12-5. Pioneering
“An instrument for honorable uses, consecrated, useful for the Master, and ready for any good service” (2 Tim. 2:21, Wms.).
To be a leader one must be a dependent one, a led one; one who is “looking away (from all that would distract) to Jesus, who is the Leader and the Source of our faith” (Heb. 12:2).
“One of the greatest needs in the Church today is for authoritative, spiritual, and sacrificial leadership. Authoritative, because people love to be led by one who knows where he is going and who inspires their confidence. Spiritual, because a leadership which is carnal and explainable in terms of the natural, be it ever so competent, can result in sterility and spiritual bankruptcy. Sacrificial, because its source is the life of One who gave Himself a sacrifice, and stated that the path of leadership was by the lonely road of sacrificial service.” -O.S.
“The standard and measure of spiritual leaders has to be ahead of others, and as human nature generally likes not to be disturbed, but would seek the easy way, the pioneer is often a bit too much for people. His is not the easy way, and because the whole nature of man is either downward or to a quiet and happy snugness, the leader is not always popular. The pioneer is therefore not always appreciated, but often very much otherwise. He is quite contrary to this mediocre gravitation. A part of the price of leadership is loneliness.” -T. A-S.
“Paul could say, ‘I am glad to spend and to be spent for your sakes, notwithstanding the more earnestly I love you the less I be loved’; not, I will help you as long as you love me. People hurt you; you are not appreciated? Well, so be it! Spend and be spent the more!”
The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient” (2 Tim. 2:24)