God Equips the Called

By Tarryn Lee

If you’re reading this you may be feeling a call to leadership, and if you’re hearing the call, you most likely have the sense that there will be times when you don’t feel ready or qualified to tackle the tasks that lie ahead.

God, however, has a knack of equipping the unqualified for incredible roles.

In our modern and fast-paced world we often want to hit the ground running—influencing and leading as we go—but I want to encourage you to make the most of the process of preparation for leadership. You’ll be shepherding others in Christ, which means the stakes are high. Build your foundation first, and build it on a foundation that in all things your heart is for God and for His people.

Below you will find 6 characteristics that I believe are essential for Christians on their journey to becoming steadfast leaders.

6 Characteristics of a Steadfast Christian Leader

1) You Walk the Walk

Is your relationship with Him consistent? Is it stable? Is it alive? Is your lifestyle consistent with biblical traits? Does your lifestyle produce good fruits? Why do you want to become a leader?

When we make the decision to follow Jesus, we must practice maturing in our faith while establishing a stable relationship with Jesus that isn’t hot and cold. I remember seeing youth leaders at church who spoke ‘christianese’ very well. They knew what to say and how to capture an audience, but outside church doors, their lives appeared very different from what they had preached. When the youth saw this hot and cold behavior, they felt confused, with some of them pulling away from God as a result.

We’ll never have it all figured out but we don’t want to mislead those we shepherd because of personal choices that don’t align with what comes out of our mouths.

Take the time now to do an honest self-analysis before stepping into a leadership role.

2) You Accept You Don’t Know It All

There is so much depth to God, the Bible, and His creation that we will never run out of things to learn. When you have difficult questions about God, seek answers from the Bible and reputable sources. This practice will bless you when others come to you with similar questions.

Speak about what you know. If you don’t know something and someone asks a tough question, tell that person you’re not sure. But then go and do your research and come back with what you have found out the next time you meet. You can also discuss it with the person asking the question. If you realize you’ve said something incorrect after the fact, correct yourself at the next meeting, don’t carry on without saying anything. By doing this, you’ll demonstrate humility, that you are seeking truth, and that they are a high priority to you.

None of us can know everything and so in no way am I saying that you should wait until you know everything before getting into leadership—however— you do need to be prepared.

So spend time analyzing yourself and give yourself time to develop and grow. Read books on developing leadership traits and speak to God first and foremost in leading you as you lead others.

3) You Understand God’s Natural Design

Something I have noticed about mature Christians is that they understand God’s natural law and know that He designed things to work for our benefit. Once we understand God’s natural law more tricky questions can be answered by looking at God’s design and Scripture. For example, it says in 1 Cor 6:19 that “Your body is temple,” so by framing it with God’s natural law in view, we can see through Scripture that God wants us to respect our bodies by keeping it healthy, not overdoing things like food or alcohol, and avoiding toxins like smoking. Something like this is not randomly said. These are meaningful words from God. When we follow God’s natural law we give honor to Him while living a life that is best for us and better prepares us to speak to and disciple others.

4) You Have a Personal Prayer Life

Prayer is our lifeline to God, and we need to be in constant communication with Him to lead effectively. We have to be connected to our source of life and knowledge before we can disciple others.

Our frequent chats with God, our earnest prayers, and heart-filled praises is what keeps our relationship with God alive and strong.

Prayer also chases out fear. It is our tool for asking God to equip us with wisdom in handling our roles ahead. James 1:5  says “if any of you lack wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

5) You Have Spent Time in the Wilderness

Before Paul became one of the most powerful Christian leaders, he experienced the most radical encounter with God on the road one day, literally stopped in his tracks by a blinding light. When God called him to preach the message to the Gentile world, but Paul didn’t go straight into ministry. He first left everything he knew and went into the wilderness for three years to prepare for the great calling God placed on his life.

“But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son to me, in order that I might preach Him among the gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. Then after 3 years I went up to Jerusalem …” (Galatians 1:15-18a).

Paul secluded himself from the general population and spent time alone with God, so that God could groom him, teach him and prepare him.

There are many others in the Bible who went out into the wilderness to prepare for their roles: John the Baptist, Joseph, Moses, even Jesus spent 30 years in preparation for His ministry.

I’m not suggesting that you literally find a desert (unless God calls you to), but here, in many ways, the wilderness can be referred to as a time when we put our trust in God and learn that our strength is not our own. The wilderness is where we learn the extent of how dependent we are on God. This is also a time when we separate ourselves from the noise of this world and learn to listen and understand God’s voice. These are the times that James 1 speaks about when he says “The testing of your faith produces perseverance, let perseverance finish its work so that you may become mature and complete.”

We might not always be able to plan for these times, but it’s important to have gone through trials like this before leading others. It’s the trials and the extended time alone with Him that God uses to show us who He is and who we are in Him.

6) You Love People Well

Last but certainly not least, you love people well and are Jesus to them. The greatest transformation in peoples’ lives occur through relationships. Lead for the good of those whom you lead. Let that be your focus. Love them for who God created them to be, with their unique design and the specific place in time God has given them.

“By this we know love, that He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” 1 John 3:16

Great leaders are the ones who can lift others up by caring for them, inspiring them and empowering them, so that in their right time they too can multiply that love to others.

Go Lead With Perseverance

I hope you feel encouraged as you read through these 6 characteristics of a steadfast Christian leader. We are not called to be perfect, so don’t see these as a check list you need to mark off before you lead, use them as a guidepost and guardrails as you continue to follow the Lord’s call into different areas of leadership. Remember, in it all, God qualifies the called. If you feel called… He will qualify you!