Reflections on Leading With a Limp

I recently attended a mission planters conference. At the conference, the speaker, Darrin Patrick, mission planter at The Journey, St. Louis spoke a great deal about how missional leaders need to understand a paradox of leadership. This paradox is spelled out in Dan Allender's book Leading with a Limp. Allender says "to the degree you attempt to hide or dissemble your weakness, the more you will need to control those you lead, the more insecure you will become and the more rigidity you will impose - prompting the ultimate departure of your best people."

Patrick went on to say the following: The Apostle Paul's leadership was as much about repentant, reluctant, sin-confessing leadership as it was about strong visionary leadership. Paul identifies himself that way in 1 Timothy 1:15-16 "Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst. {16} But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life."

Leaders need a little God honoring reluctance. See Acts 14 – one minute Paul and Barnabas are worshiped as gods and the next they are nearly the victims of murder.

• Pastors, church planters and other leaders need reluctance because they will literally disappoint everyone at some time or another! Because you work with people, systems and plans, and all of these will break, reluctance is needed.

What did that humble reluctance with a dose of dependence look like for Paul?

2 Timothy 4:9-18 "Do your best to come to me quickly, {10} for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. {11} Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. {12} I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. {13} When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. {14} Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. {15} You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message. {16} At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. {17} But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. {18} The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

• Leadership is hard, always with a sense of loneliness! Reluctant leaders draw "big L" leaders around them. They are not trying to be rock stars. They rely on the Lord.

• Reluctance is a leader magnet! How do you get reluctance? 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. {8} Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. {9} But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. {10} That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

• Whatever the "thorn was" it caused Paul to be in a dependence crisis to trust God apart from his own skills and abilities and thus a leader with a sense of "reluctance." In the soil of dependence, God created character for Paul and still does so for leaders today.

• It is the same with us. Paul's character was shaped through his conversion which he describes in 1 Timothy 1:12-15 "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. {13} Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. {14} The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. {15} Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst."

• Leaders need to be reluctant and repentant.

• To have a culture of repentance in a church, one must confess their ministry sins (power, success, ambition, control, winning, etc.) Each is a dark side of something (e.g. While control can mean insuring quality, the downside is micromanaging others and discouraging others to use their gifts.)
  

James 3:16 "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice."
James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

• When we confess in this way…it lets the air out of our ambition (see 3:16 above)

• Questions to ask yourself when selfish ambition, power, success, control or the need to win start to raise their ugly heads in your ministry: Who are you trying to be? Whose model are you tempted to copy? (This is true for Pastors, other church professionals and lay leaders)
• How is God shaping you to be repentant and "reluctant" missional leader?