Leadership

Jason leading a team building exercise to teachers
Me and another believer

What is a leader? Jason and I have been taking an online course on Spiritual Leadership and we both have really enjoyed the class and have tried to implement the different aspects we have learned. My favorite definition of Spiritual Leadership was written by the Father and Son team (Henry and Richard Blackaby) which simply is:

“Spiritual leadership is moving people onto God’s agenda”. “True Spiritual Leadership is taking people from where they are to where God wants them to be.”

Here on the missionfield it is easy to have the mindset that I am here for those who don’t know Jesus. This is a true statement but that is not only my purpose. If I only devote all my time to the lost I am missing out on another area that is all throughout the Bible. There are members of the body of Christ that need strengthening and encouragement. My problem has been I have only been looking for a specific people to show God’s love when now my desire is to be more like Paul. “Paul’s versatility is apparent in the ease which he adapted to various audiences. Paul could address statesmen and soldiers, adults and children, kings and royal officials. He was at ease in debate with philosophers, theologians, and pagan idol worshippers.”

Within this past week I feel like the Lord has been telling me to specifically pray for the Christian women who live here in Garissa. One of my friends raised an interesting possibility of 1 Peter 3:7:
“Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.”

I have always heard the interpretation referring to the women being weaker because of physical matters in how she is made. My friend suggests that Satan can often attack the women because she is weaker in emotional matters. I am not saying that that is indeed the case but what I do know that Satan does attack the females here on the mission field. The two main tactics I see him using here is fear and making one feel inadequate. He can use fear in sickness or just while walking around in a male dominant society. As for inadequacy the women doesn’t have the confidence that God really has a divine purpose for her here in this place. Culturally it is not common to see women out and about. Many of the Muslim wives stay home to take care of their families and household so you won’t find them out in the market place or eating at the local tiny restaurants. The men have many more opportunities playing sports with the nationals, building and fixing different matters out in the villages and so on. Just because needs are more obvious to get involved with for the men does not mean this there is no purpose for a woman. It is only appropriate for women to talk to other women so if only missionary men came they would only being reaching half of the population.

The best example we have is Jesus. “Jesus did not develop a plan nor did he cast a vision. He sought his Father’s will”. A lot of times I want to plan out what I need to do throughout the week and come up with an organized program to explain the gospel or just build a relationship with someone. Looking at Jesus he communicated with His Father to seek what God’s plans were. This is my goal for myself and the women here. God what do you have for me?