An Inevitable in Leadership
(Ac.13, 14, 15)
         
The Barnabas-spirit is the spirit of submission to the perfect will of God. It is that deep-seated humility and willingness to submit to the revealed will of God even amidst glaring contradictions and perplexity.

This is the spirit that recognizes the best in others and accords them their due respect and honour, even when that will cost us our reputation, our honour and even our career. This God-given ability enables a leader to take a second place; to assume a position lower, and in some cases, of lesser prestige than the one hitherto enjoyed, without any feeling of bitterness, envy or disillusionment about it.

This can only be found in those spiritual leaders of immense quality who are completely surrendered to the Holy Spirit and have learnt to be controlled and guided by Him. They recognized the claims of the Master over their lives and understood that if Jesus is Lord, then He has the absolute right to determine their estate at any given time.       

The Barnabas-spirit understands his role in any God-given program and once it is clearly established that his mandate for now or for that task has been fulfilled, he willingly withdraws, to give room for the progress of God’s work. He allows the one whom it appears has been given the next option, to finish the ‘good work’ he has started. This is building according to God’s plan, for no man on earth has or can ever carry out the program of God single-handedly: The evidences of the scriptures to this regard are obvious and enormous.        

Such a rare leader does not however completely fade out of the scene or scheme of events; rather he goes underground and acts as a pillar to support the progress of that which has been initiated through him. He gives advices when necessary and helps, as directed by God, to check the excesses (mostly due to ignorance and zeal) of his successor and makes sure that he never loses sight of the goal set before him. This, however, does not mean undue scrutiny and unnecessary censor. Since it is believed that the work is the Lord’s, and He always chooses and calls capable hands to handle His affairs.
Besides, it is the Holy Spirit who carries out the program of God in any chosen and yielded human vessel.     

This spirit is the spirit of commitment, and because the leader is so committed to the cause of Christ, it does not matter to him whether he is leading or being led, whether he is at the forefront or at the rear. He prefers the glory and honour of God and the advancement of the Gospel to his personal ego; and the hidden pathway of sacrificial service and the approval of His Lord rather than the flamboyant assignment and the adulation of the unspiritual crowd.         

The Barnabas-spirited leader does not habour jealousy. He is always satisfied with his own portion of anointing; and realizes that the things of God are not what we scramble for physically. ‘The race is not to the swift … but it is God that showeth mercy.’ One should not worry or complain when and if God is lifting up another person alongside him in this upward journey of service; rather, one should always strive to know the Lord’s mind and be on His side and in His will at all times. This is the heart-desire of God for every Christian.

We all need the Barnabas spirit, and of much more value and inevitable is the possession of this spirit in every a-would-be leader or leaders. Its absence in the Church means anarchy and may partly be attributed to the present unenviable state of the Church, especially in Nigeria or any other African setting, where no one is willing to take the second place, even when it is very obvious that that is all that it is required to advance the cause of the Gospel and uphold the honour and glory of our benevolent Lord and Master Jesus Christ, who became poor that we might become rich. And descended to the lowest pit or estate that he might bring us up to God and to Himself: To whom be glory, honour and majesty in the Church, now, and evermore. Amen.                            -Inno-Praise’89