“Don’t imagine us leaders to be something we aren’t. We are servants of Christ, not his masters. We are guides into God’s divine secrets, not security guards posted to protect them. The requirements for a good guide are reliability and accurate knowledge. It matters very little to me what you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion. I don’t even rank myself. Comparisons in these matters are pointless. I’m not aware of anything that would disqualify me from being a good guide for you, but that doesn’t mean much. The master makes that judgment.”
1 Corinthians 4:1-4 MSG
Cargo shorts, a bottle of water, sunglasses, a loud mic, and jokes that are old and tired—a tour guide—at least, as depicted by the movies.
But it got us thinking and wondering about what makes a good guide?
As His followers, we are guides into God’s divine secrets, not security guards, stewards, estate managers, or trustees. We are the guides pointing the way to Jesus, equipped with the Holy Spirit as we follow His lead.
And we are working towards being better all-the-time!
So take a look at the qualities—and follow along as we take A Biblical Tour of the 11 ways you can be a guide into God’s divine secrets…
- Know your tour route—we know the journey, the twists and turns, and the beauty of finding Jesus when our own efforts fail—because we’ve been there ourselves. (1 Timothy 3:16)
- Clear communication—having the right response makes a huge difference when it comes to reaching the lost. (Colossians 4:5-6)
- Understand where people are coming from—we may not have the same experiences as everyone who crosses our path. (Proverbs 20:5)
- Magnetic personality—be someone people want to be around, attractive by the way you live your life. Full of the Spirit! (Titus 2:7-8)
- Ability to improvise and adapt—1 Corinthians 9:19-23—enough said! 😉
- Build rapport—rapport is built in the context of community. (Romans 12:9-16)
- Engaging storyteller—the Bible is filled with parables, stories, and examples of the goodness of God! Be good at telling your story, allowing God to change your mess into a message. (Psalms 66:16)
- Flexibility—as a ministry leader you know this to your core, plans change—often! But His purpose prevails! (Proverbs 19:21)
- Timeliness—in light of the message of the Gospel, today is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:1-2)
- Willingness to teach others—”Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:2)
- Professionalism—Jesus said, “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:35)
This Biblical Tour is a simple reminder that we are never done learning and growing. It helps to understand that we are indeed guides! Our circles of influence and communities need us.
If you are looking to grow your leadership, ACOP is offering Epic 2.0, March 13-16, 2023. Let’s become the guides our world needs!
We follow His lead with humility, reliability, and accuracy—we guide, not locking away the truth for ourselves. Continue our Biblical Tour by leaving your favorite scripture of leadership in the comments below. 👇