The leaders are getting a lot of attention lately. It may be the 5 o’clock news or just around the dinner table, but our local and federal leaders have our attention too. No matter how the election goes this November, we will have a leader on Inauguration Day 2021, whether you or I like the choice!
What I’ve come to learn about leadership is this: leaders come in all shapes and sizes (of responsibility). It’s how you lead that sets you apart.
I’m sure you and I can draw on our memories of our first jobs, youth groups, schools, and churches to quickly recall the best leaders of our formative years–and the worst.
Maybe it’s not a leader at work, church, or school that did you damage, but in your home. Maybe your mother or father displayed only the worst leadership possible during your childhood and into adulthood.
Just like the cycle of abuse that occurs in a family across generations, the cycle of bad leadership is sustained in organizations big and small for years. Unless you plan to lead out in your church, ministry, or job forever, you need to cultivate good leaders to take over. Author and “thought leader,” Roy T. Bennet said in his book The Light in the Heart:
Great leaders create more leaders, not followers. Great leaders have vision, share vision, and inspire others to create their own.
So, what type of leader are you? What type of leader do you wish to be in your church and in your home this Sabbath?
Leading Out On Sabbath
How we lead out on Sabbath will help form a relationship with Sabbath that our loved ones will carry throughout their lives. Their relationship with the Sabbath may be directly related to the life-giving leadership or life-taking leadership we exhibit. According to a 2018 Forbes article, there are eight essential qualities that define great leadership. If these qualities are essential for leaders, they should be essential no matter where you’re leading, be it home, church, school, community, or government.
Sabbath leadership in the home and at church
Sincere Enthusiasm – Defined as intense and eager enjoyment, interest, or approval, how can you show your family and church your sincere enthusiasm for the Sabbath? Are you more eager for Sabbath’s start or end? What about Sabbath make you excited and happy? Make sure you display sincere enthusiasm. It’s contagious!
Integrity – Defined as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles, is your family seeing the same leader at home as they do in church? Are you the same person the other six days of the week as you are on Sabbath? What are some ways you may fall short in honesty and morality behind closed doors?
Great Communication Skills – Great communication is a matter of opinion, but most agree that truly effective communication is not just the exchange of information, but how the information is communicated. Are you listening well and making sure that your family and your church feels heard this Sabbath? What are some ways this can improve?
Loyalty – Loyalty is the giving or showing firm and constant support or allegiance to a person or institution. It’s important to note that you can be loyal to a person or organization for the wrong reasons. That said, as a leader, you must show loyalty to your family and your organization (the church). A bad day or bad choice cannot make you waver. Disappointment in a fellow church member or person in your family shouldn’t make you treat them differently or lessen your support of them. This one may be a struggle when big issues arise.
Decisiveness – Great leaders should be able to make decisions quickly and effectively. In the home, this may look like your kids asking to play a game or watch a program on Sabbath that you may be uncomfortable with. How quickly can you make a decision? In the church it may look like planning a church service around social distancing and masking guidelines. Can you make decisions and stick to them when the need arises despite disapproval and backlash?
Managerial Competence – Adopting the definition of supervisor, management involves observing and directing people or activities. In order to effectively supervise, or manage, at home as well as church, you must observe. Talk less, listen more, and communicate well. Only then can you properly lead your family and your ministry with their strengths, weaknesses, and needs in mind.
Empowerment – To empower others is to give them authority or power. In the home, you can empower your spouse and your children to take ownership of their own Sabbath experience by explaining why you do things a certain way or believe a certain thing. Give your children choices about what to do during Sabbath hours. You can carry this empowerment to your church ministry by asking people to help with the service, invite them to help on committees, or complete simple tasks.
Charisma – Defined as a compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others, charisma can become a damaging characteristic in the secular world. As a Christian leader in your church and your home, you want the devotion that you inspire to be directed at the Lord, not yourself. When your energy, attractiveness, and charm is a result of your love for Christ, this will not be a problem in the least.
Can there be great leaders who lead people away from God? Absolutely.
There are people who have all the qualities above, yet don’t have a heart for Jesus. You can read all the best leadership books on the market and listen to all the podcasts, but the most essential ingredient to your leadership is God. He must be your leader on Sabbath, at home, at church, at work, and every other day as well.
