L.E.A.D. Well for Jesus
by Amey Edens
Have you ever considered your purpose or calling? You may play a lead role in a ministry, you may serve on staff at your Church, you may be a pastor’s or elder’s wife, you may have a successful career, or stay home with your children. Regardless of what you do, we all have a purpose and calling. We are all leading someone in some way. Have you thought about who that someone is or how you are leading them?
I consider it an honor that God chose me to walk alongside my husband to do ministry together. God chose me to be the mom and help lead our four grown children and two grandchildren. Not only do I play a huge role as a mom, but I am so grateful to have the opportunity to lead a women’s Bible study and a women’s ministry. I say this in a humble way because there are times when I do not feel worthy enough, but God called, and I listened.
Ladies, God wants us to lead for Him. Not only is it an honor, but a privilege given to us by God. I want to LEAD well because I am a representation for God, the Church, my husband, and family. Do you or have you ever considered the reflection you are for Christ? Scripture reminds us in Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human.”
Truthfully, I do not always live out the spirit of Colossians 3:23. There are days when I get up running a mile a minute without even thinking about how I am leading or serving. We can get caught up in our busy schedules trying to accomplish our to-do list before the sun goes down. I need to remind myself often to slow down and reflect on the life of Jesus and ask myself, how did Jesus model leadership?
According to Google’s online dictionary, lead is an action word meaning “to be an example for others to follow; to lead others in a particular direction; to hold one’s hand while moving forward.” Anyone can lead, but the question is, are we leading them in truth and are we leading effectively? When I reflect on the life of Jesus, he did it perfectly. Do I? Not even close, but because Jesus modeled it perfectly and we are called to be Christ like, I ask myself daily if I am leading well in my many roles as a wife, mom, grandma, friend, daughter, sister, Aunt, and most importantly, as a servant for Jesus. Let’s take some time to evaluate if we are leading well by asking ourselves these four questions. Am I leading well by…
L- Loving others? Love is mentioned about 686 times in the Bible (depending what version you are reading). If it is mentioned that many times, it must be an important action God wants us to do. We are reminded in 1 Peter 4:8, “Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sin. The shortest scripture in the Bible reminds me how Jesus loved. John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” I don’t know about you, but I weep for others, and it is because I have the love of Christ in me. We are commanded to love. In Matthew 22:34-39, one of the experts in the law asked Jesus what is the greatest commandment? Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Jesus modeled this well. He loves us so much he was willing to go to the cross for us! Do we love enough to share that message of Christ with others?
E – Exalting Jesus? The Old Testament (OT) is filled with the word ‘exalt.’ It is mentioned almost 90x (depending on what version you are reading). Let me just mention a few names in the OT who exalted God, even during suffering….David, Job, Daniel, Joseph, Jeremiah and more. Paul reminds us how God exalts Jesus in Philippians 2:9, “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth.” Jesus is worthy to be exalted. Are you finding time during your day to exalt him?
A – Anchoring myself in his Word? In order to understand God’s love for us and how we should exalt him we must be anchored in the word. It is the only way we will grow in our faith. The Bible is a life transformation message that will pernitrate our hearts and minds so we can feel the power of Jesus. As Christian, we should take reading and memorizing scripture serious. Colossians 3:16 tells us to “let the word of Christ dwell in us richly” and Deuteronomy 6:4-9 tells us to bind God’s law on our foreheads, teach it to our children, talk about it wherever we go, and make it an integral part of our lives. If we are not in the word, how can we share the word. Do you have a daily devotion life?
D – Discipling other women? Jesus gives us the Great Commission. Matthew 28:19, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Go and make are action words. We have an obligation, as Christ followers, to share the gospel with other people. Who is it that you are discipling?
My challenge for all of us is to rise-up and lead well for Jesus.
