Evangelical Leader

Meet David – An Evangelical Leader

David is a quiet person. He is not flamboyant or flashy. He is not overly witty or comedic. He is not bulging with muscles or able to intimidate people with his huge vocabulary and high IQ. He is an average, ordinary person by most standards. He likes baseball and laughs at corny jokes. You may not even take note of him in a crowded room. Yet, David is an extraordinary evangelical leader. In fact, he may be one of the finest.

David is one of the people in this world who has found a comfortable balance of the two ingredients of evangelical leadership: conviction and compassion. Too little conviction leaves nothing to profess; too much conviction leads to arrogance and boasting. Too little compassion makes interaction with others impersonal and cold; too much compassion invites dependency. David has found the right mix of each; his life has become a witness to the grace of Jesus Christ.

Conviction: He knows what he believes but also knows his faith is limited and fragile. He confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and admits to failing to live a life worthy of the one whom he calls Savior. He is not perfect at anything and not even very good at most things, but he seems to have little need for methods of measuring himself. His conviction of faith gives him his identity and his sense of worth. He is a child of God, and his life bears witness to the power that comes with such a title.

Compassion: To look into his eyes is to know what it is to be loved, to feel worthy of being heard. He makes time to listen. He remembers to call. When he does these things, it is easy to receive his gift of grace because it seems to come from his heart. It isn’t forced. It isn’t his job. It is because he genuinely cares, and he seems to find great joy in caring for those who are in need of love. As he has experienced the love of Christ, he willingly extends that love to others.

David is an evangelical leader because he is authentic. He is connected to Christ in a very real way. That makes all the difference in his life. To know David is to know a person of integrity. He is not pretentious about his faith or his failings. He simply relies on God’s grace to redeem him and then shares that grace with others. No special training or extraordinary gifts required. No degrees or qualifications. No eloquent speeches. Just a healthy dose of grace and a willingness to share. It seems so easy, anyone can do it. In fact, anyone can.

What are your convictions?
How do you show compassion?
What would it feel like to find a balance of conviction and compassion?
How are you called to be an evangelical leader?
How might you share the good news of Jesus Christ during the coming week?

Writer: Nathan Blom
Copyright © 2005 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
May be reproduced for local, non-sale use provided the above copyright notice is included.
E-Tips, Division for Congregational Ministries - Evangelism.
www.elca.org/dcm/evangelism