Dr. Timothy X. Merritt Jun 23, 2021
Leadership for the Days of the Lord - Part 4 Strategic Leadership To prepare for the Parousia, the Christian futurist must serve others during the many “Days of the Lord” in preparation for the Final Day. One of the simplest and most direct methods is to personally go towards the source of chaos and serve in whatever capacity is needed. When that happens, and the Christian engages with the discord of the world, it is possible to generate tremendous positive transformation. In this example, strategic leadership occurs when the Christian offers a living example of the Kingship Triangle by standing as the representative of the Christian worldview during times of crisis.
Completing the CLD To use the language of systems dynamics, strategic leadership is achieved by applying influence to the critical leverage point of worldview transformation, as illustrated in Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Humanitarian Service Develops Leaders Providing service to others during periods of crisis is ideally situated for developing leaders with the transformational skills that are not typically associated with more traditional leadership development approaches (Blouin & Perry, 2009). While not explicitly discussing crisis situations, Stanley (2017) offers additional insights into leadership development through acts of service, “Our entire leadership development model revolves around apprenticing rather than traditional classroom training… the reason we adopted this model is our conviction that, for the most part, adults learn on a need-to-know basis” (p. 125). All three of these authors recognize that once Christians actually enter service environments, they are confronted with unfamiliar situations coupled with an urgent need for additional knowledge, and they become extraordinarily teachable.
Leaders Influence Worldviews This model of leadership development is effective, but it can also be critically viewed as a leadership development model conducted at the expense of a host nation enduring the travails of calamity. That perspective shifts when the servant is able to accurately portray the Christian Theistic worldview in a manner similar to what Dee Hock (the founder of the Visa Corporation) describes as “chaordic” - a cross between “chaos” and “order” that describes a leadership approach that balances an enduring central structure along with vast, non-centralized operations and scalability.
Conclusion It will never be possible to prevent disasters; however, it remains an enduring task for human beings to respond to disasters in ways that increase development, and decrease envelopment. Through acts of service, powerful and transformative leadership can be forged that 1
restores order, reinforces civilization, and builds prosperity. By standing firm in the Christian faith, the servant also brings light, truth, and edification to the Days of the Lord. Strategically, this approach is not concerned with how many souls have been brought to Jesus or any metrics of that nature. Instead, it is focused on providing simple acts of service to others in need, and to developing transformational leaders who are steeped in the Christian faith and able to shine as a beacon to others who may be seeking answers. By personally entering into the chaotic “Days of the Lord” to serve others during disaster events, the Christian futurist strives to influence future outcomes in accordance with God’s plans. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jer. 29:11). To prepare for the final Day of the Lord when Jesus returns is not as simple a job as it might appear.
Author Bio Timothy Merritt was born in Phoenix, AZ, in 1966 and moved to Oregon in 1989. He has spent over 32 years as both an enlisted soldier and as a commissioned officer in the Oregon Army National Guard. He received his B.S. in Business Management from the University of Phoenix in 2002, his federal commission in 2003, and his Master's Degree in Organizational Leadership in 2017 from Regent University. He currently serves the Oregon Army National Guard in the capacity of Administrative Officer for the 249 Regiment, Regional Training Institute, and is pursuing his Doctorate of Strategic Leadership through Regent University.
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