There are many ideas or concepts about leadership. We may think of a leader as someone who is gloriously leading an army to victory. Another thought may be that a leader is someone in charge with complete sovereignty over those led. Many views about leadership show a bombastic and enthusiastic person before an audience or crowd of devoted followers. But, despite these popular ideas, there is a different way.

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn says "Leadership is the challenge to be something more than average." His concept of leadership is one few envision. It does not imply having to be a public icon or someone known by all. It is merely suggesting that we have to stand out, and be more than just another someone who fits in with the world. The silent leader is one who does the right things when nobody is around.

As Christians, one of our duties is to stand out from the world. This is shown in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." If we do good works at all times, without letting our guard down, people will take notice. We must strive to be examples of Christ in all our actions, public or private. This is an extremely hard task at times. But by refining this task given to us, we become silent leaders—leaders by example.

Sometimes we don't know we are leaders. But by striving to be as close as possible to Christ's perfect example set forth in the New Testament, we guarantee people will take notice of our actions. We have to be careful how we live our lives, because God wants us to set a good example to everyone around us. In order to accomplish this task, we must go further into how to develop the traits of a leader.

Where leadership begins

Leadership starts in the mind. To become a leader, control of one's thoughts and mind process is essential. One main aspect of leading is the correct mindset. Godly leaders must have an optimistic and loving mind. As younger members of God's family, we are bombarded by stress. It sometimes seems next to impossible for us to have the mind of Christ with all the temptations of the world and society around us. But, if we pray often and rely on God to help us become focused on what we are to do, it is much easier for us to cope with these stresses and to do the right thing.

We must realize that God's love will abound and never leave us. Paul wrote,"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). This shows how deep and powerful the love of God is for us. God will see us through our trials if we ask for His help.

So, should we just sit back and think that God will take care of every little part of our life without our doing anything in return? James answers this question.

"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also," said this early New Testament leader (James 2:26). This is a reminder that although we may have God's love and faith, we also must do works for that faith to be complete. Our actions express how we feel. Our true faith is portrayed by our works. This also connects with the idea of being the light of the world. We are to stand out . Our works are portrayals of our leadership.

Moses' example

For the people of ancient Israel, Moses was their defining leader. He was, at one point in his life, a prominent figure in the court of the Pharaoh of Egypt. God, having revealed Himself to Moses, helped him lead the nation of Israel out of oppression and bondage under the Egyptians and into the land that God had promised them. We can't all be a present-day Moses, but we can learn some things from him.

Moses' unwavering devotion to God shows us how we should live. As young members of God's family, we have been shown His true knowledge. Although it is hard, we should strive to maintain our faith in God. Moses showed faith through works. With God's help and guidance, he not only helped free Israel from bondage via plagues upon Egypt, but when Israel thought there would be no escape, he followed God's command to part the Red Sea and allow the Israelites to escape from Pharaoh's armies. He performed other works of God when Israel was in the wilderness. While God did the miracles, Moses also had his part to do. Our righteous works today similarly show our unwavering faith towards God.

God is offering each of us the opportunity to be a leader. Part of our training is to develop faith and works that reflect what the Bible says. Although Hollywood-inspired visions of a leader may be the first images to come to mind, we need to remember that we, too, can be leaders, albeit in different ways.

To become leaders whom God can use in His coming Kingdom, we need to be sure to stay close to God and control our minds. Although this may seem tough at times, having faith in God, praying often, fasting occasionally, and studying His Word regularly will help us do this. So ask yourself, are you willing to be a leader? VT