Young Christian Leaders' Alliance

R. Josiah Magnuson

Who are we trying to please? The Bible gives numerous clear directives that the motivation for the believer in living a life of distinction be different from the motivation of the world. Our service is not for ourselves but to glorify God.

True Christianity is not a “celebrity” activity. Because we are different, the world hates us and seeks to persecute us. We will never change the world’s opinion of us if we continue to live godly lives. As II Timothy 3:12 declares, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” Rather, our motivation should come from a desire to please Christ, experience His resurrection power, and bring Him glory by sharing His truth with others.

One example of Scripture on this issue is I Thessa-lonians 2:4-6. “As we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth the hearts. For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness, God is witness. Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others…”

Galatians 1:10 continues the theme of seeking to please God rather than men. “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”

Interestingly, the Bible also contains direction that we try to please those around us as much as possible. For example, I Corinthians 10:32-33 tells us, “Give none offense, neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”

Scripture encourages us to maintain a good reputation. Proverbs 22:1 states, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver or gold.” One of the requirements of a bishop (church overseer) given by Paul is to “have a good report of them which are without” (I Timothy 3:7).

Is the Bible being contradictory? Is God telling us to both please others and not please them? In the passage from I Corinthians 10, the answer is found in the immediately preceding verse (v. 31): “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

There is no problem with seeking to show respect and kindness to everyone. There is not even a problem with just wanting people to be happy with our actions. The problem enters when our motivation becomes service to self. We are to seek to serve others and lead them to salvation in Christ, making our ambition that of bringing glory to God.

For example, Luke 10:27 shows our primary duty: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” We are to love and serve God alone. But, this love for God is not to the exclusion of a love for others. We are to show love to others as an expression of our love for God. As Jesus said in Matthew 25:40, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Romans 15:1-2 tells us, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, ‘The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.’”

Just as Christ bore our infirmities, we should bear the infirmities of others and seek to edify (build up and encourage) them. It is in this way that we are to “please” others. But we are not to seek others to shine spotlights on us as we bask in the dim glitter of condoning sin or smoothing over untruth. Nor are we to promote our own goodness or importance. The glory must go to Christ.

Christ wants us to make peace, show love, and build good character. However, we must follow His example in doing so. This path often leads through times of suffering and persecution. The world will not generally appreciate the efforts of the Christian to be a light in its darkness. We will need to make hard choices. But the life of finding rewards that last is truly the life of fixing our eyes on our God, the eternal Rewarder.

Pleasing ourselves, or attempting to please other people so we can please ourselves, is pointless. We can please the One who gives us all we have, Who can make us everything we need to be.

By Justin Summerlin

“And be not conformed to this world” - Romans 12:2a

The will of God is a topic that comes up frequently for teenagers, but also is often questioned by all ages on into adulthood. When many people think of the will of God, they think, “What job occupation will I choose?” or “Will I go to college?” or “Will I marry and who will I marry?” While God does not reveal answers to these specific questions, His good, acceptable, and perfect will should guide us in all our decision-making.

One important point about God’s will is that it involves something to keep from doing. The apostle Paul tells us to “be NOT conformed.” Let’s look at the word “conformed.” What does it mean? Another way of putting it is, “to fashion like.” I’m sure most of you can remember when you were little putting on your mom or dad’s clothes because you wanted to be just like them. You might have dressed up like your favorite superhero. You were fashioning yourself like those you admired. You wanted to be like them and sometimes you wanted to be them. By doing so, you were associating yourself with them.

So how can we be actively participating in His good, acceptable, and perfect will in regards to life’s decisions? Do not be fashioned like the world, and do not desire to be like them.

Did you know that being conformed or not conformed is an external action? It is something that can be actively observed by others. Do unbelievers see you conforming to the world?

By David Killinger

We should all agree that selfishness in a romantic relationship just doesn’t work. Unfortunately, while most people (Christians or otherwise) agree with this statement, many hold on to selfish attitudes - often not even realizing it. These attitudes have become so ingrained in our culture that they are an automatic response, and are considered normal.

