Godly Leadership: There's Gotta Be A Difference

There’s gotta be a difference.
It’s gotta be significant.
If you’re really inside changing my life
You would shine, You would be evident
if there’s a difference.
There’s a difference.

The Difference (lyrics excerpt)
Philmont

Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22

Joan of Ark was different. Very different. She was a peasant woman in a man’s world. Yet, God gave her a mission in life that most would think only the bravest of knights might have any hope of achieving. The place was France. The year was 1429. The situation was grave. The country was divided, without a king on the throne and in danger of being taken over by the English. Joan’s mission was to facilitate the restoration of her country’s independence by convincing the discouraged, displaced king to rally his loyal followers and lead them into battle in order to reclaim his rightful place on the throne. Completing this mission required her to journey alone through dangerous enemy territory, gain the audience of untouchable French nobles and lead soldiers into battle against a superior opposing force. Her differences made it incredibly difficult – seemingly impossible -- to accomplish the purpose Christ had for her. But that did not stop her. She did not let it discourage her, distract her from her mission or compromise her purity. She accomplished all of it … at the age of 17. She embraced her difference and made a difference. She may have been a woman, but men of God can learn from Joan of Ark.

Young men, do you ever feel like you don’t “fit in”? Do you get ridiculed or made fun of by others for not taking part in activities that the world says is normal and acceptable? If not, you may have a problem. If so, good! You are on the right track. You are not supposed to fit in. You were created to be different. The Psalmist writes of this when he says, ““the Lord has set apart the godly for himself” (Psalms 4:3). Did you catch that? Set apart. Different. The New Testament speaks even more strongly about this difference in 1 Peter 2:11-12: “Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” In other words, if you desire to be a man of God, then you are expected to be different from the world around you.

It is important to be different for several reasons. First, having the courage to be different teaches you to rely on God’s strength and measure your worth based on God’s standard of approval, not the world’s standard. If you make decisions based on the world’s opinion of you, then your heart will become hardened by sin’s deceitfulness (Hebrews 3:13). You will not be able to hear the voice of God, understand His purpose for you or be used by Him. That is why Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” You should also be different because God demands it. If you are a friend of the world it means that you hate God and are His enemy (James 4:4). Like it or not, there is no middle ground. In the words of Joshua, “Choose for yourself this day whom you will serve.” Finally, we need to understand that being different pleases God and that He will reward us for it. This is a recurring theme in the Bible, but especially in Hebrews 11 – the “Champions of Faith” chapter. Verses 13-15 make the specific point that these people lived differently (aliens and strangers on earth), which pleased God and earned His reward.

So what does it mean to be different? There are many ways the man of God can be different from the world around him, but I believe the cornerstone of being different is purity. Interestingly enough, Joan of Arc was known for her purity more than anything else. In the words of author Jeff O’Leary, “… one of the most remarkable facets of Joan’s leadership was the power of purity in her character and its effect on those who followed her.” Purity is very powerful and it takes many forms. It is wholehearted devotion to God (Jeremiah 29:13). It is the pursuit of holiness (1 Peter 1:13-17). It is unwavering integrity (Psalm 41:12, Proverbs 13:6). It protects us (1 Timothy 4:16) and guides our thoughts (Philippians 4:8). It requires humility (1 Peter 5:5-6) and the confession of sin (1 John 1:9). It is one of the ways a young person is called to set an example for other believers (1 Timothy 4:12). But most of all, Psalm 51:10-12 (one of my favorite passages in the Bible and frequent prayers) shows us the greatest result of purity: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore me to the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.” In other words, purity is the difference God uses in a man to lead others to the redeeming love of His son, Jesus Christ.

It should be obvious by now that godly leadership requires not just a reluctant willingness to be different, but rather a deep, passionate, fervent desire to be set apart from the world. How many leaders do you know who are the same as everybody around them? None! A leader is someone who is different; someone who stands out in a crowd. Matthew 5:13 says we are to be the “salt of the earth” and that “if the salt loses its saltiness … it is no longer good for anything.” If you understand the characteristics of salt, then you should also understand the powerful implications of that verse. When salt is added to something else it doesn’t change. The thing to which it is added to changes. God wants us to be different from the world so that He can use us to change the world. Building a relationship with a non-believer is not about trying to establish common bonds with them. It is about living life with them and loving them without being like them. Why would a person who is genuinely trying to fill the God-shaped hole in his heart be drawn to someone who is like him if he already knows he is lacking? He is not searching for what he already has. He is searching for something different. Moreover, if we are like the world and share their perspective, how will we be able to recognize their pain, emptiness and need for a savior? Young men, I implore you, take a moment to look up 2 Timothy 2:15. Study it and take it to heart. Seek only God’s approval. Do not be ashamed to be different. Pursue purity. Measure yourself according to God’s truth and nothing else. If you do, I am absolutely confident God will use you to lead the way in the lives of others and make a difference for Him.

Mike McFarland
Challenge Guest Director