2. CONTENTS
Page
Acknowledgement 4
Introduction 5
Chapter 1: Time for Change 7
Chapter 2: Authority of God’s Word 42
Chapter 3: Faith 67
Chapter 4: True Sons of God 82
Chapter 5: Kings and Priests 95
Chapter 6: Prayer and Fasting 102
Chapter 7: Praying for the Nation 117
Chapter 8: Righteousness Exalts a Nation 126
Chapter 9: Love for God 136
Chapter 10: Love for Nation 143
Chapter 11: Love for Neighbor 149
Chapter 12: Steps to Revival 162
Conclusion 175
3. 3
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my loving parents (George and Philo) who have brought me into this
world. You are my role models, “You are the best parents God has given me.” This book is the
sum total of all your great efforts in bringing me up from my babyhood, up to the stage I am
now. Your single concern was to bring me up to be the kind of man, fully fledged, that our
loving and awesome God wants me to be.
Also, I would like to dedicate this book to all my siblings (Elizabeth-deceased, Charles, Steven,
Margaret and Alphonse).
Lastly, I dedicate this book to all the aspiring leaders of Papua New Guinea. You are the very
reason I wrote this book. Personalize it!
4. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Thank you my Heavenly Father for giving me this special ability and potential to write. We all
know that every good and perfect gift comes from our Father above. A man can receive nothing
unless it has been given to him from above. Without His love and mercy, we wouldn’t be where
we are now. Without Him, this book would not be in your hands. I mean that from my heart. All
honor and glory goes to you my heavenly Father.
I wish to thank my spiritual parents and mentors, Pastor Chris Kopyoto and Susan Kopyoto
(Riwo Foursquare Church, Madang) for having invested a great deal of spiritual input toward my
spiritual growth and development. Without your spiritual covering and mentoring, truly, I would
not be where I am today. May God bless you Kopyoto’s abundantly, and enlarge the boarders of
your ministry for His own glory!
I thank Elijah Komahe and Maggie Pil for having raised me as your own son. I cannot express
the immense gratitude I have in my heart for all that you are, and have done in my life. Thank
you for putting me on the good foundation in my initial stages of my ministry. Your effort in
raising me is worth it. This is the sum total of all your inputs toward my progress. May God bless
you “mums and paps.”
I am indebted to Ps. Sam Petali, Mr. and Mrs. Walo for providing spiritual covering over my life
when I was the President of TSCF, 2014-2015, at Divine Word University.
I also wish to thank Pastor and Evangelist, Israel John (Bethel Worship Center, Madang) for
your lively and exuberant encouragements. You always stirred and stimulated me not to give up
in the process of wheeling this book toward its completion even in the face of many personal
challenges in the course of writing this book. Thank you for pushing me to unleash the potential
God has placed on the inside of me.
Thirdly, I wish to thank Andrew Mark Ghewala for mentoring me in my humble beginnings. It
was Andrew who introduced me to the world of “books” at Divine Word University. I never
knew the importance of books until I met Andrew. Having written this book, and bringing it to
this stage now, is solely, the result of your great, awesome and loving input.
Fourthly, I am indebted to these following special individuals who have encouraged and tapped
me on my back to usher this book to its final stage of completion. God places special people on
the road to cheer us along; these are some people who contributed spiritual input toward my
progress. They comforted me when I was down and weary from the battles of life. Special thanks
to Ps. Robert (Mt. Alpha PNG Christian Fellowship Church, Mt. Hagen), Raunu Gebo, Edward
Mase, Elliott Dawea, Elijah Paru, Samuel Ray, Israel Warambukia, Emmanuel Manda, Hobra
Ken and Weina Rirona.
5. 5
There are many “great people” whose names might not appear in the pages of this book. They
are my “unsung heroes.” In my life, there were many great people, whose names I cannot
mention, who had poured into me great spiritual treasures. My being here is the result of their
lasting input. God knows the great contributions they made toward my spiritual progress and
growth in life; He will reward them in His own special ways in this life, and the next life to
come.
May God bless your loving and gracious hearts!
6. INTRODUCTION
I have diligently groped for answers on how to shape the destiny of our nation Papua New
Guinea. The main question which preoccupied my mind is: “What can we do to see our nation
inundated with unthinkable social issues along with moral decline change?” The good news
is that “every problem has a solution.” That is enough right there to launch us out into the deep to
fish out the most “appropriate and competent” solutions to address our nations insurmountable
problems.
In this introductory part of the book, it seemingly fits so appropriate to launch ourselves out by
parading ourselves before few gigantic questions. Your questions, it may be somehow in line
with the one which preoccupied my mind above, are some that we must attempt to answer to
provide us with the corresponding solutions, which in turn, would be our roadmap and guideline
to shape the destiny of our nation. All the chapters in this book, which are mostly solutions to the
above bolded question, will be contingent upon this one foundational question: “Is it possible for
a nation to shape its own destiny?”
I deduce many people may agree with “yes” for an answer. For the ones who say “no” claiming,
it is not possible for a nation to shape its own destiny, may not find this book be of much help.
As for those whose answer is “yes”, and that any nation can shape its’ own destiny would find
this book rather helpful. I believe the destiny of our nation Papua New Guinea can be shaped.
How? It is never about what we can accomplish by our own efforts, rather it is all about what
God can do through and in us, provided we follow the ultimate patterns set out in the Scriptures
as well as taking into consideration, the accounts of the subsequent history of certain nations
which have shaped their own destinies. History leaves markers along with principles that we can
emulate to shape our nation’s destiny. Principles are universal, fixed and are unchangeable. If we
can appropriate the principles, we will surely apprehend the corresponding results.
God has wired us with necessary abilities and gifts that we can employ to set on course the
destiny of our own lives as well as the destiny of our wonderful nation, Papua New Guinea. The
authority was pinned into us at the very beginning when God created Adam, and gave him the
mandate to rule and dominate the earth. It has been reaffirmed, if not, established to a higher
plane when Jesus Christ gave up His sinless life on the cross purposefully for us. The main thing
here is not anything to do with the issue of authority. The authority has been given to us already.
Now, the main emphases we can place rests’ entirely upon rightfully using our God given
authority, as children of God, to positively and dynamically influence our God assigned arena.
But it all strips down to the bare essential of our belief system. If you believe, Bible explicitly
affirms, you do well. The constitution of our lives’ is so wired, such that, the results of what we
believe in will eventually be brought into the open. Our belief, whether real or professed, cannot
be hidden away no matter how we may attempt to; it will always come to the surface.
7. 7
It may occur that many people may not go with the notion that our nations destiny can be shaped.
To such, I would like to make this point; what we believe drives, motivates and inspires us to a
larger extend. Admittedly, many people believe in their inabilities and shortcomings. They put
their trust and confidence in the wrong wheel. Thus it propels them downwards on a slippery
slope—ultimately to their utter destruction. They magnify their present condition and back off
thinking not having what it takes to do the noble will of God. My friend, believe in the God
whom you and I are serving! He is the Lord God Almighty! Also, believe in your God given
potential that He has divinely planted on the inside of you. Our God has covenanted Himself to
hear the cries of His dear children who walk humbly before Him seeking to please Him.
If you are a passionate and an aspiring leader crying out to see the great move of God sweep
through our wonderful nation, Papua New Guinea; to see our nation change for God’s honor and
glory, it is to this very end this book came into being.
There are two phases in this book:
• Chapter 1 is allotted to the theme of “Change”.
• The rest of the Chapters hang on the Chapter 1 providing us with necessary principles,
guidelines and steps to procure the necessary change.
8. 1
TIME FOR CHANGE
Most of us fear change. Even when our minds say change is normal, our stomachs quiver at
the prospect. But for strategists and managers today, there is no choice but to change.
—Robert Waterman Jr.
We leaders and people must know where we want to go before we can decide how we should
get there. Before a driver starts a car, he should first decide on his destination. Otherwise his
driving will be without purpose, and he will achieve nothing. We Papua New Guineans are now
in the driving set. The road which we should follow ought to be marked out so that all we know
the way ahead.
(Constitutional Planning Committee (CPC) Report, 1974, Chapter 2, Section 4)
The needs of our nation
Our country needs leaders of character, leaders with passion, and optimistic to lead change. We
surely need leaders who are always working, praying and hoping to see the positive change
permeate our nation in its entirety. Vibrant God fearing leaders’ is what our nation needs
desperately in this point of time. We need passionate and dedicated leaders who are driven with a
sense of responsibility, and who will identify with our nations’ insurmountable plight, such
leaders will be counted in and looked upon to lead the “change movement.” Now is the time for
change!
I want to ask you these two questions:
• What do you think about our nation’s present state of moral decay along with socio-
political and socio-economic instability?
• Are you comfortable with the mounting injustice and wickedness every day?
• Are you satisfied with the current trend of management and leadership of our nation?
If you are not content and pleased with our nation’s current stage, you are the unique person who
bears the call of God on your life; you are destined and wired to stand up for change that our
nation needs. People who realize the need for change for our nation are the people who are
needed for this move of change. Join me as we embark on the boat of “shaping the destiny of
Papua New Guinea.”
