pastures but if a church’s local shepherd doesn’t move or labor in the Word for the church, then the sheep will not be fed properly and will die of spiritual starvation and they will not be led into different pastures if they don’t follow. Years ago, I talked about starting a nursing home ministry and left a signup sheet at the church but few signed it and even fewer showed up to begin this ministry so I started it by myself. If no one goes, no one will follow. A spiritual leader that is effective will affect the congregation.

Surrendering your own Agenda

I had my own ideas on how to grow the church’s ministry do I added a prison ministry to our nursing home ministry. Paul wrote “I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known” (Col 1:25) so it wasn’t really Paul’s idea…it was according to the stewardship from God that God gave him. It was not Paul’s ministry but that of the Lord. Effective spiritual leaders must learn to surrender their own will, agenda’s, and plans to what God desires for them to do. If it’s not fully God’s will then He will keep that door closed but if we are willing to resign as our own chairman of the board in our life then only then God can be the One Who is running things. We need to make Him president and not just resident in our lives.

Conclusion

As I wrote before, godly spiritual leaders who are effective will affect others and stir them up to good works. They will be humble just as Moses was humble. They will be leading a life that is pleasing to God and striving to live in holiness. They should also be willing to lead the church into areas that might stretch their abilities and challenge their comfort level and finally, they will put up the flag of surrender and make God the Commander in Chief in their life. Effective spiritual leaders are not born as such; they are mentored, developed, learn from their mistakes, and will be feeding the flock from the pure and undefiled Word of God. And all this will be for the glory of God because nothing else matters.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.