Developing Leaders- Vision

Leadership in any and every organization is critical to the success of the organization. The church and people of God are no different. The history of the people of God having leaders, can be traced back to the very beginning with men like Moses, Joshua, and King David. The early church was no different with leaders like Peter, Paul, and Timothy. Paul took leadership to another level when he gave us qualifications of a godly leader in his two Pastoral letters to his young developing leader Timothy. Leadership in the church today is not any different. A leader in the church can be defined as a person of Godly character that can work with others well, inspiring and influencing them to grow in their love for Jesus and join them in their vision and future hope for the church. That means to develop a leader, I must focus on character, ability to influence others, and vision for the future.

A third development that every leader needs, especially my leadership at times, is vision. To be a leader is to have a vision for the future and then lead themselves and others to that vision. If a leader does not have a vision, then they are leading themselves and others in circles. To be a leader is to have a vision. But seeing a vision clearly and a vision that is glorifying to God must be developed and grown. Nehemiah was a visionary leader. He had a vision for the restoration of God’s people in God’s kingdom. When Nehemiah heard the state of his fellow countrymen and homeland he responded, “as soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days” (Nehemiah 1:4). Developing a vision grows out of a development of character. As character develops in a leader, the God sized vision grows and becomes more clear. This comes through prayer, reading of the Word, spending time with the people of God, and allowing other leaders to pour into and mold the growing leader.

So, in conclusion, to develop myself as a leader, I must develop my character, my influence of others, and my vision for God’s glorious future. Developing these three areas will produce a leader who is leading other to develop their character, influence others for Christ, and catch the vision God has for His glorious future. But as this paper shows, the character of a leader is critical to the life of a leader, the influence of others, and the vision they have. So, I must continue to grow my character as a leader through my love and delight in God and my love and fellowship with others. It is only through the develop of my godly character that I can truly become the leader God desires me to be in leading others to what God has in store for His people.