At some point in our lives, most of us have asked ourselves,"Is this person the one for me?" However, isn't that a selfish question? It places the basis of your decisions in a relationship on how you feel, what the other person does for your life, and whether or not they "complete" you. That's putting yourself first.

These kinds of thoughts have no place in true love. Love is putting someone else above yourself, and sacrificing for them. A selfless attitude would be, "What can I do for this person? How can I serve them and meet their needs?" This is the picture painted when you love someone selflessly.

But even selflessness is not enough. Does God enter into your equation? I've talked to many people who are under the impression that God will be happy with their relationships if they just abstain from physical intimacy before marriage. However, the Bible states, in Mark 12:30: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength…” God wants your complete service, not just compliance with a few laws. It has been said that love is not gazing into another's eyes, but rather gazing in the same direction with them. The Bible says, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3:3) In order to achieve unity in a relationship, both partners must walk together in the service of the Lord.

Our society generally does things backwards. We tend to look for someone that we can fall in love with, then once we're in love we look fo character qualities that we could live with. If the romance works out, we tryto do things in a God pleasing manner. How's that working in our culture? Let's see...there's a divorce rate of over 50%. This is like looking for food that tastes good and being surprised when it turns out not to have any nutritional value!

The right strategy is to run, run, run to Jesus! Now look around. Who's running with you? Each of us must first find someone who is running with us in the service of God. Second, we must look for character qualities that fit the Biblical guidelines of what a man or woman should be, including a desire to fulfill God’s roles for a husband or wife. Last - only after the other two steps – we can look for romance.

If you would like more advice on avoiding selfishness in a relationship, talk to a few senior citizens who have had long-term and God-glorifying marriages. They know what works! This author also recommendsr eading articles from the encouraging website, www.Boundless.org, on a regular basis.

In conclusion, selflessness involves more than just wondering what someone else wants. It means giving yourself to God alone, and then sacrificing for others’ benefit. True love is shown by devotion to God and by asking what you can do to serve others and build character, not whether someone fits you.

What does it mean to be a leader?  Deep within each of us is a desire to exceed and excel, above the expectations of others. Something in us seems to crave praise and admiration.  God has created us with this drive, intended for focus on Him.  But sometimes, our fleshly desires assert influence over us.  Our eyes become twisted back to Earth in an effort to please and impress those around us.

We see celebrities, sports figures, and liberal public officials constantly being set up as heroes in our culture.  The leaders of our day are often those who compete, scheme, and glamorize their way to the top, and are rewarded with wealth and seeming happiness.  We often wonder, “What would it be like to be a hero?”  Yet, the Bible makes no mention of Christian leadership of this type.  In fact, Jesus taught, “He that isgreatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matt. 23:11)

God’s will for leadership is one of often-unrecognized encouragement, communication, obedience, character, and sacrifice.  God desires that we love Him with all we are (Matt. 22:37).

There is nothing wrong with being the “hero.”  The problem arises when we pursue heroism instead of God’s design. There is nothing wrong with preparing for leadership; the problem arises when we forget to serve where we are now. Furthermore, our service cannot be directed toward others as for them.  It must be directed toward God.  We must have the right motivation!

As leaders, we are called to “be an example” (I Tim. 4:12) to show others the way of Christ with our lives. In order to lead others, we must be following Christ ourselves.  The way of Christ is not one in which we can shy away from responsibility – we must do our best in any position of leadership God places us!  But, we should realize that seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matt. 6:33) is essential for true godly influence. God will not give us leadership if we love it more than Him. 

The truest leadership is not the culturally-accepted quest for greatness.  The best view of leadership is that of a strong yet meek and serving attitude that makes Christ and His principles the foundation of one’s life. It is these leaders alone who will impact for God’s eternal kingdom, and be rewarded with prizes which are everlastingly valuable.

