• Leaders: Weakness #10

Posted by: kidhelper on Sunday, May 22nd, 2011

Leadership: Weakness! (#10)

What images come to mind when you consider Weakness? Maybe weakness is just the opposite of strong or strength. Weakness might look like the lack of muscles, like feeble or the under developed weakling. Maybe you remember Mighty Mouse with super human qualities, but a diminutive form of a mouse? In our culture weakness is not to be emulated as a quality of leadership. No one wants to be a Weak Leader! So are we missing something here? I think so!

Weakness for Christian leader has more to do with humility and lack of arrogance, or pompus-proud behavior, grand standing, if you please. It is not childish, but more child like. It is not a kind of dependence on oneself, but rather an intentional dependence upon God. So how does this kind of weakness work in leadership?

First of all, I think weakness means everything is subject to the will of God. We believe God is sovereign and is in control of all things. We plan, but ultimately, we are subject to comply with God’s plans. We could say, “not my will, but thy will be done.”

Secondly, weakness means that we are totally dependent upon the blessing of Almighty God. We pray, not so much to tell God what to do, but humbly asking that we might accept what God will do. It is not about us trying to work it all out, but rather, it is about Him working in our lives to do His good pleasure through our leadership.

Further, weakness involves a resolve to obey God and do what He wants to accomplish through us. Leadership implies that God is instructing us, directing us, and guiding us in what we are doing in His Kingdom. If we lack this Kingdom orientation, then being strong in this World’s orientation is our only other option. Listening to God and obeying God is a much higher calling.

Lastly, I would say, weakness in leadership is NOT really about YOU. We represent another leader—Jesus. Ultimately, our leadership is not about us. He has chosen us and called us to be a leader. He leads us. We follow His lead. HE is the leader! Being submissive and subject to Him is clearly involved with weakness of leadership.

Here are My Top-Ten Tips for working Weakness in your Leadership Profile.

1. We must affirm this mantra: “Not my will, but thy will be done.” It helps to use this phrase at the end of most verbally stated plans, “the Lord willing.”

2. When you pray, humble yourselves to the sovereign plans of God and the advancement of His Kingdom. “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added…”

3. Our supreme motive in all that we do is the Glory of God. We lead, not for the applause or praise of men, but for the praise and blessing of God. Will God be glorified by how I lead?

4. Be careful not to be tempted to appeal to your own authority. It is God who gives us our leadership authority. Appeal to God’s authority. Know what God has said in the Scriptures. Represent what He has whispered to you.

5. Make it your daily quest to determine what God is doing and do it with Him. Find out what God is blessing and be a part of that. Doing together (with God) what you cannot do alone.

6. Be on the lookout for other weak leaders that demonstrate submissive humility to God and his work. These are the real movers and shakers in the Kingdom.

7. Daily express to God your gratefulness for his mercy and grace. None of us deserve the favor of God in our leadership. Be thankful that He wants to use, even you. Praise God that you are weak, which is your strength.

8. Determine to trust God to accomplish something bigger than you can do in your ministry. It takes faith to believe that He will accomplish something greater through you can.

9. Learn what these passages mean: “His strength is made perfect in our weakness. He has chosen the weak to confound the wise.”

10. Practice saying: “I am strong because I am weak!” It is a good thing to be reminded.

 

If you are guilty of loving God, listening to God, obeying God, and working for the Kingdom, This is the strength of the quality of weakness! God will use this kind of leadership. Maybe the image of David and Goliath comes to mind?

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