6 Stages Of A Call Of A Change AgentSample

Stage 6: Networks

The sixth stage of the call of God in the life of a leader involves networks. One of the great values of God we see in the Scriptures is the need for groups of people to come together in unity for a cause greater than any single person could accomplish by him- or herself.

God reveals this value for unity in diversity in the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each member of the Trinity has a particular role to play. And when Jesus decided to start his worldwide mission, he recruited twelve disciples to accomplish this task.

Interestingly enough, these were recruited from average men from the marketplace, not from the clergy of the day. Jesus spent three years pouring into these men and building unity among them for a common mission. David had his mighty men. Daniel had a small group of men he relied on to share the burdens they had as people living in Babylon serving an ungodly king. When Nebuchadnezzar told Daniel that he had to tell him his dream and interpret it or else he would die, Daniel immediately went to his core circle of friends—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—to pray together.

God answered their prayer, and Daniel’s life, and the lives of the men in his administration, were spared. God’s name was uplifted in the whole kingdom as a result of this miracle. God revealed that there is incredible power in a unified vision of one group of people: “The Lord said, ‘If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to will be impossible for them’” (Genesis 11:6).

We usually cite this verse when describing the sin of the people trying to achieve something without God. However, God tells us that there is great power in a unified voice. An old saying goes, “There is strength in numbers.” Not only that, but Scripture tells us five will chase a hundred, but a hundred will chase ten thousand (Leviticus 26:8). “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). And again, Deuteronomy reminds us, “How could one man chase a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight … ?” (Deuteronomy 32:30).

There is a dynamic multiplication factor in unity of numbers. The Middle East saw this when hundreds of thousands gathered to stand for democracy. We are a hundred times more effective when we are a unified group. Ask God how where you can best be used to work together with others to achieve a greater Kingdom impact.