The idea of a new reformation has been posed on many occasions in the past few years and decades. Many believe that God will do a work near the end of time which will show His power in a way paralleled only by His work in and around the early church. Such a belief has a foundation in Scripture. It stems mainly from passages describing a “latter rain” – a time of preparing for the final harvest.  These descriptions are found, for example, in Joel 2:23, Zechariah 10:1, and James 5:7.  It is believed that if Pentecost was the “early rain,” a “latter rain” is also still approaching, with similar proportions.

There have been numerous claims as to what the essence of this reformation will be. Statements vary that it will be anything from a revival of miraculous healing to a realization of true self-esteem. What is the truth about the final reformation?

The Bible gives us one main reason the “latter rain” is withheld. Jeremiah 3:1-3 describe the state of much of the church today – trusting and falsely loving everything but God Himself.  In order for the new reformation to take place, God’s Word must become the sole final authority.  We must truly believe in its truth.  We must be willing to follow God’s commands in our lives, for His sake and not that of others.  Thus, the first element of the new reformation is that the Bible must become our ultimate operational standard.

There are several specific areas in which a return to Scriptural authority is necessary. First, believers need to be willing to “wake up” and reclaim a healthy, Christ-like mind. Scripture tells us to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (I Corinthians 10:5). Rock music and worldly television are two influences which often contribute to the inability of believers to obey this command.

Second, each of us must have a right fear of God. The Bible says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10). A fear of God will lead us to have respect for others, while giving us the courage to take a different path (Matthew 10:28).

Third, we must recognize and live the fact that the church is not an institutional system, but a community of believers God has created to edify each other on a daily basis (Hebrews 3:13). Church must become more than a once-a-week-event; it must be a cooperation and communication with others in the body of Christ, throughout the week.

Finally, the gospel must once again be preached as a message of salvation from sin (Matthew

1:21). It is not enough to scare people out of Hell. If claimed messengers of Christ do not teach His victory over Satan’s dominion, a grave danger exists that they are on the path of the “traitors” described by Paul in II Timothy 3:5: “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”  

God’s reformation will come in His time. Let us be strong in our “long patience” for the latter rain (James 5:7). In the mean time, let us accept His supremacy, its foundation.

-R. Josiah Magnuson

Character Qualities and Principles Relating to Young Christian Leaders

Wisdom

“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” - Ephesians 5:15-17

Wisdom is seeing life through God’s perspective, learning and applying His principles in our every-day lives. Wisdom is gained from a fear of the Lord and an understanding of His holy Words (Proverbs 9:10). Instead of following our faulty natural inclinations, we can, through faith, understand, meditate, and apply God’s absolute principles as they are revealed in his Words. God puts an important emphasis on gaining Wisdom in Proverbs 4:7 – “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”

Related Character Qualities: Faith, Reverence, Obedience, and Discretion

Maturity

“Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” – Colossians 4:12

Maturity is instantly obeying the promptings of the Holy Spirit and resisting temptation. It is applying God’s principles and demonstrating character qualities we have learned. The Bible describes maturity as being “complete and perfect in the will of God.” Some important character qualities relating to maturity include: Responsibility – Fulfilling what is required of me by God and others, Punctuality – Valuing others by showing high esteem for their time, and Initiative – Recognizing and fulfilling needs of others before I am asked.

Sanctification

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;” – I Thessalonians 4:3-4

Sanctification is the process of growing in character, grace, and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ by studying His Words, obeying the Holy Spirit, and learning from the people and experiences God puts in our lives. The Bible says that sanctification is the will of God, so that we can abstain from the deceptive snares of the world. While sanctification encompasses our learning all of the character qualities of Christ, some highlights include: Meekness – Giving our personal rights to God. Reverence – Respecting and listing to the working of God in our lives. Sincerity – Doing right with godly motives. Virtue – The moral excellence that radiates from our life as we obey God’s Word.