Current Trend
9. 9
There has been so much abuse of power, wealth and resources from the dawn of our nations’
independence—right up to this present time. There seems to be so much complains poised by the
populace especially on the government’s overall performance in the rendering of the nations’
basic infrastructure and development. Some people are complaining that our government is not
doing enough in the rendering of the basic services. Others go to the extreme by criticizing our
government and the authorities that God has established. Criticizing and judging those who are
in authority is not a good attitude in the sight of God. Bible emphatically condemns such an
attitude toward those who are in authority. Paul told us in Romans Chapter 13 to honor and
respect those who are placed in the area of authority. Paul knew very well that this theme is of
such tremendous importance that he devoted the seven verses to get his point across:
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority
except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been
established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling
against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on
themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do
wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is
right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you
do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's
servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is
necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but
also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are
God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe
him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect;
if honor, then honor (Romans 13:1-7, NIV).
Paul is telling us to submit to the governing authorities as God Himself has established it, for the
authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time governing. He is not telling us to rebel
here. Those who rebel against the authority are rebelling against God Himself. For what we do to
man, that is what we exactly we are doing to God. Jesus taught us this in the gospels. Those who
are rebelling against the authority, Paul says, even your consciences’ alarms you that what you
are doing is not right. Our conscience is our moral sense of right and wrong. Paul knew that the
people are likely to complain too much about our government imposing too much tax and
introducing other monetary and fiscal policies, that he took time to clear this part. We owe them
tax. Without paying tax, our nations’ economy will crumble. If they are charging too much for
their personal gains and interests is, it is their own business, they will be accountable to God for
their acts. But our responsibility is to pay taxes, revenue, and respect and honor because that is
what we owe them. In verse 8, Paul went on and said; Let no debt remain outstanding, except the
continuing debt to love one another. If we are rebellious, we have outstanding debts that we
would one day answer before God. God loved us despite our situation, He expect us to love
others in turn. If we fail, we owe this debt of love. Can you honestly say that you are well
prepared to answer God on this matter at the end of your life? I don’t think many of us are ready.
We all know that the decisions our leaders make determines the direction of our nation; whether
positive change, development and progress or vice versa. Some decisions made by our leaders
are purely for personal gain and interests, which is sometimes disguised in the name of the
10. unheard citizens. This contributes to the corruption that is so prevalent in our nation. I thank God
for our nations’ leaders; I am not criticizing our leaders here. I am just pointing out where we are
going wrong. Before we address such issues, truth must be brought to the forefront. Then, we
will have the clear picture to do something about it. Truth brings things out into the open; it
shows us things in their true nature.
Avoid power-hungry attitude
As long as it is your passion and determination to get into power you might make it, but with a
wrong motive. You are driven with a passion not to serve the people, but to serve your own
unbridled desire for power, at the expense of the innocent people. Our motivation underpins
everything we do in life. If our motivation in leadership is not serve others, we are in the wrong
position. You cannot be a leader and serve yourself; your own needs, pursue your own vision and
dreams, and build your own empire. The leadership nature doesn’t agree with such attitude.
You must know why you are doing what you are doing.
As PNG is a developing country, the temptation to look to the other developed countries may be
overwhelming. The lure to accumulate wealth so as to prosper and increase our buying power
would likely have a strong pull on us. We need wealth to go to other places that are on dream
list. We need wealth, especially money to enable us to do what we want to do. There are many
more you can think of. But this temptation and loophole, all leaders must be aware of and seek to
avoid them when the opportunity to fall prey to is there.
Nowadays, many a leaders are enslaved by what we would call “power hungry”. Power hungry
mindset puts the leaders in the position of negligence; hence they do not live up to their assigned
roles and responsibilities. Ultimately, they fail to model the kind of leadership expected of them
by the populace. It all starts by graving for more power. Apostle John termed it as “pride of life.”
The deadly landmine which so destroys those who are not careful in life. It destroys those who
are blindly led to it. The unredeemed man is liable to fall to the temptation of graving for more
power, wealth and fame. Human nature graves for these things. Sadly, though, some leaders run
after “wealth and luxury”─ therefore plunge themselves into misusing and misappropriating the
resources that are strategically allocated toward our nations’ basic infrastructure development. In
this vast and rapid competitive world we are living in, leaders seemed to be swayed by the beat
of the current trend. They are not satisfied and content with what they have. They are always on
the lookout wanting more. Furthermore, what we call “people based leadership” is losing its
vocabulary as leaders pursue their own vain ambitions, trying to feed their own greed at their
whim, doing so at the expense of the populace. All these factors, along with many other factors,
builds up the solid block of corruption, which, eventually lead to chaos in the leadership, in all
the arenas of our nation. The buck, however, has to be stopped somewhere.
Only a responsible leader will feel the thread, and the weight of the insurmountable moral
obligation resting on his shoulders. He sees the condition of the nation and feels he has to get
involved, and do something to help the nation progress and develop positively. You must feel
something on the inside of you. Something must move you and cause you to do what you are
doing. Great leaders feel the pain others are feeling. A responsible person will get involved for
the good of our nation PNG. We must get involved, stand together with one voice and do
something to correct these twisted values, norms and morals which are celebrated and deemed
11. 11
acceptable. As I stated earlier, our people need educated God fearing leaders to move into all the
arenas for change. My friend, you are the answer for our nation!
Our nation is standing on the sinking sand
Our nation is not progressing holistically, it’s regressing. The onus is on us. Are we going to let
our nation sink, or we intervene to stop our nation from sinking further?
We must be brought to the awareness and realization that our nation is actually standing on the
sinking sand. It is sinking right before our eyes. We cannot just sit on the sidelines, spectate and
shrug our shoulders saying it is none of our business. Only an unthinking person would react this
way. We have to get involved for the betterment of our wonderful nation Papua New Guinea.
You have to be involved. We need you! You cannot conquer what you do not confront. Victory
means there has to be a fight! You have to go to the battle to claim victory. Change means, we
must fight for it. In fact, enormous price and a great deal of sacrifice would be involved so as to
see the needed change that we are longing for, and desiring so much come into fruition. The fact
of the matter is that, we will have to pay a great deal of price for change. We have to be willing
to sacrifice for the next generation. Are you willing to commit yourself to sacrifice? This is the
question every one of us must resolve to answer.
Nowadays, many aspiring leaders are highly motivated and are so passionate to see change. In
preparation for change, more and more seminars, and conventions are held as the platform to
instill into leaders of Papua New Guinea competent skills and knowledge underpinning quality
leadership. Leslie B. Mamu in his first book—Living Your Dreams said; change is a popular
issue discussed in homes, schools, churches and conferences. I agree! Change is of course the
popular subject in our nation. People want the new and godly government to lead the nation
forward. People are fed up with the prevalent misappropriation of power and influence. God
created us as moral beings. Our inner nature loves what is right and fair. God has so created us
and made us that way. However, it comes back to us to make the decision to follow or not to
follow Christ.
Leaders of today who are passionate to see change materialize are using their influence,
exercising their God given mandate and authority unlike never before for change. Churches are
offering their prayers for the national well-being, progress and prosperity of our nation. Churches
that are awakened spiritually are also pleading in prayer before God to see the revival sweep
across our land and evacuate all the social issues that are pulling our nation downwards. All of
these stirrings and rolling’s going on around us are a sure indication that our nation is surely
moving toward a major period of transformation in all the facets of life. Actually, this is really a
good sign. It implies clearly that people are involved, and are doing everything they can in their
power to see the positive change!
In the setting of a company or an organization, making change happen from the bottom of an
organization by introducing it at the top is quite tough. Of course one has to be recognized before
his ideas are accepted. This might be true on the physical plane; but in the spiritual dimension,
quite the opposite is true. In the spiritual dimension; thank God, all of us have the same privilege.
Our background, race, creed or status does not count in the sight of God. God sees us with equal
privileges and opportunities. Where we come from does not count in the eyes of God, whom we
believe matters most! As long as we believe in Him, we qualify for His blessings.
12. What will bring change?
Again, is it possible to shape the destiny of our nation Papua New Guinea? The answer is “yes.”
There are mighty and dynamic spiritual weapons that God has provided for us that we can
engage to shape the destiny of our nation. These weapons existed when God laid the foundation
of the world in the beginning. They are still as much available now as they were in the biblical
times. They are still locked safely away in the “armaments storehouse” in heaven. Our God is
immutable! Now, our only major responsibility lies herein is to learn about these weapons; have
a clear picture of the reason they are given, and how they are to be used; and then, we could use
them for the purpose to which God has assigned.
The Prophets of the Old Testament revealed to us in their writings that God is a man of war.
Does this sound strange to you? Well, this is the single title the Major Prophets such as Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Ezekiel and other minor prophets ascribed to God; they referred to Him as the “Lord
of Hosts.” There is a reason why they used this title. What is the word “host” means by the way?
Host here is the old English word or archaic for the word “army.” Since we are at war with the
enemy of our souls, that is Satan, God has provided us the necessary armaments to wage war
victoriously and triumphantly. God has given us the weapons of:
1. Prayer
2. Fasting
3. Armor of God
4. Proclamation of His infallible and inerrant word with boldness and faith
In utilizing these powerful atomic and dynamic weapons coupled with faith, we will see the
change we are envisioning materialize. In the following chapters, we will discuss these three
weapons in debt. This is just an outline to help us lay the foundation to the next themes which we
will address in this chapter of change.
God has given us these necessary weapons in order to mount up victorious. We cannot blame
God for what our nation is facing currently. It is our responsibility to use what He has given us
already. Take, for example; a soldier who is not using his weapon in the war frontier cannot
blame his lieutenant general, captain or major general for his own foolishness and failure. He has
been drafted into the military as a soldier, and has been thoroughly trained to handle the military
weapons. His failure of not using his weapon does not give him the rights or grounds by any
means to lay the blame on others! Do you get the picture?
