Written By Ben Dankaka
Meditation – 2 Timothy 2:4
There are many reasons why leaders fail. One of them is the inability of leaders to adhere to the rules governing their field or profession. Every field of endeavor has its own culture. The Nigerian Army, for instance, is different from other professions like law, teaching or accounting. So an Army General is normally expected to act and lead differently from an Accountant General. Although they are both leaders, each of them would certainly have different attitudes and objectives. For that reason, leaders must act according to the guiding principles of their line of work. Which means, to become an effective leader, you have to be familiar with the culture of your profession, and then make sure you act according to it. Knowing the culture of your profession can be the key to your success as leader. If you don’t understand the nature of your environment, you may find it difficult to stay focused.
As the apostle Paul schooled Timothy on leadership, he said to the young man, “No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs- he wants to please his commanding officer”(2 Timothy 2:4). This statement was aimed at making Timothy realize that he could no longer act as an unbeliever because he had become a Christian leader – a “soldier” of Christ Jesus. When he was a “civilian” he got himself involved in civilian affairs. That is, he acted like a civilian, leading in a world where he could do whatever he wanted. He had lived in a world where he was his own boss. Now that he had become a soldier of Christ, he could no longer live that way. In God’s kingdom, the leadership culture is different. Even though he was a leader, Timothy was now obliged to serve Jesus – his commanding officer.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I submit to you. Amen.
REFERENCES/FURTHER STUDY: 2 Timothy 2:1-7
Unless otherwise stated all scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.