2 Timothy 4:6-8
Leadership is said to be one most difficult to be set on edge. Meanwhile, the most difficult sector of leadership is a leader who does not pay salaries.
When the apostle Paul says he has fought the good fight, he is actually saying that Christian leadership is a fight and indeed it is.
Moses ended his ministry with the people of Israel as a miserable man because he was not allowed to step on the promised land he had always been preaching. For you and I to end our office ministry to say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7), will take a determined man to get there.
The beginning is usually of little or no difficulties, but the end. It is only the one who is able to finish and finish well that is given the crown.
The task to work on is given as, "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." 2 Timothy 4:2 (ESV). How are we fighting towards this?
I agree with Jim Rohn when he says, “The challenge of leadership is to be strong, but not rude; be kind, but not weak; be bold, but not bully; be thoughtful, but not lazy; be humble, but not timid; be proud, but not arrogant; have humor, but without folly.”
Colleague senior members in Ministry, drawing the lines between being strong and not rude, kind but not weak, and so on is the challenge. But glory be to God who empowers us with the Holy Spirit to live and lead beyond them.
Let us cling to the leading of the Holy Spirit so that at the end of the day we can boldly say, "Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7-8 (ESV)
Christ warned us saying, “Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets." Luke 6:26 (ESV). Our failure of the fight comes when we unconsciously raise the volume of the backlash. They may seem to be the loudest but always keep your foot on the right path. Balance state is always important as leaders of the church. We must not at any point be seen as being biased towards others.
Conclusion
I exhort you all today, we can never be in the good books of everyone, in our quest of being kind let us not show weakness, in our humility let us not show timidity, in creating humour let us not be folly in ministry. May God Almighty be our strength, Amen!
