YOUR METRON
Yesterday I had the privilege of speaking to a group of people who have answered the call to leadership – leaders who are serious about their call and the ministry set before them. I spend a big part of my life helping leaders fulfill their calling, from young beginners to mature and fruitful leaders. Throughout my life I have found many absolutes that are necessary for being a successful leader in God’s kingdom.
Many of us are familiar with the absolutes of leadership such as character, clarity of calling, development of gifting, Bible depth and knowledge, loving the church, honoring proven principles, being a team player, and more.
Today’s topic is one more absolute that I believe is a key to successful, fruitful leadership. It comes from Paul’s ministry. Paul was attacked by critics, accused by his own church people and by other leaders of not having as good a relationship with Christ as they had. Paul answers his critics by defining his ministry sphere, what I call “metron.”
In 2 Corinthians 10:12-18, Paul exposes the faulty way that ministries evaluate themselves by using the measuring rod of others. Evaluating themselves by themselves is acting unwisely, and in fact, is harmful. Paul’s key ministry concept that he personally lived by is that he knew his “measure,” his “rule.”
“We, however, will not boast beyond measure, but within the limits of the sphere which God appointed us…” (2 Corinthians 10:13). Ministry identity, style, and motives all rest on the understanding of the ministry metron – the sphere God has drawn for you.
A metron is a portioned off measure, a boundary that has been set and should not be crossed. It is the idea that God destines a person to a particular measure, to a particular gift of grace and ministry influence. Every leader has an ideal perfect measure that is assigned to him or her to achieve. The measure of the rule is defined by the line which God has drawn.
As a surveyor surveys the land and determines the proper lines to be assigned, so God draws ministry lines for us. Understand that these are not limitations. God draws lines far larger than we can imagine! But He also knows which lines should not be crossed. He sets these lines for our own good.
When we stay within the metron domain that God has drawn for us, we will thrive! I have found five specific “metron domains” that leaders need to know so that they can stay within the God boundaries that will bring fruit in ministry and life. Here there are in brief.
1. Grace metron: We can experience the favor of God assigned to us so that we are successful in that place where He put us.
2. Leadership metron: God grants a measure of influence and we accept that level with no competition or complaining.
3. Church metron: Accept the identifiable God-given authority and anointing upon the church for specific, strategic influence.
4. Apostolic metron: This dimension activates and empowers leaders to occupy their assigned places of spiritual authority and ministry. The apostolic metron gathers, teaches, equips, assigns, targets, builds, shapes, raises spiritual sons and daughters, and deploys teams.
5. Movements metron: This is what happens when leaders and churches strategically network the God-deposit and God-DNA that multiplies Kingdom effectiveness generationally. We don’t compete, compare, or copy. We have our own metron.
0 comments:
Post a Comment