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The Call to Leadership

27 Oct
The Call to Leadership

As we go through Peter’s first letter to the church, he’s just finished speaking to elders. Now he changes his focus.

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:5 NKJV

Here Peter comes to the heart of the matter. In this verse, the phrase younger people literally means new or fresh. I don’t believe this is about age as much as spiritual maturity.

In actuality, all mature Christians should be leaders. As I said in my last post, we should all have a “forward passion”.

The Bible teaches that we must all submit to one another. All lead in some way and all of us have a leader to follow.

There seems to be an epidemic in the modern church. That is the desire to simply be a follower.

“I will show up on Sunday. Tell me what I need to do. I’ll do my job, then go home.”

That’s not God’s best for His people. Many of the apostles were frustrated by this.

We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!

Hebrews 5:11-12 NIV

The problem was that these people were slow learners on purpose. We see this today in our society, but especially our churches. These people want to stay followers – but why?

Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly – mere infants in Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:1 NIV

The true problem is the worldliness of God’s people. We realize that a commitment to lead comes at a price. There are things I can’t do in the world, if I commit to lead something in the church. So we don’t live up to our potential.

Everyone would say, given the choice, they’d want their church to grow. However, they’d prefer others to put in the time to accomplish it.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7 NIV

We need to humble ourselves before God and accept His call to leadership. Then we can give our anxiety to Him. Usually, we’re anxious because we’re afraid we’re going to miss out on what the world is offering us.

Follow God’s calling and walk in His freedom!

Question: What areas of leadership are you being called into?

© 2025 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 27, 2025 in Leadership, Ministry, The Church

 

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Elders as Shepherds

24 Oct
Elders as Shepherds

I’m continuing through the book of 1 Peter. In my last post, I started talking about elders. It’s not just the office of an elder, but anyone who is mature in the faith.

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers — not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve…

1 Peter 5:1-2 NIV

In speaking to these mature people, Peter tells them to be shepherds of God’s flock under their care. It’s obvious, that in the church, there are leaders and followers. The flock are those who follow.

He tells the mature to serve as overseers. That’s an important concept. To oversee means to watch over a certain aspect of the ministry. But there are some key attitudes that must be a part of their mindsets.

First of all, it must be voluntary. They’re not being made to do it. There’s no coercion involved.

Also, the keyword in this Scripture is serving. You can never be thinking, “What’s in it for me? What are you willing to pay me for this?” Just like Jesus, you’re not there to be served, but to serve.

Not only is this the case, but there must be an eagerness to serve. That word means to be forward passioned. You don’t have to be told to serve; you’re looking for opportunities to serve.

Peter continues along these lines.

…not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

1 Peter 5:3 NIV

He tells us not to lord it over those entrusted to us. The implication is that we’re not there to carve out a little kingdom for ourselves. Church people have one Lord, and it’s not me.

I realize that this is a problem in many churches of our generation. In a lot of cases, it’s about which committee has the most power. There are constant political struggles.

Instead, we should strive to be an example to those under our care. Paul understood this as well

Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.

Philippians 3:17 NIV

Those who follow the pattern of service correctly, soon become the pattern to follow. If we live out this truth, there’s a great reward waiting for us.

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

1 Peter 5:4 NIV

This is one of those crowns that we will be able to lay down at the Lord’s feet.

Question: Who have you seen as examples of those who have led in this way?

© 2025 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 24, 2025 in Leadership, Ministry

 

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Elders – A Walk of Maturity

20 Oct
Elders – A Walk of Maturity

As you know, I just took two weeks off from posting. Now I’m back in 1 Peter and we’re starting chapter 5.

Peter’s letter up until this point has been about spiritual growth. Now he’ll talk about the end result of that growth.

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed…

1 Peter 5:1 NIV

As I said when we first started looking at this letter, Peter is actually writing to Christian leadership. It is to leadership that the Lord wants all believers to be headed.

In context, Peter has just talked about going through suffering and trials. That’s where our growth is tested.

James tells us the same thing.

…because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:3-5 NIV

This is the goal of our faith. To be mature and complete, not lacking anything. That’s not the description of a new-born believer. It should be the life of an elder in the church.

This is who Peter is writing to. This is a special note to elders – an invitation to those who are mature in the Lord.

Peter describes himself as a co-elder and witness of the suffering of Christ. But more than that, he’s also a partner in the glory to be revealed in the future. This begs the question; what is an elder?

The Bible talks about elders who preach, teach, pray, and lead. In the modern church, it’s a title of leadership. These are people who are recognized for their maturity and experience.