Similarly, when we have repented, and accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior,
that very moment, we are automatically drafted into the military. We are in the Lord’s army
automatically at war with Satan. Be assured that Christian life is not a playground, conversely, it
is indeed a battlefield. Christian life is not a bed of roses; it is a bed which has real thorns.
Therefore, believers must learn to use these weapons that God has provided, or would otherwise,
end up as casualties or as victims. We are created to be victors and not victims! Some people
13. 13
wag their fingers at God when they are wounded and downtrodden forgetting the fact that they
are the very ones ought to be blamed, not God, who is absolutely innocent and blameless!
If we are going to fight for change for our nation, we must be thoroughly trained and equipped to
lead the change movement. That is why I have employed military analogy here to drive home the
point. You must have certain skills and qualities to fight for change. As we go on further in this
chapter, we will see some of the key principles change leaders must have or develop in order to
lead change.
Sow seeds for change
No gardener ever clears the bush and abandons it to grow the food by itself. Only a foolish and
insane person can do that. We all know the process of gardening. After burning and clearing the
bush, one starts planting. Here’s the simple process: clearing…..planting…..harvesting.
Here’s the Key: Without planting or sowing, there can be no harvest.
Seeds for change has to be sown now if there will be a bountiful harvest of change for our nation
in the future. No seeds sown; no harvest. This is the basic principle for success, progress and
development in any arena. We must know that the next generation will reap what this present
generation sows. If we sow to the flesh, corruption will flourish and we are going to lose the next
generation in the muck and mire of corruption. We cannot afford to let that happen. If we sow to
the spirit, we will reap the corresponding spiritual benefits. The blessings of God in the Bible are
rightfully ours, as His dear sons and daughters; yet they are conditional. Blessings of God are
only unleashed and apprehended when the preceding conditions set forth in the Scripture is
appropriated. God sets the condition upon which He releases His blessings. We must meet His
standard before He ever blesses us. As we go on further, we will look at some conditions that
God has set forth in the Scriptures that we will have to appropriate or act upon so as to see the
needed change come into fruition.
Learn from history
History is the “story” of God’s dealings with the nations. Across the canvas of time, God was
working out His purposes for the nations. He built up the humble nation, and He brought down
the arrogant and prideful nation. He blessed the nations that humbled themselves before Him. He
left the nations to their utter detriment that had forsaken His ways. We must learn from history
and have a clear picture of the dealings of God for the nations. History provides us with good
examples, which we can emulate. Learn from the mistakes and failures of the nations in history
avoid repeating them. What made God to bless some nations with His favor? What made God to
abhor some nations and left them to their own harm?
God didn’t just create the world, stand at a distance, and let it to thrive on its own. He is a
“involve” God who cares and has deep concern for the world He created. God is concerned with
the nations as much as He is concerned with an individual. He is concerned with the world as
14. much as He is concerned with a person. He is concerned about the social welfare of humanity as
much as He is concerned about the social welfare of an individual.
In the history, God has so blessed United States of America with power, privilege and material
tremendously. Why? Simply because the founding fathers of USA have established their nation
on God’s Word. The fathers’ sowed the seed; the children are now reaping it. It was not that they
were some kind of special people, they just believed in God and His Word, and relegated the first
place to the Word of God. If our nation has to change, to achieve vision 2050, we must give the
Word of God preeminence.
Leaders are sowers
We cannot talk about change if we are not prepared to sow the seeds for change. Change does
not happen by random chance, it takes seed sowing, watering, and careful preparations. Change
takes process and time. What are the seeds you are planting for change? Paul reminds us in
Galatians 6:
Don't be deceived. God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also
reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption. But he
who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life (Galatians 6:7-8, WEB).
All leaders are gardeners, we are sowers. We sow good things into those we are leading and
mentoring. We plant good seeds and remove unwanted weeds. We look after the garden; we
water it, we keep wild animals away from it, so we can reap a good harvest.
We are planters. As leaders, as vision carriers, “What are we going to plant for change for our
country?” PNG Vision 2050 will not come into fruition if nothing is sowed today. The vision is
just a direction, it’s a foresight plan, and it’s our roadmap. But if it is not propelled with
corresponding necessary action of sowing, we won’t achieve “change vision” and Vision 2050.
If we all would contribute our quota toward positive change, only then, Vision 2050, will
become a reality.
PRINCIPLES OF CHANGE
Principles are fundamental truths or proposition serving as the foundation for a belief or action.
The world around us is subject to the influence of change, but principles are unchangeable.
Principle is that which guides and regulates almost everything in life. When we disobey the
principles whether intentionally or unintentionally, our lives would not amount to anything.
Principles, if followed and obeyed accordingly will surely lead us to our success. There are
number of principles of change, however, we will not look at them in depth as we are only
interested in change in spiritual perspective. They are:-
1: Change is a normal part of life
~ Nothing is permanent in this world except God
15. 15
2: Change is pervasive
~ Change is sometimes unwelcome
3: Change is complex
~ Change is never easy
4: Change can cause tension & resistance
~ Some people fight and resist change
5: Change is sometimes rapid
~ Some change happens at a short notice
6: Change is sometimes incremental
~ Change that happens regularly
Change is something which is a normal part of life. We always experience change irrespective of
our race or creed. Sadly, we cannot avoid nor wish it away. Things around us are changing over
time. Even the entire human race is subject to the demands of change. We are all affected
tremendously by it. Change comes in diverse perspectives such as biological, political, spiritual,
and cultural and so forth.
In taking about bringing change into fruition, leadership is inevitable. Someone must rise up and
lead change. Otherwise, change will not become a reality. Oh, we may plan about it. We talk
about it. We may write about change. More and more seminars may be held, talking about the
different kinds of changes that so confront today’s world, but all these would be worthless. This
introduces us to one of the most important theme, which is “leadership.”
LEADERSHIP
In leading change; in all the arenas, leadership is indispensable. John C. Maxwell once said; “A
leader knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.” In other words, a leader is one who
shows the direction. He shows direction through his exemplary life and speech. It is vitally
important that you as a leader must know where you are going (vision and mission), so as to
lead, and show the way. I have learnt that you can only lead people to where you have been
yourself. A leader must be a person with a sense of direction. People would not buy into a person
who is going nowhere. One day, one of our Lecturers talked about Abraham. He said Abraham
was a leader who did not have a vision and mission for his company. He was a leader that we
would not want to follow. He left his family; he left his people and his country. Abraham what
are doing? “I don’t know.” Abraham where are you going? “I don’t know.” Abraham believed
on God to answer all these questions.
Change will never eventuate unless someone with the decisive character and sound leadership
skills stands up to take the lead. Someone has to sacrifice voluntarily to carry the banner at the
front line. This would definitely denote a life of sacrifice, and self-denial for the common good
16. of our wonderful nation. Many people only love talking things through, but when it comes to
sacrificing, they shrink back.
In leadership, the issue is not of quantity; rather, it is of quality. Any nations’ success and
progress hinges entirely on the quality of its leaders. A God fearing leader with character and
sound quality leadership skills is worth more than hundred professing leaders whose standard,
character, and motivation is so low a watermark, lack the sense of purpose and direction. Such
leaders will only cause problems and frustration. That is why all the leaders must strive
strenuously to raise up quality leaders. You can count on quality leaders.
I am very impressed with Joseph’s story in the Bible. Joseph had no Bible beside him. Bible
shows no record of whether or not he ever prayed. Bible never states that Joseph ever attended
prayer meetings. He never sat in the pews of the church. But what made him not to give in to the
pleas of the immoral and seductive Egyptian (worldly) woman? It was his referential fear toward
God that made him to run away from the Satan’s entrapments. He loved God so much that he
would not afford to go against his own conscience by doing the wrong thing. Truly, we need
more Joseph’s to lead our nation, PNG. There are many leaders in our nation who do not run
away from women; rather, they run wildly eyeing out woman who is not theirs. What a shameful
attitude!
Vision must be driven from the top
As I have mentioned previously, the success, development, and the progress of any company and
organizations’; hinges entirely on its top management level. Of course, everyone contributes for
the success of the organization, but it’s the top management that set the pattern for success. Top
management lead and manage the company; they give directions, make decisions, and issue
orders to the ones below. In the same way, the success and progress of a nation hinges entirely
on its leaders. Vision cannot be driven from the bottom, it is impossible. Vision is always driven
from the top. If leaders are committed and are willing to sacrifice all in the name of making the
“change vision” a reality, they can influence their followers. It’s when top leaders lose their
vision that they lose the trust of their followers. Where the head goes, the tail simply follows.
The tail doesn’t drag the head; the head drags the tail along. Likewise, a church spiritual
condition also vests on its’ church leaders. If the leaders in the church are compromising, and are
playing with sin, it rubs off to the entire congregation. You cannot have a dead Pastor and have a
live church. It’s impossible! Same equally applies to other areas of leadership.
Everything, to a larger degree, falls and rises on leadership! Leaders are a critical people. They
can either build up or destroy the people, one of the two. They can inspire, build, direct and
motivate or mislead, deceive and discourage the people that they are leading. People are graving
for good leadership. Cruel and dishonest leadership undermines and demeans man’s value and
worth. Godly leadership maximizes man’s value and worth. Godly leadership attracts God’s
favor and blessing for a nation. We need God’s favor and blessing to change the course of our
nation.
