No, not the gifts of a leader. Leaders by God’s design are gifted differently to specifically fit their destiny assignments. The gifts of a leader can be, and I suppose often are, criticized. You’re not a good enough preacher, not strategic, not detailed, not…
But the gift to a community, a church body, an organization, is the leader themselves. When God sees the people in Exodus in their slavery and groaning He sends
a leader – Moses. Wasn’t Martin Luther King sent by the Lord to those groaning? And Paul, he declares in Ephesians 3 is assigned by the Lord, “for the sake of you Gentiles.”
For their “sake”! For their benefit! For their good. How does that alter our treatment of our leaders? When we see them as gifts expressing God’s presence and care for us would that change our disappointments and perhaps our complaints?
If the Ephesians were listening to the heart of Ephesians 3:1 they would hear this, “One expression of God’s heart for you is the gift of a leader named Paul. The very fact that God sent Paul to you should communicate to you that He sees you, that you matter, that He is with you.”
Even if the leader is not all we would want. Even if they have their own development yet to process. Even if the leader can at times forget to live in the majesty that their assignment (to your church or your setting) is from the Lord, they are a gift, God’s incarnation, God’s fleshing out of His presence.
And when a church has a leader who lives in this majesty, who lives fully in their assignment to a setting and a people, that church is very blessed.
God sees you, loves you, has come to you in the form of a leader. Wonder if you could somehow be grateful to your leader(s) today and express your gratefulness for their willingness to be called to your church, your organization, your life!