There’s a great need for godly leaders. So many today are lost and misguided. While only One can lead us all the way home, we need fellow pilgrims to help us along the road. It’s hard going alone while forging a path for others to follow.
While everyone wants to have someone they can look to as an example, I think young people feel this longing even more deeply. We want others in our lives who are older and more experienced that can guide us, teach us, and encourage us. It hits us hard when leaders fall, because we think, If they couldn’t make it, how can I? We know we are to put our faith and trust in Christ alone and not in any man, but we still want someone to show us what faith looks like lived in flesh.
It’s a great and deep and aching need, this longing for someone to lead. As I’ve thought about this, I’ve wondered: what if we looked at it differently? What if instead of only seeing a void, we saw a way God is making space for born leaders to step up and use the gift placed in them?
What if He is calling some of us to become the leaders we look for?
pushing past fear
Leading isn’t easy. Leading while you’re young is even harder. Not only are others more likely to look down on you and less likely to listen to you, but also the voices of insecurity and insufficiency are louder. It’s tempting to wonder, Am I really called to do this? Should I wait until I’m older and more qualified? You can struggle with doubts about your calling at any season of life, of course, but some questions are more likely to plague you when you’re young.
I love the encouragement Susie Larson has to offer:
When God calls us up, it’s easy and tempting to look down at everything we lack. We feel the limitations of our humanity and we become acutely aware of our weaknesses and foibles. Sometimes, the closer we get to laying hold of our calling, the more we tend to think to ourselves, I could really mess this up.
When we focus on our fears, the risk of stepping out feels greater than the potential reward of living by faith. Daring to dream is no small thing. And it’s not for the faint of heart. But in Christ we’re called, appointed, and equipped to live lives bigger than we are.1
Age is not the determining factor for wisdom. As a young person, you might not yet have the kind of wisdom that comes from life experience, but you can have the kind of wisdom that comes only through God’s Spirit. And that’s the kind that matters most. This reminds me of what young Elihu said to Job and his friends:
And Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite answered and said: “I am young in years, and you are aged; therefore I was timid and afraid to declare my opinion to you. I said, ‘Let days speak, and many years teach wisdom.’ But it is the spirit in man, the breath of the Almighty, that makes him understand. It is not the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right. Therefore I say, ‘Listen to me; let me also declare my opinion.’
— Job 32:6-10 (ESV)
This is not to stir up pridefulness, but to instill godly confidence.
growing in confidence
My energy is not immaturity; it’s a burning passion.
My vision is not ambitious; it’s a divinely inspired mission.
My drive is not arrogance; it’s direction—it’s purpose.
My silence is not indifference; it’s set focus.
My faith is not just something I keep to myself; I have been burdened with being a burning light to ignite those around me on fire for the Lord.
The goal is not to prove I am a leader; the goal is to become so capable and knowledgeable that leadership is the only option.
— Victoria Julieann
These words that a young leader in my life wrote capture well the essence of what it means to be a godly and confident leader while you’re young. You can’t be afraid to own up to the fire that lives inside you. God has placed it there for a reason. He has placed you here for a reason. He has given you a voice, a mission, a platform, and an audience, and He wants you to use your gifts to the fullest capacity, trusting Him to do His work as you follow His lead.
leaning on the Lord
The most important characteristic of a Christian leader, in whatever area of life, is a dynamic, bold faith in God. I may have all the leadership principles down pat; I may be a management expert; I may be an organizer with a systems flow chart that General Motors would envy. But if I do not trust God, if I do not live in a personal fellowship with the Lord Jesus, I will be a failure as an elder or a teacher or a parent or a disciple maker or in whatever area I serve as a leader. What the people I lead need more than anything else is not a great system or a great organization, but a person who knows his God.
— Gary Inrig
You cannot lead others well if you are not following the Lord faithfully. As Paul said, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1 NIV). One benefit of leading while you’re young is that you’re less likely to trust in your own experience and qualifications, simply because you probably have less than someone who is older. While that can result in a sense of insufficiency (as mentioned earlier), it can be a blessing in that it can make you that much more aware of your dependence on the Lord. Humility is a necessity for every good leader, and knowing your inadequacy is a key part of that.
So don’t be afraid, whatever your age. Put your confidence in Christ and dare to lead.
- Susie Larson, Your Beautiful Purpose (Bloomington, Minnesota: Bethany House Publishers, 2013), 121. ↩︎
Since I am 72 years old, it is refreshing to read this view from a younger person regarding leadership. I find myself reflecting on, “What leadership roles did I participate in when I was younger.” I have fond memories. Thank you Hannah Grace for this uplifting reading. I see you as a great leader wherever God leads you.
I’m glad to hear this was inspiring for you, Grandma Mary Ann! Thank you greatly for the encouragement.