Thankfulness

“In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” I Thessalonians 5:18

Thankfulness is realizing that everything we have is because of someone else and is ultimately a gift entrusted to us by God. When we are thankful, we recognize the worth of others and praise God through our thoughts and actions. Thankfulness comes when we yield our lives, rights, relationships, and possessions to God, their rightful owner, and obey his commands. I Corinthians 4:7 explains that everything we have, indeed, our very own lives, is a gift from God: “For who maketh thee to differ from another? And what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”

Related Character Qualities: Gratefulness, Attentiveness, Sensitivity, and Joyfulness

Confidence

“Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” – Hebrews 10:35-36

Confidence is knowing that our actions and communications are right in the sight of God’s standards.  Confidence is based on knowing that God’s truths are absolute and pure and having a clear conscience. God’s absolute, preserved, pure, and un-changing Words are our foundation and confidence. A Clear conscience is the basis for our being able to expound the truth with boldness. Perfect love, the love of Christ, casteth out fear: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” – I John 4:18

Related Character Qualities: Boldness, Flexibility, Enthusiasm, Love, and Justice

Freedom

“Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.” – Peter 2:13-14

Freedom is the power, or grace, that God gives us to do what we ought, not what we want. We are free when we fulfill our responsibilities to God and man. Freedom is based on responsibility. A free society requires responsible citizens and officials. Likewise, if we are to be free, we must yield our rights to God and accept responsibility for our actions. Some character qualities relating to the principle of freedom: Forgiveness – When we forgive those who offend us, we are free from the destructive consequences of bitterness.  Virtue – When we humble ourselves and follow God’s standards, we are free from the consequences of impurity. Faith – Trusting God allows us to be free to have Him work through us. Creativity – Submitting to authority gives us the freedom to approach problems and find solutions from new perspectives.   

Endurance

“For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.” I Peter 3:17

Endurance is overcoming obstacles and temptations to fulfill our responsibilities. It is purposing in our heart to accomplish God’s goals despite opposition. The Bible describes the Christian Life as a race: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews 12:1-2. We can do nothing without Christ; it is only through his strength that we can run our race.

Related Character Qualities: Patience, Loyalty, Determination, and Cautiousness

Separation

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” I John 2:16-17

Separation is the wisdom, boldness, and discernment to stand alone for God’s principles without compromising. Separation requires that we understand that all that is in the world, its system, allurements, and lusts, are of the world and will pass away.  However, the work that we do for the Lord will endure forever. The Bible commands us to “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” – Colossians 3:2. When we stand alone for the truth we must have humility and a Christ-like spirit to communicate effectively. Following God’s standards will keep us safe from the snares and dangers of the world.

Related Character Qualities: Alertness, Persuasiveness, Security, and Discernment

More Information:

A superb resource on the Character Qualities of Christ, upon which this article draws, is “Operation Definitions of Character Qualities” by Bill Gothard.

Can you imagine what it would be like if there were a group of committed, Bible-believing prayer warriors in every school across America?  Can you imagine these groups teaming up every week or every day to share concerns and successes, acknowledging God and asking Him to bring a revival in their school? Can you imagine the impact such groups would have, even if only a few existed? A witness for Christ would be unleashed which would be powerful.

Such is the vision of the YCLA for our project called Operation Pi. “Pi” stands for Prayer Initiative. The goal of this project is to create or identify at least 25 school prayer groups by the end of 2009, and 75 more by the end of 2010.  We have, at the time of this writing, achieved around half the 2009 number, in five states.

Anyone in school is strongly encouraged to participate. Leading a group of a few friends in prayer once a week is a relatively easy action compared to many projects YCLA supporters have helped with in the past. Even if you don’t think you are the “leader type,” you could mention the idea to someone who is.

Be involved in a tangible reformation effort!  Operation Pi is for you.

Go to www.youngchristianleaders.org/prayer.aspx for more info on how to get involved.