Leading With Gladness
How can Christians look different from the world?
This question has been haunting me lately. On the one hand, the answer should be obvious. Whenever the world promotes violence, greed, injustice, hate, fear, or wickedness, we are the people of faith, hope, and love. We do not bow to fear. We do not live as if God’s resources are scarce. We show radical love to the marginalized, safe haven to the vulnerable, and selfless love at a cost. We do all this because Jesus did this for us.
But here’s the hitch: what happens when many of these causes become trendy? What happens when the broader culture agrees that injustice is wrong, hate is taboo, and fear is unproductive? What happens when many of Jesus’ teachings are embraced in our society? How do Christians distinguish themselves from the world then?
One of the reasons I’ve been wrestling with this question is that I’ve heard too many sermons, seen too many Instagram posts, and read too many blog articles that don’t especially need Jesus. Any person, Christ-follower or not, could agree with the message that we should love people. And that’s not entirely bad. But when this happens—when the church looks just like the best of the world—how do we distinguish ourselves as the people of God? And how will our lifestyles remain compelling?
A Different Kind of Different
Let me begin by saying we should rejoice when the culture takes a cue from Christ. This is such a grace, in whatever form it takes, and for however long it lasts. God works good in the world in so many forms, and we can be grateful when the world acknowledges His ways.
But when our culture’s causes look a lot like Christ’s, how else can we distinguish ourselves?
I was recently listening to a sermon by pastor Matt Chandler, and he offered one answer to this question: “In an age of pessimism and being quick to take offense, joy and gladness are a part of our witness.” In other words, looking “different” isn’t just about the causes we fight for, but the posture with which we fight them.
This posture—of joy, gladness, gratitude, and grace—matters a great deal, because we exist in an age of cynicism. Even among those who are working for good, there is a hardness, a bitterness, and a self-righteousness settling over our society like a heavy cloak. We can sense it in the divisive climate of our culture, but we can also see it on social media. Anger and disillusionment have taken the wheel, and Christians are not, by and large, known for having a distinctly different approach.
And this is a missed opportunity.
The Ministry of Gladness
Leadership is not simply about what we do, but who we are. As Paul put it in 1 Corinthians 13, we can give away everything we have to the poor, we can sacrifice, we can teach, but none of it means anything without love. Now pay attention there, because we tend to conflate those things: the person who gives away their possessions MUST be loving. The person who sacrifices for others MUST be loving. Not so, says Paul. We can be good people and live good lives while our hearts grow empty and cold.
And I see this happening. Especially among those who are working the hardest for good. Without the truth of the gospel (and even WITH the truth of the gospel!), it’s easy to become hardened when you work for change and see little of it. It’s also easy to become self-righteous when you work for good without a robust sense of your own brokenness and forgiveness. As a result, we have a culture in which many individuals are “good,” but not necessarily glad.
This, then, is how we stand out. Joy and gladness in Christ, at a time when cynicism and despair run rampant. It may seem like a small thing—not a loud or visible form of leadership—but then again, neither is salt (Matt. 5:13). So, let’s season our culture with gladness.
Sharon Hodde Miller
Sharon Hodde Miller is a writer, speaker, pastor's wife, and mom of two boys. In addition to recently completing her Ph.D, her first book releases with Baker Books in 2017, and she blogs at SheWorships.com. You can connect with Sharon on Twitter.
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