Leadership Positions

When you receive a title there is a certain power that comes with that title and at the very least, people will follow you to the extent of that position.

Jeremiah 22:1-30

Reference:  v.2 ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne – you, your officials and your people who come through these gates.’ (NIV Bible)

Explore:  No matter where you look, there are people who lead.  Whether it’s in the playground at the local school or a boardroom in the highest skyscraper, there are people who are taking control and guiding other people.  John Maxwell  is well known for his insight on leadership.  He says that there are five levels of leadership and the first one is Positional Leadership.  This is a very basic level of leadership and means that people will follow you just because of the position that you hold.  When you receive a title there is a certain power that comes with that title and at the very least, people will follow you to the extent of that position.  A good leader will receive more power and responsibility when they extend themselves to other levels of leadership.  It’s always challenging when a great leader leaves and then a new person comes in.  The new leader has not had the chance or the time to show that they are a leader of many levels, so the trust and power goes back to that of leading purely out of their position.

Application:  It seems that God was challenging the king of Judah about his leadership.  He reminds him that he sits on David’s throne – a huge positional leadership position.  And yet, he was not even living up to the leadership held within that position, let alone advancing to other levels.
Whether you believe you are a leader or not, you are.  We all have positions in our lives that give us some power and authority over others: manager, parent, coach, friend.  It’s up to us how we use that power and whether we just keep our leadership bound to the position we hold or whether we extend it to develop trust, respect, and fulfilment in others.

Prayer:  Lord, we hold the position of being a Christian.  That means that we desire to follow You but also to lead others into a relationship with You.  May You give us a great understanding of what that leadership position means and how we can fulfil it in our own neighbourhoods.  Amen.

What leadership positions do you hold?  How well are you leading in those roles?