Miscellaneous: "Purposefully Different" - Ron

No bravado can hide for long that which does not exist. There is no personality so strong as to mask hypocrisy forever. There is one certainty: the hollow leader will shatter in the end. As Hawthorne wrote, “No man for any considerable period can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true” (Hawthorne, 1902, p. 258). If one is to lead effectively, he must lead from the inside out, as it were. There must be a conviction planted deep within the inner man which grows out into his daily living.

Christians must be purposefully different.

Jesus told His followers that they would be salt and light and that as such they would be as noticeable as cities on a hill (Matthew 5:13-14). The truth is that each believer in Jesus Christ serves as an ambassador and pilgrim on this earth. The question is not whether a believer has influence. Jesus says each of His followers does. The question revolves around the kind of influence an individual will have. Thu-Huong Ha (2016) quotes John Donne, who wrote, “No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main” (n.p.). In the article, Ha attempts to view Donne’s quote through the lens of England’s Brexit efforts. One may just as easily see in Donne’s words a parallel to Scripture. One does not live and die unto himself. Rather, we have influence. In the sea of life, we make waves as we travel and those caught in our wake are changed because of it.

Collier and Williams (2004) call the command to be salt and light both a “responsibility” and a “privilege” (p. 21). The Christian must take this responsibility and privilege seriously because Jesus is the One giving the charge. However, the Christian in a position of leadership has an additional weight of responsibility. Since all Christians are leaders, we each bear this weight. “In order to make a difference, you have to be different” (Collier & Williams, 2004, p. 23). As has been noted above, the leader who attempts to influence in a direction that he is not heading himself will come to failure. The Christian leader must choose to be intentional in his leadership; he must be “different on purpose” (Collier & Williams, 2004, p. 20).

Psalm 19:7 says, “The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple” (KJV, 1985/1611). The psalmist goes on to write that God’s Word both warns and rewards those who will take heed to live accordingly (Psalm 19:11, KJV, 1985/1611). Psalm 19 finishes with one of the simplest – but most profound – prayers in all of Scripture. This is a prayer that each Christian can pray every morning, every evening, and a thousand times in between. “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in they sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer” (Psalm 19:14, KJV, 1985/1611).

Being different on purpose starts with a desire to know God’s Word and a willingness to be changed by it. It is the realization that one will most certainly fail when left to himself. Natural instincts are poor guides for morality for man is a wretched and ruined thing. Whether intentionally or not, Collier and Williams (2004) sum up the prayer of Psalm 19:14 with this rhyme: “There are just two choices on the shelf, pleasing God or pleasing self” (p. 83). They go on to write that “…a godly leader is a person who makes godly choices and uses his influence to teach others to do the same” (Collier & Williams, 2004, p. 85).

Once a leader deigns to be reshaped by God’s Word, he can truly be the kind of salt and light that Christ commands him to be. Christian leaders understand that “our responses must be based on God’s Word if we are going to make a difference in the lives of others” (Collier & Williams, 2004, p. 23). Furthermore, they know that they will not need to try to find ways to be different. The truth is that “if we just obey God’s Word, we will be different” (Collier & Williams, 2004, p. 23). It bears repeating that this difference only occurs when one is intentional with implementing God’s instructions into his life.

As you go through your week, may you seek to be different both on and with purpose. You influence numerous people daily. In which direction are you leading them? If there really are only two choices on the shelf, make sure you choose wisely!

References:

Collier, K., & Williams, M. (2004). Biblical leadership: Becoming a different kind of leader. Ambassador International.

Ha, T. (2016). John Donne’s solemn 400-year-old poem against isolationism, “no man is an island,”        is resonating with brits today. Quartz. https://qz.com/716088/john-donnes-solemn-400-year-old poem-against-isolationism-is-resonating-with-brits-today/#:%7E:text=for%20one%20            excerpt%3A- ,No%20man%20is%20an%20island%2C,a%20part%20of%20the%20main.

Hawthorne, N. (1902). The Scarlet Letter. The Riverside Press.

King James Version Open Bible. (1985). Thomas Nelson, Inc. (Original work published 1611)