At Providence, we love making disciples by developing leaders. The following are three myths that we often encounter when challenging people to step up as leaders. Do any of these apply to you? Have you heard them yourself?
Myth #1: “I need to have it all together.”
Truth: 1 Corinthians 15:10 – “By God’s grace I am what I am”
With his murderous, sinful past in view, Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:10 that it is by “God’s grace I am what I am.”
What qualifies us to lead and make disciples is not what we bring to the table, but God’s grace that qualifies us. Now, this certainly does not mean the bar for leadership is low. The Bible shows us that leadership comes with higher expectations (1 Timothy 3, James 3). However, there is a difference between perfection, striving, and apathy. God is calling us to grace-filled, Spirit-empowered striving where we bring our best and entrust God with the rest.
In reality, leaders who are well aware of their insufficiencies make some of the best leaders because they recognize their deep need for Christ, the Gospel, and the power of the Holy Spirit. If you believe this myth, I encourage you to remember the power for leadership does not ultimately come from you but from a humble leaning on the Lord. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Myth #2: “I need to be a Bible expert.”
Truth: 1 John 2:20 – “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth”
This myth arises from hearts who desire authentic, Bible-saturated ministry. They know that true spiritual growth only arises from connecting people to God’s word (John 17:17). The disconnect, however, comes from their subtle belief that they must be the ones that must understand and be able to apply all of the Bible.
The truth is that we don’t need to be Bible experts. God’s very Spirit dwells in us, guiding us to share the right truth and helping us understand. This means that the Spirit is working much harder and much better than a group leader at connecting the heart of a group member to the Bible. As leaders, we can rest in the fact that God is going before us.
Again, this does not mean leaders should be okay with Bible illiteracy. We do all that we can to be effective, mature leaders. This means knowing our Bible well (2 Timothy 2:15). Our Bible knowledge, though, ought to foster an environment of collaborative learning. Where we collectively go to the Bible to understand truth. The opposite of this is where we go to a “master teacher” to tell us all things. Jesus has given us His spirit so we can enjoy direct access to God. The Spirit is the only Bible expert we need.
If you believe this myth, let me encourage you to rest in the sufficiency of the Spirit over your knowledge (or lack thereof) of the Bible.
Myth #3: “I need to be an extrovert”
Truth: 1 Corinthians 12:7 – “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
Life Group leading is shepherding. It is the art of meeting people where they are and walking with them toward growth in Christ. Ultimately, we’re unable to accomplish this work on our own. That is why God gives us gifts to make disciples. 1 Corinthians 12:7 shows us that God provides all that we need through His Spirit to encourage and build up others.
We do not need to be extroverts or introverts, ultimately. We don’t need to be great conversationalists or people persons. Being the king or queen of small talk is not a prerequisite to leadership. Instead, resting in and relying on God makes great leaders. We ought to be the most Christ-like version of ourselves as we lead.
Did God make you to be an introvert? Be the most Christ-like introvert. Did God create you with a knack for connecting with people? Be the most Christ-like version of yourself. Are you a details person? Be the most Christ-like details person you know!
God uses introverts, extroverts, and everyone in between to make disciples through groups. We need both kinds of people. If you’re inclined to believe this myth, let me encourage you to thank God for making you the way you are and placing you in Providence to lead as you are.
These are just three of the six myths we dispel in the Life Group Leader Interest meeting. Please consider learning more about what it means to lead a group at Providence. You can click here for more information on this event.
