The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:9
As I write these words, I am sitting in the lobby of a large hotel in Washington, D.C. before the first session in the conference I am attending. At this science and technology conference, everyone is all about great leadership examples, inspiring quotes, and professional success. All this preoccupation with leadership and achievement remind me of a powerful passage of Scripture in Philippians 4, where Paul outlines four very clear elements or “keys” to his leadership.
Paul is writing to the entire church at Philippi, which he started from the ground up. If anyone had authority to speak into the lives of these growing believers, it was Paul! In Philippians 4:9, Paul outlines four characteristics of a strong leader.
Notice the four things Paul says to this growing church: “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do…”
When I first saw these four things, it’s as if the words jumped off the page right in front of my eyes! I immediately noticed that since Paul was an excellent and highly successful leader and pioneer for the Gospel, his advice concerning leadership would be extremely useful in my life. I also noticed that these four things apply to the one being led just as much as they apply to the one doing the leading. In the margin of my Bible next to this verse are the following notes:
Qualities of a disciple: learning, receiving, hearing, seeing.
A Godly leader teaches, gives, speaks, and does.
What it means to do these things
Before we look at each of the four things Paul admonished his church (and us) to do, we need to find out what he means when he says, “…these do.” The word translated do is the Greek word prassō, which is very interesting. In the New Testament, the word “do” is translated from the Greek word poieō 357 times, while prassō (also translated “do”) is only used 28 times. What is the difference between these two words?
The word poieō means to make, fashion, complete, or to do something. Prassō also carries the idea of making, undertaking something, or doing. The translation of prassō as “do” is poor, since it really means to practice, that is, to perform repeatedly or habitually. Poieō, the more common word translated as “do” refers to a single act. So when Paul uses the word prassō in Philippians 4:9, he really is saying, “The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these practice continually, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Since we are all both leaders and followers (even if you are a CEO you are still follow somebody, and if you don’t think of yourself as a leader, you still have influence on somebody), let’s look at what each of these four items mean from both the perspective of the follower and the leader.
“The things which you learned…”
The first thing we see is that Paul expects the people he is pouring into to learn from him. This word learn in the Greek means to increase one’s knowledge in some area. As followers, this reminds us to keep an open and receptive heart to the lessons our leaders teach us. Learning isn’t passive. Just because you warm a seat in a classroom doesn’t mean you automatically learn something. You have to work at learning. Learning is NOT for the faint of heart. You have to actively choose to submit yourself to the teaching being presented to you, and even if you don’t agree with everything your leader is teaching you, there is nearly always SOMETHING you can learn from almost anybody.
As leaders, we must be intentional and mindful of what we are teaching those who follow us. What are we teaching through our language, lifestyle, and planned/direct teaching? Right now, I am teaching you the truths of the Bible through this blog post. But if you know me personally, you’ll notice that I do my best to exemplify what I am teaching through my choices, words, and actions. Don’t underestimate the power of your example.
“…and received…”
The second thing Paul teaches us is that a good leader has something to give his followers, or, you could say that he expects his listeners to receive something from him. As followers, we are not only to pay attention to what our leaders are teaching us, but we need to be aware and receptive to what they are giving us. Let me offer a personal example to illustrate this point.
Years ago, the pastor of the church I had started attending (during my months of depression and hopelessness) gave me something that I’ll never forget. I had been working with local U.S. Army recruiters and was interested in joining the Army. I wasn’t interested in just any position, mind you–I had scored very high on the ASVAB and had a strong desire to serve in the Special Forces. I had secured a slot with the U.S. Army Rangers, part of an elite group of soldiers who perform special operations missions.
Nobody except my roommate (and the recruiters) knew my plans to join the Rangers, but when I showed up to church one Saturday night, my pastor blew my mind. He walked right up to me and shared how God had told him all about how I was planning on joining the Army, and how His perfect will for my life was to stay out of the military and pursue a different path. I was blown away. How did this guy know the secrets of my life? Not just the Army part, but this pastor had talked about other intimate secrets of my heart that nobody on the planet but me and God knew. I was speechless.
