Leadership Tips II

 5Likewise, a competitor does not receive the crown unless he competes according to the rules. 

2 Timothy 2:5

In the movie Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Peter, the owner of Average Joe’s Gym challenges White Goodman of Globo Gym to a dodgeball tournament to keep from going bankrupt. When it’s apparent that White stacked the deck with genetic freak athletes, and he has the means to cheat, Peter wants to quit. Luckily, Lance Armstrong, champion cyclist, encourages him to finish the competition.

An athlete cannot make up the rules to win an event. They must follow the rules of the sport for the judges to award them. A shortcut is not an option for receiving the gold.

Paul shows this example to Timothy because he wanted to imagine him in a triathlon. If Timothy were halfway through a bicycle race and quit right before he reached the rowing competition, he wouldn’t be able to attain the prize. Timothy couldn’t have a tantrum because he was not the recipient, even if he was in first place right before quitting.

The commitment to spiritual leadership is the same. If God put us in charge of teaching, encouraging, and sharing the gospel with others, we can’t quit when it gets too hard. This is not the kind of quitting where you switch from being an accountant to a gas station manager; this is the kind where you abandon your responsibilities and seek more selfish gains. The acceptance of the Gospel as truth comes with the requirement to share it.

A godly leader needs to ensure two things before committing to the Gospel . 1) Do I believe God is serious about my work in the gospel? 2) Is there parts of this work that will discourage me?

Answer those questions honestly in prayer and ask God for help when you are tempted to quit.

Figure it Out:

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 6:7-10

  1. Circle any words or phrases that are significant to you. What makes them so important?
  2. According to verse 8, what is the opposite of committing to faith and obedience?
  3. How do we avoid becoming weary? What will we miss if we quit?

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