2008 March 12 « Worldmissionsleaders’s Weblog

Walking Leadership

God would not leave us in darkness of what He has for us to do during our lives here on this earth. Are you a servant of God? Then you are and can be in the light of His very own divine wisdom and revelation.

As my wife and I, along with a small child and a group of inexperienced North American missionaries up a mountainous dirt road, through corn fields, while surrounded by bulls, goats and other animals, we began to share our thoughts on world missions. It was tough to speak as we were sweating and heavily breathing from the up hill missions aerobics, but what we spoke about was very helpful to those who were with us.

We were not to far from a small group of people who, from what we knew, had very little to no Evangelical influence except for one man who had confessed Jesus Christ as His Lord just a few months earlier. The question was asked, “Is God’s kingdom advancing?”

Thinking briefly on the question our response was, “Each step you take the kingdom of God is advancing.” You are one step closer to extending the kingdom of God each time you step out in obedience to follow the Lord’s command to go into all the world and make disciples,baptize them and teach them to obey the teachings of Christ.”

The workers are few, but the harvest of God’s fields are ripe and ready. As the first missionaries entered China or South America, we are all called to turn our leadership into a walking example of Christ int he streets and towns all around this globe. It is time we radically evaluate how we invest and give. The churches of today, which will not last long, are over budgeted on internal and under budgeted on external matters of God’s kingdom.

One of the pastors of a church my wife and I raised up in Mexico City once said about Tiffany and I, “We thank God we have a church and pastors who understand that importance of walking leadership. Not only do they invest into missions and missionaries, but they also do the work of missionaries.” Our command is to go, so that we must do, do you not think?

Jesus did not ask us to go, but rather commanded us and implored us to go. All authority has been given unto Him and that authority has been given to us. He went and we are to go. We know how we are with this, not by how we preach it or hear it, rather by how we obey it. My dearest friend that is walking leadership.

Everyone that is a follower of Christ is a goer. There are not just wait and seers, nor are there the I am only a giver and not a goer. We are all goers and we go at different times and in different ways, but to go is to obey and to obey is to form leadership within us that is a walking leadership, which transforms us, as well as, those we touch with Christ’s message.

Is that the way you feel? Have you, too, felt the urge? Does the Word of God burn like a fire in your heart? Have you no rest day or night because you do not go? There is coming a day when our prayer meeting will stop and our religious services will turn back to the streets where people live with their real lives and their real problems.

“When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul” Ez. 33:8-9.

When the divine fire for people burns within our heart, and we act upon that burning,we portray walking leadership. When we go to work not for the pay check, rather for the harvest field, our leadership has changed from pew leadership to walking leadership. Can you see the distant fields? Can you hear the people of the world calling out to you?

It was that inner Voice that spoke to my wife and I to go into the world. We may not be as polished and as sharp as those who have never gone. We may have lost some edge when it comes to relating to our own culture. We may be less marketable in the job placement scale.

We may have become more like the people we are called to. I can’t explain say we have all the answers, except to speak of it as an “urge” that was with me night and day. That urge we followed, and we have never been disappointed.

Start praying about your life’s work and purpose, and pray every day. Set aside a time to wait on God about what He will speak to you about your future. Pray “Lord, what would you have me to do?” Every day talk to God about it. As you pray read missionary biographies and about the lives of those who have given their all and their lives for the sake of Jesus Christ. Be familiar with the life stories of such great believers as Ann Judson, Mary Slessor, and other missionary heroines. Seek out information on the lives of Livingstone, Moffat, MacKay, Gilmour, Morrison, Taylor , as well as other modern day missionaries.

But no sooner will you decide to become step out of your comfort zone that the enemy will do everything possible to stop you and discourage you through your own family and friends. The enemy may make it difficult for you to get the money you need to start your missionary training. He will get you interested in the opposite sex. He will offer you the life as those around you so you can be normal like everyone else. When Jesus went up to Andrew and Peter, they left their nets and followed Jesus.

If God has called you to get out and go, then you have no personal right to even keep company with anyone except someone who is traveling in your direction, and if you do that you will both reach the same destination. Run with those who run the same race as you do. Don’t run the 100 meter sprint, when you are called to run the marathon, you will look like a fool. Run the race set before you.

Walking leadership is accepting the call and supporting the call. Walking leadership is getting out and letting go so God can be the first and last in your life. If you would like to be trained in Mexico by the Bucksots, then why wait? Getting into the areas where many do not go is why we are here on this earth. Over 3 billion people in the world have never heard the name Jesus Christ even one time, not to mention anything about the Bible.

Grow Deep To Run Strong,

Andrew & Tiffany Bucksot