Leadership is a Journey
March 17, 2024 | 10:13 am
I am the firstborn child in my family and was expected to set the pace. “You must set a good example,” they insisted. From a young age, I took up leadership despite being very timid. At one point in high school, I was to become a school captain and I would hear none of it. I turned the position down. The Holy Spirit rebuked me hard. I was never to turn down a leadership position that I had been appointed for. There was the grace of leadership upon me.
Looking into the word of God, there are many reasons to turn down leadership. Moses asked the Lord to kill him in Numbers 11:15 after the Israelites demanded meat and water while in the middle of a desert. How was he to feed all these people by himself? Elijah asked to die in 1 Kings 19:4 after leading Israel in killing Baal’s prophets to the chagrin of evil queen Jezebel. He did the right thing then why was he despairing? Leadership is difficult journey.
Noah, the longest-serving evangelist, single-handedly built an ark in the middle of a desert for 120 years and only converted his family. Joshua led the people of Israel to the Promised Land and none were willing to serve God alongside him except his family (Joshua 24:15). Daniel and his friends refused to eat the king’s food and even risked their lives to hungry lions and a fiery furnace with no concrete followers. Leadership is a lonely journey.
Nehemiah gave up a prestigious leadership position to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem amid a host of jealous neighbors. Beautiful Esther risked her life for the sake of her people. Jesus had to die for an unconcerned world. Leadership is a costly journey.
John C. Maxwell says, “A leader knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.” Leaders are people influencers. They ought to lead others to places they have been to but on many occasions they walk the uncharted paths much like Joseph waited for 13 years to see his dreams come true and still his family doubted his genuineness in Genesis 50:18. David Ogilvy said, “Leaders catch nettles.” Leadership is a painful journey.
Despite these challenges, the Holy Spirit wanted me to take on leadership. Why? Firstly, leadership has caused me to trust God. Few successful leaders take up leadership positions without a struggle. I am one of those who struggle. Never really felt capable. King David waited for 17 years to become the King of Israel. Moses had to manage his stammering problem. Abraham had to trust God to be a father of many nations despite sacrificing his only son. It is a faith journey.
Secondly, leadership has led me to maturity. While a second-year student on campus, I reluctantly became a Christian Union official becoming a Mother to many. I went to Kisumu recently and a young man excitedly walked up to me. “Mum, you were such a blessing and an inspiration to me,” he quipped. Now that I think about it, I was always shy but I grew and matured in my dealings with people during that season. It has been a maturity journey.
Thirdly, leadership has taught me self-discipline. My husband believes that before one can lead people, they must lead themselves. “One must be visionary, passionate and courageous,” he states. Leadership causes one to dream and envision a change that one must believe in, before tagging others along. I have learnt to become and to conduct frequent self-evaluations on myself as I lead others. It is a self-discipline journey.
Lastly, leadership has led me to follow Christ more nearly. Leaders must first be followers. Paul in 1 Corinthians 
chapter 4 verse 16 encouraged the Christians to imitate him as he imitated Christ. That’s a hard one for any Christian leader. Jesus asked his disciples in Matthew 4:19 to follow Him so that they would become fishers of men. Christ set us an example for us to follow (1 Peter 2:21). On numerous occasions, Jesus escaped into lonely places to pray and then He would do as He saw His father would do. He said,” …the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does” (John 5:19, NIV). It is a follower-ship journey.
Am still not there yet. This is my story. This is my journey. Am learning. Am growing. Am becoming. Am a work in progress (WIP). Am God’s project. God’s masterpiece. I desire to obey the Holy Spirit by taking up every divine leadership appointment He brings my way. How about you?
Pastor Anne