How You Can Help Your Leader

Philippians 2:20

For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.

Paul said he had no man likeminded. He was saying that nobody thought like him or had his passion. Now, later in Paul’s life, I believe he would have said that Timothy was likeminded, but at the point he penned this verse, he felt nobody quite thought like him.

One thing every pastor or leader needs is for someone they lead to be likeminded. To be likeminded means that you think alike. The importance of being likeminded is critical to the work of Christ. No work can go forward when everyone is doing their own thing. A team that works together is a team that wins championships. A church that is likeminded and works together is a church that will do great things for God. Let me share a few thoughts on this all-important principle of the follower thinking like their leader.

First, the success of the work of the Lord depends on the followers being likeminded. It only takes one person going rogue to hurt the work of Christ. People who refuse to be likeminded create strife and division in the church. Once strife and division occur, every person visiting will know something is not right, and it will likely keep that person from returning. A church must work at having the mind of its pastor.

Second, the pastor needs to be likeminded with Christ. You will more likely get people to think like you if you will think like Christ. When the pastor is likeminded with Christ, he then has the Holy Spirit and the Word of God working with him in the hearts of his people to make them think alike. Getting the mind of Christ as a pastor is critical to your church being likeminded with you.

Third, a pastor must train his followers if they are to be likeminded. Your people cannot know how you think if you don't teach them. People may be able to see the results, but they cannot learn your process of doing things or your principles of decisions if you don't teach them. The only way a follower can learn to be likeminded is if the leader takes the time to train his followers. Training may take more time and slow you down for a moment of getting to the destination you want to arrive at, but it will excel the productivity of the church in the future if you take time to train your followers in your methods, principles, and processes.

Fourth, followers should strive to have a mind like their leader, for this will help the work to go forward. A leader cannot train someone who does not want to be trained. The follower should study their leader, ask them questions, and follow them as they serve so they can learn how their leader serves Christ. If you don't study your leader, you will never have his mind. If you don't ask him questions about how he does things, he cannot train you to be likeminded. You should love the work of the Lord so much that you want to be likeminded so this great work can multiply.

My friend, someone has to be in charge, and God has chosen the pastor to lead the church. Therefore, it is critical that every person in the church lays aside their pettiness and becomes a likeminded follower. For the sake of souls being saved in multitudes, the pastor needs to train his followers, and the followers need to accept that training and study their leader so that God’s work will thrive through this likeminded team of pastor, staff, and church members.