The Apostle Paul showed his spiritual son, Titus, what to look for in an elder. Titus was to establish elders in all the churches under his oversight.

An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless – not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.

Titus 1:6-7 NIV

These are the things a mature believer cannot be accused of. But there are also some positive characteristics that should be evident.

Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Titus 1:8-9 NIV

An elder must be mature enough to encourage other believers and refute those who oppose the truth. In my next post, I’ll continue this line of teaching.

Question: What signs of maturity are evident in your life?

© 2025 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 20, 2025 in Leadership, Ministry, Spiritual Walk

 

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An Example of Christian Service

25 Sep
An Example of Christian Service

We’re going to continue our study of the book of Philippians. Paul has been talking about his ministry. Now he gives them insight into a man named Epaphroditus.

But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.

Philippians 2:25 NIV

First, let’s find out a little about who he is. We know that he came from the church at Philippi in order to bring a monetary donation to Paul’s ministry (Philippians 4:18). However, it’s obvious from Paul’s description, that they knew each other very well.

He uses three words of increasing intimacy. He starts by calling him a brother, sharing a common heritage. But, more than that, a fellow worker. They labor together in God’s work.

Then, there’s an even deeper bond. Paul calls him a fellow soldier. They’ve been on the front lines together. There’s a connection that’s forged in the fires of battle. It doesn’t matter whether the conflict is natural or spiritual. They have faced the same enemy together and came out victorious.

Then there’s a word Paul uses that I need to take some time to explain. He calls Epaphroditus their messenger. That’s an interesting translation. The actual word Paul uses is, apostle.

I believe this is because there are denominations that feel the office of Apostle ended with the early church. So, the translators didn’t want to offend some of their readers. The fact is, the Apostle Paul called Epaphroditus a fellow Apostle.

That causes me to believe that Epaphroditus was the pastor of the Philippian church. He had wanted to deliver the offering to Paul personally. But, while he was there, a problem arose.

For he longs for all of you and is distressed because you heard he was ill. Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety. Welcome him in the Lord with great joy, and honor men like him, because he almost died for the work of Christ, risking his life to make up for the help you could not give me.

Philippians 2:26-30 NIV

While he was with Paul, Epaphroditus became sick, and almost died. It’s very important that we see the heart of this man.

At some point, Paul sent a message to the Philippian church that they needed to be praying for his healing. We can see the true heart of a pastor and apostle when we see Epaphroditus’ response. He was greatly distressed – not because he was sick – but because his church found out and was burdened for him.

That’s what the Bible talks about, in putting others ahead of ourselves. He was more concerned about the church than he was of his own condition. Then, God’s healing power was manifest in his life.

This is why Paul exhorts the church to receive him back with joy and to honor people like him. He was willing to lay his life down for the cause of Christ. That’s the true heart of ministry.

He needs to be an example to us, especially to those of us in Christian leadership. It’s not about us. We are to lead God’s people knowing that we’re called to serve. We are to seek to be a blessing.

That’s what Jesus taught His disciples.

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Matthew 20:26-28 NIV

We need to follow in the footsteps of great men and women for God, like Epaphroditus.

Question: How do you personally fulfill the call to servant leadership?

© 2023 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 25, 2023 in Leadership, Ministry, Spiritual Walk

 

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Are You Leading?

18 Feb
Are You Leading?

We’re continuing to look at the Sermon on the Mount as recorded in Luke’s Gospel. Jesus now talks about those who lead others.

He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?”

Luke 6:39-40

Jesus asks an interesting question. It almost seems foolish, except that it happens all the time in relationships.

He literally asks; can a blind man show the way forward to another blind man? For that to happen, the one leading must be totally unaware of his condition.

This man is under the opinion that he knows where he’s going and how to get there. The truth is, he can’t see where he is or what direction he needs to walk in. Yet, in his foolishness, he wants to bring someone else with him.

The end result is obvious. They both find themselves lost, trapped, with no way out on their own.

I hate to say it, but that’s what church life is like under leaders who ignore time spent in the spirit. It’s in cooperation with the Holy Spirit that we have the spiritual eyes to see where we are. And more than that, what direction we need to be headed in.

“A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.”

Luke 6:40

The fact is that we all need someone to follow. No, I’m not talking about Facebook or TikTok. We need to be following the leading of the Holy Spirit. That comes from time in the spirit or listening to those who are led by the Spirit.

That brings me to an important distinction. There are two English words that we need to understand. They are student and disciple. We sometimes use them interchangeably. But, they have vastly different meanings.