17. 17
All throughout the Scripture, we see snapshots of man and woman of God who were great
leaders by God’s grace. Admittedly, they were fallible men and women like us. It was never
about what they did, but what they became before God and men. They stood up tall for
righteousness, and justice, and wrestled against the prevailing corruption of their time with the
Word of God. They served God with wholeheartedness, faithfulness and loyalty. As the result of
their faithfulness, loyalty and humility before God, God trusted them with bigger things.
Price has to be paid so as to see positive change that we are longing for and desiring so much
come into fruition.
THE PATTERN OF LEADERSHIP
1: Greatness, God’s way
The world defines greatness using many standards and criteria. But God has different criteria as
well. The world’s standard of greatness is only temporary, which does not have any vital view of
eternity. Greatness in God’s criteria reaches past the plane of time and reaches into the realm of
eternity. It has eternal benefits.
I believe there is something on the inside of us, which gnaws within us, and makes us dissatisfied
still even in the face of many of our achievements, successes and accomplishments. Why I am
not satisfied? Is there more than where I am now? It is the inclination that we are created to do
more. It is a signal that where we have stopped from our last progress, is not, where we should
remain. In the Bible, there was an issue which arose between the disciples as to who is the
greatest amongst them. Surprisingly, Jesus did not rebuke them for having this idea. He did not
wag his finger at them, and lush out, “Guy’s you are wrong!” He did not yell at them saying,
“Guys you’ve followed me all this time but haven’t changed.” Rather, He took the issue at hand
by expounding to them the subject of greatness in its’ truest, and simplest nature. Of course, the
disciples represented all of us, and asked Jesus with this issue of greatness. There is a passage
that Luke wrote which accounts this story:
There arose also a contention among them, which of them was considered to be
greatest. He said to them, the kings of the nations’ lord it over them, and those who
have authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you. But one who
is the greater among you, let him become as the younger, and one who is
governing, as one who serves (Luke 22:24-26, WEB).
Jesus tells us that whoever wants to be great must humble himself; and be a servant to all. Jesus
is telling us that true greatness is what we become in the eyes of God, not what we are before
man. We must form all perceptions from God’s standpoint. Because He is the one we are
accountable to. Not man! You see, this corrupt, sickly and twisted world cannot accept this very
important truth. It demeans, writes-off and belittles man’s dignity. Many people cannot accept
18. anything which belittles their ego. Today’s world sees this as something insulting. Well, God
does not need your standard. He’s got His own standard.
Besides, we all must know that no one is created to be a mediocre; rather, we are created to do
great and mighty exploits for God! You will never ever come across a person with an ambition to
be a mediocre. Admittedly, all of us want to be great. Conversely, you will only see few people
rejuvenated with the passion and determination for greatness. Many people see their inabilities
and shortcomings; magnify them; make excuses and settle where they are with no pretext of
rising to the next level. Such attitude must be eliminated if our nation will produce fruitful and
change leaders tomorrow! We are the handiwork of a great and intelligent Creator! We are the
head and not the tail; we are from above and not beneath! We are the powerful children of the
Most High God, eternal and all-powerful God!
Servant leadership
Servant leadership is the highest form of leadership. It is the most profound and noblest form of
leadership. To be a servant leader, there are three criteria that you have to meet. You must deny
yourself, carry your cross and follow Jesus. Servants live a life of self-forgetfulness. In a world
of “me-first”, servant leadership is the most difficult of all leadership. Great servants are tough
people.
Viewing leadership trend in the light of Luke’s account, however, brings out the vital fact that
leadership in the kingdom of God is one which is really upside-down in nature. Jesus Himself
introduced this philosophy that we become great by becoming a servant to all. We lead by
serving, because the true nature of leadership is servanthood. The world reaches up, the kingdom
of God stoops down! This is the principle, the founder of Christianity taught us. Majority of
Papua New Guineans think of a leader in terms of someone with a chest out, bossy, aggressive,
manipulative and domineering attitude. Well, I have a simple comment to offer to this kind of
leadership standpoint. This is an “old fashion cultural mindset and standpoint” of leadership
which is completely wrong and does not harmonize with the scriptural teaching. In the past, our
ancestors view leadership in this perspective. Someone with wealth and many wives was highly
respected. They highly respected people who had many sons; they respected warriors and chiefs
and viewed them as leaders. The time frame in which they lived accepted and celebrated these
beliefs and standards. However, the time frame in which we live now differs drastically from the
time frame in which they lived. They had tribal fights; therefore they respected great warriors,
and saw them as their leaders. They used black powers and customs; therefore, they esteemed
highly the people who possessed these magic powers. They had no hospitals and clinics;
therefore they relied on witchdoctors for cure to their illnesses. That is the past. We are not
interested in traditional view of leadership as it is misleading; we are only interested in God’s
standpoint of leadership, which the scripture teaches us.
2: Imitate Paul’s attitude
19. 19
I was walking with one of my course mates to attend a lecture. This guy turned around and
whispered an amazing statement to me. He said; “It’s attitude which characterizes the lives of
good managers.” I didn’t say anything in reply. In fact, I pondered about this statement in my
mind and muttered to myself, “You are right.”
Apostle Paul is one of the greatest leaders who had ever lived. I am amazed and greatly
challenged when I see his leadership attitude, whenever I study his letters. I believe Paul is one
of the great leaders whose life is an inspiration that we ought to take note of, and whose godly
examples are worth emulating. Nowadays, media has a very great influence on this young
generation. They seem to imitate whatever media puts before them. They are imitating the wrong
set of values and beliefs which the media portrays. If we can influence this young generation for
change, we must point them to the Bible, which is full of influential characters. We must do this,
if not, media will have a very devastating “grip” on this young generation. Don’t underestimate
the influence of media. Media is a very powerful tool. Paul, whose life is an inspiration, is worth
emulating. Writing to the Philippians, he said:
Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, if it is
so that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.
Brothers, I don't regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do.
Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which
are before, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in
Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14, WEB).
Paul made four confessions, which, I believe are so important that we need to take careful note
here. Let us see Paul’s confessions of faith systematically:
• Not that I have already obtained
• Not that am already perfect
• I don't regard myself as yet having taken hold
• Forgetting the things which are behind
After making all these bold confessions, he comes up with these astounding words: “But I press
on, stretching forward to the things which are before; I press on toward the goal for the prize of
the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” What a leader! What a man of God! Paul teaches us
something very important in the above passage.
Not that I have already obtained
He is reminding us that the biggest mistake we can ever make is to convince ourselves thinking
that we have arrived. This kind of attitude sabotage all progress and advancement in any arena of
leadership. Like Paul, we must never settle where we are; rather we must always move forward,
in everything we are doing. When something is done, it is already frozen; we need to move
forward. Brooding on frozen things is very dangerous; it will stop us from progressing any
further. Move forward and do more of what God has called you to do. Forget the past; stretch
20. forward to the things which are before you. Paul experienced God in a deeper level, yet his
words tell us clearly that he still hungered and yearned for more of God. Really an amazing
character! Why? Because he came to grips with the fact that if he ever stops growing, he will
surely become stagnant and settle in complacency, which is undoubtedly, one of the greatest
enemies of success in any area.
Many races were not completed because people fooled themselves thinking they have arrived.
We must never stop growing, and doing what God calls us to do till God calls us home. Heaven
is our resting place.
Not that am already perfect
As leaders, as Christians, we must understand that we are not perfect. We have not reached the
benchmark God has set. We have misrepresented Him by our dead works. God knows that we
are not perfect; therefore He looks past our flaws and embraces us still. Our “perfectness” comes
from God. We must draw all our strength from God who is our source of all blessings. Paul is a
man who lived so close to God but he saw himself as “imperfect still.” Because he came to the
end of himself; and relied on the “perfectness and purity” of God. His utter reliance and
dependence on God made him to be one of the Christians heroes whose life is a twinkling and
sparkling star. You never know the legacy and inspiration your life can be as a result of your
committing your life to God in utter reliance and dependence.
I don't regard myself as yet having taken hold
Paul achieved many great things in his spiritual service and ministry. He succeeded making the
unchurched find hope in Christ. His preaching brought many to Christ. He labored establishing
churches. His ministry was very fruitful. Yet, he didn’t settle in comfort and complacency. He
never thought of himself having grasped and detained the secrets of God and ways of God. God
has poured amazing revelations to Paul because he had this humble attitude. He was prepared for
this task. He came to the end of his own life. His eyes were fixed on the finish line. His single
goal was to finish the race successfully and on a high note.
Forgetting the things which are behind
As leaders, there are some things we must rather forget. They cannot do us any good at all. It
may be a nasty comment from an immature person in our church, in our ministry, or group. It
may be a false accusation. It may be a judgmental comment. It may be a blunt lie. We need to
say goodbye to these things, and focus our gaze on Jesus. In the course of writing this book,
Satan used other people to ruin my name and my ministry. People began to talk about some
things that I never did. It was a very humbling experience. God used this to push me higher. It
could be some horrible memories of our past that we need to let it go. What we have become in
Christ matters most. We must not let our past cloud our future. God knows our past but He is not
surprised. You can tell Him the worse thing about you, and He will tell you, “I knew all about
that but I just waited for you to admit it, and turn from it.” That’s the beauty about God’s love for
21. 21
us. Our eyes must be on the goal, the finish line. That is, to finish the race. Jesus has a price
ready for us and He is standing on the finish line. These four Pauline leadership attitudes might
not seem attractive, popular and appealing compared to many “easy steps to great leadership”
and “quick fix” manuals available on the shelves. But these are biblical steps, they are proven,
tested and are found to be working.
