Episode 32: Spiritual Gift of Leadership + Mercy

In this episode we get to talk about 2 gifts that may be more natural for people. We are talking about leadership and mercy. Leadership is very evident and can be a natural gift but also requires to be developed and matured. Mercy is where we can empathize with others and truly extend grace to everyone. The spiritual gift of leadership is closely related to the gift of administration and, interestingly, the spiritual gift of pastor/shepherd.  The Greek word for the spiritual gift of leadership is proistemi. This word means to lead, to assist, to protect and to care for others.  The spiritual gift of leadership is found in Romans 12:8 sandwiched between the gifts of giving and of mercy.  It is placed there intentionally to show that it is a gift associated with caring for others.  This is what connects it to the gift of pastor/shepherd, and what differentiates it from the gift of administration. It is more people oriented than task oriented in its application.  This is not to say those with the gift of administration do not care for people, of course they do, but those with the spiritual gift of leadership focus on people and relationships more directly. In 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 Paul says to “respect those who labor among you and are over (proistemi) you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work.” The labor and work of those who were leading the believers in Thessalonica was that of tirelessly caring for their souls.  Paul also connects leadership to caring for others when he asks, “If someone does not know how to manage (proistemi) his own household, how will he care for God’s church?”  1 Timothy 3:5 The final gift Paul discusses in Romans 12 is the gift of mercy: “he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” The gift of mercy is the desire and ability to identify with and comfort those who are hurting. People with this gift come alongside those who are hurting—not to lecture them, not to ask them what sin they committed that caused them to hurt, and not to even help them solve their problem. They have the desire to comfort those who are hurting. People who have this gift have the ability to discern the mood of others.