Following the Leader and Leading the Followers

In preparing to teach on Caleb, I came up with a question.  Numbers 14:24 says, “My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him. . .”  When I read that again, I started looking for a list of characteristics that further defined what “a different spirit” meant.  No such list.  I really wanted to be able to say to my listeners, what it would look like for them to be church leaders with a “different spirit,” but I was left to come up with my own ideas.  So here is number one on my list.  Caleb was an effective leader because he was a faithful follower. Today’s ministry is overstocked with men and women who think they can lead in their own intelligence, power, and persuasive personality. That kind of attitude creates short term tenure and weak discipleship. While there are always those who will follow such faulty leadership, they eventually discover it is a disappointing journey, perhaps even a dead-end trip. Spiritually effective leadership is based on faithful followship. Personality based leadership will create followers who are more like the human leader then they are like Jesus. So, if you want to have a “different spirit” and thus make a difference in God’s kingdom, decide daily to be a follower first and a leader second.  Follow the Leader, then more effectively lead the followers.