What makes a good leader?
We must begin with God as the foundation for everything in life. If we take God out of mention
or out of our vocabulary, we are liable to fall into error and misconception. With this key thought
in mind, let’s ask: What makes a good leader?
It is God who makes a good leader! He calls; He anoints, and rises up a leader. We do not make
ourselves; it is God’s grace, love, mercy and kindness alone that make us to be who we are.
Remember, we are clothed with Jesus’ righteousness, not our own self-righteousness, which is
but only filthy rags! God is the giver of all the good and most noble things in life. Glory to God!
Character
Here’s the Key thought to begin with: It’s easy for people to follow a leader of character.
I believe “character” makes a godly leader. This is the ingredient and substance every godly
leader has, it is “character”. It is easy for people to follow the leader that they know and trust.
Character holds this world together. Character makes this world a better place to live. In our
nation, people perceive leadership in terms of someone’s educational background, wealth, title
and etc. As our nation is a developing nation, people often esteem highly a person who is well
developed and highly cultivated. They don’t give a second thought to his character and personal
standing, which is of paramount importance. Wealth, title, position and education become a lure
to bribe and win people over to do what we want them to do.
The quality of a leader hinges entirely on his character. Now, what is character? I would define
character this way; it is “who we really are on the inside”. Character is the real you and me.
Many people only care about their reputation but they never realize their need for character
development. Such attitude is a tragedy because character alone makes a leader, not reputation.
Furthermore, God appoints his servants on the basis of their character. If we can do great exploits
for the Kingdom of God, we must be man and woman who are adorned and clothed with godly
character. People sometimes see and focus a lot on reputation, but God sees our inner person, He
looks deep into our character. Bible accounts that mighty Prophet Samuel made a mistake, and
was about to anoint Eliab, had God not intervened that very hour. Samuel was drawn towards
Eliab due to his physical appearance and stature. It is human nature. Conversely, God chose
David simply because He saw the wonderful shepherd’s heart in David. David had the spirit of
shepherd in him which was the great asset for leadership. The word “shepherd” is closely
associated with the word “pastor” or “overseer.” They mean the same thing. In simple terms,
David had a wonderful pastor’s heart. He loved his sheep dearly as the Bible tells us. No one
22. recognized and applauded him, but God knew what He has put in the heart of David. When I was
appointed as the president of DWU TSCF ministry, one of my brothers in Christ said to me; “I
did not expect you to be the President of the ministry.” He admitted; he expected something less
from me than President. Yes, we humans do not determine what people become. Only God
determines the destiny of a person. He chooses and calls us according to His will. That’s good
news because we do not need people’s approval and appointment to become the kind of person
He wants us to become. God is the only One who chooses and appoints people for His divine
purposes. People may undermine, and label you, and give you all kinds of names, but God sees
you with entirely different set of lenses. If you can become all that God has created you to be,
you must train yourself to rise above people’s opinion and approval. Focus only on what God
says about you, and not on what other people say about you. People will always magnify our
flaws. They may not give us the benefit of the doubt. But God only magnifies our abilities.
People will see and judge by our outward appearances and stature. But God sees our heart.
People may applaud and magnify only our strength. But God loves us despite our weaknesses.
He loves us just the way we are. Had David dwelt on people’s opinion, we would not have the
book of Psalms in the Bible. We would not have the books of Proverbs and the Songs of
Solomon as well. It was through David’s line that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior came
through. There are many heroes, whom the Bible accounts, who were once rejected, despised and
undermined, but God used them rather in the mighty way to reveal His strength and power. Paul,
the apostle, knew this secret very well, and writing to the Corinthians believers, he came up with
these astounding words; for when I am weak than I am strong. He knew the secret! Yes, God
reveals His strength, power and wisdom to those who are weak and foolish in the eyes of man.
That is how God works. God does not need man’s strength. He does not need man’s wisdom.
Why? Because, He has His own strength, He has His own wisdom. We depend so much on our
own strength that we do not qualify for God’s strength. We laud and applaud our own wisdom
that we do not qualify for God’s wisdom.
God has made divine provisions and has restored us to our original domain. Having fallen from
His glory, He has resurrected us again, and has adopted us into His family through His Son,
Jesus Christ. All of God’s purposes that the Scripture unfolds are synchronized toward moving
man back to where he was initially in the Garden of Eden. God knows that man’s character and
nature is far more important than what his works. If a man is unregenerate or not born again, his
works will be the mere result of who he is on the inside. He will spread the sin disease due to his
inherent sinful nature within him which is not dealt with accordingly. A born again person will
emanate life out of the new nature and the reservoir of God’s very own nature within him. Thank
God, through Jesus Christ, we are made anew! We are restored to our original domain and
position! We have what it takes to live like Christ here and now!
Change yourself first
Sometimes, God will put you in a position where your leadership will go through tough and dry
times. So that He will humble you and change you. God will put some people across your path,
just so He can show what’s in your heart. God will put some people along your way, who won’t
23. 23
seem to buy into you; He is doing this so that he can show you your attitude. He allows
circumstances so that we may change and be effective as leaders. God uses changed and
transformed leaders as instruments and channels to change others. That is what Jesus did. He
took disciples to Himself, he taught them, He changed them and sent them out to spread that
change to others. We must be changed by God before we can be change agents.
A leader who is passionate for positive change must first and foremost change himself. Work
with your own life and seek to improve your life as a leader, through God’s grace given us.
Correct your misconceptions and perceptions and align them to God’s Word. The better you are
as a person, and as a leader, God will use you to touch other people’s lives. Get busy with
yourself. Don’t try to fix other people’s problems to the point where you forget about yourself,
and your need for change. Leaders judge no one except themselves. They examine their own
lives and correct their own flaws.
Leadership is who you are
If leadership is calculated by “what we do”, then the world at large will be swollen with pride
and ignorance.
In reality, leadership is first being, and then it culminates in doing. In other words, who you are
is more important than what you do. Even an uneducated person can understand this fact clearly.
Every change begins within, then without. You cannot go around laboring to change others
except yourself. The only person you can change is yourself. You know yourself; you know your
strengths and weaknesses. We don’t change people, it’s God who change people inside out.
Bible asserts that we must first remove plank in our own eyes before we reach out to change
someone. That is why; you must allow God to work in you before He works through you.
Leadership can be a blessing, at the same time, it would be a curse. When you are placed in an
influential position, be careful you become a blessing to others.
A leader who is passionate about change must first and foremost, change himself; as leader-
ship is first being, and then, it culminates in doing.
MANAGEMENT VERSUS LEADERSHIP
Based on my personal observation, I deduce that the three important and mostly discussed
subjects in our nation are change, management and leadership. They are in fact, interlinked.
I am persuaded that leadership is doing the right thing, while management is doing things right.
A leader does the things he was born to do. Manager does things right. To put it in simpler terms,
a leader “leads”, a manager “manages.” In business arena, there may be a slight distinction
between the two, but in real life, I believe this two go together.
24. In leading change, leadership and management are inevitable. A leader is a manager as well, but
a manager on the other hand has to learn to the art of leading. Myles Munroe once said;
“Whatever you mismanage, you lose it.” This may sound very simple, but by implication, it is so
profound. A leader has to know how to manage, so as to be competent, and excel in what he is
doing. Take, for example, corporate sectors experience bankruptcy and chaos when their leaders
mismanage the company. Family’s falls apart when a father fails in his leadership to model the
standard of leadership expected of him. Many families are disoriented, and are in chaos, because
the father does not live up to his level of leadership that God has so designed.
Below are some roles and responsibilities of managers and leaders. However, we will not see
these managerial and leadership functions, roles and responsibilities in broader scope, as we are
interested only in the spiritual view of change. It is imperative a leader must have or develop
these credentials or qualities so as to be effective and competent in his leadership. The list below
is not exhausted; you can add some of your own as well.
Leadership: A Leader:
1. Establishes direction
2. Aligns people
3. Motivates
4. Inspires
5. Produces change
Management: A Manager:
1. Plans
2. Budgets
3. Organizes
4. Staffs
5. Controls
6. Problem solver
7. Produces predictability
8. And establishes order
Blend the two
To be effective in leadership, a leader has to acquire “managerial skills” and “competencies”
and apply them in his leadership. Skills are vitally important. Don’t neglect developing skills.
We must integrate a good heart with a good head, which is a formidable combination. David had
a good heart, and he also had a skillful hands. Daniel had a good heart, and he also had a good
mind in that he was an excellent official. In the Bible, God also gifted specific individuals with
special wisdom to carry out what He wanted. Whatever He demanded, He provided. With all the
25. 25
skills, qualifications and competencies we possess, we must know that without God’s grace, we
cannot accomplish anything worthwhile.
Our nation is suffering from a disease called, “trust.” Leaders are not trustworthy. We are also in
need of good management. Good leadership and good management are two things that our nation
needs. We cannot progress if these two things are missing. We need good managers to manage
our natural resource. We also need good human developers to develop our nations’ human
resource and human capital. Our nation is richly and abundantly blessed by God, and yet, we are
not seeing it tangibly. Development is slow because the resources are not allocated to their right
place. Leaders and managers must be trained by God to manage the wealth of our nation
successfully. Many managers and leaders have qualifications and education, but they are not
trained to handle roles and responsibilities practically. That is why when they are entrusted the
role and responsibility to manage the nations resources, they fail in their responsibility.
