Friday, July 17, 2009

Impacted by Godliness

Today I'm wrapping up my class on Christian leadership at Reformed Seminary. I've learned so much, and I can't wait to share it with you when I get back into the saddle of ministry in Minot.

One of the most inspiring and stimulating discussions we've had was one morning when each student shared about the one or two most significant Christian leaders who've shaped our lives for the gospel. When we boiled down the various characteristics of those who've impacted us the most, this is the list which emerged:

1. Humility
2. An embodiment of the gospel and its sweetness
3. Christian courage
4. Single-minded devotion to Jesus and His mission of grace
5. A passion for investing in others
6. An ability to recognize evidences of God's grace and potential in others
7. A supernatural self-forgetfulness
8. An unswervingly commitment to be shaped by the Word of God
9. The discipline to listen well to others

It's a rare blessing when God brings people who embody such elements into our lives. We need to thank God for them. But we also should inquire whether or not we're becoming like them. I would encourage us all to read through the list as a mirror for our own lives. "Is this a description of me?" That is the question. By God's grace, as we grow into this picture of godliness, our lives will leave an impact of godliness for generations to come.

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