by R.A. Weigel, EDD, CPCC, and CCNI President
Covid, the pandemic, the jab, big pharma, the China virus, the shot… call it what you want, but the reality is that the world has changed, and public trust has been broken. Political polarization, threats of monetary collapse, lying media prophets, and the delusional redefining of God’s truth are all pushing satanic lies. More people are at a destructive breaking point in their lives than any time in the past 80 years. The need for Christian leadership could not be more evident.
Christian leaders, with their feet planted firmly in the Bible, have the potential for a passionate and godly vision that transforms any organization, culture, or entity in which they lead. Why? Because they are value-driven, people-centered, and truth empowered. Christian leaders create organizations that are alive, vibrant, and vital. They are unlike the typical worldly leader whose mantra is WIIFM. (Translation – What’s In It For Me).
Christian leaders are expected to follow in the steps of Jesus where he rejected the slogans, tone, and the false ideologies of the kingdoms of this world. Leading like Jesus takes a great deal of courage but perhaps there are still too many Christian leaders that don’t believe that following the leadership example and methodologies of Jesus will still work in today’s world. That’s where they’re wrong! Following the leadership examples of Jesus does work and indeed – it is the only type of leadership that can.
Great Christian leadership is not found in the ready compliance of the world’s way of doing things. Some people might consider the leadership and teachings of Jesus to be extreme, but perhaps that is exactly what today’s Christian leaders need to be – extreme! You see, Jesus had a vision, and that vision was extreme. Consider the start of his ministry. He gets baptized by John and then he’s led by the spirit into the wilderness where he fasts for 40 days, is tempted by the devil, and finally is ministered to by angels. (Matthew 3:13-4:11) Jesus then returns in the power of the Spirit to Galilee (Luke 4:14) and after going into the synagogue on the Sabbath day he finds the place where it was written and he boldly states:
Luke 4:18-19 (NLT) – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord ’s favor has come.”
That’s his vision statement. It’s extreme! It’s what he is going to do! He has not done those things yet, but he believes that he WILL do what he has said he is going to do. Jesus set an extreme vision to do what needed to be done. He was clear, focused, and set upon a path to trust God in order to perform what he said he would do.
Now, what about you? Do you have a vision for your future with an impact to change the world? It needs to be biblically rooted and extreme enough to lead like Jesus. From my perspective, a leader’s vision is the lifeblood of an organization, even if you’re a solopreneur. It’s what keeps you moving forward. The visionary statements and associated actions of great Christian leaders are possible only with the help of God. A great Christian vision is not simple, convenient, or something you can be accomplished by who you already are or with what you already have, meaning that you’re going to have to trust God to meet your needs. Great Christian leaders, like Jesus, are passionate about what they are called to accomplish and therefore, in the eyes of the unbelievers, they are too extreme. Great Christian leaders have a vision for the future that is contradictory to the way most people are doing things.
Vision-deficit Christians do not live in the extreme. They have already acquiesced to the systems of the world causing them to complain about being too tired, burned-out, and overwhelmed by the complexities of the world. Vision-deficit Christians lack the courage, trust, and faith to overcome the inevitable hurdles of life and leadership. Instead of taking God at his word, they submit to the world’s indoctrinations and slowly slide into the back pages of history instead of making history. They are the salt that has lost its flavor.
Matthew 5:13 (NLT) – “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.
You’ve heard the saying, “Actions speak louder than words.” Well… that’s true. But reactions speak louder than both. Negative or surrendering reactions when things aren’t going your way or when your vision is not coming about as quickly as you think it should, says more about your trust in God than anything else. When Jesus was giving his famous Sermon on the Mount presentation, (Matthew 5-7), he told the people to stop reacting like everyone else. When Christians, (especially Christian leaders), react like everyone else, it seems to affirm that they are religious, but lacking in faith. Anyone who truly wants to follow and lead like Jesus, will begin to sound, act, and react like Jesus, and like Jesus, greatness will be found in the extreme, not in the commonplace.
Matthew 6:24 (Amplified) – No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].
Christian leadership is not and will never be comfortable. You can’t tell me that it was comfortable for Jesus. Yet, he never allowed any discomfort to keep him from moving forward with his vision. Instead, he used those points of discomfort to trust God for even bigger and more impactful actions. How about you?
The greatest enemy of your future success is not the lack of opportunities, but the lack of visionary focus. Living and working without a vision means living and working without a focus. Great Christian leaders not only know what to do, they also know what not to do.
Now is the time for Christian leaders to step up, fill the gap, and become the trusted entity for peoples everywhere who are hurting due to the lack of trust in the current secular leadership throughout the world. It begins with Christian leaders being bold like Jesus with a clear vision that motivates, engages, inspires, and commits to actions that transform.
Recently I heard a sermon by Andy Stanley, and I’d like to repeat some of the actions he said that align with God’s people stepping up and leading like Jesus.
- Let’s be kind and yet willing to call out unkindness.
- Let’s be honest and willing to call out dishonesty.
- Let’s do everything without grumbling, arguing, or complaining.
- Let’s do what’s just, not what we can justify.
- Let’s do what’s responsible, not what’s permissible.
- Let’s do what’s moral, not what’s modeled.
- Let’s lose our fear of losing
And from my perspective, let’s step up to a godly vision, not conform to secularism. Let’s agree to become the Christian leaders that are needed today with a vision that honors God. We should not live the lies of worldly values and false gods. As I said before, the need for Christian leadership could not be more evident. Without you, the world won’t get any better. With you, the world can be transformed. You and God always make a majority. What you and God can accomplish when you’re set upon a godly vision for the future – will be phenomenal.
Psalm 118:24 (ESV) – This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Dr. Rich Weigel has an extensive background in leadership with over twenty years leading school districts. In addition to being a credentialed Leadership and Visioneering coach, he has been an adjunct professor five times in various universities teaching Strategic Leadership, Business Ethics, and Educational Leadership. He and his team provide support, coaching, and professional development for teams and leaders in schools and businesses around the country. Rich has served as CCNI’s President since January 2020. He can be reached at proedcoach@gmail.com.