Education and knowledge can be a deadly tool in the hands of man, if it is not guided by godly
principles.
Have problem solving skills
Many people will come to you for advice, help and direction. You as a leader must be prepared
to meet these needs. That is why you must develop certain skills and competencies, and be better
prepared for this task. Learn from your life lessons and use it to help others who will come your
way.
When leading change, people will either try to avoid it or actively attempt to discourage it by
causing inconveniences. You as the change leader must know how to approach such problems,
and solve them decisively. Many complicated issues are arising in our government, churches,
homes and societies simply because people do not know how to solve the problems effectively
and decisively. The wisdom to solve such issues, and make it a win-win situation for both parties
seems to be absent. We are moving towards a world where whatever satisfies and makes people
“happy” is what matters despite its negative outcome in the aftermath.
As long as humans exist, there will never be a shortage of problems. Therefore, you must be
good problem solver. It’s good to develop problem solving skills, but ultimately, we must give
space to the Holy Spirit, He is our counselor. In my own life, I have experienced what it means
to be used by the Holy Spirit to help solve problems. When the Holy Spirit speaks, light comes
on.
Sometimes in an attempt to solve a problem, people unwittingly make it very complicated for it
to be solved. Some people are experts and gifted in making problems hard to solve. They walk
into a situation, and turn the problem worse than it was in its initial stage. Many times we think
that our experiences, expertise and qualifications are all we need to be successful leaders. We
live God out of the equation. But this is all wrong! Whenever you leave God out of the equation;
you unwittingly sign up for utter failure. Ben Carson, a renowned Neurosurgeon, was successful
26. in most of the operations he performed because he acknowledged God and gave Him the place of
preeminence. He didn’t rely on his own expertise and knowledge. By his own admission, he
glorified God by saying that it was Him behind his success in the operations he performed. He
would not be successful had he relied on his own knowledge and expertise. God can do the same
to you if you would decide to shine the spotlight on Him in whatever area He has put you. God
sometimes limits His use of us because we have something in us that He sees that would destroy
us if He continues to use us still. Therefore, He uses us without putting us in a place where we
would kill ourselves. When He sees pride and arrogance in us, He withdraws His hand and
chastens us before blessing us.
I read a short story which fits perfectly to what I want to say. It was sent to me via email from
Ray Stedman daily devotional. This short story is a typical example of not having “problem
solving skills and competencies” in leadership.
I heard of a church that got into an argument over whether they ought to have a
Christmas tree at their Christmas program. Some thought that a tree was fine; others
thought it was a pagan practice, and they got so angry at each other and even got
into fist fights over it. One group dragged the tree out, then the other group dragged
it back in. They ended up suing each other in a court of law and this was spread in
the newspapers for the entire community to read. What else could non-Christians
conclude other than that the gospel consists of if you have a Christmas tree or not?
We all know that church is a place where we gather and worship God our Creator and learn of
His ways. It is a place where there should exits acceptance, friendship and peace. It is a place
where peace should prevail; not fist and verbal fights, lushes and quarrels. This story is a typical
example of failure in solving the existing problem decisively. As a result, the relationship
amongst the believers was marginalized and the entire congregation was divided. Division is the
work of the evil one, which Paul said; works of the flesh or carnality. If there was at least one
wise leader amongst them, this issue should have been dealt with accordingly, calmly and solved
decisively for the equal good of everyone. In such settings, the presence of one wise person will
make a tremendous difference. A wise person has discernment and understanding, he has the
ability to weigh things proportionally, rationally and genuinely consider both parties standpoint,
and come up with a sound consensus. His wisdom does not come from himself, but it comes
from God. He knows exactly what to do in such settings. I have witnessed such issues several
times in the Church and as such; I think I have at least little insight on how to solve problems in
such settings. Paul addressed this issue in 1 Corinthians chapter 6. He took at least eight verses to
get across this important truth to the believers of Corinth. He was urging them not to go to the
circular authorities to solve their minor problems, rather, to have the maturity to solve their
smallest matters in the church. Paul said; I say this to move you to shame. Isn't there even one
wise man among you who would be able to decide between his brothers? But brother goes to law
with brother and that before unbelievers! (See 1 Corinthians 6:5-6, WEB). Notice the bold and
underlined emphases. Paul clearly affirms what I am trying to get across to you! Church must
have the wisdom to handle such problems decisively and not go to the circular authorities.
27. 27
Frankly, people in the church do not know how to handle the problems effectively. We have
drifted so far away from Paul’s message.
God’s wisdom in solving problems
We can infer that there was failure both in management and leadership in this particular church.
In fact, a good leader is actually a good manager as well. As we have seen earlier, these two are
interlinked and are inseparable. I have learnt that it takes insight, understanding and discretion to
solve such problems effectively and decisively. Knowing what to say, how to say it and the right
timing is very critical. We may have the right words for the occasion but wrong timing is one
important factor that we have to consider before opening our mouths to say something. Or the
timing may be right but wrong choice of words is another important factor that we must
consider. We can either build others up with our words or destroy them instead. The book of
Proverbs speaks much of how we use our mouth, lips and tongue. Read through the book of
Proverbs and note the verses that speak of the sins we commit with our lips, tongue and mouth.
You will be surprised to see out of 31 chapters; King Solomon devoted over fifty verses to talk
about the great havoc these three little members of our body cause. These three members cause a
lot of trouble and start up disastrous and sinister fires in the church, homes and etc.
You can know much about a person by his words. Words reveal a man! You can know about a
person whether or not he or she fears the Lord through his words and actions! If one uses
obscene languages and curses all the time, you do not need further observations or speculations
to see whether or not such a one fears the Lord. We can infer that this person does not have the
fear of the Lord! Simple as that! Bible says in the gospel; out of the abundance of the heart, the
mouth speaks.
I have suffered a great deal from verbal abuse, and I know the adverse effects that verbal abuse
can have on a person. If a child hears negative words spoken over him many times, he will
eventually believe them and convince himself that what people say of him is what he is really.
Faith comes by hearing; not only the spiritual side, psychological side is also very disastrous. If a
person hears a word long enough, he will eventually believe it. Verbal abuses have devastating
psychological consequences on a person. Usually, people who have suffered as a result verbal
abuse almost always end up having to struggle with the problem of low self-esteem. Many
people are the victims of verbal abuse. They are tied to the words spoken over them. Such people
really need our helping hand to get back to track.
Here’s the Key: Leadership begins at home where nobody else is watching except our home
mates.
Leadership begins at home
The old axiom; “home sweet home,” not only reassures us of the awaiting peace and joy at
home, it also waves before our round eyes our “roles and responsibilities” at home. Home is
simply where we live. Therefore, it is imperative people living with us, under the same room,
must first know the kind of person we are before anybody else knows about us. We cannot
28. bypass this first unit. Leadership begins at home where nobody else is watching except our home
mates. Many people treat leadership like a jewel. Leadership is not a jewel that we can wear on
the outside to impress others when we are away from home, and take it off when we are with our
own family. Remember we cannot cheat God! That is why God has a plan of action for each one
of us. He lets us cross the dry deserts and makes us climb rugged mountains so as to teach us
through experience. In my own life, I have learnt so much having gone through the hard times
that God has put me through. There are some things in life that you cannot otherwise learn them
anywhere else. Someone once said; “The school of suffering is the best school.” This is very
true. When we go through a situation, we come out stronger, and tougher than we were initially.
There are many people who do not know the purpose of suffering. They do not see the other side
of it. Suffering and pain are actually blessing in disguise but a lot has to do with our responds to
it, which is critically important. That is why Scripture tells us emphatically time and again not to
despise the chastening of the Lord. For whom the Lord loves, He rebukes and corrects. If we are
without chastening, we are illegitimate. Hard times play a significant part in our lives; it works
for us, it works for our own good. God uses these situations and trials to frame, shape, mold,
refine, groom and prepare us for His greater calling and the noble purposes He has for our lives.
If our nation has to change, it is imperative the family unit must win. Family is a sacred and
crucial unit that can either build up a society, or pull it down. Godly home sets the pace for godly
society. The breakdown of our societies is mere reflection of the breakdown of families.
Much of Pauls’ advice in appointing elders for the work of the ministry was wholly singled out
on the “home life”. No doubt, Paul had something in mind when he set down the criteria. Paul
wrote to Titus who was in Crete:
I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were
lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you; if anyone is blameless,
the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose
or unruly behavior. For the overseer must be blameless, as God's steward; not self-
pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest
gain; but given to hospitality, as a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-
controlled (Titus 1:5-8, WEB).
Notice the underlined word in this passage. It’s the word “order.” Paul visualized this word in his
mind before he charged young Titus with this solemn task of appointing elders. The first
condition or criteria, so to speak, that Paul eyed above all else is the “home life.” Paul reminded
Titus to appoint elders in every city with the following four credentials:
• One who is blameless
• The husband of one wife
• Having children who believe
• And children are not accused of loose or unruly behavior.
29. 29
If we are to summarize all the above credentials, we can conclude that Paul is informing Titus to
appoint elders who “leads or manages” his home business effectively. Remember, our thesis is,
“leadership begins at home.” Home is the first unit which is a company and ministry of its’ own.
