In his book entitled Courageous Leadership, Bill Hybels asks the question, “When are leaders at their best?” There are numerous answers that come to mind, but Hybels goes on to say that “leaders are at their very best when they are raising up leaders around them. Or put another way, leaders are at their best when they are creating a leadership culture.”1
And we are able to point to numerous examples in Scripture to prove the point. Moses raised up Joshua, Elijah mentored Elisha, Nehemiah nurtured a team who helped him rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, Jesus choose the twelve to teach and as we are studying this season, Paul mentored Timothy.
As you read the letters to Timothy you discover that Paul continually holds himself up as an example for his young friend to follow and especially in our text this week, 1 Timothy 1:12-20. Interestingly, he doesn’t brag about his accomplishments or even publish his credentials. Instead, he speaks of all that Christ has done in his life and tells of how he is the “worst of sinners” with the greatest of Saviours.
He does all this to encourage the young leader. So he writes, “I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience.” (1 Timothy 1:18)
Paul was a mentor. He understood the importance of pouring out his life so that young leaders could be strengthened and “fight the good fight”. He sought to build Timothy into a leader that could withstand the errors of the day (1 Timothy 1:3) and effectively minister in the Ephesian church (4:6).
Creating a leadership culture, as Hybels calls it, isn’t done by accident, it is done intentionally, nor is it done only by a few. Leaders are raised up as every one of us with a relationship with Christ turns to another and helps them grow in their faith and ability. We raise up leaders when we are willing to walk alongside others so that they can learn from our mistakes and imitate our strengths.
Leighton Ford points out, God is always raising up leaders. We have to decide whether we will nurture them or will we be like the “banyan tree, whose extensive and dense branches do not permit enough sunlight through to nurture its seedlings, so conscious of our own positions and power that we will stunt the young seedlings who are poised to grow into branches? Will they be forced to move away from our shadow to pursue God’s call to them?” 2
So let me ask you, are you building up the next generation so that they can take their rightful place as leaders in our church? Are you setting an example for them to follow? Are you helping create a “leadership culture” where young “seedlings grow into branches?” How you answer those questions will affect our church for generations to come.
May God find us faithful, Pastor Tom
1. Bill Hybels, Courageous Leadership (Grand Rapids Michigan: Zondervan Publishing, 2002)
122.
2. Leighton Ford, “Helping Leaders Grow”. In Leaders on Leadership, edited by George Barna,
123-148. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1997. 124.