If asked, every Christian leader I know would tell me they want to be a Godly leader. Moreover, they would like to be considered a devoted Godly leader!
The problem is, it’s one thing to say you want to be a Godly leader, but it’s another thing to be one!
Two questions come to mind in the pursuit of being a Godly leader. First, how does one become a devoted Godly leader? And second, what are the signs or marks of a devoted Godly leader?
How Does One Become a Godly Leader?
Paul answers the first question, how does someone become a Godly leader, in his letter to Timothy, his young protégé. Paul tells Timothy,
“Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance” (1 Timothy 4:7-9).
There are two instructions in these verses. First, says Paul, Godly leaders avoid ungodly things and, specifically, the false teaching arising from myths and wives’ tales. That makes sense, right? To be a Godly leader, the first step is eliminating sinful practices and ungodly behaviors in your life!
Second, says Paul, we must train ourselves to be Godly. Godliness does not happen by accident instead, it requires concerted effort and dedicated training. Paul uses a metaphor of an athlete who trains to win a contest.
My daughter, Rebekah, turned out for the cross-country running team in high school. Where she got the idea to be a runner is a mystery to me—neither her mother nor I passed the “running gene” on to her. Anyway, to be a better runner with faster times, she wanted a running coach. So, Rebekah’s running coach met with her every week and put her through grueling hours of training to strengthen her muscles and increase her stamina. It took hours and hours of dedicated work. That’s what it means to train like an athlete.
Thinking about the hours of training an athlete dedicates to improving in their sport, how much are we doing to train for Godliness? As Paul says, training for a sport is good, but training for Godliness is far more important because it has eternal consequences. So, are we devoting the hours of dedicated time to train ourselves to Godliness, or do we think Godliness will come to us by accident or through osmosis because we are “good Christians”?
Training Exercises for Godly Leaders
Training ourselves to be Godly leaders requires dedication and focus. Here are six training exercises to help develop us into Godly leaders.
- Godly leaders spend time in God’s Word. Ask yourself, do you spend more time in front of the TV watching bad reruns or studying God’s Word?
- Godly leaders have an active prayer life. Prayer is our way of staying close to God and being sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
- Godly leaders desire spiritual growth. Becoming more like Christ is the never-ending quest of a Godly leader.
- Godly leaders encourage and build up other leaders. Building the Kingdom requires the ongoing development of spiritually mature leaders. Barnabas was there for Paul and later for Mark. Paul mentored Timothy. Who are we building up and developing as future Kingdom leaders?
- Godly leaders serve others. Jesus came not to be served but to serve. Therefore, we should serve others out of love for Him.
- Godly leaders remain focused on the Kingdom. Our desire is not for the riches of this world but for the things of God. Therefore, we focus on the eternal, not the temporal.
Considering how we train for Godliness brings me to our second question, “What are the marks of a devoted Godly leader?”
What Are the Marks of a Devoted Godly Leader?
The easiest way to construct a profile of a Godly leader is to examine the lives of Bible characters referred to as being Godly. Hebrews 11 calls out several leaders of faith, including Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, Barak, Sampson, David, and Samuel. These leaders were far from perfect, yet they were recognized for their faith in God.
We see three things in their lives that they have in common:1) reverence toward God, 2) the love of God, and 3) the desire for God. In short, they desired to live lives pleasing to God.
As believers today, we can live lives pleasing to God by being Christlike. The Apostle John said, “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did (1 John 2:6).
And Paul, writing to the Ephesians, said, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:12).
We become more Christlike through the power of the Holy Spirit living and working in our lives. Paul, writing to the Corinthians, reminds us of this saying, “And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him” (2 Corinthians 3:18b).
And that brings us, finally, to the marks of a Godly leader, one who is leading a Spirit-filled life. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).
So, do you want to know if someone is a Godly leader? First, look for one whose life is marked by the fruit of the Spirit of God.
Discussion Questions
These questions can serve as a useful framework for guiding a thoughtful and engaging discussion about the article and how its insights and perspectives apply to our lives today.
- What are the instructions given by Paul to Timothy on how to become a godly leader?
- How can someone train to become a godly leader?
- What are some specific exercises or practices that can help develop a godly leader?
- According to the article, what are the three common traits shared by the Bible characters referred to as being godly?
- What is the importance of focusing on the eternal and not the temporal in the pursuit of becoming a godly leader?
More Articles on Leadership Development
I’ve written numerous other articles on leadership development. You can search for “leadership development” in the search bar to read them. Here are a few of my most recent favorites:
- #520: Which of the Three Stages of Leadership Are You in Right Now?
- #486: Every Effective Leader Has A 4-Part Plan for This!
- #366: Is Mentoring a Biblical Approach to Leadership Development?
- #339: Do You Know Why Most Businesses Ultimately Fail?
- #301: The Man Who Went from Insecure Doubter to Powerful Leader
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. What do you do to train to be a Godly leader? How do you recognize Godly leaders in your life?
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Category: Skills | Leadership Development
Anything worthwhile demands effort. Walking our talk. Godly leaders don’t rest on their laurels. I believe they’re constantly sharpening their (spiritual) saw, to borrow from Stephen Covey.
I agree, John. The key to a long successful career is to never stop learning!