Therefore, God expects us to be orderly in this area. God is a God of order, and therefore He
would have us first and foremost to be good leaders at home. Sadly, home management is where
many a man mess it up. You cannot fail at home and expect to be successful away from your
own home. It is impossible! You have to be systematic and be orderly. God ordained man to be
the head of the family. Every man must live up to this original standard which God has set. A
father who fails in his leadership at home cannot be successful in the church. Church is simply
families coming together to worship the Lord. If the man manages his home well, he will surely
manage the church affairs well. Better and orderly home management puts one in a better
position to be better able to manage the other areas apart from home. This is the area where all
the man must seek to excel in before all else.
CHANGE IS NEVER EASY
It’s always easy to talk about change, but asserting change in any arena is never an easy task, due
to a number of inherent factors, or obstacles involved that we will uncover here. There are many
factors which obstruct change in our nation; but we will focus on two factors here which are
“fear of unknown” and our “culture and tradition”. Before we uncover certain things or skills a
change leader must apprehend, it is imperative we see the lurking issues or probable factors
which could hinder change:
1: Fear of unknown
One of the main factors’ which resists change is the “fear of unknown”. Fear is one of those
paralyzing and strongest emotion which prevents us from becoming all that God made us to be.
If we cannot rise above our fears and do what God wants of us, it will push us down, keep us
small and confined. We must keep our gaze on God, and draw courage from Him. Many “change
visions” never became a reality. Some lack tenacity and perseverance to push hard to make it
happen. Some failed to implement it because of much opposition and conflict encountered along
the way. Whatever reasons may be, change is never easy.
It is the fear of unknown that coils; inks and irons people to such a degree that they become
paralyzed and rigid to change. This is the reason people do not pursue the convictions they have
in their hearts. The unknown is uncertain, seems blurry at a distance. That is why people become
ingrained psychologically believing the ceiling has been reached, with little to no prospect for
furtherance. Porsche, one of the management gurus once said something to this effect, especially
referring to change; “There is nothing more difficult to carry out, more doubtful of success, nor
more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things.” Initiating new order of things
comes with its’ number of risks and uncertainties. In the natural, we all are afraid of taking risks
30. because it involves a lot of uncertainties. The future on the other hand is vastly unknown and
unpredictable. Consequently, we only do the things which are seemingly comfortable to us. We
do things that we are accustomed to, especially the things that do not involve taking great risks.
Great risks’ often comes with great blessings.
Risks and uncertainties render people with little to no prospect of introducing new ways of doing
things. This factor obstructs change to a great degree.
2: Our culture and tradition
“We cannot accept nor tolerate anything new; we have always done things this way!” This is one
of statements which kill and sabotage change.
The society and culture in which we are bred and raised, to a certain degree, frames our whole
outlook and perception on life. That is why people can see your conduct, your face, and your
speech and tell where you come from. Our tradition and culture stays with us no matter where we
go. We are born into it, and we have lived in it.
Our cultural and societal practices influences’ and frames our perceptions in a far greater way.
These practices’ traded down from our forefathers to us has become part of our identity. This
defines and identifies us to a certain degree. This sometimes becomes a barrier to the positive
change we are longing for come into fruition. People who embrace traditional beliefs still try
ways to maintain these beliefs in this fast changing society. However, those who live by God’s
standard, the cultural practices no longer characterize their lives. To such people, positive change
is seemingly welcoming and not a threatening issue. Our main hindrance to change is those who
labor strenuously to maintain traditional beliefs, these ones will be our major obstacles. But
through God’s grace, we will remove these rigid walls of culture and traditions! Our God does
not conform Himself to the culture of man. When God comes, He comes with His Kingdom
culture. Through God, we will nullify and eradicate the cultures which are destructive, and are
contradictory to God’s Kingdom culture.
We must know that culture and tradition will not change overnight. Our cultural practices has
been accepted and practiced for centuries, therefore has put down its roots. But praise God,
Kingdom culture is the solution. As I said earlier, people will seemingly resist and fight the new
in their odds to keep the old. Some people never want anything new. These ones will be our
major obstacles. The way I see it, it will take the passionate, dedicated and single minded leaders
with decisive character to lead change nowadays for our nation.
To introduce something new, whether it might be of ideas or conventions, it must incorporate
certain number of approaches or means so as to be successful. A change leader must be well
aware of the hindrances to change before moving forward for change. As we have seen, our
“culture and tradition” along with “fear of unknown” are the two main hindrances and barriers
to positive change.
31. 31
A change leader must be well aware of the hindrances to change before moving forward
for change.
IMPORTANT KEYS FOR CHANGE
Having seen the two main factors which obstruct or hinder change, I want to give you twelve
important guidelines here, which are keys; I believe change leaders must lay hold of so as to lead
change. As a change leader, you must be better prepared and equipped for change. Without
thorough preparation and equipping, you cannot lead change.
1: Knowing God’s Word
In identifying with God, He has “instruction manual” for us.
A leader must have God’s Word as his source of inspiration, motivation and standard. It is of
utmost importance that Gods’ Word must govern and regulate all the facets of a leaders’ life. A
leaders’ heart must continuously feed on the strong meat of God’s inerrant and infallible Word.
The Word of God contains the creative and dynamic power of God; therefore, you must receive
it with humility and allow it to work in you. If you receive it with openness and meekness, it will
ink within you goodies to give away to the lost and dying generation. It will instill in you
necessary expertise, credentials and qualities to lead change. Remember, you cannot give what
you do not have. We only give as much as we have, no more, no less. Word of God performs this
very role; but the condition is we must open our hearts and receive it in faith knowing it is God’s
Word, and will surely work in us as God Himself had promised. Many people do not receive it
with meekness, rather they question its’ infallibility and authority. They use the words of Satan;
Did God really said thou shall not? Such an attitude is simply irreverential and hypocritical! Yes
Bible is what God said; it is God breathed, inspired by God Himself. If we cannot receive His
Word with an open and humble heart, we cannot receive Him.
Bible will never be outdated
All the secular books will be outdated; but the Bible will never ever be outdated by any means. It
is the most relevant, up-to-date book in the world, although its existence dates back centuries and
millenniums. One scientist remarked to my amazement; “Bible is an amazing book because it
never becomes outdated.” He said; science books have a maximum shelf life of ten years, and
are quickly forgotten, but Bible is never outdated.” What an amazing comment! It’s a good
complement and good news for those who treasure the fallibility and inerrancy of the Bible. Just
imagine a scientist posing this astounding comment! Who knows, he might not be in any way
have associations or dealings with Christianity. If he is not a Christian, yet posing this
astounding comment, you better take seriously what he is saying. This is really a serious
business.
32. A leader surely needs this book because without it, there can be no godly leadership. Why? Bible
alone clearly portrays the pattern and roadmap for firm and God anchored leadership. Bible
shows us the kind of leadership God wants from us. Bible shows us God’s standard leadership. If
a person asserts of himself as a leader without any basic understanding of the Scriptures, his
leadership is questionable. He will surely be an oppressor, manipulator and a dominator. God has
not called us to be dictators and manipulators! He has called us to lead by our exemplary lives.
He wants our lives to be the message. A leader without any godly standards cannot lead, because
sensible people will never buy into such a leader. If you are aspiring to rise up for change for our
nation PNG, I would encourage you to spend some quality time in the Word of God. We want
godly leaders to lead this nation. If God’s Word is not hidden in your heart, you will likely add to
the prevailing corruption that is dragging our nation downwards, and eating up the moral fiber of
our nation! You need God’s Word, as much as I need it! Psalmists David said; Your Word I have
hidden (stored) in my heart that I may not sin against you. God’s alone will keep us from the
deadly entrapments of sin that the enemy of souls uses to make us fall, messed up and not to get
God’s will done.
People who caused great impact…knew God’s Word
People who had caused great impact in history knew God’s Word. They loved God’s Word.
Catherine Booth, the wife of Salvation Army founder, William Booth, read the Bible through
twelve times while in her teenage years. Martin Luther said, “I am betrothed to the Paul’s epistle
to the Galatians. George Muller determined not to read any other book apart from the Bible, he
read the Bible over two hundred times. Smith Wigglesworth allowed no circular books and
newspapers into his home except Bible. Derek Prince read Bible over hundred times and taught
the Scripture with clarity and simplicity. They internalized and personalized God’s Word. They
took in God’s Word and lived it out. They have seen God’s Word work in their lives in their
Christian pilgrimage. They have seen the trials that so confronts us as a result of having the
Word in our hearts. They held onto God’s Word in highs and lows of life. They believed God’s
Word on the mountain, they believed God’s Word in the valley. They prevailed because they
knew God’s Word, and had treasured it a place of prominence in their hearts.
Consider this question, “How can God use someone who does not have any working knowledge
of His Word?” God cannot use an empty drum, because, it will make a lot of noise. It was said of
George Muller that he read the Bible from end to end almost two hundred times. He had prayed
for millions of dollars (in today's currency) for the Orphans and never asked anyone directly for
money. He never took a salary in the last sixty eight years of his ministry, but trusted God to put
in people's hearts to send him what he needed. He never took out a loan or went into debt. And
neither he nor the orphans were ever hungry. Bible teacher, Derek Prince, also read the Bible
from end to end hundred plus times. This explains in large measure the triumphs of their faith
and the fruitfulness of their ministry. If you follow their example, only God knows where you
will end up. Don’t limit what God can do through you and in you. Bible is the book that all the
leaders must acquaint themselves’ with. Lester Sumrall once said; “It is the most important to
learn in the world. It will guide us in this life and it will influence us in the life to come.”