My pastor didn’t just teach me about how an intimate relationship with God works, he gave me an experience that taught me how God shares secrets with His children (i.e., Psalm 25:14). I received something from my pastor that night: my first prophetic word. But more than that, I received a story and an encounter that changed my life more than the most organized and well-spoken teaching ever could have. As leaders, we are to cultivate an ear for the Holy Spirit and a passion for those we lead so we have something to give them. As followers, we need to ensure that the people we follow are not just talk, talk, talk, but that we can receive things of actual substance from them.
“…and heard…”
Paul further expected the growing church in Philippi to hear him. This word in the Greek carries the idea of hearing with an understanding. This isn’t just the passive student who shows up to class and spends the lecture thinking about what he is going to do that evening. This is a picture of a person who not only hears what is being said, but who engages his brain and hears with an understanding. As followers, it is vital that we cultivate this skill (and yes, it is a growable skill) that allows us to listen, process, and understand in real time. This is why I am an avid notetaker, not just in the classroom setting, but in sermons, YouTube video teachings, and even personal meetings. I have learned the art of listening with a hearing ear; that is, not just mechanically hearing something being taught, but allowing that teaching to penetrate my mind and heart to a level that impacts me from that moment forward.
As leaders, we need to be careful to not just make noise, but to teach and speak with authority, clarity, and passion so that those who are listening to us have the opportunity to “latch on” to what we are saying. This allows the listener the time to engage their understanding while we are talking. Personally, I try to say just one thing at a time, but I endeavor to say it in as many ways as possible to maximize the impact my words are having on the largest number of people listening to me. In personal meetings, I usually practice the same tactic until I see that one of my explanations “lights up” the person sitting across from me. I can see it in their eyes when they “hear with understanding.”
“…and saw in me…”
Finally, Paul’s words in Philippians 4:9 indicate that he expected the recipients of his letter to follow his example, that is, to practice what they saw him do. We discussed the power of example earlier in the section about “… the things which you learned,” but this truth is so powerful it cannot be overstated. You know how they say “a picture is worth 1000 words?” I think the phrase “people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care” is similar. Someone might be an eloquent communicator, but if what I see in his or her personal life contradicts the “wisdom” they are sharing from the stage, I tend to discount everything they said. I am not interested in charismatic speakers who have little to no personal character or ability to literally practice what they preach.
As followers, it is extremely important that we take a balanced approach to this. People are not perfect. The person you are following on social media or whose teachings you have come to trust over the years (hopefully people like me) are not perfect, nor will they ever be. You need to give them, as you would give yourself, grace to fail. But at the same time, if you see a leader constantly erring, going off track, and living a generally bad example of what a Godly leader should be, then it is perfectly okay to put them on the “back burner” of those who influence you for a season. Maybe start listening to or following someone else who truly is, to the best of your knowledge, practicing what they preach.
As leaders, we need to do everything we can to be living in the power and light of what we are doing our best to teach. One scathing example of this in Scripture is found in Romans 2:21-24:
You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who make your boast in the law, do you dishonor God through breaking the law? For “the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you,” as it is written.
Romans 2:21-24
People can smell hypocrisy a mile away. It’s simply not worth it to teach something you know you are not practicing. Not that you have to have everything perfected in your own life before you teach on it (I certainly don’t), but it would be unwise to teach others something that your personal testimony would speak loudly against.
So What Do We Have?
In summary, here are some characteristics of a Godly leader. A Godly leader, according to Paul in Philippians 4:9:
- Teaches
- Speaks
- Gives
- Does
In the same way, a faithful and growing disciple of Jesus continually grows in and practices these traits:
- Learning
- Receiving
- Hearing
- Seeing/Watching
Again, I couldn’t help but think about this power-packed verse when confronted with the best wisdom and leadership advice that the scientific world has to offer. Don’t get me wrong, the scientific, academic, and business realms have some good advice… but if you want a real inspirational message that will truly alter the course of your own history and everyone with whom you have influence, God’s Word is the ultimate source of leadership wisdom that is second to none.
Isn’t this awesome? There is so much here to digest. I encourage you to study this out on your own, and let the Holy Spirit breathe life and revelation into your spirit concerning these four powerful things.