The Intentionality of Leadership
I was traveling recently in Florida during the Southern States Regional Conference when I caught myself doing “it” again; roaming around my hotel room carefully and meticulously preparing for the next morning. I adjusted the thermostat, placed the extra blanket at the foot of the bed, plugged in my cell phone within arms reach, put water on the bedside table, laid out my clothes, placed two towels on the floor of the bathroom, ensured the shampoo and soap were in the shower… okay maybe a bit of obsessive compulsion. Yet, without this attention to detail I would have some serious issues come morning.
Living, and traveling, with a disability like muscular dystrophy demands forward thinking. The moment my leg braces come off for the night and I am no longer able to walk or stand, the opportunity to prepare myself for the following morning will be gone. I must be specifically focused on the goal of the next day.
Our leadership opportunity toward the mission of raising up life-long followers of Jesus also demands such attention. If we are to truly multiply not only the number of lost young people who hear and follow Jesus’ words but also the number of ministry sites engaging those young people we will need to incorporate another leadership lesson of Jesus: Intentionality.
Jesus models for us a leadership lifestyle where every question and every action is laced with purpose. This is especially visible in his interactions and assignments given to his disciples. In John 6, leading up to the miracle of feeding the 5000, we see Jesus asking Philip “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” Then verse 6 gives us a glimpse into the lesson plan, “He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.” Likewise, in Luke 10, Jesus assigns seventy disciples to go out in pairs and spread the gospel and afterward was present with them to debrief their experience. Jesus knew his time on earth was limited and he was focused on his mission; to prepare his followers to birth his Church.
Exercising this discipline is hard work. It calls us to make the most of every opportunity we are given and to maybe do things differently, efficiently and intentionally. For instance; does your annual ministry calendar reflect purposeful programming? Does YFC Impact give you insights into how intentional you are at pursuing lost young people? Who are you raising up to lead alongside you? Better yet, who are you developing to take your place?
As I prepare to speak at YFCamp this summer I am reminded of the benefits such an intentional approach to ministry makes in the life of a young person. Every activity… every spoken word… every moment is critically examined to fulfill the mission. Let us strive for the same.
Every question… every action… The Intentionality of the Master.
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