A student wants to learn what his teacher knows. A disciple wants to become what his teacher is. There’s a world of difference between the two. That’s why we’re encouraged to become a disciple of Christ.

Too many believers want to simply learn the teachings of Jesus. That’s not enough. To truly walk in the ministry of the Lord, we need to let the Holy Spirit transform us into the image of Christ. That’s the walk of maturity.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Luke 6:41-42

This parable sums up what Jesus is saying in this section. We all want to be looked up to. We think we have all the answers for what someone else is going through.

The truth is that I have to take care of my own mess first. Step one is seeking God’s wisdom to see my own condition. Once that’s realized, I can allow the Holy Spirit to work on changing me.

As the power of God is working on my life, only then can it overflow into the lives of others. As I receive from God, I become mature, and am now able to help others.

That’s God’s way of moving us forward. If I’m trapped, I’ll never be able to help someone else out of that mess. I need the Lord’s life-changing power to work on me first.

This is the attitude of a disciple that we all need to pick up in the church. If we do that, then we’ll see the power of God at work in us.

Question: How has the Holy Spirit been leading you lately?

© 2022 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on February 18, 2022 in Leadership, Ministry, Power of God, Prayer, Spiritual Walk

 

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Commending Phoebe

05 Nov
Commending Phoebe

In going through the book of Romans, we’re now in the final chapter. Here, Paul gives his greetings to various people he knows in the church.

Don’t ignore these verses. They still contain truth and insight that will benefit us.

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.

Romans 16:1-2

The first person he talks about is a woman named Phoebe. I need to take some time to talk about her. The English translations don’t do her justice.

I understand that there are churches and denominations who believe that women have no place in leadership. I don’t want to offend any of these people, but truth is truth.

Suffice it to say that there are a few places in Scripture where the translators try to blur the more controversial verses. They want believers to be happy, reading them in church.

Some are happy because the translation doesn’t offend their traditions. Others are happy simply because they don’t know what the verse is actually saying. This is one of those places in Scripture.

One of my pet peeves with translators is their treatment of women in the Scripture. Let me explain with this section. It has a number of examples.

First, the word, servant, is the word, diakonon in the Greek. In reality, it literally means a household servant – so what’s the problem?

Actually, the problem is this…when it refers to a man (1 Timothy 4:6, Colossians 1:7; 4:7) it’s translated as minister or deacon. Yet, when use for Phoebe, they chose the word, servant.

While the words servant, minister, and deacon all have the same original meaning; in our modern terminology, they imply much different functions. We get the idea that women servants are somehow less important than men servants.

In this section, Paul is commending her to the church. That tells me that they are just meeting her for the first time. Phoebe must have been one of the group of travelers who brought this letter to the church in Rome. He asks the church to receive her worthily.

He instructs the church to give her any help she needs. That Greek passage literally reads, stand with her, be at hand, ready to assist her in her work. But what is that work? Here’s where it really gets interesting.

The NIV says that she has been a great help to many people including me. The Greek word that Paul uses for her is a prostatis. This is the only place that word is used in Bible. It’s a word that’s full of meaning.

It’s definition is a woman set over others. According to Thayer’s Lexicon, it describes a female guardian, protectress, or patroness, caring for the affairs of others and aiding them with her resources.

This word basically means that she is the head of a mission’s organization. Phoebe runs an organization that raises money for missions. More than that, according to Paul’s own words, he is one of those missionaries that she supports. That’s why Paul asks them to help her any way they can.

It’s sad that many translations water down these verses that show women in a place of authority. God will use whoever is available to further His kingdom.

I have a problem with people who try to erect a glass ceiling in God’s church. Any person, no matter who they are or where they came from, can rise as far as God calls them in His kingdom.

Question: What is God’s calling on your life?

© 2021 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on November 5, 2021 in Encouragement, Leadership, Ministry, Missions, The Church

 

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Only One Judge

11 Oct
Only One Judge

As we continue through the book of Romans, we’re talking about the relationship between weak and strong believers.

You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

Romans 14:10

This is a review of what Paul was saying. The weak one, who needs a set of rules to follow God, cannot judge others for not using those rules. Then again, the strong ones should not look down on the weaker ones because of their need for these rules.

The bottom line is that Christ is the Judge. We will all stand at the judgment seat of Christ. This is made clear throughout the Scripture.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

2 Corinthians 5:10

We will all stand before God for His judgment. But, here’s the good news…it’s God who makes us stand in Christ, if we belong to Him.