33. 33
2: God’s power in our hands
Do you know that we have the power of God to do what He has called us to do? Yes, the power
of God has been made available to us through Jesus Christ triumphant victory on the cross on our
behalf. Candidly, the church is failing to live up to its’ latent responsibility by imparting this
cardinal truth plainly to the believers. This failure, for the most part, causes insurmountable, if
not disastrous problems in the body of Christ due to the church’s ignorance and blindsight.
Ministers of God must seek to study the Word of God, and teach it the way it is presented in the
Bible.
We are like Moses not realizing that the very rod we are holding is the thing that will deliver our
people from the mud and mire of corruption and bondage. Church leaders must extend this God
given rod so as to see positive change influence our nation. Without exercising this rod’s
authority, it will be valueless, it will never accomplish anything. Only when this rod is exercised
can God’s power be released into our nations’ affairs. We have the rod of God in our hands; the
very rod that Moses used to deliver the nation of Israel out of Egypt is in our hands here and
now. Now, what is that rod I am referring to here? It is the Word of God, it is your Bible! I want
to ask you now, how much time do you give to your Bible?
I call upon all the sons and daughters of Papua New Guinea to rise up. It is about time we
exercise the authority and mandate that God has given us. We cannot blame God if we are not
using our authority that He has already given us. Remember, there is no such thing as neutrality
in the kingdom of God. You can choose to serve God or the world with its’ passing pleasures.
Remember, silence promotes and encourages evil; it never drives back nor confront evil. We
must never be silent and allow evil things to happen right before our eyes. We must get up, and
out, and fight against the evil forces wherever we find it, bind it and loose the power of God to
saturate our nation in its entirety!
What is in your hands? Use it to change the destiny of our nation. You have education and
expertise, use them. You have gifts and potentials loaded in you, use them. You are placed in an
influential position; use your influence to contribute to the change quota for our nation. Like
Esther, you have come to leadership for such a time as this….
3: Know your place
It is imperative we must know our place or our calling in the body of Christ. Our calling will
give us a sense of purpose and stability to live. Having identified our calling, we can use the gifts
and the talents God gave us serve Him in the specific area He has put us. Again, Myles Munroe
said something to this effect; your gifting’s and talents is the area of your leadership. This holds
very true! This is the lane we were originally destined and engineered by God to take. A person
who does not know his domain of leadership will be all over the place and waste his time, energy
and effort doing wrong things. Having identified our place God has placed us; we can serve,
doing so using the Word of God as our ultimate guide. Paul shedding more light on this theme
34. went on to employ the analogy of the human body to set out this cardinal truth in 1 Corinthians
12. You are a member in the body of Christ; therefore you are so unique, vitally important and
irreplaceable. You have a bigger part to play in the body of Christ for the expansion of the
kingdom of God here on earth in the now.
God created us and put in every one of us the innate potential and ability to get things done that
which He has predestined for us before allowing us to exist on this earth. God is our Maker, and
He knows best what we are born to do. But first of all, it will take time for your gifts to manifest
or for you to come to realize the gifts that you possess on the inside of you. You have to seek
God patiently and study His Word and dwell in His awesome presence always. He will cause the
doors to be open and engineer the opportunities and avenues so that He can have you to unleash
what He has originally deposited in your life. In the course of time, you will begin to discover
yourself; this is the domain or the area of your leadership.
Another simple thing you can do, though it is not Scriptural, get started by noting down what you
love doing. What is the specific thing that you always love doing? Maybe this is where God is
taking you. Then, try to invest your time to develop these potentials of yours. In the natural, we
all know that it takes cultivation and watering so as to see a seed germinate. Same is true with
our giftings and talents. God reveals Himself to those who diligently seek Him, and He also
reveals to those who seek Him to themselves. You will know your true self if you seek God of
His will and His plan for your life. Unless we realize our place, our calling, life would turn out
for us a trial and error transaction. God did not create us to involve in “trial and error” business.
Let’s assume if life, for the most part deems acceptable “trial and error” or “testing” phenomena,
this world will be turned upside down.
The employees of the company get their orders from the CEO, same is true with God. We must
get God’s mind for our lives and then walk with it! A thing that you were never created to do
will only bring you frustrations, heartache and disappointments, your purpose on the other hand
will give you enthusiasm, a sense of fulfillment and a sense of real satisfaction, knowing you are
actually doing what God has originally designed for your life. This will bring us real energy and
joy as we serve the Lord doing His will!
Having realized what God has put in you, you will invest your time and use your energy wisely
to please Him in the area He has placed you to influence. Nothing is far worse than wasted
resources, time and energy. Once they are gone, we cannot retrieve them. That is why we must
know our place, our specific area of service in the body of Christ as this is our area where we
will serve God and others.
God will put right people on your way
There are some people who God will strategically put on your way to make contribution into
your life. This person may be your class mate, your roommate, your lecturer, your pastor or it
may be your boss at the workplace. Never take anybody for granted that you come into contact
with. In fact, if you understand this truth in the light of the Scripture, your attitude toward others
35. 35
will change dramatically. You will begin to accept people for who they are. Don’t expect people
to have the same beliefs and convictions as yourself before you accept them. We are all different
and unique. Embrace other people’s distinctness and uniqueness. Difference doesn’t mean
competition, it means cooperation. I was so discouraged, thinking about all the tough trials that
God allowed across my path. I thought of giving up serving the Lord. “After all I have been
through from my childhood, things don’t seem to get any better, and they are getting worse.” At
the Jacksons Airport, I was on the cue to have my luggage checked in. God placed someone
there to speak a glimmer of hope into my depressed and discouraged heart. He was a born-again
believer. He was standing beside me. When I turned around, he smiled at me. He was a very
friendly person. Within a matter of seconds, we had struck up a conversation. Inside the
departure lounge, we sat there talking about the things of the Lord. He never knew that he was
talking to a guy who was so discouraged and was about to throw his faith overboard. He told me
that God had a bright future for me and encouraged me to walk with Him faithfully. God had
placed this person specifically to cheer me up to continue in Him.
In my second year at DWU, God brought to my awareness my gift in the area of teaching of the
Word of God. It all happened this way. A guy by the name of Andrew Mark, mixed parentage of
Central and Morobe, took me to his room to be his roommate. Having transferred to his room, I
was surprised upon seeing his mini library. I was so curious that I asked him; “Andrew, have you
read all this books?” He told me that he had read most of them. Within a matter of days, I
developed a habit of reading. I immersed myself into the world of reading, and it got more and
more interesting. I was very eager to read more as my mind begin to grasp new information’s
that I never had known before. Andrew having seen my progress and enthusiasm in reading
encouraged me to continue on reading more and more books. He read through my written articles
one day and told me to start writing books. You may have a potential in a specific area but
sometimes you yourself might not realize that. God will bring other people into your life and use
them to make you realize your potentials and gifts.
Scriptural teaching to finding your place
I want to offer here Biblical teaching to help you find your place or your calling in the body of
Christ. This is not a self-help or quick fix steps. These are biblical steps. Again, the passage
which brings out this truth is found in Romans 12:
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper
worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the
renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will
is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one
of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of
yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to
each of you. For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these
members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one
36. body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according
to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in
accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if
it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if
it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. (Romans 12:1-8,
NIV).
In the above passage, there are five important features that we need to bring out into the open for
our discussion. We would take some time to expound on these five important features in this
passage. They are:
• Offer our bodies as a living sacrifice.
• Our minds transformed.
• Think soberly, as God gave each of us a measure of faith.
• We are one body with many members; each member has different functions.
• We have gifts, according to God’s grace given to each of us.
Offer our bodies as a living sacrifice
Paul has arranged the book of Romans in order. He started with man’s sin and ended with man’s
life in the spirit. In the light of all that God has done, to transfer man from sin to glory, Paul is
saying that our only reasonable sacrifice is to offer our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. I have
heard some silly statements made by some Christians saying; I will be with you in spirit. But
here God wants our bodies. Well, when we are born again, God has our soul and spirit, they are
regenerated. We used to fulfill our lust of the flesh, we are now no longer making provisions for
the flesh to fulfill its lust, we are now led by the Spirit. Now, we live by faith and not by sight.
But the flesh is the one which wars against the spirit, therefore God wants our bodies. He knows
actually where the problem really lies. He wants us to overcome the flesh and live for His glory.
Paul said, what I will to do, this I do not do. He was talking about the battle that we are going to
encounter as Christians with our fleshly nature. Remember, when God has our bodies, He has us
in totality.
We must put our bodies on God’s altar. It is on His altar that He purges us and prepares us for
service. God’s altar is hot, but we must remain there. He needs our bodies for His Spirit to dwell
in and work through. He cannot work through us if He didn’t work in us. This is the first process,
which is often the hardest. As Jesus rightly stated, “The flesh is always weak.” That is why God
works to bring the flesh on line for His great purposes.
Our minds transformed
Paul expounds to us by stating that once we have given our bodies to God, then God begins the
work of transforming our minds. Where the mind goes, the body goes. Example, the more you
think of chips and chicken, you will most likely end up in the restaurant with chips and chicken
in front of you on the table. Think about the negative side of it. Robberies and hold-ups occur as
a result someone thinking about money that he eventually ends up robbing people. We think, and