Mark 10:32 “And they (disciples) were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking (leading) ahead of them.” 

This week I want to return to the basics and crucial foundations of what makes a leader in any walk of life, family, and career.  We often just use the word leader without thinking about what it really means or what defines it or its characteristics.  My working definition of a leader, and one we should all live out is this: “Leaders have two very important characteristics.  First, they are going somewhere, and second, they are able to persuade others to go with them.”  This is one of the thousands of definitions of a leader, and it is totally exemplified and lived out in Jesus Christ.  Jesus knew from age twelve where he was going when he said to his mother, “Did you not know that I had to be about my Father’s business?”  He was then able to persuade others to go with him starting with the disciples as confirmed in our key verse today.

How does this impact us?  First, we must know where we are going as a leader which means that we have a vision and a plan on how to get there.  For the Christian man, this first characteristic means that our vision and plan of where we are going is eternal life and heaven.  This can only be achieved in Jesus Christ and our acceptance of his salvation.  The second characteristic is to persuade those whom we lead to go with us by our example, impact, and character.  This should be the priority of our leadership and example of Christ living in us.  Everything else will pass away.  It means that we are to walk ahead and lead the way.  These two characteristics of a leader are important as we lead at work and church.  But they are even a higher priority as we lead our families.  It is so important when our children are still in our home, but it doesn’t stop there.  It must continue to impact the lives of our adult children and our grandchildren.  Do they know where you are going, and are you persuading them to go with you?  God has designated you to be the patriarch of your family.