Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 2-239 (Leadership Issues)

HOW DO YOU WANT TO BE REMEMBERED? =================================

by Siu Fung Wu

One reality of ministry is that one day we have to move on. Whether you are a senior minister, a youth pastor, or a small group leader, one day you will leave your flock to another ministry. (Or it will eventually happen at your retirement.) When that happens, how would you like to be remembered by your people? How would you want your congregation to remember you when you finally leave?

A great preacher or teacher —————————

Surely some of us want to be remembered as a great preacher or teacher. We are called to preach the Word, and have studied the Scriptures with diligence. It gives us a profound sense of accomplishment if we are remembered as inspiring preachers and great teachers.

We want to be like our heroes – Moody, Spurgeon and Billy Graham. We admire them, and it would be nice to be appreciated in the same way.

I certainly find it encouraging when someone comments on my sermons positively. But I am also aware that our greatest concern should never be whether we receive praises and accolades, but that our preaching has made a genuine impact on the lives of the people whom we serve.

A great leader ————–

A comment of a teenager in the movie American Beauty sums up the cry of this generation. The gist of the comment is that people are looking for “role models” from matured adults for guidance and insights for living.

As leaders we strive to be role models. We endeavour to excel in everything we do. We seek to live in such a manner that when all else fails our flock can have someone to look up to. At the end of the day it gives us an enormous sense of satisfaction if we are seen as good mentors.

Again, we have heroes to look up to, such as John Mott the outstanding missionary spokesman, and Bill Hybels of the Willow Creek experience. We want to be great leaders like them.

Indeed we desperately need good leaders in this generation. But we need to beware of the spirit of this age – a “superstar mentality” where people idolise their heroes. Let us not allow ourselves to become idols. May we be exemplary Christians and not simply popular figures.

A gifted person —————

People are attracted to leaders of charisma. Our gifts and abilities can inspire and draw people to us. We can be seen as good administrators, skilled counsellors, great musicians, or prolific writers. It does lift our spirits when people call us “gifted”.

In churches that put emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit, there is a tendency for people to look for “anointed” ministers. It is quite common for a pastor of a “Spirit-filled” church to prophesy, pray for healing and miracles – Spiritual gifts that the Bible clearly mentions. Our desire and longing is that God would use these gifts to build up the body of Christ. Nothing gives us more satisfaction than seeing people being saved, healed, and delivered.

A precaution, however, has to be heeded. We need to ensure that people are attracted to the Giver, and not to the instrument through which the gifts manifest. Let us not be remembered as gifted people, but that Christ is remembered as the Giver of all good things.

Person of faith and endurance —————————–

Who does not want to be remembered as people of faith and endurance? There are indeed many heroes of faith in the Bible – Hebrews 11 gives us a long list of them!

The importance of faith and perseverance in ministry cannot be understated. All of us know that ministry has everything to do with hardship and endurance. There are times of tremendous blessings, and there are times of enormous challenges and suffering.

Many of us would want to be remembered as people who have made genuine sacrifice for Christ. We see ourselves as “fools” for Christ, and serve our sheep as “slaves” of our Saviour.

This attitude should be highly commended, especially in this day and age where suffering is seen as something to be avoided at all cost.

There is a small danger though. We need to avoid any kind of “martyr mentality” which in turn becomes a form of self-imposed “super spirituality”. This type of “spirituality” means that the reason for our suffering is not so much to share in Christ’s sufferings (Rom 8:17; Phil 3:10), but to raise ourselves up above others.

A Friend ——–

Taken from John 15:13-15, some leaders see their primary role as being friends to their flock. They do not want to be recognised as a high profile pastor who does a good job on the platform on Sunday. Instead, they want to be true friends to their people, who are always there to listen to their cries. The emphasis is relationship rather than performance.

This beautifully captures one important aspect of Jesus’ ministry. He came to share his life with people in the flesh! He did not just say that he cared, but he shared!

I personally want to be remembered as someone who genuinely cares. But I am aware that Jesus is not just a friend to his disciples. He was also a great teacher who taught with authority, and a miracle- worker who demonstrated the power of God and the coming of his kingdom.

One who has an intimate relationship with God ———————————————

But what if you are remembered as someone who has an intimate relationship with God. This is probably better than all of the above. It is something that cannot be manufactured. It is independent of our performance, gifts and abilities. And it defies everything that our fallen world stands for: success, popularity and status.

A leader who has an intimate relationship with Jesus knows God and his heartbeat. Such leaders live a life of worship and adoration, and all that they want is to be true disciples of Jesus regardless of how much it costs.

They are not remembered for what remarkable things they have done, but for who they are in Christ. We don’t lack examples of these people in the Bible.

Like Enoch, they walk with God. Like Abraham and Moses, they are God’s friends. (Ex 33:11; 2 Chron 20:7) They are Christ-like – not because they try to be, but because they have a close relationship with their Saviour.

Like the apostle Paul, they may appear to be “timid” and are not eloquent speakers. (1 Cor 2:1, 4; 2 Cor 10:1; 11:6) They may not be “super-apostles”. (2 Cor 11:5) But their preaching and teaching have divine power and demolish every argument and pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. (1 Cor 2:1-5; 2 Cor 10:4-5)

They are leaders after God’s heart because they believe in the faithfulness of God in times of hardship. Just as Paul says in his suffering, “Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” (2 Tim 1:12)

They are humble leaders and suffer no “superstar syndrome”, for they do everything in response to God’s calling rather than to please people. In fact, they do not worry about how they will be remembered, for their sole focus is God and God alone.

How to have an intimate relationship with God? ———————————————-

How to cultivate an intimate relationship with Jesus? Time! Time to read and meditate on the Word of God. Time to pray. Time to listen to his voice. Time to reflect on his majesty. Time to examine our own lives. Time to love!

We can all develop intimacy with our Abba Father. What we need is a determination to live in defiance of a culture where busyness is seen as a virtue, and where success in ministry is measured by performance and numbers. Ultimately it doesn’t matter whether we are considered to be outstanding preachers or gifted ministers.

What matters is that we truly walk with God.

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Written by Siu Fung Wu <> JustCHARIS Ministries

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