The Need to Lead: Is God Waiting for You to Lead? by Dave Kahle

I recently came across this statement, which should shake the foundations of your life and your career: Based on a study conducted by Arizona Christian University during 2020 – 2023, born again Christians deeply committed to practicing their faith fell from 88% to 46%. Worse yet, this study discovered that only 6% of professed Christians have a biblical worldview. Instead, most have a smorgasbord view of their faith, picking and choosing what they believe.

The trend is obvious.  Here’s another study that found similar results. 

In a 2020 survey by the Pew Research Center, 65% of adults in the United States identified themselves as Christians. [“Measuring Religion in Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel”. Measuring Religion in Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel | Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center. 14 January 2021. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2021.]

 Here’s what that means:

• As a percentage, there are fewer self-proclaimed Christians today than at any time in the country’s history.

• Of those, that subset of Christians who are deeply committed has fallen in half.  

• Of those self-proclaimed Christians only 6% have a Biblical worldview.

So, there are fewer Christians, most don’t know exactly what they believe and fewer are really committed. Truly, we are down to a remnant. 

What an incredibly sad state of affairs.  Satan must be proud of himself.  It’s like the NBA championship game, and your team is leading by 50 points at halftime.  You can start to celebrate, even though the game is only partially over.  

There are multiple reasons for this sorry state.  There is enough blame to spread all around our culture, including:

• The entertainment industry that continues to portray Christians as either hypocrites or buffoons. 

• A political environment where both parties have sacrificed moral positions for political advantage.

• An educational system that champions perverse concepts at the expense of moral values that have served mankind for centuries.  

• An institutional church system which has failed in its core mission: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned. [Mark 16: 14-16  (NET)]

• Several generations of business and professional people who have traded more principled positions for the pursuit of comfortable lifestyles.

I’m sure we can list contributing factors for pages. My concern is for only one: the lack of Christian leadership.  There are so few leaders, it’s no wonder that the people have lost their way.  

Leadership, in today’s world, does not mean pastors sermonizing in large services.  That model has failed and is dramatically losing adherents.  We don’t need more pastors, worship leaders, youth ministers, etc. 

Leadership today is defined as someone influencing someone else by the actions they take.  Leadership is ordinary Christians who, in thousands of small actions, manifest the message that God is alive and lovingly active in the lives of His people.

Leadership today is far more about what one does than what one says.

Leadership is something every Christian can demonstrate.  One visit to a sick neighbor can say more about Christianity than any episode of “The Conners” or “Young Sheldon.” One gift of money made directly to an individual in need sends a positive signal of God’s involvement in the lives of his people. One offer to pray for a grieving acquaintance says more about Christianity than the media portrayal of Christians as hypocrites and buffoons. One unexpected act of kindness, in God’s name, says more about real Christianity that the pronouncements of the local pastor.

It is time for Christians to step up and realize that the institutions they have relied on to nurture Christians and make disciples, have failed.  It’s time to take the Bible at its word and begin to act like we believe it. 

Everyone reading this can, in the next 24 – 48 hours, create some small act of leadership, that will impact someone with the grace of God, and begin to turn the tide.  It is time to act and to lead.  We can’t put it off any longer.

Journaling application

Lord, what step of action would You have me take today to manifest Your Spirit-anointed leadership?

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