This judgment is not to decide whether we’re going to heaven or hell. That was already decided when we bowed our knees to Christ as Lord and Savior.

This particular judgment is for our rewards – or lack thereof. It’s based upon what we did by faith. It’s about how we acted upon the Word we received. Did we listen and obey?

It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'”

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Romans 14:11-12

This is an Old Testament quote (Isaiah 45:23-25). But, if you look this verse up, you’ll find an assumption that Paul was making concerning the judgment seat of God.

But in the Lord all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult.

Isaiah 45:25

“In the Lord” are the key words in this passage. Praise God! Those of us who are Gentile believers are now grafted into the descendants of Israel.

However, there’s more to the passage in Romans, above, that we need to take note of. It literally says that every one of us will confess the word around ourselves to God. There’s another confession you need to be aware of.

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Hebrews 13:17

This verse tells us that those in authority must give an account as well. As a pastor, I have to give testimony as to what I’ve seen in the lives of those under my ministry.

You may be surprised at what your authority sees. As a pastor, I can tell you that there are those who I can’t wait to brag about before the Lord. Then, there are others that I hope I’m not asked about.

So, we all have to understand, that part of our rewards are based upon how we related to those God placed in authority over us. To some, that will be a real eye-opener at the judgment seat.

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.

Romans 14:13

Paul brings us to a conclusion. So, now that we know all this, see to it that no one puts one of these two things in his brother’s way. No stumbling block, and no obstacles. In my next post, I’ll look at these two things in more detail.

Question: What do you expect to happen when you stand before the judgment seat?

© 2021 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on October 11, 2021 in Encouragement, Faith, Return of Christ, Spiritual Walk

 

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God-Given Authority

22 Sep
God-Given Authority

As we continue through the book of Romans, we’re looking at God’s authority structures. We need to learn godly submission, if we want God’s best for us.

For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.

Romans 13:3

Under normal circumstances, those in authority don’t strike fear in the ones doing good. It’s those who are breaking the law that fear.

It’s like the people who are in their cars, speeding down the highway. Then, suddenly, when they see a police cruiser parked on the side, they jam on their brakes.

Paul asks and answers a simple question. Do you want to be free from this fear? Then do what’s right.

At this point, Paul gives us an important spiritual key.

For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

Romans 13:4

The apostle makes it clear that the one in authority is God’s servant to do you good. That’s an important point.

We understand that all authority in heaven and earth is God’s. Any authority that someone has is ultimately from God. What we have to do is separate the authority, from the individual who’s in authority.

Authority is a place, a position that someone occupies. We have to realize that God has established the position so there will be order.

Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Hebrews 13:17

This includes kings, presidents, governors, senators, etc. We are to respect the position as a part of God-ordained authority. Who is in that position is immaterial, and that’s the hard part.

In my last post, we looked at this next verse. God was addressing King Saul.

“For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

1 Samuel 15:23

Saul was in the position of king, but God had rejected him. Yet, for years he remained in the office.

At one point, David was being hunted down by Saul, for no reason but jealousy. In the wilderness, David had a chance to kill Saul in his sleep, but he didn’t.

“This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, ‘I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’”

1 Samuel 24:10

Here we can see David’s heart. For years the wrong man was in the position of king. The nation was in turmoil. But the position had to be respected.

Our God is a God of order. It’s through God’s order that we can live good and productive lives.

The fact is that no matter who is in the position of authority, there will be those who don’t think he or she should be there. That’s immaterial to the discussion. We respect and pray for our leaders because of the position.

Question: What’s your prayer for our leaders, in both the church and in government?

© 2021 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 22, 2021 in Leadership, Ministry, Prayer, Spiritual Walk

 

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Do You Have a Leader’s Heart?

27 Aug
Do You Have a Leader’s Heart?

In today’s post, I’ll continue talking about the Motivational Gifts found in Romans, chapter 12.

…if it is leadership, let him govern diligently;

Romans 12:8c

The next is the gift of a leader’s heart. This is another necessary part of the body of Christ. Unfortunately, because of the faults in our humanity, we get the wrong idea of what this means.

First, let me tell you what this is NOT. A leader’s heart does not mean that this person is bossy or controlling. It’s actually just the opposite.

Someone who truly has the God-given gift of this motivation has a grace to see the steps that need to be taken in order to reach a desired outcome. Then, they also have the grace to motivate those who are called to fulfill that mission.

