Most of us know the great command we have to edify the church, Christ’s body. Leaders in particular hear this command in their callings. Ephesians 4:11 speaks of the leadership offices of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, and bids us to all work together as Christian leaders in unity. We work in the edification of the church until Jesus Christ returns. In edification, we build up the body and reach maturity this side of heaven.
The call to leadership is a great one, in many ways. I can vouch for this in my leadership call. Every person in the church leads someone: whether at work, in families, or in the Ephesians 4:11 ministry. Leadership is a calling of great importance. We are living examples to all of the power in our actions, choices, and in the difference one person can make for God’s Kingdom by doing what God asks of us. We send this important message of hope not just to other leaders, but also to those we lead by glory to glory and faith to faith.
Sometimes as leaders we are so caught up in the awesome responsibility of leadership that we forget we are called to be a part of Christ’s body. In this arrangement, Christ is the Head, and we are the members of that body. I’ve met many Christian leaders whose aim is to be the Head, rather than a working member of the body. Instead of pointing to Christ, they start pointing to themselves as having all the answers. When this happens, leadership functions not as a body, but away from Christ. All Christian leaders have the command to point the way unto Christ, not toward ourselves.
One body, together
Ephesians 4:1-8 gives us an important word as leaders:
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: ‘When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.’ (NIV1984)
We are called to live according to our calling in spiritual peace, among one another in love. This is in essence a call to humility, not to raise ourselves above others, but to acknowledge that God uses us all for His purpose, not our own. The Bible clearly indicates we are not all going to lead in the exact same way. (We are called to be one, not the same.) This call to love and oneness indicates we are called to work with one another. By living and walking in the truth, we accept the truth about ourselves as leaders, knowing in all things that Jesus, our Head, will make up for whatever we lack in the body.
Thinking too small
One mistake some leaders are guilty of is trying to create organizations with a human head rather than uniting the body of Christ and looking to Jesus as our Head. The call to leadership isn’t a call to replace Christ, but to, by following Him, lead others to follow Him as well. This is the work of a body, one that takes many leaders working together in humility and unity, along with their congregations, accepting the gifts we are given by His grace and accepting the partnership of others in the body to do by His grace what they are called to do.
Christian leaders in unity transcend borders, races, sexes, and the ages. Throughout Christian history, different people led in their age, to to point unto the greater reality of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Here, we find forgiveness of sins through God’s unending love. They didn’t lose sight of the “bigness” of the vision for the sake of a singular association. It is a timeless message that we can see living today in you and other Christ-centered leaders around the world. Some have large ministries and churches, and others may work to maintain small communities of faith, but all work in a big way, continuing to point to Christ our Head in what are often trying last days before He returns.
An essential message
Looking only at a leader – or the differences they have from someone else – causes us to miss God’s message through them. Walls of human prejudice don’t allow God’s truth to shine forth. Other leaders in truth are working with us, not against us. Instead of trying to fill Christ’s position, we need to fill our own and work as a body, looking to our Head, and uniting in Him.
As Christian leaders in unity, let us remember always what is true and the standards for unity outlined in Ephesians 4:
- One body
- One Spirit
- One hope
- One Lord
- One faith
- One baptism
- One God and Father of us all
May our leadership be a blessing and a testament to what is true rather than a deterrent to it. Let us study the Word of God and not just be hearers of it, but teachers of it as living testaments to how it transforms lives. May we pray to and worship God without shame, knowing where He has brought us from and looking forward to where He will take us in the future. Let us learn to hear what He is saying to each of us, and what He is saying through us as well. As people in positions of authority, we are all called to live respectful of others in godly authority, remembering to pray for all in leadership, and to be a good leaders by also being a good followers of Jesus Christ.
The excellency of promise
Let us come together as christian leaders in unity. Let us pray and work for the salvation of many souls. May many doors open to proclaim the Gospel. As believers, may we unite with fellow leaders in truth to work together. Let’s support and edify those who work in His labor. May we walk in humility with God and one another, always in awe of what He has done for us all. May we trust God to meet every need we have. Focus on Jesus our Head rather than wanting to be the head!
In closing, I remember Paul’s words in Philippians 4:8-9:
...Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (NIV1984)
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