Christian Leadership Foundations 4 - CropSample

KEYS TO A GOOD CROP 2: GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT

Leadership Devotion

Paul wrote the letter of 2nd Timothy to his protégé while in a Roman prison awaiting execution. In these verses, he reflects on what he has done that has ensured his crop and consequent reward. The “crown of righteousness” comes from Jesus and is a grace gift, but Paul has contributed. He has given it all he could, and God has produced a wonderful crop through his leadership. Paul mentions three ways he has pushed himself. This provides us with some indication of what is required to produce a great crop.

1. Fight a good fight. There is a huge battle going on in this world between God and the forces of evil. As leaders in God’s army, we have a prominent role in this fight. Enlisting in this war will lead to costs, demands, challenges, and, at times, suffering. Being in battle mode means we can’t sit back and take it easy. We make significant sacrifices to advance God’s cause. We are under pressure. We get attacked and probably injured. I know it sounds like I’m over-dramatizing things. Christian service is not just a battle. It also involves worshipping and enjoying our Dad. It also involves the Holy Spirit working powerfully through us. It also involves relaxing and being renewed. Many aspects of serving God don’t fit the battle image.

The Bible persistently uses the picture of a battle for Christian service. Those who influence for Jesus will have a fight on their hands. We battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. This means deprivation and sacrifice, and effort. It takes huge courage, and it doesn’t always feel like we’re winning, so we face doubts and fears. You expect this on the front line of a battle. We are leaders in God’s army. Fighting a good fight will contribute to a great crop.

2. Finish the race. Paul’s picture here is of an athletic contest. The emphasis is not on winning the race but on staying the course until the very end and completing the race. Serving Jesus is not a sprint but a marathon. It’s a life-long calling. Many leaders run hard for a short time but grow tired or disillusioned and give up or pull back. The greatest crop comes from those who will not give up or give in but who faithfully continue to follow God and serve others to the end of the race.

Finishing the race requires patience and perseverance. It involves holding on to God, getting up after you fall, serving when it’s tough, and pushing yourself to keep going. As Paul said earlier to the Corinthians, “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize” (1 Cor. 9:27). Marathon runners pride themselves on finishing the race. They persevere. We’re in a marathon, and a great crop requires we finish the race.

3. Keep the faith. Paul is likely referring to his huge responsibility guarding the gospel (that Jesus revealed to him) against all attacks by those who would pervert it. He had done a terrific job in making sure the gospel of Jesus remained at the heart of his ministry and the church’s core.

While we probably don’t have Paul’s key role in keeping the faith for the whole church, it remains paramount for Christian leaders to operate from a gospel base. If we are to produce a good crop, we need to be driven by the gospel (Jesus lived, died, rose again, and ascended to the Father so everyone can have a relationship with God who loves them deeply). This is what we believe. This is what we teach. This is what we stake our lives on. A great crop demands we stay true to the gospel.

These three actions all indicate Paul knew how to push himself. If you want God to produce a great crop through you, you need to fight strongly, complete the marathon, and stay committed to the gospel. Leadership is not a call for the faint-hearted. It requires backbone and dedication. It calls for an enormous effort and great determination to keep going no matter the circumstances or cost.

Effective biblical leaders were not just people who relied on God to produce a crop; they also had great determination and made considerable sacrifices to influence others. They were women and men of courage, strength, and perseverance. Like Paul, they pushed themselves to the end for the sake of the crop.

To Contemplate

How would you like to describe your life and influence when you reach the end of your life on earth? Do you think Paul’s description will apply to you?

Leadership Reflection

I like talking about “Giving It All You’ve Got” because it’s probably the leadership characteristic that comes naturally to me. I feel I have more credibility teaching on hard work and perseverance than some of the other foundations of Christian leadership. I am determined to stay true to God’s calling and gospel while he gives me life. I am intentional and disciplined about the way I live my life. I fight hard. I am determined. I make a considerable effort. I’m still leading as I approach 70.

God has worked through me to grow a crop in keeping with my gifts and calling. I have led an exciting youth ministry (over nine years), grown a large church (over 14 years), led an innovative theological training institution (more than 16 years), and assisted in restructuring the Queensland Baptist Movement (the last four years). I have not had any immediate successes, but the crop has eventually come as I have stuck at it and worked hard. Of course, many Christian leaders have achieved far more than I have and have a much wider influence, but I believe I have been a good steward of God’s resources.

Working for progress has been a focus of Christian leaders of my generation. We reacted against a previous generation of leaders to whom faithfulness to tradition mattered most, no matter how effective or ineffective it proved. Our generation of Christian leaders wanted to make a kingdom difference, not uphold the status quo. We worked hard and smart and changed as much as we could. Perhaps we could have relied on God more, but we were determined, disciplined, and intentional about what we did, and people followed, and God’s crop graciously flowed. Today’s megachurches and significant parachurch organizations are part of the crop of my generation of Christian leaders.

A new generation of leaders has emerged concerned about my generation’s drivenness and task orientation. They are looking for relationships more than achievement, for shared causes rather than big goals. The “heroic” leader is not seen as a model to emulate. I believe their passions are biblical and provide a healthy corrective to some of my generation’s concerning extremes. But this new generation of leaders must not ignore the biblical need for leaders to give it all they’ve got. As Christian leaders, we are stewards of God’s resources, and he is calling us to work faithfully and sacrificially, and courageously with him to produce a significant crop. Christian leaders need to give it all they’ve got.

You find such an attitude exuding from Paul’s writings. Here is an example:

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14)