The word, leadership, in this verse, literally means to stand in front of. Along with this, you need to know that the word, govern, is not in the original text. It was put there by the translators to make it easier to read.

So, the grace of a leader’s heart is to take the lead in bringing order to the work that needs to be done in the church. Things are accomplished so much quicker, when we follow a plan.

I believe that James, the writer of the book of James, had a leader’s heart. People seemed to follow his lead without question as he pastored the church in Jerusalem. The book of James is also structured as an instructional guide to help someone begin their Christian journey.

When my wife and I were first married, our pastor had this gift. At one point, our denomination wanted to hold a Women’s Dinner. Our pastor volunteered our church and said that our men would cater it. (He was also a trained chef.)

I was one of the five men who volunteered to serve. The day of the dinner, he gave each of us our assignments and continued to tell us what to do and when to do it. I have to tell you that it couldn’t have run more smoothly, even if we had hired a professional caterer.

I believe that this is one of the more neglected gifts in the church. Many times, in our ministries, there are things that need to be done. Yet, we don’t realize that the gift we need is “in the house”.

We go out and hire people to do things that could easily be accomplished if we only knew each other’s gifts. Please understand, I know that we need to hire people for jobs that need specialized training or certification. But, there are plenty of other jobs that only require a willingness to follow instructions.

That brings me to Paul’s exhortation to those who have a leader’s heart. He tells them to lead with diligence. It’s actually the Greek word from which we get our English word, speed. It means to be quick or eager.

That’s because, like I said at the start of this post, someone with this motivation is not bossy or controlling. They don’t usually push themselves forward. They may offer to lead, or wait to be invited or called upon.

That’s also why it’s so important to understand the difference between position and heart. God can call anyone, with any heart, into any position of leadership. It’s vitally important for those in the position of leadership to keep in mind those that they know have a leader’s heart.

I believe that the work of the Lord would go a lot smoother, “down in the trenches”, if we utilized the various gifts to their greatest potentials. That’s especially true of those with a leader’s heart who aren’t called to positions of leadership.

We need to recognize and use all of these heart-gifts. The gift of a leader’s heart will be a help to any ministry in accomplishing the Lord’s assignments.

Questions: Do you have a leader’s heart? Who do you know with this gift?

© 2021 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on August 27, 2021 in Encouragement, Leadership, Ministry, Spiritual Walk

 

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6 Marks of a Spiritual Parent

30 Sep

Through Paul’s ministry, he gave birth to and established the church at Corinth.  In his second letter to them, he’s continuing his role as a spiritual parent.  We can gain some insight from this section of Scripture.

You may want to read 2 Corinthians 12:14-13:4 before you continue with this post.

Spiritual parents are not after your possessions.  They want your love and trust.

Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you.
2 Corinthians 12:14a

Don’t get me wrong.  They may need your support of their ministry.  But, they’ll never use guilt or shame to strong-arm you into giving.  They want to allow the Holy Spirit to direct your support.

Spiritual parents give up their lives for you.  They’re willing to go the distance.  They seek God’s will and will obediently follow His direction.  Many times that means doing things that are difficult or inconvenient.

Spiritual parents don’t exploit you.  This is a key point.  It’s all about attitude.  Why is that person in the ministry?  Some see it as an easy way to make a living.  Others see it as an opportunity to bring people up to a new level in Christ.

Spiritual parents want you strong and growing.  As a spiritual parent, there should be no sense of competition with those you’re leading.  The desire is that all should grow to their highest potential.  It doesn’t matter if you surpass me in some areas.

We’re all in this together.  We’re all working toward the same goal – to lift up the name of Jesus Christ.

Spiritual parents grieve over your sin.  This is something that many believers don’t understand.  They think that church leaders are in the clouds somewhere.  They don’t realize that true ministers are hurting because of the problems they see in their people.

Remember how Paul expressed it earlier in this letter.

Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.  Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?  Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
2 Corinthians 11:28-29

Spiritual parents correct you.  This is one of those areas that we try to avoid.  How do you handle correction from a church leader?  It’s actually harder for the leader.  We don’t want to have to bring correction to someone we love.

The problem is that our love for you compels us to want you to get back on course.  We know what’s ahead if you continue in your error.  A true spiritual parent wants your highest and best.

All of these things are at work in true leaders.  That’s why it’s so important that we continue to pray for them daily.  We want their ministry to be a joyful experience and not a burden.

Question: In what ways is God leading you to be a spiritual parent?

© 2020 Nick Zaccardi

 
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Posted by on September 30, 2020 in Leadership, Ministry, Relationships, The Church

 

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