Salt and Light Leadership

I recently read an article on leadership designed to encourage church leaders. It stressed the importance of finishing well. It occurred to me that its lessons are applicable to all Christians living at the end of the Christian age. As it becomes less politically correct to be a Christian, it becomes all the more important to lead as Christians. So consider these points adapted from the article.

If we are to be salt and light leaders, there are things we must do.

1. Never stop learning. The leader isn’t the one who knows it all. He’s the one whose teachable spirit is an inspiration to others. Besides although biblical truth never changes, circumstances due and we need to keep up.
2. Be a light. Be salt. Be loving. Leaders sometimes get so caught up in being the boss, that they forget to lead by example. How many leaders can you name who crashed and burned when they failed to maintain character? It’s not our knowledge and wisdom that is needed most (but it is needed) it’s our love. Our savior told us that by our love will others know us. Keep loving.
5. Once salt and light, always salt and light. We are not just salt and light on Sunday morning. In fact, that’s when we get saltier and our light gets regenerated. Saltiness and brightness are Monday through Friday tasks. Don’t leave them behind when you go to school or work.
6. It’s all about relationship. The cross is a reminder of how we are to carry out our task. There is a horizontal beam that represents our relationship with to others It’s held up by the vertical beam which represents our relationship with God. Truth is what we have to offer to sound doctrine is critical. But Jesus knew that they don’t care what we know until they know that we care. The Christian mission has been described as “Make a Friend. Be a Friend. Introduce a Friend to Christ.”
7. Be real. Leaders lose it when they become too concerned with their image. As Christians our light is not our own and our salt doesn’t come from us. We are broken vessels and it’s through our cracks that others see Jesus. In order to know that it’s Jesus that sustains us and if there is any good thing in us it’s Jesus, we have to be honest, open. That makes us vulnerable. We know that in our weakness He is strong. But it is so hard to show our weakness. Especially for us guys, it goes against everything we are taught, the movies we watch and the heroes we worship. We use to say real men don’t eat quiche. The truth is real men admit they eat quiche. Want to lead? Be real and
Be blessed.


Nick