“For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10)
This verse provides some great guidelines for Christian leaders. Ezra gives us three important principles that every leader should implement. The Word of God should be the primary influence in our lives and in our leadership style.
1. Study the Word. Leaders can’t get by on just a surface-level reading of the Bible. We have to dig in and study the Scriptures to get the most out of them. Abraham Lincoln said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” It is important to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us as we read and study. What a blessing that the Author lives inside of us! When we study and meditate on God’s Word, we are sharpening the tools for success, not only in our lives, but also for our ministry.
2. Do the Word. The greatest thing that any Christian leader can do is be a Christian. It does us no good to preach and teach God’s Word if we don’t live it. In our daily lives, there should be no doubt about the fact that we are a disciple of Jesus. Of all people, we must make sure that we are doers of the Bible and not just hearers. This usually manifests itself in how we treat other people, as well as how we rule our privates lives. How are you doing with living out your faith?
3. Teach the Word. One of the requirements that the Apostle Paul gave for overseers in the churches that he planted was that the person must be, “able to teach.” (1 Timothy 3:2) Every leader and every person who serves in church is not called to be a preacher or a teacher. We all, however, must be able to teach on a basic level so that we can follow Jesus’ command to “make disciples of all nations.” Developing the ability to share the Gospel in a simple, easy-to-understand way is a skill that every Christian must master.
Studying, doing, and teaching the Word. Which one of these would you say is your biggest struggle?
David and Annie are serving the Lord in the US, Africa, India, and in South America. Would you consider joining their team? Just click here to get involved. Thanks so much!
