Every Christian is a Leader
You have more influence than you think.
When you hear the word “leader”, who comes to mind? A pastor? A CEO? A politician? Most of us tend to think of leadership as something reserved for people with a title, platform or position of authority. But the Bible presents a different picture. In God’s Kingdom, every Christian is a leader because every Christian has influence.
Neil Johnson and Bible teacher Dr Kameel Majdali know the importance of leadership in a changing culture. While churches and communities often look for strong leaders to cast vision and inspire others, Neil suggests something many Christians overlook: every believer has influence. And wherever there is influence, leadership follows.
Whether it’s your family, workplace, church, friendship group or neighbourhood, every one of us has opportunities to shape the lives of those around us.
Why Every Christian Is a Leader
Many Christians assume leadership isn’t relevant to them because they don’t hold an official position. But Neil challenges the idea by pointing out that influence is something every believer possesses.
“We all have an opportunity to influence those who are in our circle,” he said.
For some of us, that circle is our family. For others of us, it’s our friends, colleagues, sporting club or local church. Even when we don’t always see it, people are constantly watching how we live, act and behave as Christians. We’ve fallen for the idea that leadership is all about authority, but it’s about influence.
The good news is that you don’t need a massive platform to make a difference. Some of the most significant Kingdom impact happens through ordinary conversations, acts of kindness and faithful relationships built over time.
Leadership Is About Bringing People Along
Leaders often carry the vision. But what Dr Kameel pointed out was that good leaders help others embrace that vision as their own too. “We have to take the lead by casting the vision as well as knowing the strategy of how to get to the goal,” Kameel said. “Winning people over to the vision, getting them stakeholders so it’s no longer your vision… it’s their vision too.”
And this is modelled perfectly through the best leader to have walked this earth- Jesus. Jesus didn’t force people to follow Him. He always started with relationship. He taught them, equipped them and gave them a shared mission. The disciples weren’t spectators in Christ’s ministry. They were active advocates for the good news of the Gospel.
The same principle still applies in Christian community today. Whether we’re serving in church, the people you live with, raising children, mentoring younger believers or encouraging friends, leadership is about helping others grow alongside us.
We Don’t Lead Alone
Dr Kameel reminds us that Christian leadership is never meant to be carried in our own strength. “If we think we’re going to do this all on our lonesome, we’ll fall flat on our face,” he said. “But if we understand that Jesus Christ is the one who is going before us… then we will find far more fruitfulness than trying to do things in our own strength.”
Many of us hesitate to influence others because we don’t feel qualified enough. We worry we don’t know enough, haven’t been a Christian long enough or don’t have the right personality.
But Christian leadership has never been about having all the answers. It’s about faithfully walking with Jesus and helping others do the same.
The Influence You Have Matters
The people in your own backyard matter to God. Your friends, family, neighbours and church community.
You may never hold a leadership title, but that doesn’t mean you’re not leading. Every Christian is a leader in some capacity because every Christian has influence.
Every act of encouragement, every conversation about faith and every example of Christlike living is an example of Christian leadership in action.
And when we allow God to work through our everyday influence, He can use even the smallest acts of faithfulness to strengthen His people, build community and help others take their next step towards Him.
Article supplied with thanks to Vision – a non-profit, follower-funded Christian media ministry taking God’s Word to every corner of Australia and beyond through broadcast, online and print media.
Feature image: Canva
